Lara Briden - The Period Revolutionary
Leading the change to better periods and hormones
Endometriosis is an estrogen-dependent inflammatory and immune disease, and possibly a microbial disease. It responds to natural treatments that modify the gut microbiome including gluten-free diet and the herbal medicine berberine.
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.
Hormonal IUDs, or coils, are different from all types of hormonal birth control in that they do not suppress ovulation and can, therefore, permit natural cycling.
Other benefits of hormonal IUDs are that they are convenient and a highly effective method of birth control. They can also dramatically reduce menstrual flow and relieve pain and other symptoms of endometriosis. Hormonal IUDs also have some downsides.
High estrogen can contribute to heavy periods, breast pain, fibroids, and premenstrual mood symptoms. It can also suppress thyroid function and increase the risk of breast cancer.
To lower estrogen, you need to understand all the types of estrogen and why they’re high.
Endometriosis is an inflammatory disease that’s affected by hormones but is not caused by hormones. Instead, endometriosis is, at least in part, a disease of immune dysfunction.
In episode 4 of my podcast/YouTube video (released in March 2022), I discuss some of the new endometriosis research, including the link with genes that increase the risk of autoimmune disease, the role of a bacterial toxin called lipopolysaccharide or LPS, and new targets for natural immune-modulating treatment.