MENSTRUAL
DYSFUNCTIONS (premenstrual syndromes and others)
by Dr. Lawrence Wilson
© October 2016,
L.D. Wilson Consultants, Inc.
All
information in this article is for educational purposes only. It is not for the diagnosis, treatment,
prescription or cure of any disease or health condition.
WARNING:
Heavy periods can be caused by
a vegetarian or semi-vegetarian diet.
Adding more meat to the diet often reduces the heaviness and duration of
the menstrual period.
WARNING: Only do a PMS program if you absolutely need
it. If you do not absolutely need
a PMS program, then remain on your regular program all during the month.
Table Of Contents
The pill, the
patch, or the birth control IUD
II. Premenstrual Tension And Related Symptoms
A. High Estrogen PMS And Program
Modifications
B. Low Estrogen PMS And Program
Modifications
C. Other Situations
D. Causes Of PMS
E. Symptomatic Remedies For PMS
F. Technical Aspects
Cramps
Heavy Periods
V. Short or Long Periods And Breakthrough
Bleeding
- The Period And The Phases Of
The Moon
- Other Changes In The Period
During A Development Program
- Other Articles On Reproductive
Conditions
For
millions of young women, symptoms associated with the menstrual period are
annoying and, at times, debilitating.
Many women resort to taking pain killers or MUCH worse, birth control
pills, to feel better.
The birth control
pill, patch or IUD are among the most dangerous drugs in existence! Their side effects include heart attacks, strokes, cancer
and more! They destroy womenÕs
health.
Instead of suffering or taking
ruinous drugs, most menstrual difficulties can be resolved easily using a
development program and, if necessary, modifying it at certain times of the
monthly cycle.
This article discusses the cause
of most menstrual difficulties and how to correct them without needing drugs or
herbs of any kind.
II.
PREMENSTRUAL AND OTHER SYMPTOMS
This
section is divided into:
I. Symptoms before
the period, and
II. Other
period-related symptoms.
I. SYMPTOMS BEFORE
THE MENSTRUAL PERIOD:
It is necessary to divide
pre-menstrual symptoms into those caused by:
A. High estrogen OR
B. Low estrogen
The reason is that each of these
situations requires a different program.
Note that one can experience high
estrogen PMS one month, and low estrogen PMS the next month. This can occur if one ovary is
working better than the other.
A. HIGH ESTROGEN
PMS
In terms of physiology, these
symptoms correlate with an increase in the sodium/potassium ratio
before the menstrual period, and a higher available copper level.
Note: You can experience the
symptoms regardless of the sodium/potassium ratio on your hair mineral
analysis. The problem is the ratio
goes up too high before the menstrual period.
Symptoms. Typical symptoms may include anger, irritability, breast
swelling and tenderness, acne or other skin eruptions, copper headaches
(usually one-sided and perhaps around the eyes), and perhaps some anxiety and
feeling very emotional. Less common are very severe symptoms including
crying spells, abdominal pain, nausea, vomiting, violent outbursts or more
severe sleep difficulties.
These symptoms are associated
with a high sodium/potassium ratio and inflammation.
When symptoms
occur. A few or
perhaps more of these symptoms usually occur about seven to ten days prior
to when menstrual bleeding begins.
They often become worse until the period comes, or close to it.
Sometimes they can last a day
into the menstrual bleeding time. Then they go away until near the end of the
cycle again – around day 24 to 26 or so, and the cycle repeats itself.
Sometimes one monthÕs symptoms
are mild, while the next monthÕs are more acute, and this pattern
alternates. This is because one
ovary is producing more hormones than the other.
Program changes
for high estrogen PMS. A complete nutritional balancing
program will eventually reduce and usually completely stop these pre-menstrual
symptoms. However, this can take a
few years on a program to eliminate toxic metals and rebalance the hormones.
In the meantime, here are
changes to the regular program that usually work to minimize these
pre-menstrual symptoms:
1. Add zinc to
your program. You may take up to about 50 mg
three times daily. Zinc helps to
lower the sodium level and the sodium/potassium ratio.
Note: zinc taken away from meals
may cause nausea. If taking zinc
even with meals causes extreme nausea, use zinc lozenges instead of tablets or
capsules, as this may work better.
