Holistic Approach for Estrogen Dominance?

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ByFaith
ByFaith Member Posts: 270
edited June 2014 in Complementary and Holistic Medicine and Treatment

This article on estrogen dominance popped up on a Google alert today. I'll run it by my oncologist, but wondering what others think of the article's suggestions for those diagnosed with ER+ BC. I've been on Arimidex for 3 years. Any thoughts on these restrictions and suggestions?



http://www.ahwatukee.com/community_focus/article_30f53a00-0cc3-11e2-bb9b-001a4bcf887a.html#user-comment-area

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  • dlb823
    dlb823 Member Posts: 9,430
    edited June 2013

    I just skimmed the article (because it's almost midnight and I need to get off the computer!), but I think it's full of excellent advice.  I personally believe that most, if not all, of the things mentioned can have an impact on our health, and especially our hormones.  Where I sometimes take issue with articles like this (and again, I haven't read this one carefully), is when they give the impression that if you do all the things suggested, you won't get breast cancer.  And we all know, there's just no assurance of that, no matter how careful we are about diet and lifestyle.  But the suggestions in the article, especially minimizing exposure to chemical products and getting enough Vitamin D, are absolutely on-target.     Deanna

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  • Lily55
    Lily55 Member Posts: 3,534
    edited June 2013

    Seems to me the advice is sound, it coincides with advice from other research......

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  • ByFaith
    ByFaith Member Posts: 270
    edited June 2013

    Thanks Deanna & Lily55 -- I don't believe the article gives the impression taking these precautions will prevent BC. I led an extremely healthy life prior to diagnosis, but I was sidetracked with the growth of fibroids (5-month size uterus) and had a complete hysterectomy several years prior to my BC dx.



    At the time, the resurgence of my "one fibroid" to the size above should have been a red flag I was estrogen dominant. To this day I regret two actions I took with estrogen, no matter how large or small.



    A year before my fibroids my disabling hormonal (monthly) migraines were "treated" with non-stop birth control pills for almost a year so i could manage work. This "treatment" was a failure on ALL accounts. During this time I thought I was starting to gain belly weight and had always been thin. At my yearly physical, my gyn diagnosed it not as weight gain, but as multiple, large fibroids. (Having never been overweight before, I didn't know what weight gain felt like!) I'm now strongly opposed to regulating one's menstrual cycle with BCPs for many reasons. Large regret I did this.



    After my complete hysterectomy I was still in my mid 40s and my very well-respected doc, my gyn and also my gyn surgeon all told me thy thought it best I wear a low-dose bio-identical estradiol patch until the average age of menopause (about 51) so I could bypass the side effects of surgical menopause. I also agreed with the patch because I didn't want to put my body through the shock of surgical menopause. I stuck with the low-dose patch past age 51 and was just about to go off when diagnosed with BC at age 53. I thought I was safe with a very small dose, not knowing my body had other sources from which to naturally produce estrogen (adrenal glands, etc.) This is my smaller regret, but everything to do with supplemental estrogen is actually a large regret for me. As regrets go...I now try just to move forward and educate myself with much personal research before making moves affecting my health.



    This article is interesting to me because it covers so many bases. I'm saving it to remind myself and to pass on to interested women of all ages.

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  • Lily55
    Lily55 Member Posts: 3,534
    edited June 2013

    Dawn - please don´t blame yourself, I had massive fibroids and a hysterectomy a few years pre BC diagnosis and I did not take any hormones whatsoever........and in fact hormones never agreed with me so I never took them

    It is so easy to get overwhelmed with all the "shoulds" - so I thought I would look at what I HAVE changed since pre BC

    I now use

    Organic shampoos and shower gel

    Natural house cleaners for 90% of the time

    Spray perfume on clothes not skin

    Paraben and other baddy chemical free make up, deodorant and skin creams....

    More green veg, less dairy and only organic dairy wherever possible

    Virtually given up cheese which i loved and ate daily as a veggie......

    Reduced alcohol, did not drink loads but now its even less

    Monitor my stress more

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  • Kathy044
    Kathy044 Member Posts: 433
    edited June 2013

    Hi Dawn, you asked for comments about the article - I did go and read it and found several factual errors* in it about both estrogen and so called estrogen dominance so wouldn't say this would be the best source of information for women looking for information about hormone positive breast cancers in particular. The advice to eat well and to lose weight and to exercise works equally for other types of breast cancer as well.



    * statistically women who are obese before menopause have a lower risk of getting BC - why? - low estrogen as a result of a greater chance of having annovular or skipped cycles. Otoh without ovulation any estrogen is not balanced by progesterone resulting in estrogen dominance



    * male estrogen dominance does not cause hair loss, but the hormone testosterone does. I don't know about you but I have been on anastrozole for three years too and my hair started thinning within weeks of beginning the pills which was a sign to me that the AI was working preventing precursor hormones such as testosterone being converted to estrogen.



    Kathy

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  • Mini1
    Mini1 Member Posts: 1,836
    edited June 2013

    Hi. I'm new to this board, but I thought I'd throw my two cents in anyway.

    I do pretty much what Lily55 does now. I take no CA meds. I had my estrogen levels recently measured and they are considered "infantesible (sp?)." I was told they are less than those of a pre-puebescent girl. My cancer is 95-100% estogen driven (15% progesterone). Without hormones I'm more moody, cry at a Hallmark commercial, and have an occasional hot flash, but I can deal with that.

    I too think of all the things I did that I wish I hadn't, i.e. take birth control, use HRT, drink way too much soda, etc. But the fact of the matter is that there are lots of women that do all those things and they never get BC, so there is obviously more at play here. And it's all water under the bridge now, so why beat ourselves up even more? I do think though that we are hurting ourselves and our planet with all the chemicals, and now try to be more concientious of what I use. I'm turning into a regular little greenie. :-)

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