40yr Old Female w/ Problems Losing Wt

Hello everyone,

I am looking for some help, i am helping a friend of mine with training diet etc to get her losing weight, fitter, healthier etc.

She is 40 years old, and has just recently (about 6 weeks ago) got off anti-depressants (cymbalta).

Her diet has been very good, and training has been great too…over the last year, with a very good diet, following a simple Berardi type diet, 3 meals Protein n Fat, 3 meals Protein n Carbs she hasn’t lost any fat.

Anyway, i could get into the nitty gritty about her exercise and diet, but there is quite obviously another issue with her body that is preventing her from losing the body fat. Hormonal or …

She currently weighs about 110kg’s. And could easily drop 30kg’s…She has fibroids too and says her cycle of bleeding sometimes lasts over 2 weeks.

She also became unexpectedly pregnant, and had a miscarriage after about 5 weeks. (The doctors told her with her fibroids that it would be near impossible to get pregnant and have a healthy baby).

I sent her to the doctor to get blood tests, and of course the doctor didn’t get half the tests that need to be done in such circumstances…the doctors advice was to try not to put too much butter on her toast as far as losing weight. Frustrating.

My question is what exactly does she need to get tested? I am guessing estrogen and testosterone as well as thyroid and a lot more.

These are the results of the few tests that they did a few weeks ago…

SERUM LIPID STUDIES

Total Cholesterol -4.6 mmol/L (0.0-5.5)
Triglyceride -2.1 mmol/L (0.5-2.0)

HDL cholesterol -1.3 mmol/L (0.9-2.2)
LDL cholesterol -2.3 mmol/L (<3.4)
Chol/HDL Ratio -3.5 (<4.5)

THYROID FUNCTION TESTS (serum)

Free Thyroxine (Free T4) -17.4 pmol/L (10.0-19.0)
Thyroid Stimulating Hormone (TSH) -1.74 mIU/L (0.50-4.00)
Free Triiodothyronine (Free T3) -5.4 pmol?L (3.5-6.5)

PLASMA GLUCOSE

Time not known 6.3 mmol/L (4.0-7.8)

SERUM BIOCHEMISTRY

Sodium 141 mmol/L (136-146)
Potassium 5.0 mmol/L (3.5-5.0)
Chloride 106 mmol/L (95-110)
Bicarbonate 19 mmol/L (22-31)
Urea 7.1 mmol/L (2.3-7.6)
Estimated GFR 74 ml/min (>60)
Creatinine 75 umol/L (40-80)
Total Bilirubin 5 umol>L (<15)
Ala. Aminotransferase (ALT) 33 U/L (<30)
Asp. Aminotransferase (AST) 25 U/L (<30)
Alkaline Phosphatase (ALP) 80 U/L (20-105)
Gamma glutamyl Trans. (GGT) 23 U/L (<35)
Total Protein 77 g/l (65-85)
Albumin 46 g/l (38-50)
Globulin 31 g/l (22-39)

SERUM ANDROGENIC HORMONE INVESTIGATION

Sensitive Testosterone 1.2 nmol/L (0-5-1.4)

SERUM HORMONES (this one is hard to understand because it has references underneath)
(Follicular, Mid cycle, Luteal, Pregnant (1st trimester), Post Menopausal)

FSH IU/L - 3

LH IU/L - 5

E2 pmol/L - 724

PROG nmol/L - 31.2

Any help and feedback would be greatly appreciated. In terms of the results, or advice on what tests to pursue to get the full picture of the problems.

Thank you (sorry for the long post)

sorry, but besides testing for Cortisol I am not sure what help I can be.

We don’t really have our hands around all of the nuances of male HRT, and Female issues are even more complex with their monthly cycles.

Thanks for the reply PureChance…

I can’t help but think there must be more than can be done.

She has just done a home test for hormone stuff and has sent of the cotton swab so will see what comes of that…

Female hormones should be done around day 18 of her cycle.

Probably estrogen dominant. Progesterone levels start to drop age 30-35 and continue. Causes fibroids, weight problems, PMS, tender or painful breasts, long bloody painful periods …

Where are you located? In the USA, one can get 2% progesterone cream in health food shops and internet.

I worked with a woman who had fibroids and thick endrometrial lining. She was facing surgery. With progesterone, she expelled her fibroids and all the other things improved.

Progestins should not be used and OBC pills not good either, just a source of progestins.

[quote]KSman wrote:
Female hormones should be done around day 18 of her cycle.

Probably estrogen dominant. Progesterone levels start to drop age 30-35 and continue. Causes fibroids, weight problems, PMS, tender or painful breasts, long bloody painful periods …

Where are you located? In the USA, one can get 2% progesterone cream in health food shops and internet.

I worked with a woman who had fibroids and thick endrometrial lining. She was facing surgery. With progesterone, she expelled her fibroids and all the other things improved.

Progestins should not be used and OBC pills not good either, just a source of progestins. [/quote]

Thanks KSman,

We are in Australia, not sure about the availability with the progesterone creams here as yet.

So what exactly should i be looking for in testing to know if she is lacking in progesterone? I need to make sure of course that if this is the problem, firstly to be sure of it, then to treat it correctly. She has fibroids, long periods (she says are not painful though), but the weight gain and never dropping fat is a big concern as well for her. She is very unhappy with her weight, and does everything right dietry wise and exercise too.

Can you see anything in the above blood test results that is of concern…? And what else can i do to help her?