Progress Your Health Podcast

Endometriosis can be very painful. It can have a significant effect on a woman's quality of life. Below are few of the common symptoms of Endometriosis. Painful periods Pain with intercourse Heavy period Mid Cycle spotting Endometriosis occurs when the uterine tissue gets seeded outside the uterus. Removing the uterus can help tremendously with the following symptoms: Heavy periods lead to anemia Painful periods Mid Cycle spotting Bleeding outside of sync with your period Bloating As you probably already know, a Hysterectomy is the removal of the uterus.  Leaving the ovaries inside and intact. Removal of ovaries is oophorectomy. Usually, with the hysterectomy for endometriosis, your surgeon will clean up and remove any endometrial tissue she/he sees in the pelvic area. Unfortunately, the endometrial tissue can grow back on the ovaries and elsewhere in the pelvic area in some people. It’s hard to say why. After a hysterectomy, you do not have the retrograde menstruation, but if there was any micro end

Endometriosis is a condition that affects many women.  It is estimated that about 10% of females ages 15 to 49 are affected.  I think this percentage of women with endometriosis is much higher than 10%.  That is because the only sure way to be diagnosed with endometriosis is to have laparoscopic surgery. There are many signs and symptoms of endometriosis, but they tend to overlap with other hormonal imbalances.  Often it is confused with fibroids, ovarian cysts, and painful, heavy periods to name a few. And like I said, the only sure way to know is having surgery and finding endometriosis in the pelvic cavity.   What is Endometriosis? Endometriosis is the lining of the uterus has seeded itself elsewhere in the body.  The top lining of the uterus is called the endometrium. It is the cells of this lining (endometrium) that is found outside of the uterus.  Common places endometriosis is found: -Fallopian tubes: Sometimes it can cause scar tissue on the fallopian tubes reducing fertility or can contribute to a

What Are Liver Enzymes? Liver Enzymes are made by cells throughout the body but are found in highest concentrations in liver cells. These enzymes are found inside liver cells, so when the concentration is elevated in the blood, usually indicates liver cells (hepatocytes) are inflamed, damaged for dying. Below is a list of the four common liver enzymes that are routinely tested on an annual basis or monitored due to certain medications, such as Statin drugs and acetaminophen. Liver Enzymes:  Alanine transaminase (ALT) / Serum Glutamic-Pyruvic Transaminase (SGPT)  Aspartate transaminase (AST) / Serum Glutamic-Oxaloacetic Transaminase (SGOT)  Alkaline phosphatase (ALP) Gamma-glutamyl transpeptidase (GGT) Liver Enzyme Reference Range: (Quest Diagnostics) Liver Enzyme Test Male Female AST 10 – 40 U/L 10 – 35 U/L ALT 9 – 46 U/L 6 – 29 U/L ALP 40 – 115 U/L 33 – 130 U/L GGT 3 – 95 U/L 3 – 70 U/L   What Does Slightly Elevated Liver Enzymes Mean? Something we have consisten

Does progesterone make you tired? It is a lot more complicated than a yes or no answer.  In this episode, we are going to explain this question in full detail. We are going to talk about: Types of progesterone replacement: creams, capsules, sublingual, troche Why progesterone is used to balance hormones When you usually take progesterone How much progesterone is a typical dose for treatment Progesterone is a common type of hormone replacement and is an excellent treatment for many of the symptoms associated with hormone imbalances that occur during Premenstrual Syndrome (PMS), perimenopause and menopause. We are also going to talk about how progesterone can help with symptoms of hormone imbalance.  One of the most common symptoms is insomnia. Progesterone is fantastic for sleep.  It is particularly helpful for helping women both fall asleep and stay asleep throughout the night.   Many women complain of waking multiple times during the night or are awake for hours in the middle of the night.  We are go

It may not always be obvious, but hormones have a significant influence on how we feel and our behavior on a daily basis. It is not something that is given enough thought to in medicine; however, it is something we pay a great deal of attention to because we understand the connections.   Hormones dictate everything from eating to sleeping and just about anything else in between.  When hormones are balanced, then our behavior normal. If hormones are not balanced, then emotions and behavior will suffer. For example, if someone is under heavy stress, cortisol will rise. Over time, the rise in cortisol can negatively impact the sleep process, resulting in chronic insomnia. Below are a few more examples of behaviors/emotions that are influenced by hormones: Sleep Hunger / appetite / food cravings Sex Drive (libido) Addiction Motivation/drive/ambition Focus/concentration Anxiety/depression Irritability Emotional/weepy Sad/melancholy Grumpy The relationship between hormones and behavior is a very comp

