@LAK you did not mention your age, but I’m going to assume that you are NOT perimenopausal, correct? Because during the perimenopausal years, it’s normal for progesterone to decline and treatments such as bio-identical HRT may be suitable for this age group/population.

If you are not perimenopausal, then yes, stress alone will lead to lower levels of progesterone and hormone imbalance.

When the adrenals are taxed from stress (all forms), the body prioritizes survival over fertility & reproduction. Therefore, when stress is high, precursor hormones (such as pregnenolone) prioritize cortisol production over progesterone, reducing the availability of progesterone, which is essential for reproductive health and fertility. This is often referred to as the “pregnenolone or cortisol steal”.

If there is less progesterone production, this can lead to estrogen dominance since the ratio of estrogen (even if it’s normal) will be relatively higher than progesterone. That’s where you can get into issues with being late and spotting. Estrogen dominance also leads to other symptoms like weight gain, headaches, anxiety, moodiness, sore breasts, heavier periods, etc. Not fun!

So I have to agree with the practitioner who said to hold off on HRT replacement. Remove the stressors first, focus on regaining optimal HPA axis function, and hormones should balance out again naturally. If you’re really struggling however, those suggestions of inositol and chaste tree berry can help offer rapid relief by supporting ovulation and progesterone production in the meantime.

For a deeper understanding of how cortisol affects other hormones, I’d also encourage you to watch this video from the Adrenal Balance course.

@Bahareh fibroids (either uterine or breast) are usually due to estrogen dominance, which is a result of 1 or all 3 of these scenarios:

1. Exposure to xenoestrogens – outside sources of estrogen from environmental chemicals like phthalates, glyphosate, triclosan, parabens, etc which have estrogenic effect in the body. You can share this post of mine on social media. You can also share this handout on toxin avoidance.
2. Lower progesterone to estrogen ratio. Is there a PCOS dynamic that can lead to anovulation and therefore no progesterone production? Possible insulin resistance?
3. Lack of hormone clearance. Once we make and use hormones, we need to clear them from the body. Being on birth control depletes B vitamins which are needed for phase 1 detox. Is she constipated and not flushing toxins and spent hormones in stool? Is there gut microbial overgrowths perhaps causing a re-circulation of spent hormones? Is there liver-biliary tract congestion? She’d likely benefit from the Gut Health Masterclass if you’d like to recommend she joins.

For rapid relief, black cohosh is usually helpful for uterine fibroids. You may also want to share with her our Fibroids handout from our Symptom Dictionary HERE.

With regards to adenomyosis, it is similar to endometriosis except the location of growths happen inside the uterine lining. It is also worsened with estrogen dominance. It can cause debilitating pain for some women. When working with clients, I always consider it to be immune related. So how is gut health? Are vitamins D, A, and zinc optimal? Are there any heavy metals, mold, root canals, or other toxicities including traumas at play? Here’s a brilliant article by Dr. Lara Briden on the issue of endometriosis: https://www.larabriden.com/endometriosis-is-a-disease-of-immune-dysfunction/

Hope this is helpful.

@Annie there are several ways to mitigate any potential effects from radiation exposure from phones and electronic devices.

The best way is through lots of outdoor grounding/earthing! Walking barefoot on natural surfaces like grass, sand, or soil can balance the body’s electrical charge and mitigate the effects of EMF.

Another way to combat oxidative stress from EMFs is by increasing antioxidant intake. Consuming more berries, leafy greens, nuts, and seeds, can be beneficial. Supplements like vitamin C, vitamin E, and glutathione are also helpful antioxidants.

You can also look at EMF-shielding products for phones and iPads. I bought a few Defender Shield pads for laptop and iPad use to prevent my kids putting their devices directly onto their laps. I share the links here in “Succeed>Discounts”. The same company also makes covers for phones and other products you can look into.

Finally, I recall telling you about Epsom salt baths as a great way to get in more magnesium through the skin. Epsom salt baths are thought to help neutralize EMF exposure effects, and it’s something I do after international travel as a way to relax and help “detox” from radiation exposure high up in the sky.

Hope these tips helps you feel more at ease that there’s something that can be done!

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@Annie do you know what type of contrast they’ll be using? In the meantime, I tagged you in a previous discussion on MRI contrasts, as I think that might help your mom. You can also get to it by clicking here.

@Annie tagging you on this thread.

@LAK the need for vitamin K2 when supplementing with vitamin D is less clear in children than in adults, primarily because children often have different dietary patterns and nutrient needs.

In adults, vitamin K2 helps direct calcium to bones and teeth rather than soft tissues, which is important to prevent issues like arterial calcification. Children, however, generally have a higher rate of bone remodeling and calcium use, and they naturally absorb and direct calcium more efficiently during growth phases, often without the need for additional K2.

