Lara Briden - The Period Revolutionary
Leading the change to better periods and hormones
Articles about common period problems including irregular periods, PCOS, endometriosis, painful periods, PMS, PMDD, heavy periods, and perimenopause. From the perspective of a women’s health specialist with more than twenty years of experience. Treatments include diet and lifestyle changes as well as simple nutritional supplements such as magnesium and zinc.
According to a 2017 study, pain is the most frequently reported symptom of PCOS, even though pain is not a symptom of PCOS.
The solution to this paradox is that both PCOS and period pain are common, so it’s easy to have both a PCOS diagnosis and pelvic pain. But, importantly, the PCOS diagnosis can only explain irregular periods or symptoms of androgen excess (e.g., facial hair). It can’t explain the pain!
Also, PCOS cannot be diagnosed by ultrasound.
Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) is not one disease. Instead, it’s “a heterogeneous disorder with different underlying biological mechanisms.” In other words, PCOS is a collection of symptoms—primarily androgen excess and anovulatory cycles—caused by different underlying mechanisms or drivers.
To effectively treat PCOS, you need to identify which mechanism (or combination of mechanisms) is driving your symptoms.
That’s why it’s helpful to identify your functional type of PCOS. These include:
Iodine has beneficial anti-estrogenic effects that can relieve breast pain, ovulation pain, and premenstrual mood symptoms. It may also help prevent ovarian cysts by promoting healthy estrogen metabolism, down-regulating estrogen receptors, and stabilizing estrogen-sensitive tissue.
That makes iodine one of the best treatments for estrogen excess or so-called “estrogen dominance”—although I don’t use that term.
Symptoms of hypoglycemia or low blood sugar include light-headedness, headaches, and anxiety. Hypoglycemia can even feel like panic attacks.
In my latest podcast and YouTube video, I discuss why young women are more prone to hypoglycemia, the importance of the autonomic nervous system and a “blunted glucagon response,” and what you can do to feel better.
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