2. Increase your
intake of vitamin B6 (either pyridoxine or pyridoxyl-5 phosphate or P5P. Begin by taking about 100 mg 3 times daily. You can take up to 400 mg of either one
three times daily. However, this
is a lot! Do not take it for more than 10 days at a time. Vitamin B6 helps by reducing edema and
inflammation, and lowering copper as well.
3. Stop taking all
high-potency B-complex vitamins. These tend to raise the sodium level. If you take Megapan
2-2-2, you may need to reduce the amount you are taking, as this product
contains B-complex vitamins.
4. Stop taking
adrenal or thyroid glandular products. Also perhaps
reduce or avoid all kelp at this time of the month. These products can also raise the sodium/potassium ratio.
5. Stop taking Limcomin if you are taking it. It raises the sodium/potassium ratio.
6. Liver support
in the form of Russian black radish, milk thistle or dandelion root may also be
helpful. This can be done all month long if the
dosages are small.
7. BE SURE to
return to your regular program a day or two after you get your period when
symptoms subside. In other words, do not continue on the
special PMS regimen the whole month.
If you need the PMS program all month, then your nutritional balancing
program is incorrect and needs changing.
Now let us discuss another set
of PMS symptoms caused by an opposite situation.
B. LOW ESTROGEN
PMS
Less commonly, menstruating women experience symptoms before
the menstrual period that are caused by a lowering
of the sodium/potassium ratio on a hair mineral analysis before the
period.
This is associated with what is called biounavailable
copper in the body, and usually a lower estrogen level.
Symptoms of low Na/K PMS. These usually include some or all of the following: depression, low energy, anxiety, headaches, insomnia, tearfulness, rapid heart rate, easily angered, edgy, hypersensitivity, a sense of hopelessness, low self-confidence and low self-esteem.
At times, some symptoms can be similar to those of the high Na/K ratio PMS. However, the high Na/K symptoms are usually more inflammatory, almost like a fire raging out of control. With low Na/K PMS, usually one feels basically tired and depressed.
Other indicators for low Na/K and low estrogen may include:
- Feeling worse just after the bleeding ends for a few days.
- Feeling worse for several days in the middle of your monthly cycle (just after ovulation).
- Feeling worse just a few days before your cycle starts
- Feeling your best right before ovulation (before the middle of your monthly cycle)?
When during the month the symptoms occur.
Typically, symptoms are worse nearer the menstrual period, and when one gets
the period, and for a few days afterwards.
Symptoms may also occur just after ovulation, around day 16
to 18 of the menstrual cycle, and they only last a few days.
Program changes for low estrogen PMS. Here are suggestions to modify a
development program if you have low estrogen symptoms:
1. Diet: Be sure to eat red meat at
least twice weekly. Also, be sure
to have animal protein on a daily basis, and preferably twice daily. Strictly avoid all fruit, all juices,
all raw salads, and all sweets of any kind, as these weaken the glands. Reducing fat in the diet, such as that
found in dairy products, may help a little as well.
2. Add Limcomin
from Endomet Labs in Phoenix, Arizona. You may vary the dose from 3-12 per
day. If you are already taking
this product, which tends to raise the sodium/potassium ratio, then double or
even triple your dose for a few days and see if you feel better.
3. Extra glandulars. You may have
to take extra Endo-dren or Thyro-complex
(glandulars) from Endomet
Laboratories.
4. Extra
B-complex, vitamin E or copper. Some women may
need extra B-complex vitamins at this time, or about 400 iu
of extra vitamin E. In rare cases,
extra copper is helpful. Save this
remedy for last, however, as most women are slow oxidizers and have too much
copper in their tissues.
5. BE SURE to return to your regular
development program after symptoms pass – usually after the first few
days of the month after the bleeding stops. This is very important!
These changes for either high or
low estrogen types of menstrual difficulties may seem complex. However, they usually work well and the
need for them will diminish as you become healthier by continuing with your
program.
C. OTHER
PERIOD-RELATED SITUATIONS
FEELING VERY TIRED
WHEN YOU GET YOUR PERIOD
This is often due to the hormone levels dropping too low
when you get your period. It is
related to the Na/K ratio going too low.
