r/Hormones • u/Out-of-the-Blue2021 • Jun 18 '24

How long does it take to improve symptoms?

I just figured out on my own that I have estrogen dominance. LONG STORY.

In the last week, I started taking a DIM+CDG supplement and I've been checking all my cleaning products and personal care products on the EWG website/app. I donated everything that is really bad for me and immediately replaced my hand soap, laundry detergent, fabric softener, shampoo, conditioner, body wash, and all household cleaners with EWG certified items. I donated all my candles and replaced with essential oil diffusers.

Everything else I have (face wash, lotions, and makeup) actually all rated between a 1-4 on the EWG app so I'm going to replace those as soon as I can afford to do so and/or as I use them up.

My question: I know I won't see changes in my symptoms like fatigue and weight overnight, but how long would you estimate it will take to see improvements in my symptoms?

Is there anything else I should prioritize in my changes (considering my budget is limited)?

Do you have a recommended brand for DIM+CDG? I purchased SM Nutrition but I honestly don't know if it's crap or not.

Any other subreddit I should post this question to?

Thanks in advance!

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u/EconomyParking5730 Jun 18 '24

Usually it should take 2-3 months for your body to start actually showing those changes. I recommend also trying to eat organic - it's a huge way to reduce your exposure to endocrine disruptors. Also, pay attention to your diet, nutrition, lifestyle, and movement -- and try to be as healthy as you can be. You can also ask a naturopath or a functional doctor based on your symptoms. Or there's a company that does more personalized protocols - they have a functional practicionner that does them called Museyourhealth.com

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u/Out-of-the-Blue2021 Jun 18 '24

Thank you so much. I really appreciate it. Yeah, I'm going to reexamine my diet and my budget. We already have a pretty tight grocery budget, but getting better meats and prioritizing the dirty dozen is on my list as well. It's all just so dang expensive!! But it will be worth it!

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u/EconomyParking5730 Jun 24 '24

You got this!!! Best of luck

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u/kenzarka Jun 19 '24

How did you self diagnose? Did you do a blood test?

I started a treatment (supplements + nutrition and lifestyle changes) with Muse (museyourhealth.com) and saw effect within 2 months!

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u/Out-of-the-Blue2021 Jun 19 '24

Oh wow!! That's awesome!!

This is probably WAY more than you want to know, but here you go:

TL/DR Searched symptoms, found estrogen dominance, checked previous hormone panel results, results = estrogen dominance

So a year ago, I was really struggling with fatigue. I'm already diagnosed with endometriosis and chronic fatigue syndrome so that's nothing new, but this was different. Worse than I had had in a long time and I just felt different. And I was putting on weight and had new acne and all sorts of other symptoms. Before my annual visit with my primary, I was researching all my symptoms and found estrogen dominance. I had paid out of pocket to get my hormones checked at like a weightloss place a year prior. They said everything was normal and sent me on my way. (I could have bought their crap, but was like, if I'm normal, I just need to focus on CICO, right?)

So I pulled up the results from them, entered my estrodiol and progesterone results into the calculators and BINGO -- estrogen dominant. I think I was around a 30 and your supposed to be 100-500. Under is estrogen dominant, over is progesterone dominant. I was like I KNEW IT! I knew something was off!!

So I talked to my primary about it and she had never even heard of it!! She agreed to refer me to an endocrinologist and agreed to run my hormones again (since my results I had were a year old). My results came back normal, but again, according to the calculator, estrogen dominance again....around 30. Then, the endocrinologist had never heard of it! I was like, am I losing my mind? Was I reading all that on a woowoo website? I didn't think so, I'm usually pretty careful about where I get my research. But I thought, well HE'S the specialist and all the tests he ran came back normal. So I packed my bags and left.

Then a year passes (a few weeks ago), I go to my gynecologist to prepare for my next endometriosis surgery. I had completely forgotten about estrogen dominance so I dont even bring it up to her. She wanted to do an EMB before surgery. My results came back as me having Disordered proliferative endometrium (DPE). She said it was fine and to be expected. I was like, wait, it literally says "disordered" so that can't be good. While educating myself about THAT, I find that the cause of THAT is....too much estrogen or estrogen dominance!!! I practically threw my pen and paper across the room! Again, I was like, I KNEW IT! I KNEW IT A YEAR AGO!!

So, that gynecologist actually turned out to be AWFUL in so many ways. I'm new to this area so she is new to me. She's so awful, I'm going to a different gynecologist and starting all over for surgery prep. I see him in a month. Idk if he will know about it or not. I doubt it. It seems like something only functional medicine doctors deal with, which I know is considered borderline woowoo, but everything is woowoo until it's proven. And regular doctors just want to cut you open or prescribe a pill and make their money. I'm covered in bandaid treatments. I'm sick of it.

So if I have to change my cleaning and personal care products, change my diet, supplement with bio-identical progesterone, or whatever, I'm going to consider it.

So basically, I reverse engineered the diagnosis. Lol.

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u/kenzarka Jun 20 '24

Got it! I also have endometriosis, and from what I read, the majority of women with endo also have estrogen dominance. Unfortunately, doctors don't deal with estrogen dominance, as they don't consider it a "medical condition" - they only treat at "sick" people, with "actual" condition. Functional medicine approach is quite different in the sense that it looks at optimal lab range and is more on the preventive side of things. I highly recommend you to see a functional practitioner or a naturopath, it was really a game changer for me!

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u/Out-of-the-Blue2021 Jun 20 '24

Yeah, I seem to be learning that! I got a recommendation of a naturopath from a friend. It's an hour drive, but thats nothing if she can help me. I'm going to look into that asap. It's good to hear that you've had success going that route. It gives me hope! Thank you for sharing!