Last month I began a series of posts regarding the connection between menstrual symptoms, birth control and infertility. The last post I shared was about a young lady in her teens that sought me out for help with long, painful periods followed by days of discharge. I shared how these symptoms were actually signs of a deeper imbalance and her body’s way to compensate for stressed bowels and kidneys. My protocol for her paired the elimination of dairy (due to its inflammatory nature) with Gemmotherapy to support her bowel and kidney elimination.
This young lady was fortunate to find an alternative that addressed the root of the problem rather than a conventional approach of symptom suppression. For most women, their conventional (allopathic) physicians or nurse practitioners will recommend the one tool they have—some form of hormonal birth control. The “regulation” that occurs with this method is actually just suppression of the symptoms that signal weakness in the kidneys and bowels. Whether the symptoms continue or not, the underlying condition rages onward and three things occur:
- Inflammation increases in the reproductive organs impacting fertility later in life.
- Undue pressure is put on the kidneys and bowels to clean the body resulting in aggravated symptoms such as frequent UTI’s, staph, constipation, loose frequent stools, acid reflux and bloating.
- Built-up lymphatic waste that is not eliminated creates secondary symptoms such as acne, hair thinning, headaches, weight gain, sleep disturbances and anxiety, just to name a few.
As you can see, when one problem such as irregular menses is “solved” through symptom suppression, a multitude of additional symptoms actually occur. Even more worrisome: these additional symptoms are seldom seen as related to the original prescription and then are treated individually to no avail. This begins a ridiculous downward treatment spiral that has become the story for so many of today’s young women in the U.S.
Here’s another story for you. Helen was approaching 30 and tired of struggling with anxiety, sleep difficulties, exhaustion, acne and weight gain. She is a beautiful, bright professional, in a committed relationship, not yet ready for a child, who believes she should feel better than she does on a day-to-day basis.
Helen experienced horrific periods as a teen, waking in the night to excruciating pain, heavy flow to the point she felt uncomfortable leaving the house and menses that would go on 7-9 days each month. Like the majority of her peers, she found her way to the OB/GYN who treated her with the one tool available in conventional medicine—hormonal birth control—to suppress her symptoms. Like “magic” the symptoms became a thing of the past. Her flow shortened, the pain decreased by 50%, and she no longer dreaded that “time of the month.” Life moved on for Helen to art school where she began to notice her anxiety creeping up to the point she struggled with falling asleep each night and had panic attacks during the day. When she returned to her physician it was suggested she begin treatment with antidepressants.
Can you see where this is going? This is exactly the treatment spiral I referred to and I can speak to it on both a professional and personal level. Helen’s story is not so far off from my own journey. Unfortunately for me, it took a cancer diagnosis to get me on anther treatment track. Professionally I see this day in and day out.
Let me share with you the steps to rebalance Helen’s elimination. By the time I met Helen she had discontinued the anti-depressants on her own.
- Dietary changes supported by Gemmotherapy protocol to optimize elimination from the bowels and kidneys.
- After 30 days, discontinued use of birth control pills.
- A daily homeopathic protocol to reduce cramping along with the next level Gemmotherapy protocol to engage the lymphatic system to clean the body.
What Helen experienced was a first menstrual cycle similar to what she had as a teen then a steady improvement each subsequent month. As we move through the four stages of healing her body we will see what organs may need continued support due to inherited genetic weakness.
Using my methodology is optimal for teens, but it is never too late. Unwinding this process for women in their late 20’s and early 30’s is something I do frequently in my office. While it is important to note that the rebalancing process is absolutely possible no matter how deep into the conventional cycle one is, it takes commitment to a clean diet and patience with your body as it begins to self regulate.
Next week I will wrap up this series on Gemmotherapy and fertility by sharing information on the steps I use to increase fertility for women desiring a child and how my approach compares to conventional treatment.