Hello everyone!
New here, looking for your worldy wisdom on how to best balance my poor hormones!
In the ideal world I would not be taking any kind of contraceptive pill, but in this one I am taking Cerazette, a progesterone only pill. I can't take the combined pill due to stroke risk.
For many years I have been on a combined pill (probably about 10 years on and off), but had to stop due to debilitating aura migraines. Apart from the migraines I feel my body was very happy on this pill, and I didn't notice any side affects.
Now on Cerazette, I am doing ok. It's been about 6 months. The good news is that I haven't had a single migraine since the change! 
Bad news is that my hormones are topsy turvy. Actually, I think I'm pretty lucky, I have heard a lot of horror stories of women on Cerazette! My main area of concern is my skin. I've always had nice clear, happy skin. Now I feel like a teenager! Thankfully/weirdly the skin on my face is pretty much clear, but my back/shoulders/chest/scalp are black-heady & spotty & gross. While it sounds trifling, it's actually really getting me down! 
Also get REALLY sore boobs at random. My 'cycle' is still figuring itself out, so I can't notice any pattern as yet. I'm having a scanty period with spotting roughly every 40 odd days. Other symptoms; slightly more emotional than usual perhaps, and I think more tired.
So, does anyone have any advice/experiences to share? Any supplement suggestions or remedies or therapies to try?
Ever hopeful,
Lubelle
x
Hi Lubelle and welcome
Reading through your post, I'm not too familiar with the progesterone drug Cerazette, but I have used a natural progresterone cream with great success. I'm assuming your perimenopausal or premenopausal at the moment? This is usually when progesterone levels start to drop and estrogen too but not as much.....which is why sometimes estrogen can dominate. Taking the combination pill may have possibly been the cause of your migraines and it was good your doctor took you off of it.
The unfortunate side-affect of taking progesterone is acne and/or blemishes. I'm not sure if Cerazette comes in different doses, that's something you should discuss with your doctor. Another side-affect to progesterone therapy is tirdedness, depression and a lack of drive. This too should be mentioned to your doctor...usually this is a warning bell for most doctors to look at other factors, like the thyroid and change the treatment.
I think you should see your doctor before I or anyone else suggest herbs and GLA supplements. Adding these to your diet could interfere with the results of your blood test and or cause or mimic other symptoms. Once you've been given the ok, then I'm sure many people will offer a wide variety of different remedies for you.
Let us know what your doctor says
Hi Ravenstar!
Thanks so much for getting the ball rolling!
Um, no, not pre or peri menopausal, I'm only 30 and all is well. I am on Cerazette purely as a contraceptive, sorry I didn't make that clearer!
My GP practise seems very reluctant to see me, keeping costs down I imagine! I was even refused an appointment (by reception staff) to see the nurse who put me on Cerazette in the first place after six months as I was now considered 'low risk'. She also accidentally let slip that the nurse was going on holiday the next week and so was very busy... Either way, the outcome of that was that as I was 'ok' on Cerazette after 6 months, she would issue me another prescription and see me in another 6 months. Pretty crazy.
I am fine though, I don't think changing the medication is necessary for a few spots, it's just my vanity afterall! I was just hoping to get some suggestions on improving the situation.. Getting married next summer & don't reeeeally want to be a spotty bride! 
So, given that info, do you still think going to the Doc's is my first priority?
Can't wait to hear your suggestions!
Hi Lubelle,
I'm so happy for you! Congratulations on becoming a bride! :hug: I can definitely see why you want to look your best on your wedding day!
But I still would consult your GP or the nurse to make sure you're not having a reaction to Cerazette just as a precaution. I don't think there would be any harm in adding Evening Primose Oil, to your diet.....this has been known to clear up many blemishes. The best kind is cold-pressed and come in capsules of 500 mg and 1000 mg. Evening Primose oil soothes inflammation and improves the immune system. Adding Vitamin B6 may help too and is better synthesized with Evening Primose oil. You may also want to try Dandelion root, a liver detoxifer which is known to help the body metabolize hormones and eliminate acne. It may also help that fatigue feeling your having.
Try those if you'd like but do try and see your doctor. Then we can talk about other remedies to try before your wedding
Super dooper dooper!
You have given me hope! I will go and bully my doctor now! 
x
I'm back!
After a loooooong period of procrastination, I've finally been back and spoken to my GP re the above. They are happy with how I'm doing on Cerazette, and unconcerned about my trying a few alternative approaches to sorting my self out.
