Need help lowering LH and prolactin

avenue · 06-11-2008, 06:59 AM

Ok so these are the things I know I have:

High testosterone
High prolactin (not tumor, just always slightly high)
Low progesterone
Thin uterine lining
Low FSH
High LH
And Im assuming low estrogen since it is stored in fat and Im pretty lean

So any ideas? For the testosterone I have been taking spearmint/green tea, but I dont know what to do about the rest! I have no idea about the prolactin although I ve read that vitex and white peony can help. As for the LH Ive read that vitex and black cohosh can help. For thin uterine lining I was thinking red raspberry leaf. I also read something about dong quai and false unicorn root being good for people who have had miscarriages. Any ideas?

NYER · 06-11-2008, 12:23 PM

Hi Avenue,

I guess they didn't test your estrogen? If not, it is possible you have a estrogen secreting cyst which would mean high estrogen. High estrogen suppresses FSH. Did they look into other causes of low FSH? Usually under 3 indicates something is going on:
http://www.emedicine.com/MED/topic803.htm

Vitex is the only thing I'm aware of that can lower prolactin.

The single most hormone balancing thing I've done is lunar therapy. That is what helped get rid of my chronic LH surges all cycle long. All light sources covered except mid cycle for a few days. It targets the pineal gland, which creates balance within the pituitary/hypothalamus, thereby balancing hormones, helping prevent m/c & increasing progesterone levels. It doesn't work for everyone, but it does for alot:
http://www.westonaprice.org/women/fertility.html

I use spearmint, green tea & saw palmetto for 5 days in follicular phase. They all lower testosterone (some by binding DHT). I've read many articles that you shouldn't use spearmint for more than 5 days in FP.

Reducing testosterone can naturally unbind estrogen to improve your lining. I've used Red raspberry leaf to thicken lining (during ART) with good results. Dong Quai is usually indicated for m/c if there are blood clotting/blood stagnation/circulation problems. If you have thin blood, it might worsen things. False unicorn is a good uterine tonic, but I find it works better for me if used only in follicular phase. Maca during the luteal phase (and all cycle) can prevent m/c because it contains sterolins (plant steroids) - can help with immune issues, as well as an endocrine tonic, helping with keeping progesterone up.

Also, if you are ttc, your TSH ideally should be below 2.

HTH!!

avenue · 06-11-2008, 04:50 PM

Im pretty interested in the lunar thing, but I usually O between CD 20-25 so I guess now would be my mid cycle?

Also I take 1-3 cups of spearmint tea a day, I didnt know it could harm me at all. If theres anything else you know about it I would love to know!! Thanks so much!!

NYER · 06-11-2008, 05:13 PM

You could give the lunar therapy a shot this cycle, but obviously it won't help much with Oing early this month. Just cover all lite sources in bedroom (vcr/dvd, phone, clock, etc.). Keep your blinds/curtains closed. Turn on a light source again (crack door open to hallway, or open light source into window, etc.) 3 days before you want to ovulate. Next cycle light should be on cd12, 13 & 14. The reason it doesn't work for some I'm thinking it might be such a stretch to go from ovulating very late to so early. So you may want to do it a little later than that, and slowly change the days each cycle.

So light on for 3 days up till day you want to ovulate. Then lights out again. If you don't ovulate on time, still keep the lights off.

As for the spearmint, I can't remember why they said only to use 5 days. Maybe because you don't want to bind testosterone up till ovulation - you need a little testosterone to ovulate. And spearmint is a warming herb, so maybe it has a cumulative effect so that you become too warm natured. My herb memory is a little rusty these days.

avenue · 06-12-2008, 12:43 AM

Even with the spearmint tea I doubt I ll have super low testosterone lol! Even on spiro it was slightly high. I will give the lunar thing a try after I O, since if I cover the lights now I might mess myself up! Im hoping maybe that will help my LH surges too.

As for herbs all I am on now is Vitex, red raspberry leaf and black cohosh. I am determined to make this work! lol.

I know last month I posted something about light, melatonin and LH...something about darkness produces melatonin which supresses LH...it kind of makes sense with the lunar thing too I guess. Because you leave the lights uncovered around then so it would cause an LH burst=ovulation. Thing is I dont have a normal "bed time". It varies so much! Its something I just cant get used too.

avenue · 06-12-2008, 12:54 AM

So after reading that article, tonight I should sleep with a night light on, right? Until I O, then I sleep in darkness....I dont know what to do because Ive been sleeping in a mix of light and dark so I dont know where to start! That was an awesome article though, Im totally going to give it a try.

