Bioidentical Hormones Part 2 — The Emotional Seesaw Nobody Warns You About

This post is based on my personal experience only. Please consult your own doctor before making any hormonal or medical decisions.

I want to be honest with you about something.

The first few weeks on bioidentical hormones felt like a revelation — better sleep, less anxiety, the fog lifting. I wrote about that and it was all true.

But then I increased my oestrogen dose and something shifted.

The seesaw began.

Ungrounded. Clear in moments, then suddenly panicked. Exhausted but with a mind that won't stop racing. Tender swollen breasts reminding me something significant is happening in my body.

This is oestrogen coming in. And it is not always graceful.

What my latest results showed

At my recent review with Dr Nic the picture was becoming clearer:

The progress:

• Progesterone improved significantly — 2.6 up from 0.4

• Testosterone improving — 0.4 up from less than 0.1

• DHEA stable at 1.1

• Cortisol coming down slightly

• Sleep improved

• Gut settled

• Exercise increasing — more lifting

Still working on:

• Oestrogen remains very low — dose increased to 0.15-0.2ml morning and evening

• Cortisol still slightly above ideal range

• CRP mildly elevated at 5.1 — inflammation still present but reducing

What's actually happening emotionally

When you introduce oestrogen after a long period of deficiency your body and emotions respond. Oestrogen affects serotonin, dopamine and GABA — the very chemicals that regulate mood, anxiety and emotional stability.

As levels fluctuate while your body adjusts you can feel everything at once. Clear and foggy. Calm and panicked. Hopeful and overwhelmed.

What I'm learning

This is temporary. The body needs time to calibrate.

Dr Nic titrates slowly for exactly this reason. The discomfort is not a sign something is wrong.

It's a sign something is changing.

What helps

Grounding practices. Slow breathing. Gentle movement. Being gentle with big decisions during this phase. Trusting the process even when it feels uncomfortable.

The honest takeaway

Nobody told me oestrogen coming in would feel like an emotional storm before it felt like calm.

But here I am — in the middle of it, being honest about it, knowing the calm is coming.

Are you on a hormone journey? I'd love to hear your experience in the comments.