Diving into My Hormone Routine

I wanted to find a way to create a deeper connection with my followers and provide more insights into the content I share on other platforms. I'm excited to give you all a closer, more personal look into my world—sharing insights from my life, my research, and work.

⬇️ What To Expect from First Touch 012⬇️

• 🥼 Diving into My Hormone Routine

• 🌸 Frequently Asked Questions on Estrogen and Cancer

• 🤍 My Approach to HRT & HRT Routine

• 📖 Resources on Menopause

People often ask me what hormones I take. Personally, I use progesterone, pregnenolone, DHEA, testosterone, and natural desiccated thyroid. I also apply Bi-Est (estradiol and estriol) when I feel I need it.

Estrogen is always a hot topic—and I get a lot of questions about whether it’s good or bad. It’s a fair question, and it’s important to look at the full picture when it comes to hormones.

Like everything in the human body, estrogen is nuanced. Regardless of trends in HRT or perspectives on social media, biology is objective. I always want to tell the truth because that’s what you deserve. I always say it, but there truly is no “magic bullet", including estrogen. The truth is, estrogen does carry risks. Every woman deserves to understand what this hormone actually does in the body.

How could a hormone my body makes cause cancer?

I know it can be concerning to hear that a hormone our body naturally produces can contribute to cancer, but I want to be clear that estrogen is not inherently bad. We need it for reproduction and to repair damaged tissues. Like everything else in the body, the key is balance.

But when estrogen stays elevated for too long or goes beyond its normal range, it can become disruptive.

So when we say “estrogen increases cancer risk,” we’re not saying estrogen is harmful by nature—we’re saying problems arise when its levels are out of balance. It’s about the system losing its rhythm, not the hormone itself being bad.

Some things to know:

• Estrogen encourages cell growth and division. This is needed for reproduction and pregnancy, but it can also stimulate the excessive cell division we see in cancer. When estrogen is chronically elevated, or not properly balanced by progesterone, it can create a hormonal environment that increases the risk for cancer.

• Unfortunately, our exposure to estrogen today is significantly higher than it was in the past due to xenoestrogens, environmental toxins, endocrine disruptors, pharmaceuticals, and dietary factors that were far less common in previous generations.

• DES, a synthetic estrogen prescribed to pregnant women, directly contributed to cancer in millions of their daughters (cervical, breast, etc,), yet it is almost never discussed in the context of cancer and hormone therapy.

• When a woman is diagnosed with breast cancer, the usual first step in conventional care is to put a woman on an estrogen blocker like tamoxifen. If treatment involves blocking estrogen, it must be playing a role in cancer growth or development.

There are several carcinogenic actions of estrogen that have been well-researched. Here are just a few:

• Estrogen stimulates uncontrolled cellular proliferation

• Estrogen metabolites can damage DNA

• Estrogen deprives tissues of oxygen

• Estrogen disrupts healthy metabolic processes and mitochondrial function (oxidative phosphorylation)

• Estrogen opposes progesterone & disrupts thyroid function

• Estrogen increases prostaglandins

• Estrogen increases inflammation and disrupts immune function

• Estrogen promotes fat storage which increases its own production

Why do some people in the menopause community claim estrogen is harmless?

Unfortunately, there is a lot of confusion in research. For example, the Women’s Health Initiative, one of the largest clinical trials to study the effects of hormones on women’s health became controversial when the results linked estrogen + progestin use to increased risks of breast cancer, heart disease, and stroke, leading to a sharp decline in hormone use.

Note: progestins are synthetic hormones and their actions more closely mimic estrogen/androgens on the cell. They are not the same as natural progesterone.

But researchers argued the risks were overstated and estrogen use was widely promoted again shortly after. Now, many claim estrogen does not cause cancer at all.

There are a lot of nuances, but the truth is, when doctors stopped prescribing estrogen and synthetic progestins following the initial findings of WHI, breast cancer incidences decreased 7% from 2002-2005.

It’s important to note that the authors of the study still maintain that estrogen and progestin use contribute to cancer and have not retracted their initial findings.