NYER · 06-12-2008, 01:55 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by avenue

I know last month I posted something about light, melatonin and LH...something about darkness produces melatonin which supresses LH...it kind of makes sense with the lunar thing too I guess. Because you leave the lights uncovered around then so it would cause an LH burst=ovulation. Thing is I dont have a normal "bed time". It varies so much! Its something I just cant get used too.

Yup, it's the same exact thing - cutting out the lights increases melatonin via the pineal gland. Some take melatonin supplements, but that doesn't work (it can actually worsen fertility) - it has to be done naturally. Here's how it works (scroll down to "night lighting").
http://www.westonaprice.org/women/fertility.html

As long as you get a decent amt. of night time sleep in the dark, the sleeping issues shouldn't hurt.

Best of luck - hope the herbs work for you!!

NYER · 06-12-2008, 02:03 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by avenue

So after reading that article, tonight I should sleep with a night light on, right? Until I O, then I sleep in darkness....I dont know what to do because Ive been sleeping in a mix of light and dark so I dont know where to start! That was an awesome article though, Im totally going to give it a try.

Oh geez, I forgot I already listed the article!

I'm not sure what to tell you since you have a mix of light/dark. If it's not with the tv on or something major like that, you could give introducing light for 3 days a shot.

NYER · 06-12-2008, 02:05 AM

Also, you don't want to leave the lights on 'till' you ovulate. Just 3 days no matter what. Because some ovulate after the lights are turned out again and not 'during' the 3 days. I have a feeling that could prevent O for some if they do it longer than 3 days.

avenue · 06-12-2008, 05:50 AM

Ok well I ll leave it on the next 3 and we ll see what happens!!

avenue · 06-12-2008, 09:06 PM

Ok so I kept a night light on last night, right next to my bed and now my temps are 36.7. Thats what they are when I O...up till then they were 36.5. So do I keep the light on 2 more nights or do I go back to darkness now? lol

NYER · 06-12-2008, 10:30 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by avenue

Ok so I kept a night light on last night, right next to my bed and now my temps are 36.7. Thats what they are when I O...up till then they were 36.5. So do I keep the light on 2 more nights or do I go back to darkness now? lol

I'd keep it on another 2 nights. Only because you should see a .3 - .4 degree shift indicating Ovulation. Besides that, some women do ovulate in the middle of the 3 days, so definately stick with that, unless you see a larger temp rise.

avenue · 06-13-2008, 01:34 AM

Oh what I meant to say was, pre ovulatory I am always 36.5, post ovulatory I am always 36.7. Ever since I started charting I have never been 36.7 before ovulating...so even if you do ovulate on the first day of light, do you still continue with the lighting? Im talking in celcius which is why my temp shift is only .2 degrees, in Farenheight its usually .2-.4 I think...celcius its usually .1-.2 a degree. Theres not alot of information about this lol!

NYER · 06-13-2008, 10:32 AM

Avenue,

Sorry, the celcius always throws me off. Some temping methods advise .2 or more, some .3, some .4. I always found .3 always indicates O for me. But some women get a slow rise too. Yeah, the more I think about it, you should continue with the lighting - even if you ovulated. Because going from light to complete darkness is going to be just as important and less than the 3 days of lighting isn't going to be as much as a jolt/contrast/switch to your 'system' - especially since you didn't get the complete darkness in the 1st half. If that makes any sense?? Sorry, haven't had my coffee yet, lol. But you should get the 3 full days so that when you switch to darkness it will be a bigger switch, kwim? After the 1st couple of mos. you will become so use to sleeping in the dark that you will hate sleeping with light on - but don't be tempted. Eventually you may be able to sleep in darkness all mo. You just need to develop a rythm to your cycle. If a night light is too disturbing to sleep, the window & a clock may be enough light.

Please let me know how you do!!!

avenue · 06-13-2008, 07:06 PM

I was alot slacker with the light last night, I kept next to my bed a but then it started to heat my curtains so I moved it, it was still in my room tho. Then at 7 am when the light starts shining a bit through the cracks in my curtain I turn the light off.