PMS
Resource Center
You
Don't Have to Suffer With PMS
by Dr. Loretta Lanphier, ND, CN, HHP
We now know that premenstrual syndrome (PMS)
is experienced by 60% of all women. What causes PMS
has been difficult for researchers to pin down because
each woman experiences symptoms differently.
PMS Symptoms
When making the diagnosis, the most important tool you can use is a chart
of the cyclic nature in which they occur. If nothing is done to interrupt
PMS, it often gets worse over time. You may begin by having symptoms just
a few days before your period that stop abruptly as soon as your period begins.
Later, the symptoms gradually begin to appear one to two weeks before the
onset of menses. Over time, you may have only two or three days of the month
that are symptom-free. Eventually no discernable pattern of good days and
bad days can be detected. You feel as if you have PMS all of the time.
There are general symptoms that have been determined that include:
-
-
-
Accident
proneness, coordination difficulties
-
-
-
-
Anxiety,
irritability, suicidal thoughts
-
-
-
-
-
-
Depression,
withdrawal from others, emotional
liability
-
-
Exacerbation
of preexisting conditions
(lupus, arthritis, ulcers,
herpes, etc.)
-
-
-
Food
binges, salt cravings, sweet
cravings
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
Don’t
confuse PMS with cramps occurring
at the beginning of your period,
which is a different condition.
Chart
the Pattern
You don’t have to suffer. By keeping a chart of your symptoms, you can
often begin to see a pattern emerge and predict when the symptoms will start.
Keeping a daily symptom journal can be a valuable tool when trying to
uncover your premenstrual symptom triggers and the issues associated with them.
Many events and other factors can contribute to or trigger your PMS by resulting
in hormonal changes in the body, including:
-
-
-
Discontinuing
birth control pills
-
-
Childbirth,
or termination of pregnancy
-
-
-
-
Decreased
light associated with autumn
and winter
-
Family
history of alcoholism; parent
or grandparent who is an
alcoholic
-
High
consumption of dairy products
-
Excessive
consumption of caffeine (soft
drinks, coffee, chocolate)
-
High
blood levels of estrogen
-
Low
blood levels of progesterone,
either due to lack of production
or excessive breakdown
-
Diet
that leads to increased levels
of the hormone prostaglandin
F2
-
Excess
body weight which can increase
you levels of estrogen
-
Low
levels of vitamins B, C and/or
E
-
-
Magnesium
deficiency causing chocolate
cravings
End
the Suffering
Many of the factors in this list you can control. For years allopathic (traditional)
medicine has given symptomatic treatments for PMS that do not work. Most physicians
do not know the latest research on hormone balancing. Some never had any training
in PMS. Treating a woman’s bloating with diuretics, headaches with painkillers,
and anxiety with Valium ignores the underlying imbalance that led to PMS. Many
of the treatments prescribed often have side effects. Psychotherapy can provide
insight about stress, but this bypasses the nutritional and biochemical aspects
of this disorder.
Don’t give up! There are answers that can help
you heal your PMS:
-
Adopt
a diet of fresh, in-season,
organic fruits and vegetables.
-
Review
your dietary needs eliminating
caffeine, sugar, dairy and
excess soy.
-
Take
good organic multivitamin mineral
supplements.
-
Reduce
stress.
-
Consider
participating in a 12-step
program if alcoholism runs
in your family.
-
Get
at least 20 minute of aerobic
exercise five times per week.
-
Try
reflexology.
-
Get
more natural or full-spectrum
light.
-
Test
hormone levels and apply natural
progesterone.
For
more suggestions go to www.menopause-pms-progesterone.org.
At the Oasis Advanced Wellness hormonal levels can be tested
with a simple and inexpensive saliva test performed in the privacy of your
own home. With these results and your symptom journal, I can determine your
need for natural hormone replacement therapy (HRT). One product that is safe
and non-toxic is natural progesterone. It helps to balance the effects of estrogen,
and has a calming effect on the nervous system. The use of natural progesterone
in combination with lifestyle changes often improves PMS symptoms. By reviewing
your symptoms, I can evaluate your diet and exercise program, prescribe a treatment,
and then monitor your progress.
You can find out more about the solutions in my e-Book, Balancing
Your Hormones Without Drugs…You Can Feel Good Again.
Loretta
Lanphier, ND, CN, HHP is a Doctor
of Naturopath, Clinical Nutritionist
and Holistic Health Practitioner
in the Houston, TX area and CEO/President
of Oasis Advanced Wellness. A
teacher, educator and author,
she counsels Oasis Advanced Wellness
clients on the aspects of getting
the body healthy and keeping
the body healthy. As a cancer
survivor, she is able to relate
extensively, both as a patient
and a practitioner, to clients
suffering from disease. Dr. Lanphier
has been privileged to share
her cancer survival story with
hundreds of people during seminars
and lectures. Her passionate
style of truth and straight-forwardnessin
an easy-to-understand format
is very refreshing to even the
most discerning of audiences.
Dr. Lanphier is the author of
two books and many articles on
health conditions written from
a natural/alternative medicine
viewpoint. Dr. Lanphier is dedicated
to helping people create lasting
changes in their health and enhancing
well-being through whole body
nutritional balancing including
physician strength supplementation.
Dr. Lanphier is Editor and contributor
to the worldwide newsletter Alternative
Health & Healing.
> Menopause
Resource Center
> PMS
Resource Center
> Progesterone
Resource Center
> Subscribe
to Menopause & PMS Tips Newsletter
> Recommended
Products
Disclaimer: The
statements enclosed herein have not been evaluated by the Food
and Drug Administration. The products and information mentioned on
this site are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent
any disease. Information and statements made are for education
purposes and are not intended to replace the advice of your treating
doctor. Oasis Advanced Wellness does not dispense medical advice,
prescribe, or diagnose illness. We design and recommend individual
nutritional programs and supplements that allow the body to rebuild
and heal itself. The views
and nutritional advice expressed by Oasis Advanced Wellness are not
intended to be a substitute for conventional medical service. If
you have a severe medical condition, see your physician of choice.
|
 |