With the cascade of health issues associated with oral contraceptives, especially with long-term use, I am always concerned when I hear from women who are only taking the pill to regulate their menstrual cycles and control PMS symptoms. There are many alternatives that do not carry the risks of taking birth control pills, but often this is the first solution their medical doctor offers.
PMS describes a broad array of symptoms that fall into four categories: anxiety, cravings (for sweets or carbohydrates, often with fatigue and headaches), hyperhydration (abdominal bloating and sore breasts), and depression (often with foggy thinking and confusion). Irregular menstrual cycles and severe PMS symptoms occur because the body is out of balance, and birth control pills and other drugs prescribed for PMS or PMDD do not address the real problem, only the symptoms. This type of treatment can only bring the body further out of balance for so long until a different set of symptoms emerges. Refer back to my past blog, Safe Sex? How “the Pill” Can Make You Fat, Depressed, Sick and Tired for more information about the frightening effects birth control pills have on the body. Here are some natural solutions for relieving PMS.
1. Get adjusted by your chiropractor regularly.
Subluxations, or interference to the body’s nerve flow, are almost always found at the lumbar and sacral area of women suffering with PMS. Many women experience significant reductions in the severity of cramps and other PMS symptoms with chiropractic treatment alone.
2. Cut refined sugar and carbohydrates out of your diet, especially those made with yeast, like bread, bagels, cereal and pasta.
Foods like these lead to excess inflammation and pain. In addition, poor blood sugar regulation and sensitivity to certain foods, especially soy, gluten, and dairy play a big role in hormone imbalances. Consider eliminating all dairy, gluten, and soy from your diet for a few months or get tested for food sensitivities by a functional medicine practitioner.
Studies have found that women with PMS ingest 62% more refined carbs, 275% more sugar, 79% more dairy, and 78% more sodium than women who do not experience PMS. Avoidance of alcohol is also found to decrease PMS symptoms because alcohol is dehydrating and disrupts blood sugar metabolism.
3. Take supplements.
Many supplements have been found to relieve PMS. Here are some of the most notable:
Magnesium citrate or glycinate (400-600 mg daily) – especially helpful for negative mood and water retention, and sleep problems
A high quality daily multivitamin.
EPA/DHA (omega 3 fats) – Especially from krill oil – (1,000 mg once or twice daily) – very helpful if PMS symptoms are achey or painful
B vitamins, especially B6 and B12, with folate
Evening primrose oil (500 mg twice daily) – Anti-inflammatory for pain and breast soreness
Probiotics (5-10 billion live organisms in a daily supplement)
Curcumin, ginger, and boswellia – Anti-inflammatories
Licorice – breast pain and water retention, also good adrenal support
Dandelion – hydration
Gymnema sylvestre – cravings
Kava – anxiety
Valerian – trouble sleeping, muscle tension
Flax seeds – have fiber and provide a hormone balancing effect
Bioidentical progesterone supplementation is also effective and can be used with the guidance of your practitioner for specific recommendations.
4. Eat adequate protein, but avoid meat and eggs produced from animals treated with hormones.
Managing your blood sugar is essential in balancing your hormones and treating PMS symptoms. Eating protein for breakfast will help balance your blood sugar and reduce cravings for carbohydrates and sweets for the entire day. Hormones in food disrupt the body’s natural production of hormones. Dairy is not recommended for women suffering from PMS.
5. Manage your stress
Stressful life events, such as death, divorce or a break-up, childbirth, and overwork, can often trigger the body’s hormone systems to become unbalanced. Meditation, yoga, walking and spending time in nature can help to manage your stress levels.
6. Get more exercise.
Exercise is important for maintaining hormone balance and is also an effective tool for stress management. Take walks daily, add high intensity short burst exercise (20-60 seconds), and work all your major muscle groups with strength training at least two times a week.
7. Get on a detoxification program with guidance from your chiropractor or other natural health practitioner.
Toxic overload, from processed food and our environment is often a key player in PMS. Drink at least 64 ounces of filtered water every day to promote detoxification.
8. Get enough sleep.
Not getting enough sleep destroys the body’s stress management system. It brings the adrenal glands out of balance and increases cortisol to unhealthy levels, which will unbalance the important hormones for females health, progesterone and estrogen. This is why resistance to weight loss even with exercise is common among the sleep deprived. Get at least 8 hours of sleep at night, go to bed at a regular time, and limit unnatural light sources prior to bedtime.
9. Choose organic.
Pesticides sprayed on conventional fruits and vegetables contain environmental estrogens, called xenoestrogens, which are hormone disruptors. Get adequate antioxidants and fiber into your diet by eating 5-9 servings of fruits and vegetables daily. You can also use supplements like PaleoGreens or PaleoReds if your lifestyle makes it difficult to eat enough fruit and vegetables.
10. Avoid plastic water bottles and use glass containers instead.
Plastic is another source of xenoestrogens.
11. Avoid caffeine and tobacco.
Cutting out caffeine and tobacco has been found to be effective in decreasing PMS symptoms, especially among women who experience water retention and sore breasts.
12. Get an advanced hormone panel from a functional medicine practitioner.
If you are suffering from symptoms so severe that they interfere with your life, then don’t guess, test! Typical hormone panels assess for a state that is already pathological, but a functional medicine practitioner will assess for imbalances before they lead to even greater problems. A functional medicine practitioner will test for low or high estrogen and progesterone levels, and adrenal dysfunction, then make specific recommendations to bring the hormone system back into balance. When these root problems are addressed, PMS symptoms resolve.
Our bodies are designed to heal and handle stress. It has been estimated that 75-90% of women suffer from PMS, 20-40% of those so severely that they seek medical treatment. This is not because there is a design flaw of the female body, it is because poor habits and our modern, often high-stress, lifestyle has caused the body to lose it’s healthy rhythm. Here are some other symptoms of female hormone imbalance:
Feeling fat, fatigued, or depressed
Food addiction/dependency
Cravings for sweets or carbohydrates
Low sex drive
Cry easy, mood swings
Hot flashes, night sweats
Insomnia
Irritability
Bloating, fluid retention
Migraines
Polycystic ovarian syndrome
Gas
Constipation or diarrhea
Weight gain despite exercise and unchanged diet
Alcohol use (wine) to relax cramping
Irrational thoughts
Anxiety
Dry skin
Hair loss
Wake at night (2:00-4:00 A.M.)
Poor bladder control
Osteoporosis
Breast Cancer
Heart disease
Infertility
Irregular cycles
Sources
Barrett, Koren (N.D.). (2007, October 10). Integrative Therapies for PMS [Audio Recording]. Designs for Health. Retrieved from http://catalog.designsforhealth.com/s.nl/sc.30/category.33248/.f
Hyman, Mark (M.D.). (2010, September 17). How to Eliminate PMS in 5 Simple Steps. Retreived from http://drhyman.com/blog/2010/09/17/how-to-eliminate-pms-in-5-simple-steps/
Kalish, Daniel (D.C.). (2014, April 16). What Women Want – Keys to PMS Relief [Webinar]. The Kalish Institute. Retrieved from https://app.box.com/s/turznipxn349ayqhawnc
