PERSONAL HORMONE PORTRAIT

by John R. Lee, M.D., Dr. David Zava, and Virginia Hopkins

Please Note: The information contained in this Hormone Balance Test is not intended to replace a one-to-one relationship with a qualified health care professional, and is not intended as medical advice, but as guidelines for determining the underlying cause of your symptoms. You are encouraged to make your health care decisions in partnership with a qualified health care professional.

ANSWERS

WOMEN:

1. SYMPTOM GROUP 1
   Progesterone deficiency: this is the most common hormone imbalance among women of all ages. You may need to change your diet, get off of synthetic hormones (including birth control pills), and you may need to use some progesterone cream. (This is explained in detail in Dr. Lee's books, What Your Doctor May Not Tell You About Menopause and What Your Doctor May Not Tell You About PREMenopause).
   Estrogen deficiency: This hormone imbalance is most common in menopausal women; especially if you are petite and/or slim. You may need to make some special changes to your diet; take some women's herbs; and some women may even need a little bit of natural estrogen (about one-tenth the dose prescribed by most doctors).
2. SYMPTOM GROUP 3
   Excess estrogen: In women, this is most often solved by getting off of the conventional synthetic hormones most often prescribed by doctors for menopausal women. You might enjoy this article: How to Get Off HRT.
3. SYMPTOM GROUP 4
   Estrogen dominance: This is caused when you don't have enough progesterone to balance the effects of estrogen. Thus, you can have low estrogen but if you have even lower progesterone, you can have symptoms of estrogen dominance. Many women between the ages of 40 and 50 suffer from estrogen dominance. This topic is covered in much detail in Dr. Lee's timeless book, What Your Doctor May Not Tell You about Menopause.
4. SYMPTOM GROUP 5
   Excess androgens (male hormones): This is most often caused by too much sugar and simple carbohydrates in the diet and is often found in women who have polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS). You can find out more about PCOS in What Your Doctor May Not Tell You About PREmenopause.
5. SYMPTOM GROUP 6
   Cortisol deficiency: this is caused by tired adrenals, which is usually caused by chronic stress. If you're trying to juggle a job and a family, chances are good you have tired adrenals. There are great chapters on restoring your adrenal function in both the Menopause and the PREmenopause books.

 We recommend getting your hormone tests from ZRT Laboratory.