Natural Treatment of Menstrual Migraines
According to a Lancet review paper, menstrual migraines are more severe than migraines at other times of the cycle.
Possible drivers of menstrual migraines include estrogen withdrawal at the end of the cycle plus an estrogen-dependent release of prostaglandins and histamine. Body-identical progesterone may help to shelter the brain from estrogen withdrawal and reduce the frequency and intensity of menstrual migraines.
The Power of Eating Enough
“Eat to feel good” is my advice to patients. Why? Because eating should be relaxing and create satiety, which is the feeling of being sated or full.
Achieving satiety with solid meals such as meat and potatoes is 1) a good way to achieve optimal nutrition, and 2) the single best way to avoid overeating and just live your life without having to fight cravings or constantly exert willpower to avoid snacks and desserts.
Why I Prescribe Iodine for Breast Pain, Ovarian Cysts, and PMDD
Iodine can relieve breast pain, ovulation pain, premenstrual mood symptoms, and help to prevent ovarian cysts. It works by promoting healthy estrogen metabolism, down-regulating estrogen receptors, and stabilizing estrogen-sensitive tissue including breasts, uterus, ovaries, and the brain.
Iodine’s anti-estrogen effect makes it one of the best treatments for estrogen excess or “estrogen dominance,” (although I don’t use that term).
Guide to Using Progesterone for Women’s Health
Body-identical or bioidentical progesterone is a viable treatment for women’s health conditions such as PCOS, PMDD, migraines, endometriosis, adenomyosis, and perimenopause.
Progesterone is called oral micronized progesterone and requires a doctor’s prescription. Brand names include PrometriumⓇ, UtrogestanⓇ, TevaⓇ, and FamenitaⓇ, depending on your country. Alternatively, progesterone cream is available over-the-counter in some countries and can help with mild symptoms but is generally not as effective as capsules.
Here’s what you need to know.
The Secret Powers of Ovulation (It’s Not Just for Making a Baby)
Ovarian hormones estrogen and progesterone are beneficial for health. That means natural ovulatory menstrual cycles are beneficial for health because ovulation is how women make hormones.
Does that surprise you? Men make testosterone every day, so you might think women do something similar, but we don’t. Instead, women make hormones as a surge of estradiol leading up to ovulation and an even bigger surge of progesterone after ovulation.
How to Improve Premenstrual Mood Symptoms (A Summary of Natural Treatments)
There’s a lot more to treating premenstrual mood symptoms than just calcium, the pill, and SSRI antidepressants. Alternative strategies for premenstrual syndrome (PMS) and premenstrual dysphoric disorder (PMDD) include iodine, magnesium, vitamin B6, vitex (chaste tree), progesterone, and a natural antihistamine approach.