Amenorrhea

[Gertrudes]

Just wanted to give you all an update on how things are going on for me in this respect, many of you have contributed with good advice and the least I can do is let you know of any further developments.

This Monday I finally got a diagnosis for what's causing my amenorrhea: Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome (POS). Many of you have probably heard this little agglomeration of words before, myself included, although I had never really investigated it. So, that's what I have. At least now I know why I'm not getting a period, not knowing what was going on was starting to drive me mad! Well, I still don't know the cause for POS itself, but giving it a name certainly helps and gives me a direction for research.

I have resigned myself to take the pill I have been prescribed. I have taken progesterone cream in low and high doses, done several different types of therapy without success. I could have kept it for longer but I can't afford it, and the problem is that the longer I spend without a period, the more difficult it will be for my ovaries to start working properly again, and the greater the risk for illness, including endometrial cancer, further down the road. I'll be going on holidays shortly, so I'll wait until I return to start taking the pill. If anything happens I don't want to ruin my holidays.

I also have some fluid in my pelvis that she says is probably due to infection. No idea how that got there though. She prescribed me antibiotics. The idea of taking so many drugs at once is really making my gut go tight....I really am resisting this but I I'll have to do it.

No one seems to know exactly what causes POS, from what I've been reading since Monday there is a strong genetic predisposition. The doctor also said that POS is, in the end, a metabolic disfunction that often causes insulin resistance, and that I should be careful with carbs and sugar. Thinking of all the sugar I ate since I was a child makes me cringe.

I'll keep you updated as I go on.

 

[Nienna]

Gertrudes, sometimes it is essential to take prescription medication, even antibiotics. Since it is for the short term, take them. Once you have taken the course, you can then get things back under control with probiotics and diet. Do what needs to be done to get yourself better. :)

At least it is good to know that you are on the right diet for your condition (low carb). ;)

 

[ana]

No one seems to know exactly what causes POS, from what I've been reading since Monday there is a strong genetic predisposition. The doctor also said that POS is, in the end, a metabolic disfunction that often causes insulin resistance, and that I should be careful with carbs and sugar. Thinking of all the sugar I ate since I was a child makes me cringe.

Psyche posted some info about PCOS here it's the story of a woman who healed by following the Paleo Diet and gaves some info regarding the possible causes of PCOS:

What is PCOS

PCOS is a hormonal imbalance. In women with PCOS the ovaries produce too much male hormones (androgens), making it difficult for the ovaries to release an egg. The increase in androgens can cause a host of embarrassing and debilitating symptoms.

Symptoms of PCOS:

Irregular or absent periods

Pelvic pain

Cysts on the ovaries

Infertility

Depression

Acne

Weight gain

Facial hair growth (hirsutism)

Sleep apnea


Causes of PCOS

Like with every other modern health condition PCOS can be avoided or controlled by diet and lifestyle changes. (Genetics can predispose a person to develop the condition but genetics are rarely the cause of disease. Check out this article on Mark's Daily Apple for more information about the relationship between genetics and disease.)

Insulin Resistance

While there are many factors which can predispose a woman to develop PCOS such as obesity, genetics, and exposure to synthetic estrogen, insulin resistance is the root cause of polycystic ovarian syndrome, which is a totally avoidable and treatable condition.

Insulin resistance comes about from a constant need for the body to lower blood sugar with insulin. In time, the cells become desensitized to it. This is problematic in two ways:


When cells are desensitized to insulin the pancreas produces more of it - thinking that the reason the cells aren't taking glucose is because there isn't enough insulin.


Insulin helps glucose pass through cell walls. When cells become resistant to insulin glucose must make its way to the liver to be converted to fat instead of being used as energy by the cells.

Now you have excess insulin floating around in the bloodstream. This free-floating insulin stimulates the ovaries to produce excess testosterone. This prevents the ovaries from releasing an egg each month (a leading cause of infertility).

Hormones are in delicate balance. When one gets out of whack, the others must compensate in order to keep us alive (this is called homeostasis). This "compensation" results in symptoms.

Xenoestrogens

Pollution, exposure to plastics, other chemicals, and conventional beef treated with synthetic hormones can also contribute to hormonal imbalances because they contain xenoestrogens (synthetic or environmental estrogens). These environmental estrogens wreak havoc on our delicate hormonal processes by tricking the body into thinking that there is too much estrogen, causing it to produce excessive amounts of other hormones in attempt to balance it out.

