I’ve been researching the interplay between hormones and their influence on brain excitability and thus seizures. For the female sex hormones, progesterone and its metabolites have strong anti-convulsant properties while estrogen is mainly proconvulsant. Estrogen potentiates glutamate (before the conversion to GABA) and progesterone, through allopregnenalone, potentiates GABA-ergic activity. Androgens, including testosterone are mostly anti-convulsant. Refer to the scientific literature here
Interference in hormones can potentiate brain excitability. Dr. Kenneth Bock, who wrote “Healing the New Childhood Epidemics” and is a pioneer with the most complex biochemical cases, autism, states that:
testosterone exacerbates heavy metal toxicity. He suggests that this is why boys tend to run 400 times at greater risk for autism, 400-800 times for Aspergers and 400-600 increase for ADHD.
We know that heavy metal toxicity can lead to brain excitability, irritability, developmental delays and seizures. How does this happen for testosterone? Mercury, namely, can penetrate the blood- testis barrier and once in the ball sack can suppress the production of testosterone.
An elevated toxic load of metals can create a cascade of health consequences if there is no intervention. Toxic metals can bind to digestive enzymes, reducing their ability to perform in the digestive process. The microbiome becomes compromised and the liver can then become congested which is responsible for recycling other hormones: estrogen, namely. If the liver is ‘backed up’ then estrogen will by reused rather than excreted leading to an estrogen load. Progesterone is often depleted in a chronic state of cumulative internal/external stress. The cycle can be perpetuated until there is intervention.
As my specialty is also in hormone balancing, I will continue to research and report.
Be well,
Lynn