Symptoms. One may feel very tired, or even exhausted. Blood pressure may become low.
Rarely, a person can pass out. This may be due to a combination of a low tissue
sodium/potassium ratio, and a little anemia and/or dehydration due to a heavy
menstrual period.
Program changes.
1. Stop taking zinc if you are
taking it.
2. Take Limcomin
1-1-1 or even more. If you are already taking Limcomin, take more of it.
3. You may need more Megapan and either Endo-dren or Thyro-complex.
4. Usually, these symptoms last
3-5 days. Then go back on your regular program.
MONTHLY
ALTERNATING HIGH AND LOW ESTROGEN SYMPTOMS
Occasionally, a woman has high estrogen symptoms one month,
while the next month she has low estrogen symptoms, in an alternating fashion.
This is due to differences in the activity of her two
ovaries. Each month, one of the
ovaries produces a mature egg, and they alternate – left ovary one month,
followed by the right ovary the next month. If one ovary is functioning better than the other, then PMS
symptoms can alternate from month to month, depending upon which ovary is
producing a mature egg that month.
This problem will eventually go away if a woman is following
a development program, which tends to improve the functioning of both ovaries.
CRAZY, MIXED UP
COMBINATIONS OF HIGH AND LOW ESTROGEN SYMPTOMS
Rarely, a young woman experiences some high estrogen and
some low estrogen symptoms during the same cycle. In most cases, this is due to malnutrition or a trauma that
upsets their hormones. This
usually improves within six months on a development program.
CAUSES FOR
MENSTRUAL DIFFICULTIES
Causes of menstrual problems
include stress, nutritional deficiencies, improper diet, copper excess and
other toxic metals present in excess, an unhealthy lifestyle, emotional
imbalances and liver toxicity.
Most
young women need to drastically increase the amount of cooked vegetables they
eat to about 70-80% of their diets.
They require cooked vegetables, not salads, at least twice or three
times daily.
Ten to twelve ounces of carrot
juice daily, perhaps with a few greens added, is also excellent. Do not have more, however, as it will
upset the blood sugar and is too yin.
Also, strictly avoid all smoothies.
Eat red meat twice a week in
most cases, have animal protein daily, and avoid fruit and all sweets.
Also
eliminate all wheat, most pasteurized dairy products and all pig products. Eat animal protein daily, especially if
you are a slow oxidizer. Also,
drink about 3 quarts or 3 liters of spring water or carbon-only filtered tap
water daily to properly hydrate the body.
Avoid all other types of water and most other beverages. Read Water for
Drinking for more on this important topic.
Toxic Chemicals that are hard on your liver and
should be avoided include chemicals such as nail polish, hair sprays, and many
body care products. Chlorinated
and fluoridated water, and toxic household cleaners and solvents are also very
hard on the body and should be strictly avoided. Also avoid toxic paints, pesticides, hair dyes, most
cosmetics and skin lotions, along with other toxic products in common use. Use only natural cosmetics in small
amounts, if needed.
Inadequate rest will make PMS worse for most
women.
Excessive exercise exhausts the adrenals, and may
lead to complete cessation of the menstrual period. This is very unhealthy for young women. Some gentle exercise daily, such as
walking, is fine however.
Emotional
imbalances in
many women include hidden anger and resentments. While these can be understandable and explained, they are
not helpful at all. They are a
very important contributor to many cases of menstrual difficulties. The emotions can affect the liver and
all glandular activity. They tend
to affect the adrenals as well. The adrenal glands regulate copper metabolism
and produce female hormones.
Methods such as relaxation techniques, spiritual reading, prayer, and
the Pushing Down Mental Exercise can go a long way
toward helping one to release hidden anger and resentment.
Anything that
affects the adrenal glands negatively is likely to raise the copper level. Fatigue is probably the single most common factor in adrenal
underactivity.
Worry or other emotional imbalances is second most important in most
cases.
Lack of self-acceptance
as a woman.
Some young women today are angry with themselves for having periods and even
for being a woman. This lack of
self-acceptance as a woman tends to worsen menstrual symptoms even more. It is important to understand that all
is in divine order concerning the body and oneÕs gender.
