Estrogen Dominance Isn’t a Thing
Author: Dr. Mollie Brennan, Naturopathic Doctor
This subject was an unlearning process for me. Books and social media influencers love to blame estrogen dominance for a myriad of things—thyroid issues, PMS, endometriosis, heavy periods, you name it.
The reason I’m writing this post is because the women’s health space is fraught with misinformation and people become fused with an identity. Yes, hormone fluctuations are a thing. Women are in pain and desperately searching for answers. I don’t want you to feel dismissed by your primary care practitioner. I want to be able to give you language to speak to them about your condition. I get it, and I’m here to help.
At the time of this writing estrogen dominance isn’t a root cause, or true reason for a hormone condition.
The supplements, herbs, foods, gut healing, castor oil packs, etc. that people plug as lowering estrogen can actually work—I’ve seen it! But is it really lowering estrogen? or lessening hormone fluctuations? or lowering inflammation? Maybe the mechanism doesn’t even matter.
Take PMS for instance: Nobody can tell by reading hormones on bloodwork that someone has PMS. It’s still a mystery—under recognized and understudied in people with a uterus. It is a clinical diagnosis based on a person’s symptoms. PMS often happens in the luteal phase when progesterone is higher or in flux.
But what about endometriosis: Lots of estrogen dominant signs there—heavy periods, pain, too much endometrial growth during the follicular phase. Estrogen isn’t the single cause of endo, but blocking estrogen can be the solution. It’s weird to think of it like that. At the time of this writing we think endometriosis has environmental pollution, inflammation, and immune factors involved as some root causes. Again, understudied as a women’s health condition. It’s complicated.
Perimenopause: Yes, this can show high levels of estrogen on bloodwork— if caught in the right moment. As women don’t ovulate every month, estrogen cycles can be stacked on top of each other to show out of range levels. But this doesn’t correlate with symptoms. It is the rapid rise and fall in progesterone and estrogen hourly and daily that cause the lovely hot flashes and mood changes among other things. Again, as with PMS, perimenopause is a clinical diagnosis.
Maybe in 20 years we really will have evidence showing that estrogen dominance is the cause of hormone conditions. In the end the naturopathic modalities remain effective, regardless of the reason. The goal in a naturopathic visit is to help the liver and gut process hormones, address inflammation, and work on improving pain and sanity. We do this with food, stress reduction, healthy bowel movements, sleep, acupuncture, and supplements.
Are you ready to be guided and encouraged in your hormone journey? It is possible to feel peace and comfort in your body again. Book a naturopathic appointment today.