I believe too much of the conversation is based on population-level outcome data, rather than mechanistic understanding. In other words, they’re often looking at broad observational studies, while I’m looking at what these hormones actually do at the cellular level.

Estrogen stimulates cell growth—that’s its nature. And unregulated cell growth is the basis of cancer.

This doesn’t mean outcome data has no value. But without understanding the underlying mechanisms, how estrogen interacts with receptors, influences mitochondrial function, or drives proliferation, we risk drawing incomplete or misleading conclusions. Population studies can guide questions, but mechanisms tell us why.

Why isn’t cancer more common in young women, even though their estrogen levels are higher?

Many people claim that estrogen is not the cause of cancer because estrogen is higher in younger women, and breast cancer is more likely to occur in older women (although this is changing as women are exposed to more environmental estrogens). I think this is a misrepresentation. Progesterone is also much higher younger in women. This is actually what is protecting younger women from cancer.

Progesterone opposes the proliferative effects of estrogen by calming tissue growth, supporting proper cell differentiation, and preventing excessive cell division.

The problem is that during perimenopause and menopause, the ovaries slow down the production of progesterone and estrogen. However, estrogen can still be produced in other tissues outside of the ovaries, especially fat tissue. (I have a more detailed post about this here!). So even if you are in menopause, this doesn't necessarily mean your total estrogen levels are decreasing.

As we age, body fat tends to increase, so a lot of women are still producing estrogen into menopause. Progesterone isn't produced by fat tissue, so it's common to become deficient, especially chronic stress. And because most labs only capture what’s circulating through blood, its possible to have high estrogen in the body, but get a normal or even low reading on a blood test.  

This makes things a bit complicated, but it also explains why women experience all the classic symptoms of estrogen dominance: bloating, breast tenderness, mood swings, heavy periods, or even fibroids, even with low blood levels. I think the best approach to HRT is to consider lab results alongside symptoms and the full context of the individual woman.

What is my approach to HRT?

I'm not a fan of a one-size-fits-all approach, like automatically prescribing estrogen replacement the moment a woman experiences menopausal symptoms.

In my experience, many symptoms in menopause are due to low progesterone, not necessarily low estrogen. And starting with progesterone is a great strategy.

Of course, some women genuinely need estrogen therapy. But therapy should always be personalized and given within the context of the patient. I have a lower BMI, so I apply estrogen as needed and I listen to my body everyday to adjust my hormone ritual.

Before considering estrogen, I like to prioritize the protective hormones: progesterone, pregnenolone, DHEA, etc. If those are optimized and symptoms persist (brain fog, low energy, etc.), I think estrogen can be helpful.

I personally like Bi-Est cream rather than pills or patches. This allows me to adjust my dose when I feel I need it. I have a low BMI, so my tissue estrogen levels are lower, which impacts how much I need.

If you do choose to take estrogen, I think the most important thing is ensuring it’s balanced with sufficient bioidentical progesterone.

My HRT Routine:

Morning: - ☀️

• Natural Desiccated Thyroid: Supports metabolism, energy production, body temperature regulation, and thyroid hormone balance (T3 + T4).

• Pregnenolone: Enhances memory, mood, and stress resilience; it's also the precursor to many other hormones including progesterone and DHEA.

• DHEA: Supports energy, libido, and immune function; can help balance mood.

• Testosterone: Helps support energy, mood, muscle tone, and bone strength.

Night: - 🌙

• Progesterone Capsules: Supports the whole body by promoting restful sleep, reducing anxiety, improving bone health, and opposing estrogen’s stimulatory effects.

• Progesterone Cream: Provides more targeted support like to the breasts.

2.5 mg of Bi-Est Cream if symptoms persist during the day

Some resources on menopause:

What Your Doctor May Not Tell You About about Menopause - John R. Lee, MD

From PMS to Menopause: Female Hormones in Context - Dr. Ray Peat, PhD

Test your hormones with Raena

Shop clean, bioidentical hormone solutions from Raena

Talk soon ❤️,

Dr. C