From The Doctor’s Desk: The Moral of the Story? Hormone Balance Key To Reducing Breast Cancer Potential.

I have four kids that range in age from four to eleven. One of my favorite things to do is read them a great story. So today, let’s talk about some very important stories and the moral each one presents.

The story about breast cancer potential has more characters than just estrogen and progesterone as we discussed in my last post. There are other hormones that are integral characters in that story also. As you will learn in this post, the moral to the breast cancer story is balance — balance between all the hormones in your body.

The Story On Dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA) — Say That One Three Times Fast!

DHEA, a testosterone precursor, is a hormone produced by the adrenal glands and plays a part in breast protection. DHEA plays an important role in supporting the immune system. DHEA stimulates the production of good T-helper lymphocytes-1 and their associated good cytokines: interferon, Interleukin-2 and Tumor Necrosis Factor-beta. This is in contrast to the bad T-helper lymphocytes-2 and their bad cytokines. DHEA levels typically decline as we age. The decrease in DHEA levels are inversely correlated with increasing age-related disease. The strength of this correlation is yet to be determined, but the decline in immune system due to low DHEA is clear. So where does that leave DHEA? Individuals with low DHEA levels have more disease, and in this case, more breast cancer. The moral of this story? Low DHEA = a compromised immune system = breast cancer vulnerability.

The Story On Melatonin — The Sandman Hormone.

Melatonin is the hormone that regulates your sleep cycle. It is produced from the pineal gland in the brain. Low melatonin levels have been linked to breast cancer through the additional benefits of melatonin. Melatonin boosts the immune system, decreases estrogen and progesterone production, and acts as an anti-oxidant. Bench studies (non-human studies) have shown significant increase risks of breast cancer with low melatonin levels. Can you guess what happens as we age? Yes, you guessed it. Our melatonin levels fall. Ever talk to a post-menopausal woman? Most women of that age have sleep-related complaints. The moral of this story? Low melatonin = a compromised immune system = breast cancer vulnerability.

The Story on Thyroid — The Energy Hormone.

How about the thyroid hormone?  The breast cancer link reaches to all hormones and everything seems to involve the thyroid these days! T4 (or better known as synthroid, levoxy, levothryoixine) is one of the most prescribed medicines today. But T4 is a very weak thyroid hormone. In fact, the body is looking for T3, a result of T4 to T3 conversion. The problem is that many individuals don’t convert T4 to T3 well. (Very often I see patients who have been on synthroid for years without symptomatic improvement even though their “levels” are said to be “good”.  I digress. That’s a subject for another post. Let’s get back to the breast cancer link.) Low T4 and T3 levels result in low sex hormone binding globulin levels (SHBG). SHBG is how some hormones are transported. When SHBG levels drop, the free availability of the hormone it transports goes up. In this case, the levels of free estradiol go up. Remember the negative breast implications of estrogen dominance from last weeks post (link)? The moral of this story? Low thyroid = low SHBG = high estradiol = estrogen dominance = breast cancer vulnerability.

The Story On Insulin — The Sugar Storer

Finally, Insulin. Insulin’s primary role is in the storage of glucose. However, due to the large percentage of simple or refined sugars in our diet, insulin resistance has become a major epidemic, and, yes, insulin resistance increases the risk of breast cancer. How, you ask? High simple sugars leads to insulin resistance and PCOS (Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome). As a result, estrogen dominance and excess testosterone are produced which leads to weight gain. Remember that fat cells produce even more estrogen and estrogen stimulates breast cell growth (link). Young women will start their cycles at an earlier age and thus will increase their lifetime exposure to estrogen without appropriate progesterone balance. And to make matters worse, traditional therapy with birth control pills for these young women increases the breast cancer risk even further. The moral of this story? Insulin resistance = estrogen dominance = breast cancer vulnerability.

Change The Ending Of The Story.

Just because any of these hormone deficiencies might produce in you symptoms which you recognize in this post doesn’t mean that you are going to have breast cancer. However, the sooner you seek hormone balance, the quicker you are going to lower your breast cancer vulnerability/potential. As you can see, the hormonal symphony is what is important. Balance! When your hormones are balanced, the result is a symphony, and in turn, your body is in tune and makes beautiful music. But when your hormones are not balanced, then…well, you know the ending of that story.

Confession #2: Who Knew I Had So Much In Common With Oprah?

