Estrogen Pills May Contribute to Restless Leg Syndrome

by Peter Eckhart, MD

Artificial Synthetic Prescription Estrogens Cause Restless Leg Syndrome and Perimenopause (age 35-50) is characterized by estrogen production and no progesterone production.

Restless Leg Syndrome is in part Caused by taking Synthetic Estrogen and increases during the age of 35-50 because of unopposed estrogen without progesterone.

Taking too much estrogen causes Vitamin B deficiency and Magnesium Deficiency. A Vitamin B deficiency leads to a �crawling� sensation of the legs. A Magnesium Deficiency leads to muscles being tense and perhaps twitching. This syndrome is labled as Restless Leg Syndrome.

Postmenopause Women Produce 40% of Premenopause Estrogen Levels, but Almost Zero Progesterone

Post menopausal women produce 40% of the estrogen that they did before menopause. Post menopausal women produce Natural Progesterone levels less than 1% of premenopause levels. This leads to a Natural Estrogen Dominance. This Natural Estrogen Dominance (separate from xenoestrogens and phytoestrogens), leads to a desensitivity to estrogen. Taking topical Natural Progesterone allows the body to regain its original sensitivity to estrogen so it seems like you are getting more estrogen even when you are not. So estrogen pills can be cut back and eventually stopped.

Thus, taking topical natural progesterone makes the estrogen you already naturally have to be more effective.

Four sources of Estrogen

According to Dr. Lee, Theo Colborn, and other researchers, women in America and developed countries are receiving too much estrogen. Where does this estrogen originating from? First of all, the woman produces estrogen herself before and after menopause (and progesterone levels drop to almost zero). Second, she may be taking synthetic artificial estrogen by pill or by skin patch for hormone replacement or for birth control. Third, she may be getting estrogen effects from chemicals that pretend to be estrogens known as xenoestrogens. These xenoestrogens include estrogens fed to agricultural animals that we in turn eat, detergent break down products, plastic containers used for food and water, pesticides, and even spermicide. Fourth, she may be taking �healthy� products from the health food store that contain estrogenic herbs known as phytoestrogens.

A Woman Produces Estrogen in 2 Parts of Her Body

A woman produces estrogen in two places. The follicle on the ovary produces estrogen. The fat cells produce estrogen. If you have more fat, then you produce more estrogen. After menopause (after age 50), a woman�s estrogen production decreases to 30%-60% of premenopause levels. However, natural progesterone production decreases to less than 1% of premenopause levels. A heavy set woman after menopause will actually produce more estrogen than a skinny woman before menopause.

Anovulatory Menstrual Cycles

Around menopause, perimenopause (ages 30 - 50), a woman may have periods, but not ovulate. During a normal period, the follicle comes up, and like a pimple pops out an egg. Then, the used follicle becomes the corpus luteum. The corpus luteum produces Natural Progesterone. In contrast, during the perimenopause (ages 30-50) period, the follicle comes up, and does NOT pop out an egg. No corpus luteum is produced and NO progesterone is produced. This is called an anovulatory period. After the age of 35, some periods have eggs and progesterone and some periods do not.

Estrogen levels DO NOT decrease after age 35. Progesterone levels decrease to less than 1% after age 35.

Let me explain this again, since it is so important. Usually multiple eggs get ready to ovulate and form follicles on the ovary. The ovary produces estrogen. One follicle becomes dominant. That follicle ruptures, the egg is released, and all the other follicles become smaller and eventually disappear. The ruptured follicle is called the corpus luteum, and the ovary produces progesterone. Around perimenopause, SOMETIMES the dominant follicle DOES NOT rupture, the egg DOES NOT ovulate, the corpus luteum is NOT formed, and NO progesterone is produced. Thus, around the age of menopause, perimenopause, estrogen is produced, but LITTLE or NO progesterone is produced. This is known as an anovulatory cycle. This is a natural estrogen dominance independent of xenoestrogens and phytoestrogens.

Thus, at perimenopause and after menopause progesterone levels drop precipitously. This causes estrogen dominance.

I Started Topical Natural Progesterone and Now My Restless Leg Syndrome is Worse. WHY?

Constant estrogen intake in the form of pills or xenoestrogens causes the estrogen receptors to down regulate. In other words, the woman's body has so much estrogen that the estrogen receptors become less sensitive. Here is a good analogy. Go to a Rock Concert. Upon first entering a Rock Concert, the music seems very loud. However, after being in the Rock Concert for � hour, the music doesn�t seem so loud any more. Your ears become less sensitive to the music. Your ears down regulate and try to adapt to the louder music. Thus, if you take estrogen supplements, doses of xenoestrogens, or are in perimenopause (age 35-50) after a while, your body will become less sensitive to estrogens. This is because your body has too much estrogen, and the body tries to become less sensitive (much like the Rock Concert). However, when you take topical natural progesterone the estrogen receptors become sensitive to their original sensitivity to estrogen. In other words, when you begin to take progesterone, you regain your original sensitivity to estrogen. Hot flashes typically, but not all the time, disappear. Magnesium deficiencies and Vitamin B deficiencies go away naturally. Restless Leg Syndrome DISAPPEARS. This is an effective treatment for Restless Leg Syndrome.

When taking topical Natural Progesterone, cut back on the dose of estrogen. Dr. Lee recommends immediately cutting back the dose to 1/2 of the normal dose. He recommends stopping the estrogen dose altogether over a period of 3-4 months phasing out the dose of estrogen slowly. He maintains that women's bodies produce enough natural estrogen already. See the graph above!

The Bottom Line

Summary - Estrogen Pills Contribute to Restless Leg Syndrome

In summary, women already get too much estrogen. They produce estrogen themselves from the follicles on their ovaries and from their fat cells premenopause and perimenopause. After menopause, the woman's fat cells produce estrogen. Women also get estrogen (the wrong kind of estrogen) from birth control pills and hormone replacement therapy. Women get estrogen (the wrong kind of estrogen) from chemicals that pretend to be estrogen know as xenoestrogens. These chemicals are present in everyday materials previously thought to be inert such as detergent break down products, plastics used to store water, varnish in food cans used to prevent the "metal" taste, pesticide, and even spermicide. The xenoestrogens (chemical estrogens) have effects that are unnatural. The xenoestrogens make your body to strange things like produce cancer.

In summary, taking natural progesterone will allow your body to regain its natural sensitivity to estrogen. Your body becomes more sensitive to estrogen supplements or xenoestrogens. The solution is to immediately cut the dose of estrogen to 1/2, and DISCONTINUE estrogen supplements altogether over a period of 3-4 months. Cut out as much xenoestrogen intake as possible. The body's internal production of estrogen is more than sufficient.

You won�t need that much estrogen.

Too much estrogen, will lead to Restless Leg Syndrome.

• Taking natural progesterone will allow your body to regain its natural sensitivity to estrogen.
• Cut the dose of estrogen to 1/2, and DISCONTINUE estrogen supplements altogether over a period of 3-4 months.

Buy Natural Progesterone!

About xenoestrogens (pretends to be estrogen)

• No Breast cyst .com
• TIME
• Colborn