If a child is eating a balanced diet including dairy, leafy greens, and fermented foods, they may be getting in enough K2 without the need to supplement.

Hope that helps answer your question.

Hi @LAK it’s OK to take both collagen and protein powders at the same time but depending on the intended purpose of each one, you may want to take them at separate times. For example, protein powder can be effective post-workout for muscle recovery, while collagen is often recommended on an empty stomach or with a source of vitamin C to support collagen synthesis.

With that said, do keep in mind that all supplements are in fact processed products and should only be used as a substitute to whole foods when there is a known insufficiency or deficiency.

Hi @sheetalramchandani1

I’m a little unclear about some of your questions so I’ll do my best to answer them 1 by 1:

1. An IgE antibody response is a quick immune reaction to allergens, such as certain foods or environmental triggers, that the body mistakenly identifies as harmful. This type of response can be severe and potentially life-threatening, as in cases of anaphylaxis seen with food allergies like peanuts. For people with known IgE-mediated allergies, strict avoidance of the triggering antigen (allergen) is essential to prevent dangerous reactions.

2. The body’s immune system has different ways to react to different antigens. IgE is an immediate response. IgG on the other hand is a delayed reaction, which makes it harder to identify the trigger. This handout in the Symptom Dictionary discusses possible root causes for allergies/sensitivities.

The symptoms of dry skin and peeling around the eyes, mouth and neck could also be caused by other factors. I would need more information about this case to help you puzzle piece. You can also read our Symptom Dictionary handout on dandruff here.

3. I’m not sure I understand your question about testing. Are you asking me which test I recommend for testing food and environmental sensitivities? If so, then I really like the KBMO test. B Better members get access to ordering this test HERE. If not, please clarify your question.

Hi @Annie – sorry to hear about your back pain. Please let us know if you need any help with that.

As for your dad’s results, the best way to control his cholesterol and triglycerides is by radically changing his diet and lifestyle to reverse the diabetes. Knowing how difficult it is to convince older parents to make changes, is your dad willing to make changes or is he generally set in his ways?

How is his diet? How is his stress level? How is his knowledge and application of reducing toxic exposures from day to day living like eating organic foods, filtering water, opening windows (i.e. low tox living)?

Would he be willing to watch the Blood Sugar Balance course?

Does he prepare and take responsibility for his own food or is he reliant on someone else to care for his meals?

I’m asking because I have experience with my own father. He asks for my help. I share what needs to be done. He promises to follow the advice. He does it for 2 days, and then goes back to his old habits. 🙁

We have lots of videos and handouts that can help him, but the question when dealing with a parent is – are they willing to help themselves and follow through with it?

If so, I suggest he starts by watching this 9-minute video on how blood sugar regulation dysfunctions from the Blood Sugar Balance course.

Please reply to my questions above, and I’ll be more than happy to continue supporting you with your dad’s care.

Hi @Kelly – I’d highly encourage you to read the book called Why Stomach Acid is Good for You.

PPI’s are not meant to be taken long term, but unfortunately as you’ve been experiencing, they will eventually exacerbate the situation and contribute to the problem because we NEED stomach acid. We need it to absorb key nutrients like calcium, magnesium, zinc, and yes, B vitamins as well, especially B12 by triggering the release of intrinsic factor needed to absorb vitamin B12 further down in the small intestine. It also a form of passive immunity by acting like a cleansing tank to prevent any oral pathogens from entering our GI tract.

The most common reason people are usually put on antacids and PPIs is the same effect these medications can cause: low stomach acid (or hypochlorhydria)!

So coming off of these medications without having addressed the cause in the first place, will likely lead to the same outcome of low stomach acid and continued reflux.

In this video from the Gut Health Masterclass course, I discuss common causes of hypochlorhydria. As a minimum, please test to see if there’s an H Pylori overgrowth. Although the gold standard is breath testing, I have found many false negatives! My preference is PCR stool testing.

The reason why it’s so important to test is that any time a person is considering weaning off of PPI meds, they should also be supporting stomach acid production (i.e. low dose HCL) and overall digestion, but HCL betaine is contraindicated if there’s an H Pylori overgrowth. If that’s the case, then using digestive bitters 10-15 mins before meals can help support digestion and prevent reflux.

However, since you’re already burning, the order of operations is important here. First, the focus should be on healing the inflamed tissue for at least 30 to 60 days before titrating down any further. You may want to consider increasing dose again temporarily to allow the tissue time to heal. In this video of the Gut Health Masterclass, I share many gut healing therapies which can also help with the lining of the esophagus including cabbage juice, marshmallow root tea, slippery elm lozenges, DGL lozenge, etc. The lozenge and tea forms are better than capsules because they coat the throat. You can also consume mucilagenous foods like okra and chia seeds. All of these can help coat and heal the inflamed tissue.

