Menstrual Cramp Menstrual Cramp Relief

Take Progesterone and avoid Estrogens to Get Rid of Menstrual Cramp

by Elizabeth Smith, MD

Summary for Curing Menstrual Cramps

Dr. Lee believes that endometrium grows into the uterine muscle because of too much estrogen The solution for the menstrual cramp is to take progesterone and avoid estrogen intake. Estrogen may come in the form of birth control pills, hormone replacement, or synthetic chemicals that mimic estrogen. Progesterone opposes the effect of estrogen and resensitizes the body's estrogen receptors back to normal.

by Elizabeth Smith, M.D.

Take Progesterone

• Use a progesterone cream with 500-1000 mg of natural progesterone per ounce.
• For the first 3-5 months use one or two ounces of cream per month; this is about one half (1/2) or one (1) teaspoon per day. This comes out to 40 mg/day of Natural Progesterone.
• Rub the cream on any part of the body that has good circulation before bed time - beasts, neck, chest, legs, arms, thighs, soles of the feet, or back.
• After the menstrual period reverts to normal and menstrual cramps disappear after 2-3 months, use one or one half ounce of cream per month to maintain a healthy period with no menstrual cramping. This comes out to 20 mg/day of Natural Progesterone. If you are a heavy woman with much body fat you may need to mainain yourself on one or two oz/month or 40 mg/day.
• Apply the cream during the two weeks before menses for 14 days, if premenopausal. Apply the cream for 21 days with 7 days off if post menopausal.
• Use a saliva test to monitor progesterone levels; not a blood test.
• If you have a lot of body fat, the progesterone must be soaked up by the body fat first before getting to your body. You may need a higher dose to maintain healthy breasts.

Take Vitamins

• Vitamin E 600 IU/day before bedtime
• Magnesium 300 mg/day
• Vitamin B6 50 mg/day

Avoid Estrogens

• Cut the dosage of hormone replacement estrogen immediately to 1/2 of your normal dose while taking progesterone.
• DISCONTINUE estrogen supplements altogether over a period of 3-4 months.
• DO NOT stop estrogen SUDDENLY or HOT FLASHES will be the result.
• Do not use birth control pills; use a condom without spermicide instead.

Avoid Xenoestrogens

Very Important

• HOT PLASTIC in contact with food is VERY BAD!!! Use glass or ceramics whenever possible to store food and water. Heat up your food using a glass or ceramic bowl covered with dish. When plastic is heated, it diffuses very rapidly into food.
• Use a simple detergent with less chemicals; Nature Clean (802) 254-7605 is a good choice for both laundry detergent and dish washing detergent. Natural Value found at Whole Foods Market may be another good choice. Detergent cannot be fully rinsed from your clothes and is easily absorbed through the skin. This is an easy change to make.
• Use Condoms without spermicide for Birth control instead of Birth Control Pills. Use Natural Progesterone instead of HRT.
• In general, the hormones taken orally are first pass metabolized by the liver 80%-90%. However, when these hormones are applied to the skin, the hormones are directly absorbed by the body. Thus, any skin dose is 10 times that of an oral dose. The vast majority of skin lotions and creams use the parabens as a preservative. Avoid them at all costs. Instead apply a vegetable oil right after a shower to hydrate the skin and lock in the moisture. Check your natural progesterone cream and make sure it does not contain Methyl Paraben, Propyl Paraben, Butyl Paraben, or any of the Parabens. It seems that parabens are in part responsible for menstrual cramping for many women.
• Use natural pest control not pesticides.
• Don't use herbicides; use a cup of salt in a gallon of vinegar.

The very important changes to make are do NOT eat HOT plastic with foor.  Change your laundry detergent, no fabric softener, change your lotions, soaps, shampoos, and makeup. Be careful of anything put on the skin.

Secondary Importance

• Avoid Synthetic Chemicals - Read Healthy Living in a Toxic World by Cynthia Fincher Ph.D..
• Simple Soap or Conti Castile Soap is a safe choice for shampoo and a body soap.
• Buy hormone free meats to eat.
• Buy "Organic" produce, produce grown without pesticides, herbicides or synthetic fertilizer or hormones.

Avoid Selected Dangerous Phytoestrogens

• Avoid Coffee, Decaffeinated Coffee, and Beer.
• Avoid Sunflower Seeds, Red Clover Tea, Camomille Tea, Alfalfa Sprouts, Queen Anne's lace (wild carrot), Pomegranate, Fennel,Licorice, Red Clover, Yucca, Hops (Beer) and Motherwort.
• Avoid Phytoestrogens that block and interfere with the action of Natural Progesterone. Avoid Bloodroot, Ocotillo, Mandrake, Oregano, Damiana, Pennyroyal, Verbenna, Nutmeg, Tumeric, Yucca, Thyme, Calamus rt., Red Clover, Goldenseal, Licorice, Mistletoe, Cumin, Fennel, Camomille, Cloves.
• Some physicians believe that foods containing methylxanthines should also be avoided. These foods are coffee, chocolate, tea and colas.

Readjust your Thyroid Medication

• Cut back the dosage of your thyroid medication, if your T3 and T4 is normal by laboratory measurements.
• After 2-3 months of progesterone use, it may be possible to completely eliminate your thyroid supplements.

Do Not Take Synthetic Progestins

• Do not take synthetic progestins such as Megestrol and Provera.
• These synthetic progestins will compete with progesterone receptor binding sites and compete with progesterone rendering progesterone useless.
• Immediately lower the dose by 1/2 and lower it more the second month. By the third month the progestin may be completely stopped.

If No effect is felt after 10 days of Use - Take a saliva progesterone test

• Less than 1% of patients do NOT absorb progesterone well through the skin.
• Oral progesterone or sublingual progesterone (prescription) may be taken 200-400 mg/day or Maca 4 capsules/day (each capsule approx. 500 mg) instead.
• Make sure the progesterone cream is formulated correctly.
• Avoid xenoestrogens.