Triiodothyronine also is known as T3 is the active form of thyroid hormone.  T4 also known as thyroxine is made in the thyroid gland.  T4 is then sent peripherally through the system, and mainly the liver will convert T4 to T3.  You can have all the T4 in your body, but if your T3 is low, then you will have symptoms of low thyroid.     If suspecting a case of low thyroid, thyroid disease, hypo or hyperthyroid your conventional doctor is going to run a TSH blood test.  The TSH (Thyroid Stimulating Hormone) is a signal from the brain monitoring thyroid disease and the thyroid levels in the body.   To put it simple:   If the thyroid levels are high, then the TSH is low.   If your thyroid levels are low, then TSH is high. As mentioned above the thyroid mainly makes T4, which is released into the blood and will travel in the body and be converted to the active form of thyroid, T3.  Approximately 60% of this conversion occurs in the liver, about 20% is converted by gut flora and about 20% is converted by periphe

Here is a typical scenario: I don't know what to do I have all the symptoms of low thyroid.  My hair is falling out.  I am exhausted, no energy whatsoever.  I have gained weight, even though I try to eat well and exercise.  But honestly, I am too tired to exercise.  Sorry for the TMI, but I am constipated, bloated and fiber makes it worse.  I am feeling pretty low mood wise and so tired.  My skin is really dry, and all I want to do is sleep.   I went to my general practitioner, and she ran my blood work for thyroid.  My doctor says my thyroid is fine.  But I don't feel fine! Then she just told me to go on a diet and gave me a prescription for an antidepressant. I cannot tell you how many times I have seen this scene.  That is because your general practitioner, endocrinologist, internist, PCP are looking for disease or if something is broken.  But what if there is not a disease (thank goodness)?  They really do not know what to do with you.  To check for thyroid disease, your doctor will run a T

Our bodies make three different forms estrogens: Estrone (E1) Estradiol (E2) Estriol (E3) Estrone is usually considered an unhealthy estrogen.  It is still bioidentical, but you do not want loads of estrone around when you are balancing the hormones.  Estrone is common in young girls when they first get their periods and after menopause.  Estrone metabolites can raise the risk for cancer.  This is why you do not want a high level of estrone, which can also cause moodiness, feeling munchie, puffy and grumpy.  With bioidentical hormone replacement therapy (BHRT), we do not use estrone for the above reasons mentioned. Estradiol is the strongest of the three bioidentical estrogens.  Estradiol is common in conventional hormone replacement in the form of oral, patches or transdermal.  Premarin and Prempro are not estradiol and are not bioidentical.  Because estradiol is the strongest of the estrogens, it has pros and cons to use.   Pros of Estradiol:   Great for keeping bones strong Eliminating hot flash

What is pregnenolone? It is a steroid hormone but is not a reproductive hormone like estrogen or testosterone.  Pregnenolone is also made from cholesterol, which makes it a steroid hormone. It is also considered to be a pro-hormone,’ because it can convert into other hormones depending on the needs of the body. Recently, it has been discovered that pregnenolone is also produced in the brain and spinal cord, which makes it very potent on stimulating the central nervous system and having an impact on the brain. Pregnenolone is helpful for memory. It is stimulating to the brain for memory and learning, but at the same time, it is also neuroprotective.  The brain is very complicated, and pages could be written on the process of memory foundation and degradation. What we are trying to say here is, pregnenolone helps with learning and also preserving memory by protecting brain cells. Other helpful uses for pregnenolone: Memory: short-term Brain fog Mental energy and mental motivation Helpful for learning new inf

Painful intercourse is a very common complaint I get from patients going through or have gone through menopause.  They do feel awkward speaking of vaginal dryness, especially with their male gynecologists.  This is one of the most common symptoms of menopause, second to hot flashes and night sweats. Menopause is an inevitable course of life that all women will go through.  In menopause, the ovaries are going to reduce and ultimately stop making estrogen and progesterone.  The average age of menopause is 51.5 years of age.  Also, commonly some women have had a complete hysterectomy and oophorectomy which is complete removal of the uterus and ovaries. This can be due to many health conditions such as Endometriosis, heavy/frequent bleeding, or fibroids.  These women will go through what is called, surgical menopause,’ but either way, menopause can have a variety of symptoms. Unfortunately, dry, painful sex commonly occurs before, during and after menopause.  A female may opt to take hormone replacement during m