In the meantime, you should be investigating and addressing the possible causes of low stomach acid such as stress, hypothyroid function, h pylori overgrowth, low zinc, low B6, etc. Otherwise, it will feel like a revolving door.

Once the inflamed tissue has reduced, you can begin to introduce digestive support such as low dose HCL, digestive bitters, bile acids, and digestive enzymes. This is only temporary support to allow your body time to adjust to the titration which should be done very slowly over a period of 6 to 8 weeks (sometimes longer if needed). Going too quickly will cause a rebound effect, and an overproduction of stomach acid which you may be experiencing.

Hope this helps provide some clarity and direction in terms of the next steps to take.

@LAK this handout that we recently added on Proteins, Protein Powders, Collagen & Gelatin might be of interest. We share a few brand suggestions of each. It also shares a really cool protein calculator to see how much you should be getting in depending on your circumstances. Hope it helps!

@Bahareh feel free to share her results here as well (of course, please remove her name & other identifying info to respect her privacy) if you need help puzzle piecing.

Yes, hormones are often affected by more upstream root causes and when those are addressed, the oral birth control will more than likely not be needed.

@sheetalramchandani1 thank you for clarifying. So was a food or environmental panel ever done at a doctor’s office to see what’s causing her IgE level to be high? Her immune system is obviously reacting to something in her environment. If she hasn’t already, suggest she sees an allergist to run some basic food/environment panels as a first step.

Also, the peeling skin may or may not be a response to the elevated IgE, so keep an open mind and consider other possible root causes for dry, flaking skin in those specific areas.

I’m sure you’ve already explored and asked her about the soap, body wash, topical creams, lotions, shampoos, etc she is using that could come into contact with the face?

Since you mentioned she’s had dandruff, this could be a big clue. Very often yeast overgrowth is at play with dandruff and it could potentially contribute to dry, flaking skin on the face as well. An OAT urine test could help reveal if there are any bacterial/fungal overgrowths. But before going that route since it’s costly, has she been to see a dermatologist yet? They could properly assess her skin and provide a diagnosis if it’s a form of dermatitis, psoriasis or if it’s fungal.

Other tests you may ask her to consider is to test thyroid function and possible nutrient deficiencies, specifically Omega-3 fatty acids, vitamin A and RBC zinc as these are critical for skin health.

Hope this helps give you some additional direction to help her.

@Kelly I share a variety of different solutions to choose from in the Gut Health Masterclass course:

• Stomach Acid Support
• Digestive Enzyme Support
• Liver & Gallbladder Support (for better bile production and flow)

Since you’re still in a very fragile state, adding in HCL now will likely add fuel to the fire. You may be better off with eating bitter foods (handout here for examples) before a meal or taking a tsp of lemon juice or apple cider vinegar in 50-100mL water 10 mins before a meal to help stimulate stomach acid secretion to help digest your food better.

Digestive bitters like Dr. Shade’s Bitters No.9 can also be considered but depending on how inflamed the tissue is, it may or may not be tolerated. If that’s the case, then focusing on gut healing measures for a little while longer would be suggested before adding in any other type of digestive support. The good thing about digestive bitters is that it helps support all 3 digestive secretions; stomach acid, enzymes & bile.

Digestive enzymes are unlikely to cause any issues, so those can be generally be introduced right away if the stomach acid support is not well tolerated at this stage.

Hope this helps give you more clarity and direction.

Hi @Kelly – I know how disheartening it is when the only solution doctors can offer us is more medication. It’s unfortunately just not in their training to look at WHY we have symptoms. They are taught to diagnose WHAT we have and numb/suppress it with meds or surgery for rapid relief (which we have to be grateful for in acute emergencies, but also know when to use allopathic medicine vs. a functional healthcare model).

That’s why I created B Better. I want to make access to functional medicine care more accessible and affordable.

Could you upload your thyroid test results? Were they interpreted by a conventional doctor? Conventional interpretations often rely solely on reference ranges for diagnosing disease, which may overlook subtle issues.

Tapering off PPIs slowly is important to prevent “rebound acid hypersecretion,” where the stomach temporarily produces even more acid than usual after stopping the medication. This effect happens because PPIs block acid production, and over time, the body compensates by increasing the number of acid-producing cells. If the medication is stopped suddenly, these cells release more acid, causing symptoms like heartburn or acid reflux to return—often more intensely than before starting the medication.

If you can tolerate the dose that you’re currently on, then keep going. But it sounded like you were really suffering.