I want to talk more extensively about the reproductive system today.
I see it as the “key” that opens the doors and unlocks answers to what’s happening in our gut, metabolic hormones, and detoxification pathways…
We’re going to focus on “The Second Vital Sign” aka, women’s menstrual cycles, and what symptoms are not normal and what it can mean to you…
We have hundreds of conversations with women that have been put on some version of birth control, whether that be the Mirena, an IUD, or birth control. Yet all of them were having inflammatory reactions in other parts of their body, and, had a history of period problems, but no diagnosis.
NOTE: Roughly 77% of women suffering from a menstrual condition are never diagnosed. And the ones that do get diagnosed, can take between 7 and 12 years before they get the diagnosis.
So when are period symptoms not normal?
The OBGYN Association has declared menstrual cycles as The 2nd Vital Sign. They’ve really been pushing on universities to explore more about treatment for menstrual related issues.
When a woman has symptoms before her period starts or symptoms during ovulation, it’s often her body’s way of saying something else is going on.
The Check List: Pre-Menstrual Symptoms & What It means.
Symptom 1: Constipation just before period starts.
Many women don’t notice this first, it’s often a subtle symptom.
It’s written off or just an afterthought that you may have missed a day or so of going poo. Then the next day or so – your period starts!
We joke that poo and oestrogen are often interconnected – especially as it relates to menstrual flow.
If you are constipated before you start your period, it can be a sign of high oestrogen.
Oestrogen is eliminated via the liver – so if you are struggling with constipation especially before you start bleeding, we are quick to address if there is a liver/oestrogen detoxification issue.
Dr. Gottfried, MD, suggested that most women are not detoxifying properly, despite conventional doctors saying the body “does this naturally”.
She has tested hundreds of her patients detoxification pathways and found that the majority simply are clearing hormones properly due to poor detoxification. Concluding, that it’s common to see women with high levels of oestrogen in the body, because it isn’t exiting properly.
Symptom 2: Moodiness, Irritability, Anxiety, or Depression aka – PMS
I do wish that PMS was a word of the past. If you experience a change in moods before your period, it’s important to pay attention to, especially as you get into your 30s and 40s.
Oestradoil, our menstrual oestrogen, has it’s own reference ranges, so if you are feeling off, it can be a sign that oestradoil higher than normal levels.
We have a natural timeline for oestradoil to rise and fall, and it’s natural for the body to experience this time line (as seen in the image on the left).
It’s not natural to have radical mood swings or low moods. That’s the body’s way of saying something isn’t quite right.
More than 50% of the world’s population has been diagnosed with helicobacter pylori, yet typically the only patients that get tested for it are the ones with gastrointestinal issues.
But more research is suggesting that “PMS” can be one one of the greatest insights into overgrown bacteria – and mood is a major symptom for an overgrowth of opportunistic bacteria, especially helicobacter pylori.
I spoke with a beautiful woman who said that the ladies’ dinner table conversation at her family parties growing up were about their major issue pops up around 40!
Now, she had horrible periods from the age of 12 and had been on birth control the majority of her life. On top of her challenging mensies, she miscarried a baby, and, boom at 40 – she was diagnosed with diverticulitis and found positive for H Pylori. She thought it was just what happens at that age…
Symptom 3: Pain
First, please hear me when I say that period pain is not normal.
I have heard so many women talk about period pain like it’s a necessary accepted symptom.
Their mum told them periods are just painful and to get the hot water bottle on and just accept it.
Period Pain is often created because of inflammation in the body.
Inflammation, as we see it through naturopathic medicine, typically comes from either:
- high levels of opportunistic bacteria effecting reproductive hormones, oestradoil and restricting prolactin, which effects the blood oxidation, in turn causing low blood oxidation, which is often causes the pain. And/Or,
- metal and mineral levels can cause inflammation, especially before a period starts. We have patients that suffer from excruciating periods with very high metal levels.
Symptom 4: Nausea, Dizziness, or Headaches
Nausea typically seems to be connected to headaches or dizziness, even migraines before bleeding starts.
Unfortunately, our patients that suffer from these symptoms are at the point where they’ve suffered for years, but have lived without a diagnosis.
These are the patients that seem to take a trip to the hospital if they didn’t time taking their Nurofren right, or, forget to keep it in their purse so waited too long before they could ‘beat’ the symptoms.
We find our patients that have pain, headaches, nausea, or extreme pre-menstrual symptoms have high levels or opportunistic bacteria or imbalances in the bacteria in the microbiome causing a disproportionate amount of inflammation due to overgrowth.
(Sadly, most patients at this point need more than just good probiotics and prebiotics. We find most patients need an in-depth protocol and nutritional adjustments customised for them. If this is you, you’ll really enjoy our Endometriosis & Bacteria Inflammation Webcast)
Symptom 5: Diarrhoea
If you have diarrhoea just before your period, or the first few days of your period, this can be a sign of oestrogen dominance.
Many of our patients suffering from diarrhoea typically have underlying menstrual conditions – many of which have not been diagnosed.
IBS, for instance, is present in nearly 90% of our patients with menstrual issues. Another key indicator of gut dysbiosis – with many suffering from leaky gut, which has effected the reproductive hormones and disabled proper elimination of oestrogen through the liver.
FREE WEBCAST
BACTERIA INFLAMMATION
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ENDOMETRIOSIS
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“Step by Step Walk Thru” of Bacteria Test Results, Case Studies, Period Problems & Endometriosis – from a Functional Medical perspective
Symptom 6: Sore or Tender Breasts
Whilst I realise so many of the issues we’ve addressed above have to do with bacteria, breast soreness or tenderness is nearly always caused because of excess oestrogen that the liver is struggling to eliminate.
Excess oestrogen alone is a pretty straight forward treatment, however, nearly always travels with a sluggish liver, and, a destabilised metabolic hormone panel.
Normally, when our patients come to us with sore or tender breasts before their cycle, they are suffering with fatigue (not just during their period), trouble losing weight, fluid retention, constipation, and changes in mood.
Symptom 7: Bloating and/or 2kg+ Weight Gain before you start
Okay, you can now see that oestrogen shows up in bowel movements just before the cycle!
But fluid retention is another big target for oestrogen.
We’ve had patients that put on 4kg of fluid just before they start bleeding. One of our patients required an iron infusion every three to six months, and would bloat up so much she’d have to wear pants that were two sizes larger than her normal size!
Bloating can be caused due to fungi, bacteria, and/or fluid retention and normally doesn’t travel alone! Loads of our patients suffering from bloating have a myriad of other things going on as we described above.
It’s one of the reasons, we bring up the bloating last.
Typically if you are bloating, it might not always be just before your cycle.
Many women bloat up during ovulation or during anovulatory cycles!
Pain during sex, frequent urination, UTIS, or thrush are also common signs of bacteria inflammation.
I wanted to share this with you today because menstruation is insightful and important to pay attention to!
We’re big fans of having normal menstrual cycles. (And there are a lot of ways to practice natural birth control.)
If you are between the ages of 35 and 55, we see your menstrual cycle as window of opportunity to address underlying problems. The shift from menstrual oestradoil to cellular oestrone, and the loss of progesterone, is one of the best opportunities for women to get in control of their health!
I hope this was helpful for you!
If you are suffering from menstrual challenges, wanting to transition off birth control or progesterone medication, or feeling off, please get in touch.
You’re the reason we offer introductory consultations. We encourage open conversation to see what’s going on and if we can help you get in control of your body again. You can organise one of those calls here: https://calendly.com/nz-naturopathy/intro-consult
Have a lovely day!
Warmly,
Tiaan