The Vicious Cycle of PCOS

"The secretion of insulin from pancreatic beta cells is a complex process involving the integration and interaction of multiple external and internal stimuli. Thus, nutrients, hormones, neurotransmitters, and drugs all activate - or inhibit - insulin release." From Medscape.


"An extended period of physical or psychological stress, will produce stress hormones such as cortisol and adrenaline, that can interfere with the synthesis of the brain neurotransmitter, Serotonin." From The Seratonin Connection


High levels of insulin can cause the body to dump magnesium into the urine which is needed in order to produce serotonin. Without high enough levels of serotonin we can feel depressed and are subject to food cravings (refined carbohydrates make tryptophan more available for the body to utilize which is a precursor of serotonin).


Fluctuating blood sugar levels can trigger the release of adrenaline which causes the liver to produce glucose in expectation of the brain needing extra fuel (flight or fight). This can in turn trigger the release of insulin which, when not properly utilized and is left free-floating in the blood, can increase testosterone, leading to all the nasty symptoms of PCOS.


Excessive Weight training or low body weight can also increase the production of stress hormones and, consequently, androgens.


Food allergies and intolerances compromise the absorption of nutrients, causing a cascade of symptoms. Even if you're doing everything right with diet and lifestyle, if you don't absorb the nutrients, you can't heal. Of course, it is often nutritional deficiencies which cause allergies in the first place, but once they've surfaced the nutritional deficiencies continue because the body can't absorb the nutrients it needs to heal from them. Many women who have PCOS also have food sensitivities. This is a really common correlation.


A high carbohydrate diet, allergies, and a diet which includes lots of processed, dead foods can, in time, imbalance gut flora. For some, the extra fiber that we have been told to increase is actually a problem for people with digestive problems and it can be helpful to cut down or even eliminate it altogether for a time.

Gertrudes, sometimes it is essential to take prescription medication, even antibiotics. Since it is for the short term, take them. Once you have taken the course, you can then get things back under control with probiotics and diet. Do what needs to be done to get yourself better. :)

At least it is good to know that you are on the right diet for your condition (low carb). ;)

I agree and hope you heal soon

 

[Gertrudes]

Gertrudes, sometimes it is essential to take prescription medication, even antibiotics. Since it is for the short term, take them. Once you have taken the course, you can then get things back under control with probiotics and diet. Do what needs to be done to get yourself better. :)

Yes, I know you're right. Will do, just not sure whether to wait until the end of August when I return from holidays or to start now. I have a VERY sensitive gut and the wiping out of its flora by antibiotics will cause havoc, so I might wait. With the pill I'm afraid of the side effects, mood swings, bloating (this one will be there for sure), so again I might wait after returning.

At least it is good to know that you are on the right diet for your condition (low carb). ;)

That was my first thought :)

Psyche posted some info about PCOS here it's the story of a woman who healed by following the Paleo Diet and gaves some info regarding the possible causes of PCOS:

There it is! I was also under the impression I had seen something about it by Psyche, but entered the wrong words in the search engine. Thanks so much Ana, I have saved the woman's blog and will give it a thourough reading.

 

[ALIEN1]

Hello everyone. Some good news to start with, my period came back on the morning of the 12th of August! I am not too sure what caused it, but I am very happy about that, so waiting till September to see if I am back on track with that. I have read what others wrote here, and I was thinking a lot about my own relationship with my feminity. I did what RedFox advised about accepting myself as a person and as a woman during meditation, so that certainly helped, thanks a lot! Thanks to everyone for all the thoughts and tips. I remember, when I first got my period, and it was during the summer as well, I was embarassed, and I think that embarassment was always with me. In the past, I used to hate myself and I caused a lot of damage to my body. Now I am healing and reinventing myself, or rather finding myself, it seems like my period coming back is the beginning of the new cycle. I thought it stopped due to stress, that is one of possible reason, however times are still stressful for me nowadays... Leaving that aside, regarding my physical health I had my hormones level checked a few weeks ago and everything was ok. Also, I had a severe backpain, so I have seen a physiotherapist about that. Apparently, my posture might be causing a lot of health problems, that girl told me. I have seen her twice, so whatever she has done to might back must have worked. Also, I am doing some stretches she told me to do. Maybe that is something other girls would like to check out as well? Regarding the diet, I went to Poland for holidays, and I was eating quite a lot of plant products, and enjoying red wine and some sorbets... But I did remain sensible. I do not know if I stayed in the ketosis, cause of all that I think maybe not, but I came back to Glasgow on the 3rd of August, so my period came shortly after. Just wondering, how does it all add up? But that work on myself I have been doing, maybe it means I do fully accept myself at last? Gertrudes, at least you have the diagnosis now, yes, if it has a name it is easier to fight it. I understand your doubts about the pills, but I am sure that if you do decide to take them your body will detoxify all the nasty stuff quicker than you think :) That's it for now, as that post is long enough anyway ;p