So, situation largely as before, though I have had a significant improvement in my skin after taking 500mg of Evening Primrose Oil everyday. My skin is much improved, though not quite the 'perfection' it was before Cerazette. All suggestions welcome!
Amusingly, having not realised EPO is often recommended in hair thinning issues, I now have about 4 inches of new tufty baby hair poking through my normal barnet, so can vouch for EPO if your tresses need a boost!
So, what are everyone's skin secrets? Topical or supplementary..
Thanks in advance!
Lubelle
Hi Lubelle
I'm glad to hear everything is well and even your hair has had a boost! For the skin, well, there's Evening Primose Oil, which I think we touched on before..flax seed is good too. You could also try a lotion or cream with 5 to 15 percent tea tree oil...it pretty good! Internally burdock root, dandelion leaves (tea/capsules), milk thistle, and red clover are good for acne....
A really good vitamin/mineral supplement would be good....better at the health store than the pharmacy. It should have vitamin a and zinc in it, both help to reduce blemishes. Others should have some ideas for you, if I think of anything else I'll surely let you know :nature-smiley-008:
Ha! I did think of something else lol! Actrually I looked it up in an alternative therapies book. It says....
"The best foods for a healthy attractive skin are low in fat and protein and high in complex carbohydrates. Generally, a high-fiber diet is best. Foods should be eaten as close to their natural state as possible, as opposed to being refined or processed. Good foods for the skin are rich in Vitamin A and C, beta-carotene, and chlorophyll. They include beet greens, carrots, egg yolk, potatoes, yams peppers, artichokes and dark green vegetables. Pure water is also essential for clear skin."
It also goes on to say that corn, soy, wheat and peanuts can aggravate the skin.
As far as herbs, it recommends trying any of these different herbs...agrimony, barberry, sassafras, yellow dock, red clover and saraparilla along with the milk thistle and others mentioned above. I guess it's whatever herb suits your body best.
It also recommends herbs for the kidneys...buchu, parsley, celery seed, corn silk, cleavers and goldenrod. Apparently you can also cleanse the skin with burdock root.
"The CompleteEncyclopedia of Natural Healing, Gary Null, Ph.D."
Gosh, Ravenstar! Thanks for all the info! I don't reeally know where to start with all that, but I think I will try supplementing my Vit A and Zinc first..
Again, thank you!
Lu
x
Hi Lubelle
Ravenstar has given you helpful advice, but please do not just take just vitamin A and zinc on their own. All vitamins and minerals work as a team so it is best to get a quality (fully absorbable and functioning) multivitamin/multimineral and add the vitamin A and zinc on top. Be aware that you have limits to both these nutrients.
While vitamin A is essential for skin health, it should be limited to 10,000iu per day if there is any chance of you becoming pregnant. With you, that should not be a problem if you are on a contraceptive pill, You may in fact need more than the above amount to recover your skin health, eg 25,000iu. There are also different forms of vitamin A and beta carotene forms on their own are not particularly effective at improving skin.
Zinc is essential to balancing hormone function and many of us are short of it. Taking a supplement of 45mg daily should help to supply any deficiency. The max you can take daily is 100mg in total from all sources otherwise it creates its own problems. The daily intake for general health is 15-25 mg. Higher levels of zinc need to be balanced with copper - 1mg copper per 10mg of zinc.
An excellent book for skin problems is by Natalie Savona's - [url]see here[/url]. Well worth getting a copy.
I have the answer for you!!!
Let me give you a bit of background on me. When I got married I started off with the combination pill as we were very afraid of getting pregnant at 20 but what I didn't know at the time is that it is potentially abortive as you can still have breakthrough ovulation and conceive but since the uterus is hostile you pass your baby. That is just what happened to me and we had an early miscarriage. I was so devastated! The pill messes with your body so so much and has so many side effects! So then I started using a basal thermometer to track my temperature as a form of natural birth control but my cycle was not conforming to the normal pattern so I did not know how to interpret it...... so now I am using the lady-comp as birth-control and LOVING IT!!!! It is a fertility computer that is 99.3% accurate so the same as the pill but with NO side effects! AT ALL! It just takes your temp and tell you when you are ovulating so you know the 6 days in your cycle that you need to either abstain or use a condom. myself and my husband could not be happier and it has made our marriage stronger because we have to communicate even more! I really hope I can try to move you away from hormonal birth control after hearing all the things you have to deal with! I got mine off the website lady-comp.co.uk.
Id love to hear what you think and answer any questions you may have!
I am on Cerazette purely as a contraceptive.