women’s hORMONES

Our menstrual cycle is our fifth vital sign. It provides us with a report card of our health when it arrives and it can speak to many factors that could be amiss within our beautiful operating system. Any menstrual sufferance deserves our attention. 

In general, if you are experiencing heavy, irregular or painful periods that interfere with your day-to-day functioning, please know you are not alone and though this is common, it is not normal. I work with my women to understand their cycle (as well as all elements of health, nutrition and lifestyle) and will review their hormones with specific targeted blood work so we have a map of what’s happening within the body. This guides our next actions and allows us to have an individualised approach to remedying your issues with the tools in our toolkit (nutrition adjustments, lifestyle supports, targeted supplements and personalised herbals).

There are over 150 premenstrual symptoms (PMS), though most seen are breast tenderness, changes to mood, bloating, headaches and acne. These also little whispers from the body that something could amiss. After a deep dive into your menstrual history and current lifestyle/nutrition practices, we will likely investigate further with bloods. Premenstrual Dysphoric Disorder (PMDD) is a more severe form of PMS; a hybrid of menstrual and mental health drivers. Thorough investigations are required to understand the best pathway forward in supporting PMDD and creating a more harmonious premenstrual phase mood-wise.

If you have a diagnosed condition such as PCOS, amenorrhoea, endometriosis or adenomyosis, fibroids or another hormonal condition, naturopathic medicine is a potent way to find the root of what is driving the disease state and work to remedy or prevent further progression. Naturopaths understand that disease in the body is multifactorial and so our approach in treating ensures we don’t miss areas that need our attention. Even if you are working with a GP or specialist, naturopathic medicine is beautifully synergistic and will side in with a medical approach seamlessly.

Post-pill is a great time to see a naturopath, even better—prior to coming off hormonal birth control (HBC). We can pad you up with support and be ready to help adjust as required. Everyone’s experience of coming off HBC is different, though our big goal is supporting the pathways for ovulation. If you have been on the pill, or another form of HBC, as a means to keep symptoms at bay for a presenting complaint (heavy/painful periods, skin issues, low iron etc) then we can work together to help minimise the backlash of re-establishing your cycles. 

Menopause is a time of reverence as you transition from your maiden/motherhood era into your crone/wise woman era. Though, it’s a time that can be met with a myriad of symptoms that are really destabilising. Perimenopause is usually a 8-10 year period, where your hormones can be a roller coaster in its transitional nature. Postmenopausal women have a biological shift to a low hormone state, and this brings with it a new set of focuses that were not necessary in the menstruating years. Whether you are deciding on hormonal replacement therapy (HRT) or not, working with a naturopath can ease your transition and support important areas (i.e. brain, bone, and heart health).

What I love most about the herbs we have at our disposal is their affinity for menstrual cycle issues.

If you’re feeling the call, I’d love to see you in clinic. To commence our journey together, book an initial consultation here.