 

[Gertrudes]

Here is the latest update from me on this topic:

A coworker of mine who is an homeopath and who has graduated last year as a kinesiologist has offered me a session combining both practices. We had it just before Christmas and the focus was my amenorrhea.

One of the first things that came up through muscle testing was, again, liver problems. She is the third practitioner pointing that out to me but, for the first time, gave a possible explanation. Apparently my body reacted, and strongly, when tested for dental work within the context of liver problems. The conclusion was that my liver was/is having trouble detoxifying all that mercury from my several silver fillings. I had an "Aha..!" moment then. I had before toyed with the idea of taking them out but have always postponed it because of the cost.

I have recently heard on a short video how the liver is responsible for the conversion of 60% of the thyroid hormone and, according to Reed Davies, for detoxifying estrogen. I can't tell how exactly this may affect my PCOS and absence of a period, but can guess that it will likely have a strong impact.

The other thing that came up was adrenal problems. It seems that Psyche was right as she had previously pointed that out to me at another thread.
And finally, the third thing coming up related to amenorrhea was trauma and shock.

I was given several homeopathic remedies, which I'm still taking, and will see her again on the 21st of January. One of the things I was given was a set of 3 little bottles called Heel Detox, which is supposed to work as a detoxifier supporting the liver, kidneys and the lymphatic system. I started taking the mix last Friday and boy, did that ever have an effect on me....I'm taking a low dose, about half of what is recommended on the package and still felt as if having been run over by a truck. For about 5 days I woke up with one of the strongest brain fogs I remember having, vertigo, headaches, bad skin, and a swollen face. Last Wednesday I had another ultrasound abdominal scan for which I had to drink plenty of water. The women amongst us who have had one probably remember that your bladder has to be full in order for your ovaries to be clearly seen. Well, maybe it was the enormous quantity of water I drank helping to flush things out, the only thing I know is that since then I've been feeling better. Today I actually feel great, even better then before having started it.
In any case this has been a sign that clearly I'm toxic, and I best keep addressing it.

As I reported elsewhere I have been doing acupuncture with a Chinese doctor who also says that my liver needs a lot of work. Our set of sessions is coming to an end and I won't be repeating it because it's out of my budget. However, what I have been noticing since our sessions began as well as with my more recent experiences with homeopathic liver support (amongst other homeopathic pills), is that my mood is much more stable, I am less irritable and angry. Considering that in traditional Chinese Medicine dysfunctions in the liver are often associated with anger and irritability, maybe it isn't surprising.

Lastly, I had another appointment with the gynecologist last Monday. He said that the last pill, a combination of synthetic estrogen and progesterone I was given by the previous gynecologist, made no sense to him. If only doctors could agree a tiny wee more.....
In any case, that drug caused in me such nasty side effects that after two days I had to stop. I was supposed to have taken it for three weeks.
He gave me another pill made of synthetic progesterone, no estrogen. I told him I had already taken Provera without results (unless you count nausea and a foul mood), but he argued that this one was stronger (stronger...not sure I should be glad about that..). I am not at all inclined to take it, but have to admit that sometimes I worry since the concern of all doctors I have so far seen seems to be the increased risk of uterine cancer, which escalates the longer I am without a period. I'm supposed to take constant ultrasound scans to keep that in check.

I'll keep updating as I go along. In the meantime, if anyone has any thoughts on the above I will be glad to welcome them.

