PCOS articles • Lara Briden - The Period Revolutionary

Guide to Using Progesterone for Women’s Health

January 22, 2021January 20, 2021 by Lara Briden

As I describe on this blog and in my books Period Repair Manual and Hormone Repair Manual, bioidentical progesterone is a viable treatment for women’s health conditions such as PCOS, PMDD, migraines, endometriosis, adenomyosis, and perimenopause.

Progesterone is available as “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.

How Testosterone Can Cause Weight Gain in Women

January 18, 2021January 17, 2021 by Lara Briden

Testosterone causes weight gain in women.

Too much testosterone can cause insulin resistance and abdominal weight gain in women.

That’s why androgen excess is a factor in the weight gain associated with polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS), menopause, and some types of birth control.

PCOS Cannot Be Diagnosed (or Ruled Out) by Ultrasound

January 11, 2021January 10, 2021 by Lara Briden

Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) cannot be diagnosed by ultrasound because polycystic ovaries are not cysts. They’re follicles or eggs which are normal for the ovary.

It’s normal for all women to sometimes have a higher number of follicles. It’s normal for young women to always have a higher number of follicles because young women have more eggs. That’s why the new international PCOS guidelines state that “ultrasound is now not recommended in diagnosis in those within 8 years of the start of periods.”

Why Progesterone Is Just as Important as Estrogen

January 13, 2021December 15, 2020 by Lara Briden

It’s time to bring progesterone into the conversation about women’s health. That’s according to Canadian endocrinology professor Jerilynn Prior, who just released an important paper called “Women’s Reproductive System as Balanced Estradiol and Progesterone Actions—a revolutionary, paradigm-shifting concept in women’s health.” In the paper, Professor Prior makes the case that historically there has been a “cultural over-emphasis on estrogen” while “progesterone tends to be ignored or associated with negative effects.”