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A deficiency of progesterone can explain most of symptoms of menopause. Hot flashes are a response to withdrawal from estrogen and progesterone. Progesterone levels fall, because women no longer ovulate after menopause. Estrogen levels do not fall in balance with progesterone, because women are exposed to
estrogen from other sources outside the ovary. Adding progesterone restores balance and safely relieves symptoms. Adding more estrogen may relieve hot flashes, but it increases the imbalance and causes side effects which include bleeding, weight gain, stroke, and increased risk of breast cancer, etc.
Mood swings can also be traced to progesterone deficiency or an estrogen excess. Progesterone has a calming sedative effect on the brain. It attaches to a receptor in the brain that decreases anxiety and elevates mood. This receptor in the brain is called the GABA receptor. This same GABA receptor allows antidepressants and anti-anxiety drugs to produce their
effect on the brain. Menopausal women on antidepressants may benefit from the antidepressant effects of progesterone which could eliminate the need for antidepressants.
Insomnia is another frequent complaint of women during menopause. Insomnia in this case is probably due to the lack of the calming effects of progesterone. Replacing progesterone usually improves insomnia.
Many women complain of poor concentration and lapses in memory during menopause. Progesterone is involved with providing insulation to nerve cells. Myelin is like rubber around electrical wires. Myelin insulates nerve cells and improves conduction of nerve impulses. Decreased progesterone may interrupt the production of myelin and interfere with brain impulses.
Estrogen without the proper amount of progesterone can interfere with thyroid hormone function. Thyroid hormone is necessary to properly metabolize food and convert it into energy. If thyroid hormone is not functioning properly, women experience weight gain, fatigue, food cravings, and symptoms of low blood sugar.
Other disturbing symptoms include the loss of scalp hair and the growth of facial hair after menopause. Testosterone, the male hormone, can be produced by the ovary and the adrenal gland after menopause. The body uses testosterone to balance estrogen in the absence of progesterone. This results in male pattern baldness and facial hair growth. Replacing progesterone usually reverses the process, thereby initiating growth of scalp hair and
stopping facial hair growth.
  

                            Do I Need Estrogen?
         Menopause cannot be simply explained by lack of estrogen. While estrogen deficiency may play a role in some women’s experiences, in most cases it does not. The key to minimizing menopausal symptoms is a balance between estrogen and progesterone.
         Most women in America are over their ideal body weight. It is well documented that overweight women produce to too much estrogen. Estrogen is made in fat cells. Women who are overweight are at an increased risk of diseases that are known to be caused by elevated estrogen. Uterine cancer and breast cancer are more common in women who are overweight.
         Estrogen also increases weight gain and makes it more
difficult to lose weight. Women, who are overweight should not take standard estrogen replacement unless a saliva test indicates an imbalance.
Women who are not at risk for osteoporosis should not take estrogen replacement. Estrogen has two FDAapproved indications. One is the relief of hot flashes, the other is the prevention of osteoporosis in women who are at high risk. However, we contend that no one should take estrogen with out salivary testing. Studies show that weight-bearing exercise decreases bone loss more than estrogen.
If a woman is experiencinghot flashes,restoring balance with progesterone can alleviate the symptoms, if saliva testing indicates a
progesterone deficiency.
Also, using weaker estrogens, like estriol or the estrogens found in soy, can restore balance by blocking the effect of stronger estrogens.
        Not all women are at high risk for osteoporosis. Women of North European decent with a thin frame, sedentary lifestyle, history of smoking, and prolonged steroid use are at risk for osteoporosis. Women not in this high-risk group do not need estrogen bone to maintain normal bone health.
         People of color are at very low risk for osteoporosis
and should not take estrogen for osteoporosis prevention. Although in some cases very thin fair-skinned women of color may be at risk.