 

[Gaby]

I think that supporting your adrenals goes a long way in supporting the rest of your glands - thyroid, liver, pineal, etc. I was having good energy levels but decided to take a physiological dose of cortisol (5mg) and within a month I got my period back after a 7 month's hiatus. It was not painful nor heavy.

Then I was reviewing the subject and found that low doses of cortisol are used more often that we would think they are. There is info published on the benefits of low dose cortisol in Chronic Fatigue or other autoimmune problems and I was learning yesterday that Endocrinologists - gland specialists - use it in various conditions with good results.

People think that prescribing it is associated with all the bad side effects of normal dose cortisol whereas this is far from the truth. It is no more than your body will usually produce, actually, much less.

So it is hard to find someone open-minded about its prescription, but it is something you can get easily on the web too.

 

[Gertrudes]

Thanks Psyche. From what I understand cortisol comes in cream form, and it is usually called hydrocortisone, right?

 

[Gaby]

It is usually called hydrocortisone, yes, but for adrenal support, pills are used. Over the web they sell the powder at fludan.com for which then you need a scale that can measure in milligrams in order to get the right dose of 2.5mg or 5 mg. A prescription for the same dose can be obtained. Usually hydrocortisone comes in tablets of 5mg or 10 and 20mg, the later one being pretty common. I have 20mg tablets which I break into 4 parts.

There are hydrocortisone creams for specific skin problems but as far as I am aware, it is not recommended for adrenal support. I haven't come across through any equivalent that would amount to the 2.5-5mg that must be used through the topical cream way. Using hydrocortisone creams will certainly atrophy your skin in the long run and might amount to much more than 2.5mg in your bloodstream.

 

[Gertrudes]

Thanks!

I also found this website: _http://www.inhousepharmacy.biz/p-212-hydrocortisone-5mg-tablets.aspx
Which ends up being cheaper.
Would you recommend me taking a daily dose of 5mg for about a month?

Also, and hope you don't mind me asking one more thing, would something like an adrenal supplement work instead? Now Foods has one called Super Cortisol Support: _http://www.iherb.com/Now-Foods-Super-Cortisol-Support-90-Vcaps/5022

 

[Gaby]

I also found this website: _http://www.inhousepharmacy.biz/p-212-hydrocortisone-5mg-tablets.aspx
Which ends up being cheaper.
Would you recommend me taking a daily dose of 5mg for about a month?

That looks good and it comes on tablets! I would try for two months, unless you notice something off while taking them. Then you can have it on stock for special occasions: infections, extra stress, etc.

Also, and hope you don't mind me asking one more thing, would something like an adrenal supplement work instead? Now Foods has one called Super Cortisol Support: _http://www.iherb.com/Now-Foods-Super-Cortisol-Support-90-Vcaps/5022

For adrenal support, hydrocortisone works the best because it is the chemical compound that our bodies manufacture. The Super Cortisol Support is a bunch of minerals, vitamins and herbs that even though are good, they are still not cortisol itself.

I have taken adrenal support and never noticed the effect I obtained from low doses of hydrocortisone.

 

[Gertrudes]

For adrenal support, hydrocortisone works the best because it is the chemical compound that our bodies manufacture. The Super Cortisol Support is a bunch of minerals, vitamins and herbs that even though are good, they are still not cortisol itself.

I have taken adrenal support and never noticed the effect I obtained from low doses of hydrocortisone.

Yep, that makes sense.

That looks good and it comes on tablets! I would try for two months, unless you notice something off while taking them. Then you can have it on stock for special occasions: infections, extra stress, etc.

I've just ordered it, thanks again Psyche. It should take 14 to 21 to arrive.

Looking back now, when my period stopped I was going through such a stressful period that I remember feeling like something inside me had just fundamentally changed. For a period of time that lasted several months I felt like I just couldn't smile, something in my brain had changed. I even tried watching comedies and use little tricks to perk me up but nothing seemed to work. On a physical level I was working way too much and lost weight. It may be that with that level of stress my adrenals got a really bad beating and never really recover. Adding to that, if there are problems in other areas, as it seems to be the case with the liver, the those will gain a different proportion once the adrenals start to shut down.

 

[Gertrudes]

I've just ordered it, thanks again Psyche. It should take 14 to 21 to arrive.

