I had Dr. Sergey Dzugan work with my doctor. It is a really great program but not cheap. Worth every penny though. You answer many questions and take A LOT of blood tests. Then he designs a program for you and they keep track of how you are on your own area of the site online. All bioidentical hormones, thyroid and cortisol that I needed also. Estrogen, Pregnenolone, Progesterone, and 7 Keto DHEA.

I had a hysterectomy and the gyn was a GOOF about hormones! I was REALLY ill. She just gave me a patch, ha. I knew she was very ignorant about hormones, but could not find even a hormone specialist that knew much. I got more and more sick with migraines.

For MANY years I suffered with migraines. The kind you cry and scream from. Throwing up constantly. I cannot take any meds for them. I tried so many, ER visits, doctors....It ruined a lot of my life.

SO, yes, I needed to get the hormones figured out! I was so happy my doctor suggested the Dzugan program. Your doctor does have to know enough to work with them though.

I was on the program for several years. Now, my doctor does it for me. We know what I need and all is stable and I never had a migraine again. Headaches from POTS, yes. Hormonal horrid migraines, all gone.

He has written two books. I have one and love it. I didn't need the one about migraines!

I am thinking of taking my hormones tested. I looked up from the internet the list of hormones in our body. There are a lot!!! For purposes of trying to link it to the PN and to some improvements of my moods, what could be the major hormones that I should get? Estrogen, Progesteron, Cortisol, Melatonin, Epinephrine, Norepinephrine, Serotonin - which of these could be beneficial to me?

Thank you for your inputs.

Sue, It is hard to know for sure. POTS is caused by a lot of triggers. Car accidents, surgery, or sometimes hormones at puberty. Lot of young girls have it happen then and lose their childhood. No school, friends, etv.

I think sugery and/or antibiotics triggered it for me. With CFS, I had a good chance of getting it. A lot of people with CFS get Orthostatic Intolerance problems.

I was diagnosed with NP with symptoms and a couple of tests, no punch test or anything like that. It fell into place also with the Autonomic Neuropathy.

For ME, POTS is worse since I am better with my PN. It would depend on your case of POTS and PN. POTS is a breakdown of every system. The body does not work. No temperature regulation, digestion problems, terrible dizziness and lightheadedness on a scale that is hard to believe. I could not move my head at first.

The NP didn't move to my hands. My feet did burn, tingle and felt like I had socks on and had a lack of feeling. Not numb really, I could feel, but not normal at all.

A lot of people with POTS or "just" Dysautonomia have digestion problems. That is a huge problem for many. Swallowing, bloating, nausea etc. I had that all for a long time. Nausea 24 hours a day. I had to have a cold pack on my stomach at all times.

Again, the supplements were what I needed for the nerves. The sad thing is I have not seen another POTSY that gets this information from her doctor. VERY sad. I try to help them at least learn about the possiblities.

Many are in the hospital all the time. Many faint multiple times a day. I always made sure I had my wheelchair close by. Or usually I was IN it.

Many of them have LOW bp, so that is another problem that often goes with POTS. My BP was HIGH, then high/normal and now normal and sometimes low.

Sally

I take estrogen, testosterone, pregnenalone, progesterone, 7 Keto DHEA Thyroid, Cortisol (TINY bit at noon since I get low at 1-4pm.) They are compounded by a pharmacist.

I take 5HTP for the serotonin level. Vit D is good also. I think all work together for me, but 5HTP and SAMe have been great for mood.

When ill for so long like I have been with CFS and before that, another problem....the seratonin can really SINK. Most of the reserves of our nutrients get used up. That is why the best food and supplements and SLEEP are important.

I plan to get my hormones tested first. I am now taking most of the supplements listed in this forum.

I am taking SAM-e, as suggested by Mrs.D for my osteoarthritis. I think its slowly working for my arthritis. I hope it continues to improve.

Oh another reason why I want my hormones tested is because I have never gained weight. I am 5'6" and I have never ever exceeded 114lbs. My endocrinologist told me after my thyroidectomy that I may gain weight. Never did I gain weight. I am taking Gabapentin, ang again I am not gaining weight. I am not complaining about my weight, its just that there may be something wrong with my metabolism. I eat the right food, but my downside is I only sleep at an average of 4hours. I am woorking on getting enough sleep.

Good to get your hormones checked.


I just watched this video about sugar's affects on the blood cells. Interesting.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aH47sGmJZaQ

mrs D-that is really interesting about he Algae. I just wonder if there is anything in my water here. Since we have moved here a year ago, is when all the sickness really started with me. I have switched to bottled water a week ago, as l was getting paranoid about the water. Can this Algae, present itself in seafood? I have been eating a lot of it lately, and feel strange. Had a huge slap of salmon last night, this morning, l feel floaty again. Not sure if it has any correlation or not.
On insulin, doesn't it spike and fall each time we eat? Isn't it more to do with what kind of food is eaten? Why would eating once or twice per day have more of a dramatic fall of insulin?

Sally- i get floatiness which last for a few weeks sometimes, it feels like l have out of body experience. My neuro, put this down to a symptom of migraine, even though l don't' get headaches anymore l used to get them bad in my early twenties.
He said it has nothing to do with my PN, but l am starting to wonder now if it does.

Also, l was watching a cooking show about 2 Italians last night, and in Italy, they eat so much pasta, pizza, and white carbs. They seem healthy and happy. But this isn't' recommended by many nutritionists. I must admit, when l eat a healthy dose of pasta, l feel terrific.

Sue

That's what I was going to suggest, and working with an endocrinologist. They're not something I'd want to mess with cavalierly, even those sold OTC. Dr. Ray Sahelian talks about a lot of them on his site (scroll down page for topics), and while I have some reservations because he also sells product, it may be a starting point for further research before talking to an endocrinologist.

Some hormones are precursors/successors to others so it may not be necessary to take all of them; it depends on how well your system is metabolizing. For example, pregnenolone (which is made from cholesterol) is a pro-hormone, because it is a precursor to other hormones, which in turn are precursors to more hormones.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pregnenolone

I'm taking currently taking pregnenolone & DHEA for chronic pain. I posted the reasons, source articles, results, etc. here.

Doc

Doc, I am not sure if I have to discuss the hormonal treatment with my endocrinologist or my primary care physician. When I searched on the hormones - its a lot! I don't know which hormones to test.

I read your posts....are you still taking the pregnenolone?