E. A COMPLETE
PROGRAM
Most women with PMS are slow
oxidizers. This means their
adrenal and thyroid glands are underactive or sluggish. This may not be revealed on blood,
urine or saliva tests. A complete development
program will help balance the oxidation rate and the major mineral ratios.
While the program modifications
in the sections above are excellent, also important is to continue with a
complete development program. In
most all cases, this will eventually get rid of all premenstrual syndrome. It may take a few years if the ovaries
are weak and other nutritional imbalances are present.
Foot reflexology. A part of the development program that some overlook is foot
reflexology. Please try this for
PMS and any menstrual difficulties.
The location of the foot
reflexes to the ovaries, uterus and vagina are beneath the ankle bones, on the
inside and the outside of both feet.
Rubbing firmly here can help a lot. Usually, you will find a few very painful spots. Just rub them for a minute or less,
several times daily.
The other
detoxification procedures. The coffee enemas, vaginal coffee
implants, and red lamp sauna therapy may also be extremely helpful for all
menstrual difficulties. They
enable the body to eliminate toxins much faster. The coffee enemas specifically help the liver, one of the
most important organs involved with menstrual symptoms.
F. SYMPTOMATIC
REMEDIES
Some
women use other products to control menstrual symptoms. Most of them are toxic and I do not
recommend them ever. They are very
rarely needed if one follows a development program with the modifications
above, when needed. Here are some
common products used for menstrual dysfunctions with my comments:
Dandelion root and
milk thistle. These may help detoxify the liver. Liver toxicity is one cause of PMS and
other menstrual difficulties. They
are only slightly toxic and are okay with a development program.
The best form is usually a
tincture in alcohol or glycerin.
One can take a dropperful daily or a little
more.
Primrose or borage
oil. While this may help some symptoms, it
is slightly toxic and best avoided.
Every woman needs fish oil or flax seed oil, about 900 mg daily, and I
much prefer these.
Natural hormone
creams, patches or tablets.
Progesterone and possibly estrogen creams or pills are sometimes used for
PMS. They are rarely needed if one
follows a development program. All
are somewhat toxic, even so-called bio-identical hormones. They are not exactly bio-identical
because they are not secreted at exactly the time and the amount the body needs
all day long.
Estrogens can increase oneÕs risk of
cancer and I would avoid all of them.
Progesterone is less toxic, but taking any hormones tends to upset the
bodyÕs natural hormone regulation system.
Taking hormones also does not address the underlying problem, which is a
deranged body chemistry.
Herbal remedies
such as black cohosh and others. These all tend to be somewhat toxic, and very rarely are
needed. Of these, black cohosh may be best in a very few cases until a development
program can correct the underlying body chemistry.
Birth control
pills and patches.
These are extremely toxic. They
contain synthetic hormones that severely upset body chemistry and have
horrendous side effects such as heart attacks, strokes, and cancer.
G. TECHNICAL
ASPECTS – PHYSIOLOGY OF THE MENSTRUAL CYCLE
Here
is a look at the basic hormonal cycle that occurs each month. When bleeding starts at the beginning
of the period, estrogen, progesterone and copper are at their lowest levels of
the month. The levels of estrogen
and progesterone remain relatively low while menstrual bleeding occurs. At the end of the bleeding phase,
estrogen begins to rise. It
continues to rise until ovulation, about half way through the cycle.
As the cycle continues, the
estrogen level dips slightly and then resumes its rise. The level of progesterone also begins
to rise in the second half of the cycle.
The last week or so of the cycle, estrogen levels are at their
highest. This is usually the time
one feels symptoms of premenstrual tension. However, some women are more uncomfortable when the period
arrives, and other variations are possible. They can also vary month to month in some women.
COPPER AND ESTROGEN
Most important from a
nutritional standpoint, the copper level
parallels the level of estrogen, increasing as the cycle progresses.
Seven
to ten days before the period, copper is at a relatively high level, along with
estrogen. High copper can give
rise to many of the symptoms women think of as premenstrual syndrome.
This happens especially, though
not exclusively, in women whose metabolism is sluggish and in those whose
tissue copper level is already elevated.
These women become copper toxic, in essence, each month before the
period.
It is also possible that in some
women copper becomes mainly biounavailable. This
produces a slightly different set of symptoms in some women.