I've been taking hydrocortisone for 10 days, and that is including today. For the last 3 days I've had pretty bad brain fog with drowsiness, like being drunk and totally unable to think. I haven't even left the house yesterday nor today. Yesterday I decided to take Vitamin C (regular one, my liposomal package hasn't yet arrived). Usually I take 2,5 g, more then that starts to upset my bowels. Well, yesterday I had 35g before reaching bowel tolerance! I felt better after that. Today I've already had 20g, and still not yet reached bowel tolerance. I've never had this much vitamin c in one go, so definitely something is up.

I couldn't figure out what on earth might have caused this, I did nothing different, ate nothing different, until I remembered the cortisone that I've been taking. It really is the only thing that I can right now think of. I also found this page: _http://voices.yahoo.com/side-effects-dangers-hydrocodone-americas-favorite-908729.html

In which it is said:

Hydrocodone Side Effects: Nausea

Often hydrocodone is prescribed in conjunction with an anti-nausea medication. The medication should be taken with food, because one of the immediate side effects of hydrocodone is nausea. Even when taken with food hydrocodone can make you sick to your stomach. Another, often concurrent side effect of hydrocodone is that it makes you feel light headed and somewhat high, or drunk.

Hydrocodone Side Effects: Extreme Drowsiness

The same chemical reactions that make hydrocodone useful as a pain killer also works on your central nervous system to make you very drowsy. In most cases, patients will fall asleep shortly after taking hydrocodone.

In a few rare cases, I have seen people become very agitated and unable to sleep when taking the medication. That is an extremely unusual side effect of hydrocodone, but it does happen.

Once you have taken hydrocodone, it is important not to drive. Drowsiness may come on very quickly causing you to fall asleep behind the wheel. Driving under the influence of hydrocodone is considered the same as driving under the influence of alcohol or recreational drugs.

Hydrocodone Side Effects: Haziness, Fogged brain

If you have taken hydrocodone and awake, you may find that you are somewhat disoriented. One of the side effects is that it causes your brain to be foggy. Perhaps your memory may be a little hazy, or you can't quite pull your thoughts together.

I haven't had nausea, nor sleep disturbances, in fact I feel like the only thing I want to do is sleep. Apart from that, the above describes exactly what I've been feeling, plus a swollen face.

I'll stop taking it for now, my brain feels like a giant pudding.

Psyche, have you had any similar symptoms while taking it yourself?

 

[dugdeep]

Hi Gertrudes :)

No advice on the cortisone, but I just thought I'd mention that, I think, on the ketogenic diet if you haven't been taking vitamin C regularly your tolerance goes way up. I tried getting to bowel tolerance with vitamin C a couple of weeks back and got well over 14 grams before stopping. I only stopped because I ran out of vitamin C! My previous tolerance point (pre-ketogenic) was around 6 grams, if I remember correctly. My theory is that, since I hadn't had any vitamin C in about a year, my body was essentially empty of it. Therefore it could absorb a lot of it before reaching its satiation point. I don't think it means that you're sick or that anything is wrong (I was feeling fine at the time, not sick).

I could be wrong about this, of course, so take it with a grain of salt.

 

[Gertrudes]

Hi Dugdeep :)

I have been taking vitamin C, and have actually decreased it to taking it every other day because my tolerance seemed to be decreasing.

Another thing I wanted to add is that this week I've had symptoms of what I think is having started ovulation again, after 2 and a half years! I don't know if I'll get a period or not though.
Is this from the cortisone? I can't tell. I finished my round of acupuncture, and am doing homeopathy combined with kinesiology with a therapist friend, having recently received a new batch of remedies. On my last kinesiology appointment osteopathy and cranial osteopathy repeatedly came up as something I needed doing both for my amenorrhea as well as for liver detox (which apparently is amenorrhea related). I was a little puzzled, but booked in for a session with one of the clinic's osteopaths who is well known amongst therapists and clients as being very good. I saw him 10 days ago (the day I also started hydrocortisone) Amongst other things, he said that the nerve supply to my ovaries was very tight. After some work on it as well as on my pelvis, I was left with a sore lower back and a lot of belly rumbling, which actually felt nice. It wasn't like the belly rumbling I sometimes hear when something is off, but rather it felt like something had been freed, it felt like my abdomen was opening, if that makes sense. The belly rumbling was loud and lasted for several days, until I finally had my first symptoms of what seems to be ovulation.

Time will tell what will happen.