During my journey back to good health, I have discovered there are many others taking the journey with me. Oprah and I go way back. Just kidding. Oprah and I do have two things in common: we were both born in southern states (she in Mississippi, me in Louisiana), and we both have a condition called hypothyroidism. And, it turns out, we are on the same journey.

You may have heard about hypothyroidism on recent episodes of Oprah (you can watch episodes on her website). Oprah has sought treatment for her hypothyroidism with bioidentical hormones, just like me. My condition was diagnosed in December of 2007 and I have been treated with bioidentical thyroid since that time. Because we have the same condition, I thought I would share with you some of the symptoms I experienced.

I had symptoms but didn’t even know they were symptoms. That’s one of the main reasons I am bearing my soul to you. I want you to know what I didn’t. If you have symptoms, my guess is you probably don’t know you have symptoms either.

Hair falling out. I have long hair (bra strap length). And when your long hair falls out, it just seems normal. In fact, when Dr. Goodyear asked me if my hair was falling out, I said no. After I began treatment with bioidentical thyroid, my hair stopped falling out. It was shocking. If you are pulling handfuls of hair out each time you wash, it might not be normal. I had handfuls while blow drying as well.

Lack of energy. I have two young children, ages 10 and 4. My four-year-old didn’t sleep through the night on a regular basis until she was 2 ½. (No, I don’t need parenting classes. She had chronic ear infections and difficulty cutting teeth.) I assumed that my chronic exhaustion was due to my chronic lack of sleep. And I assumed that when I did get a couple of good nights of sleep and still felt tired, that I just needed more time to get “back to normal.” That never happened. Even after she began sleeping through the night, I remained chronically tired. I finally agreed with my husband that something just wasn’t right.

Weight gain/depression. For me, this was the worst symptom of all. Even on a diet, I gained weight. What’s up with that? Humiliation. Guilt. Frustration. I made great efforts to eat right and exercise but with no results. (Oprah’s battle with this is well-documented!) This led me, frustrated, back to the pantry to eat myself to happiness. After diagnosis and treatment, I learned that with hypothyroidism your body chemistry is working against you. You will gain weight…spontaneously, but because of your abnormal body chemistry, not because you overate.

Cold feet. No, not the scared to do something kind of cold feet. For me, socks every night was a must. Even in the summer.

Dry skin. I am the original oily-skinned girl. Shiny nose at noon. You know my type! My skin became dry but I didn’t notice it. My aesthetician made a comment to me following a facial about how my skin had changed. It was her comment that made me realize that my skin had become dry (as had my hair).

Fuzzy thinking/poor memory. I found myself unable to remember a list of a few items at the grocery store. I had to write EVERYTHING down. And I mean everything. Couldn’t even remember to return a phone call. (Anyone reading this who I forgot to call, now you know why! So sorry!) I couldn’t even concentrate to make the grocery list and counted on my husband to do that with me.

After Dr. Goodyear diagnosed me, I began taking bioidentical thyroid made by our local compounding pharmacist. Bioidentical thyroid takes a little longer to produce results than the synthetic variety. But my patience was rewarded with a return to normal thyroid levels. Within two weeks, my hair stopped falling out. Within three months, I could tell a substantial difference in my energy level and my ability to think clearly. Now, after 15 months of therapy, I am working again. It would have been impossible for me to have a normal job 15 months ago.

If you have questions about hypothyroidism and its symptoms, please send your comments.

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• Confession #1 (seasonswc.com)

Hormone Symphony

Have you ever heard a great symphony play under a great conductor in a great symphony hall? I have. The music is beautiful.

Of course, it doesn’t matter how good the conductor is or how good the acoustics are—if the orchestra is not good. If the symphony’s tempo is off, or the pitch, or the key, or the volume, then it doesn’t even matter who wrote the music. Beethoven, Mozart, or Bach will just sound like noise to the audience.

Symphony comes from a Greek word meaning “agreement or concord of sound.”

Your hormones are like a symphony. When everything works together, then and only then can you appreciate the beauty of the music.

When your hormones are out of balance, your body will experience symptoms that wreck the music—hot flashes, mood swings, weight gain. Like a symphony, your hormonal balance is more complicated than any individual part. It is not just about your estrogen and thyroid as many would have you believe. Your hormonal symphony requires the balance of all hormones: all estrogen types, progesterone, testosterone, DHEA, cortisol, thyroid, and melatonin. One hormone out of balance can start a ripple effect that results in total hormonal imbalance.