THE
SODIUM/POTASSIUM RATIO AND THE MENSTRUAL CYCLE
As the menstrual cycle
progresses, in most women the hair tissue sodium/potassium ratio also
rises. It is highest just before
the period. This is tied to the
rise in copper and estrogen in most women. The high sodium/potassium ratio just before the period and a
much lower sodium/potassium ratio when the period arrives can also give rise to
menstrual cycle symptoms.
The sodium/potassium ratio is a
crude indicator of the relationship between estrogen and progesterone in the
body. Therefore, as the ratio
rises, one may experience more symptoms of estrogen dominance or just high
estrogen. Symptoms may include
irritability, headaches, anger, water retention and breast tenderness.
Symptoms may be worse If the
body cannot detoxify estrogen fast enough. This, in turn, may be due to or related to copper toxicity,
which can affect the liver and is stored in the liver. Slow oxidation also will tend to slow
all liver detoxification, as will deficiencies of zinc and selenium, among
other nutrients.
A lower
sodium/potassium ratio before the period. While the above situation is by far the most common, another
is possible. If adrenal activity
is very impaired, copper may become less biologically available before the
menstrual period. This can give
rise to a decreased sodium/potassium
ratio at this time of the month. This will give rise to symptoms that
emphasize exhaustion and depression.
If the corrective program for a
high sodium/potassium ratio does not work, one can try the program for a low
sodium/potassium ratio.
Menstrual
cramps. Possible
causes include a vegetarian or semi-vegetarian diet. See the section below about diet. This is most important. Other possible remedies that may help.
1. Add more Paramin
(or a calcium/magnesium supplement (250/150 mg each)) at a dosage of 1-1-1 or
up to 3-3-3. This may help by
relaxing the muscles.
2. Relax and rest more at this
time of the month.
Heavy periods. Heavy periods are often due to a vegetarian or
semi-vegetarian diet. I recommend for
all adults:
1. Eat animal protein every single
day.
2. Animal protein means red meat,
poultry, fish, eggs and cheese, yogurt or kefir.
3. Eat animal protein once or twice
daily, but not more.
4. Eat red meat, preferably lamb,
twice weekly.
5. The portion size for meat should
be 4-5 ounces or 100-150 grams of protein food per serving.
6. Women may have up to 6 eggs per
week, but not more.
7. Men may have up to 8 eggs per
week, but not more.
Semi-vegetarian means that you eat less animal
protein than the amount specified above.
IV.
SKIPPED PERIODS OR NO MENSTRUATION (Amenorrhea)
Other
than pregnancy, the cause for this is malnutrition, primarily. Too much exercise will cause it, as
well. A development program will
generally restore the menstrual period, which is important for young womenÕs
health and happiness.
V.
SHORT, OR LONG PERIODS, OR BLEEDING DURING THE MONTH (or breakthrough bleeding)
These
are caused by hormonal imbalances.
They can also be due to improper diet and poor quality lifestyles. They generally go away easily if one
follows a complete development program.
THE MENSTRUAL
PERIOD AND THE PHASES OF THE MOON
A
curious fact is that when a young woman begins a development program, her
menstrual cycle will often change within a few years so that the period will
line up with the time of the full moon.
I do not know why this occurs, but it is a common finding.
It
is important for women to know this so that if the menstrual period starts to
change, with either shorter periods or longer periods for a while, please do
not be upset or worried about it.
In all cases, the natural rhythm will re-establish itself after a time,
and usually the period will then correlate with the time of the full moon.
This
association between the period and the full moon has been known for
millennia. In fact, Native
Americans called the menstrual cycle the Òmoon cycleÓ.
OTHER MENSTRUAL
CHANGES DURING A DEVELOPMENT PROGRAM
At
times, young women experience other changes in the length or quality of the
menstrual cycle during a complete development program. These are retracing reactions involving
the ovaries, or perhaps the adrenal glands or the pituitary gland that
regulates the menstrual cycle.
Although
these changes can be annoying, they generally pass quickly and the period
settles down to a regular cycle within a few months.
For
articles about other female reproductive health conditions, please go to WomenÕs And MenÕs
Health Conditions on this site.
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