Homeopathic Progesterone, an interesting alternative

I am consulted by an increasing number of women suffering from hormonal problems. These include irritability, headaches, infertility, PMT, menopausal problems and depression.

Being also a clinical ecologist, I use a Vegatest machine to test patients for allergic responses. Mostly I treat intolerances, or sensitivities, to substances such as pollens, foods, or chemicals and then systematically desensitise them, using homeopathic dilutions of those substances. But the machine can also be used effectively to test hormone imbalances and this I find particularly useful with "female" problems.

I see several women each week suffering from pre-menstrual syndrome with a variety of symptoms, swollen breasts, mood swings, irritability and depression. Indeed a large number of them describe themselves as "murderous" and certainly feel as if they are a different person. Many of them are crying at the slightest thing and several feel they are "going mad."

Nearly all of these patients I find to have an imbalance of the female hormone, progesterone. I treat them with homeopathic progesterone on the sixth potency, usually one daily for a month, when they are re-tested. Most then have normal readings but some seem to need six weeks treatment before this is achieved. Most notice an improvement in symptoms within three to four days with much reduced symptoms in their next period. The following month there are usually little, or no symptoms. Some need to continue with three to seven tablets each month for a while until stabilised, others are fine for six to fourteen months and then return when they begin to feel low again. Usually they take the medication for a week's top-up at this point, although some may need three to four weeks.

I must note here, that my Vega machine shows simply an imbalance and will not therefore denote whether there is too much, or too little. This does not matter to a homeopath as treatment brings the body back into balance, which ever way. Indeed it uses the body's own resources to balance itself as opposed to giving a chemical substitute. I am , however, aware that it is low levels of progesterone immediately before a period that causes the problem.It is thought that this causes an artificial oestrogen dominance and that it is actually the oestrogen that creates the symptoms.

I also have treated a number of women who suffer severe headaches and migraine before periods, who also are found to have an imbalance of progesterone. One in particular was so unwell that she had to have at least one week off each month and was in danger of losing her job. After treating with homeopathic progesterone initially for one month, she progressed to taking one a day for the ten days immediately before her period each month, which was when her headaches occurred. After three months she was able to reduce this to three days in the month. By this time she had no time off work and no headaches at all for the last few months. Her boss remarked "it is good to have you back with us" meaning she was back to her old self personality wise too. This was four years ago and I now see her only occasionally to measure her progesterone levels. She has also had other homeopathic remedies but the main one was progesterone 6. She often has six months, or so now when she doesn't take anything. I will be happy when this is permanent but it is so important to realise that hormones do change daily and I think it is amazing that our chemical balance stays with its fine tuning as much as it does.

Then there are women suffering from post-natal depression, many of whom visit me for an alternative to taking anti-depressants. Again I have found the majority to have a progesterone imbalance and treat them in the same way. Most of them report feeling a lifting of mood the following day, or certainly within two to three days and often only take them for two to three weeks when they are re-tested with normal readings.

It is interesting to note that many of the patients I see suffering from "depression" show a problem with the neuro-transmitter serotonin, but those I see with Post natal depression don't have this problem, theirs is hormonal and nearly always progesterone. Patients with low serotonin levels present with an overpowering need to sleep, they cannot wake up in the morning, often feel miserable and simply cannot keep awake., (Seasonal affective disorder SADS) After one, or two doses of seratonin on the sixth potency there is usually a remarkable recovery. It is interesting to note that progesterone is a precursor of serotonin and often follows that those patients with a progesterone imbalance also have an imbalance of serotonin. In this case thay can feel really bad! I treat with progesterone first which often improves the serotonin levels. (I have also used thyroxine in low potencies but only where appropriate with equal success and with similarly quick results.)

There are some patients who I feel are actually allergic to their own progesterone, or more correctly are intolerant of the substance. These are women who develop unpleasant symptoms during puberty, feel unwell while taking "the pill," are also unwell during pregnancy and again develop symptoms if given HRT. These become well completely after taking the homeopathic progesterone and never return for further treatment. The readings show the same as for an imbalance but as I have already mentioned, my machine also measures intolerances. The only way to tell the difference is by taking the case and noting the above pattern where there is a once only treatment which I suspect desensitises them.

I have treated several patients for problems of infertility, the causes of which are indeed varied, some I find have an imbalance of zinc, some suffering from stress, some from geopathic stress, or electromagnetic stress (which can interfere with hormones) but several who have an imbalance of oestrogen. Treated with homeopathic oestrogen 6 for one month, several of these patients have then been able to conceive successfully, although I must emphasise this is certainly not the miracle cure.

Similarly two patients in the last year who both had not recommenced menstruating after having children, one of them for over a year. Both had an oestrogen imbalance and were given oestrogen on the sixth potency, one daily. One of these women telephoned me the following day to say that after only one tablet her period had begun, the other began in seven days. This could, of course have been co-incidence, but I don't think so.

Homeopathic hormone treatment I feel is a preferable and effective treatment in all these cases, especially as it need only be taken for the minimum amount of time and has no side effects. It is, however, imperative to be treated by a qualified homeopath and preferably tested on a Vega machine, or with kinesiology before prescribing.