As discussed before, fatigue is a broad topic with many multifaceted causes.  I wish there were a magic pill that would help fatigue and was free from side effects or dependency, but there is not.  Fatigue is commonplace, but a complicated symptom to address due to the many contributing factors.   In our practice, the majority patients complaining about fatigue are relatively healthy and have no disease states, which is why their doctor has a hard time treating them.  Unfortunately, there is no treatment specifically for generalized fatigue.   In our practice, a typical triad of symptoms we see with almost every patient is the following: Low energy Stressed Weight gain (especially in the stomach) From our experience treating patients for the last 14 years, we wanted to share some supplements ideas that we have had success with increasing energy. Below is just a summary of some supplement ideas that have helped our patients.  There are many other possibilities, and each practitioner has their preferred opt

Fatigue and feeling tired is such a big topic.  This episode is the second part of our podcast of ‘Why Am I so Tired All The Time.’ As we discussed, there are many reasons causing fatigue ranging from medication to having too much caffeine.  Below is a list that with many (not all) of the causes of fatigue.   Medications: such as antidepressant meds, anti-anxiety, heart meds. Liver – sugar, alcohol and overall number of medications Excessive amounts of Caffeine Anemia/low blood iron Insomnia/lack of sleep Stress: adrenal and thyroid Blood sugar/insulin imbalance Depression / Anxiety Stress / Cortisol Thyroid –hypothyroid, Hashimoto’s, Of course, fatigue is not just as simple as a list.  We believe that fatigue is the interaction between the pancreas, liver, thyroid, adrenal glands, brain and reproductive organs.   This interaction can also help explain adrenal fatigue or adrenal-dysfunction, which is such a vague term or concept. When you consider the interactions between the adrenals, pancreas, live

One of the most common complaints we hear from patients is fatigue or feeling tired all the time. Unfortunately, fatigue is common, but a complicated symptom to treat.  There are many possible reasons someone can be fatigued.   Conventionally, when you go to your doctor, fatigue is all the same.  There is no differentiation made; however, we see three different patterns of fatigue.   Snooze Button: Are you one of those people who keeps pressing the snooze button in the morning. You are so tired and you just can't seem to get out of bed, so you keep pressing snooze.  Every nine minutes, your alarm keeps going off, and before you know it you have stayed in bed for an extra 45 extra minutes.   Afternoon Crash: Many patients mention they get really tired in the afternoon, usually between 2:00 to 5:00 pm. We refer to this afternoon drop in energy as the Thanksgiving Effect, which usually happens 30 to 90 minutes after lunchtime.   Wire and Tired: In the evening, after a long day, many patients will mention

In our practice, one of the most common complaints we hear is about sugar cravings.  Carb cravings are not only common but an obvious obstacle to our weight loss goals.   How many of you have woken up in the morning and said, today is the day that I am going to eat healthy.'  You start the day perfect. Breakfast is a good source of protein like eggs with some spinach and onions. Or maybe a smoothie with lots of greens, chia seeds, fruit and healthy protein powder.   Lunch is a salad or yogurt. You drink lots of water because we all know that is healthy for us.  And then BOOM! 3 pm hits.  You feel a little tired, and then the carb/sugar cravings kick in.  You have a little chocolate or a cookie.  And then you have another and another.   Dinner is protein and veggies and maybe a little carbohydrate like rice.  You might eat a larger portion for dinner than you should, given the snacking before dinner. You are not alone when I say after dinner, you still want to snack.  Full from dinner, you still want to

The new year is here! And I am sure everyone has their new year's resolutions.  The most common, eating better and losing weight.  With the holiday season (speaking for myself), there has been way too much sugar, treats, alcohol and just too much food in general.   It has also been wonderful to spend quality time with family and loved ones, but too much wine, dessert and too little/no exercise (again, speaking for myself).  I am more than ready to eat better, exercise and stop wearing yoga pants all the time.We have a program to help you (and me) eat better, feel better, lose and maintain weight.  Specifically belly fat, because that is where we have all gained it. This program is called the Keto-Carb-Cycling Program (KCCP). First off, caloric restriction is not going to work.  We have all reduced our calories, suffered from hunger, cravings and being a little moody. Unfortunately, you lose a small amount of weight, which is mainly water, and muscle.  Then binge and gain it all back. This program incor

