The Relationship Between Natural Progesterone & Thyroid Health

Natural progesterone can work wonders for many different conditions. There is a great book out there entitled "What Your Doctor May Not Tell You About Menopause: The Breakthrough Book On Natural Progesterone", which was written by Dr. John Lee. Even if you're not in menopause, this book provides a lot of great information. As the title suggests, he talks a great deal about the benefits of natural progesterone, and how it can help with many conditions.

And even though Dr. Lee doesn't specifically focus on thyroid conditions in this book, many people with thyroid conditions can be helped by taking natural progesterone. With that being said, natural progesterone is not a miracle cure, and in many cases it won't actually provide a permanent cure, but instead will provide a temporary solution for the symptoms. So while natural progesterone can help a great deal of people, in most cases it shouldn't be the first line of treatment among people with thyroid disorders (or any other condition for that matter).

Progesterone Deficiency Is A Common Problem For People With Thyroid Conditions

Many people with thyroid disorders have a condition known as estrogen dominance. This condition involves an imbalance of the hormones estrogen and progesterone. Although it could be caused by an excess in estrogen, in most cases this condition is due to a progesterone deficiency. Estrogen dominance can cause many different problems, and can either directly cause or contribute to a thyroid or autoimmune thyroid disorder. And so for anyone with this condition who is looking to have their thyroid health restored back to normal (assuming this is possible of course), this hormone imbalance needs to be corrected.

And even for those people with a thyroid condition which can't be cured, estrogen dominance can still cause many symptoms, and lead to further health issues. And so regardless of whether you have a thyroid disorder that can be cured, or is incurable, it's important to determine whether you have estrogen dominance. The good news is that this condition is relatively easy to correct when following the proper protocol.

Natural Progesterone Won't Correct A Progesterone Deficiency

For the person with a thyroid condition who also has a progesterone deficiency, giving natural progesterone won't do anything to correct the problem. Don't get me wrong, as it might be necessary for a person with such a deficiency to take natural progesterone to temporarily manage the symptoms. But some medical doctors will recommend for their patients to take natural progesterone continuously, which in most cases isn't necessary.

Of course there are exceptions to this. For example, a woman who had a complete hysterectomy may need to continuously take natural progesterone. So in cases where an organ is removed it might be necessary for the person to take natural progesterone on a regular basis.

When Should Natural Progesterone Be Given?

If giving someone natural progesterone doesn't cure their deficiency, then when should it be given? In my opinion there are basically two situations when natural progesterone should be given. The first situation I briefly mentioned before, as if someone has received a complete hysterectomy then they might need to take natural progesterone, and might need to do so on a permanent basis. If they have had a hysterectomy but the ovaries were left intact then they might still produce enough progesterone on their own.

The second situation in which natural progesterone might need to be taken is when someone has a severe progesterone deficiency. In such cases, taking natural progesterone might be necessary on a temporary basis. So the goal will be to give the person natural progesterone temporarily, and at the same time put them on a natural treatment protocol so their body is able to produce a sufficient amount of progesterone on its own.

Of course it first needs to be determined that someone has a progesterone deficiency, and this is done through proper testing. Because hormones interact with one another, it's a good idea to look at the main hormones in the body to get a complete picture of what's happening (estrogen, progesterone, DHEA, testosterone, etc.). Because while the focus of this article is on progesterone deficiency, it's important to see if there are any imbalances with any of the other hormones, as they also can play an important role in thyroid health.

How To Restore The Health Of The Body So It Produces Its Own Progesterone

For someone who has a progesterone deficiency, in most cases this can be corrected by following a natural treatment protocol. Such a protocol usually involves changes in the person's lifestyle, such as dietary changes, doing a better job of managing stress, and avoiding environmental toxins. A purification program is sometimes necessary to help balance out the hormones as well.

The good news is that such a protocol can help to correct a progesterone deficiency without the person needing to take natural progesterone. The bad news is that it can be challenging to follow such a protocol. Many people would prefer to take natural progesterone continuously rather than follow a strict natural treatment protocol. Besides not permanently correcting the problem, there are also potential risks with taking natural progesterone. Even though it is "natural", it still is possible to overdose, and this happens to many people.

So whether you are looking to take natural progesterone, or follow a natural treatment protocol, it's a good idea to consult with a natural endocrine doctor. While you can obtain natural progesterone on your own or attempt to self-treat your condition naturally, doing so can be risky. For optimal results, it's best to consult with an expert.

In summary, natural progesterone can help many people with a thyroid condition. Of course one first needs to determine whether the person has a progesterone deficiency before taking this bioidentical hormone. Also, it's important to keep in mind that many people with a progesterone deficiency don't need to take natural progesterone, as by following a natural treatment protocol their body will eventually be able to produce progesterone naturally on its own.

Dr. Eric Osansky is a licensed healthcare professional who focuses his practice on conditions such as hypothyroidism and Hashimoto's Thyroiditis, and hyperthyroidism and Graves' Disease. For more information on how to treat these conditions through natural treatment methods, please visit his facebook fan page, Natural Solutions for Graves Disease and Hashimoto's Thyroiditis at www.facebook.com/NaturalThyroidTreatment