Luna.... estrogen dominance refers to having too much estrogen circulating in our bodies. All the excess estrogen attaches to our hormone receptors and prevents progesterone from attaching to those receptors... the result is imbalance that causes a variety of high-estrogen related problems. Not only do our own ovaries manufacture it, we live in an environment that gives off substances referred to as "xenoestrogens". Plastics would be a good example of a xenoestrogen, I think....styrofoam cups, heating foods in microwaves using plastic containers, ingesting food additives.... etc. We're pretty much overwhelmed with the bad stuff. Then we also need to consider all the toxins in our environment from eating foods contaminated with pesticides and/or antibiotics...or possibly breathing polluted air in heavily populated metropolitan areas (i.e. Los Angeles)Too much estrogen not only causes benign conditions such as heavy bleeding, severe cramping, endometriosis and fibroids, it is also carcinogenic in excess. It needs to be offset... and that can be done in a variety of ways: diet changes that include more plant foods and fewer animal foods, regular exercise, relaxation therapies to help control stress, spiritual development and using topical natural progesterone. If animal proteins are eaten, it's best if they are organic. Same thing with produce.... choosing organic over conventional reduces the xenoestrogen content.It's a viscious cycle really, we take synthetic birth control pills either for birth control or to help bleeding and cramping or other undesireable conditions, which in turn, actually throw the body into an even more severe cycle of estrogen dominance. Eventually, there's no going to back to what is the body's own natural balance..... and that, for me, equaled years of agony and then surgery.The short-term effects of using BC pills might seem to work (hey, I've been there too), but the long-term effects are a whole other can of worms. When possible, it's always more desireable to attempt to correct the hormonal imbalance that is causing the pain/bleeding, etc., by utilizing natural means such as what I described above (diet, exercise, relaxation, spiritual growth and natural progesterone). The only justification I know of for using synthetic hormones the way they are pushed these days might be in the case of controlling a serious gynecological problem such as the inability to stop bleeding, where life might be threatened.I was able to achieve some relief from the cramping by using natural progesterone, but in my case I was going through such a personal upheaval in my life that there was an abundance of Cortisol circulating in my body which attached to some hormone receptors and prevented the natural progesterone from being more effective. I also routinely achieved relief from fluid retention and headaches around my period with use of the natural progestone. Because I also had adenomyosis, the bleeding was still very excessive and I would pass "clots" the size of the palm of my hand.It is also now known that once fibroids reach a certain size, they begin to manufacture their own estrogen and that's when natural progesterone no longer helps.Even now at the age of 50 and being menopausal, I use a natural preparation of all 3 estrogens in the form of a cream (estradiol, estriol, estrone) The dangerous estrogen is estradiol, so it needs counterbalance from estriol and estrone. I also still use the natural progesterone cream. I am virtually hot flash free most of the time, and my depression lifts with its use. It has also improved my sleep.If I try using synthetic estrogen (keep in mind that is always only estradiol), my blood pressure soars, I retain fluid, my breasts hurt and I feel like ####.We all gotta do what we gotta do... but that's what happened to me, so I am just posting it and you guys can choose to investigate further or continue doing what you're doing. So basically I providing information from my experiences. What you choose to do to/for/with your body is ultimately your decision.If you get and read Dr. Lee's book, it will explain it all in much greater detail. I'm not the expert.... he is.EvieP.S. One of the perks of using natural progesterone is that it boosts metabolism. I lost 14 pounds the first 3 weeks without doing anything else.