An increasing number of my female patients suffer from premenstrual syndrome (PMS), in French SPM (syndrome prémenstruel).
Let’s stop the suffering: here are some ressources to consider.
Many of the symptoms are at the intersection of stress, nutritional deficiencies and toxins, and even trauma. Thus, the treatment approach should reflect state of the art medical and nutritional research, versus the « take the (contraceptive) pill » traditional approach, that is too often the go-to solution for many health care providers. How Birth Control Switches Off Hormones and Why That Matters (site web Dr Lara Briden)
Excerpt from Dr Lara Briden’s (a naturopathic doctor with a busy hormone practice) highly recommendable book, Period Repair Manual: Natural Treatment for Better Hormones and Better Periods (take the updated last edition from 2018! The book can be scolled through on Amazon)
*Vitex works for some and not for others.
« Period Repair Manual is your guide to better periods using natural treatments such as diet, nutritional supplements, herbal medicine, and natural hormones. It contains advice and tips for women of every age and situation. If you have a period (or want a period), then this book is for you.
Topics include:
- How to come off hormonal birth control
- What your period should be like
- What can go wrong
- How to talk to your doctor
- Treatment protocols for all common period problems, including PCOS and endometriosis
The second edition contains insights from Professor Jerilynn Prior, more than 300 new references, and an additional chapter on perimenopause and menopause.
Written by a naturopathic doctor with more than twenty years experience, this book is a compilation of everything that works for hormonal health. » (source: Amazon)
Dr. Lara Briden’s Blog
..and the article « How to Improve Premenstrual Mood Symptoms – A Summary of Natural Treatments«
Blog excerpt: « As I discuss in my blog posts about magnesium, taurine, and vitamin B6, all three nutrients can improve premenstrual mood symptoms and work by reducing inflammation and boosting levels of the calming neurotransmitter GABA. Vitamin B6 can also reduce histamine. Take care with vitamin B6 because too much can cause nerve damage. »
Hormone Repair Manual (2021) is a practical guide to feeling better in your 40s, 50s, and beyond. It explains how to navigate the change of perimenopause and relieve symptoms with natural treatments such as diet, nutritional supplements, and bioidentical hormone therapy.
Patient recommendation (thanks to S.H.) Period Power: Harness Your Hormones and Get Your Cycle Working For You
Dr Sara Gottfried: The Hormone Cure: Reclaim Balance, Sleep and Sex Drive; Lose Weight; Feel Focused, Vital, and Energized Naturally with the Gottfried Protocol (2014)
Related post: Psychonutrition | Nutritional Psychiatry