Welcome to the new year, 2018! It is going to be a great year.  With the start of any new year, everyone is ready to eat better and lose weight. Since when did my fat jeans' become my regular jeans lol!  With the holiday festivities behind us, it is time to get back on track with our eating and get back into our skinny jeans!   Over the years there have been numerous diet' programs for weight loss.  As many of us know, diets are not sustainable, which is why we might lose 15 lbs but gain it back and more.  Or we lose a little weight only to plateau and feel like our efforts are fruitless.   One approach that seems to have spanned the ages is, eat less, exercise more.'  We all have tried it once or many times, even though it always backfires on us.  People still keep trying to rein in their calories and exercise like crazy after the new year.  Reducing calories is not a good strategy for weight loss. One of two things will happen when you cut calories: You will lose weight initially, and

Getting rid of stubborn belly fat is one of the main complaints I hear from patients. In particular, the female patients. More specifically, the female patients over 40 years old. Why is it you can eat a cheeseburger, fries and shake when you are 20, but forget it at 40? Why does it seem that the waistline keeps growing regardless of exercise and diet? This is where it becomes an issue of balancing metabolic hormones rather than eating less or exercising more.  Our metabolic hormone balance at 20 is vastly different from 40. I know it sounds like age, but it is more about metabolic hormones. Even in younger women, there can be a metabolic hormone imbalance. It isn't really about age, but more about the chronic stress altering our metabolic hormones causing one of three things: Weight distribution changes Waistline enlarges, and legs get thinner Belly fat, muffin top, and back fat All of it: back fat, muffin top, spare tire and thin legs Chronic stress affects all of our hormones. Mainly causing insul

Two common questions we get all the time is: how much does BHRT cost? And will my insurance cover it? If I had a dollar for every time, I have been asked this question I might have a pair of those fancy Christian Louboutin heels. It’s okay because I can't stand heels anyway, but the cost of Bioidentical Hormones is undoubtedly a significant concern. People have budgets, so they need to know if their BHRT is going to cost them a car payment, nothing or something in between. Considering BHRT can be an ongoing monthly prescription, these are valid questions. I have been prescribing BHRT since 2004. In that time, the cost of BHRT and insurance coverage has changed a lot. Since BHRT has increased in popularity, some compounding pharmacies have started charging more and more. Injectable growth hormone is a perfect example. Per month growth hormone has gone from the price of a fancy dinner to more than a round-trip airline ticket to Hawaii. Also, we are well aware of the breakdown and many changes to our health

Traditionally when one thinks of Bioidentical Hormone Replacement Therapy (BHRT), they immediately think of menopause. That hormone therapy is used to treat menopausal symptoms such as hot flashes and night sweats. But in the last 10-15 years, hormone replacement has become more than a fix for hot flashes. But did you know that you can use BHRT for memory, energy and even libido? Did you know that men and women of all ages use BHRT? There are many other conditions that BHRT can treat. Below are a few conditions that BHRT can address that you may not know about. Hypothyroid: When people think of hypothyroid medication, you may think of Synthroid or the porcine thyroid (Armour/Nature Throid). However, Compounded Thyroid, which is a combination of Levothyroxine and Liothyronine, is an excellent option to treat hypothyroid. PMS: Using bioidentical progesterone helps to alleviate some of the symptoms related to PMS. You can use progesterone in many different dosage forms depending on the situation. From creams to

As I have always stated before, us ladies are a symphony of hormones. If one hormone is out of tune, it is quite apparent. However, sometimes it is hard to hear what instrument (hormone) is out of tune because when one hormone is out of balance, others seem to follow suit. So remember, it is not a good idea to fixate on one hormone being out of balance. It's about balancing them as a whole. Patients tell me all the time, they have estrogen dominance.' They read on the internet, and their symptoms fit estrogen dominance.' Yes, their symptoms do fit estrogen-dominance, but It does not mean their estrogen is the only hormone that is off. I am going to go through some common estrogen dominance symptoms' that you might find on the internet. And I will explain what other hormones might be at work here besides estrogen. Later in another episode, I will delve into more detail, causation, and treatment to balance our hormones. PMS: “My PMS is off the chain 7-10 days before my period! . This is