When your hormones are not balanced, your body feels like a bad symphony, just making noise. However, when all hormones are balanced, your body can make beautiful music. If we reduce your diagnosis to estrogen problems or thyroid problems only, we will miss the mark. When we evaluate and treat your hormones as a whole system, your body can be a symphony.

Who needs Hormones?

Who needs hormones? The answer is: not everyone. Some need hormones, and some don’t. Additionally, a need for hormone therapy is not unique to women. Men can benefit from hormone therapy as well.

If you have symptoms of hormone imbalances, then hormone replacement therapy may be right for you. However, a “one size fits all approach” is never appropriate. Each individual’s hormone needs are as unique as his or her thumb print.

Hormone testing will help determine the specific hormone imbalances and direct treatment.

What symptoms indicate hormone imbalance?

The symptoms of low estrogen include…

• hot flashes
• night sweats
• vaginal dryness
• urinary frequency
• depressed feeling
• sleeping difficulty
• no interest in sex
• no periods

The symptoms of low testosterone include…

• fatigue
• lack of drive
• lack of initiative
• less assertive
• decline in sense of well being
• general depressed moods
• irritable
• lack of self-confidence
• difficulty in setting goals
• decline in mental sharpness
• no stamina/endurance
• loss of muscle mass, strength, or tone
• increased body fat around waist
• elevated cholesterol
• decreased libido
• decreased sexual ability
• sleep apnea

The symptoms of low thyroid include…

• general fatigue or afternoon fatigue
• elevated cholesterol
• difficulty losing weight
• cold hands and feet
• sensitivity to cold
• difficulty thinking clearly
• difficulty concentrating
• poor short term memory
• depressed moods
• hair loss
• constipation
• dry, itchy skin
• fluid retention
• recurrent headaches
• restless sleep
• tingling or numbness in hands and feet
• decreased sweating
• infertility or recurrent miscarriages
• recurrent infections
• muscles aches
• joint pain
• thinning of eyebrows and eyelashes
• enlargement of tongue and teeth indentations
• decreased body hair
• hoarse voice
• slow heart rate
• low blood pressure
• low body temperature
• sleep apnea

The symptoms of high estrogen/low progesterone include…

• premenstrual breast tenderness
• premenstrual mood swings
• premenstrual fluid retention and/or weight gain
• migraine headaches
• severe menstrual cramps
• heavy periods with clotting
• irregular menstrual cycles
• uterine fibroids
• fibrocystic breasts
• endometriosis
• history of infertility
• history of miscarriages
• joint pain
• muscle pain
• decreased libido
• anxiety and/or panic attacks

What are bioidentical hormones?

One of the most frequent questions we here is: “Hey! What is the difference between bioidentical hormones and synthetic hormones like premarin, prempro, premphase, and provera?”

I’m glad you asked! Synthetic hormones include conjugated equine (that’s horse in English) estrogens and progestins. (My wife is not a horse, and I’m pretty sure you aren’t either!)

The key difference between bioidentical and synthetic hormones is molecular structure. In an effort to fully replicate the function of the hormones produced by your body and to minimize the side effects, the molecular structure of the hormones must be identical to those produced in your body.

Synthetic hormones are similar but not identical. These structural differences lead to metabolism by-products that increase the frequency and intensity of unwanted side effects.

Bioidentical hormones are structurally and chemically identical to the hormones your body produces.

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You may have heard that there are not many studies about bioidentical hormones. Certainly, there have not been as many studies of bioidentical hormones as synthetic hormones. But, here’s why.

Pharmaceutical companies fund research for synthetic hormones through profitable patents and mass production. Bioidentical hormones cannot be patented, and thus there are limited funds for research. There are some European studies of bioidentical hormones, but they are small in number and limited in scope.

Related articles by Zemanta and Seasons

• Bioidentical hormones: What does the scientific evidence say?
• The Bioidentical Hormone Debate (www.postgradmed.com)
• Abstract: Are Bioidentical Hormones (Estradiol, Estriol, and Progesterone) Safer or More Efficacious than Commonly Used Synthetic Versions in Hormone Replacement Therapy? (holtorfmed.com)
• Study: Hormone therapy caused breast cancer for thousands (cnn.com)