PMS Resource
Center
You
Don't Have to Suffer With PMS
by Dr. Loretta Lanphier, ND, CN, HHP
We now know that premenstrual syndrome
(PMS) is experienced by 60% of all women. What causes
PMS has been difficult for researchers to pin down
because each woman experiences symptoms differently.
PMS Symptoms
When making the diagnosis, the most important tool
you can use is a chart of the cyclic nature in which
they occur. If nothing is done to interrupt PMS, it
often gets worse over time. You may begin by having
symptoms just a few days before your period that stop
abruptly as soon as your period begins. Later, the
symptoms gradually begin to appear one to two weeks
before the onset of menses. Over time, you may have
only two or three days of the month that are symptom-free.
Eventually no discernable pattern of good days and
bad days can be detected. You feel as if you have PMS
all of the time.
There are general symptoms that have been determined
that include:
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Accident
proneness, coordination difficulties
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Anxiety,
irritability, suicidal thoughts
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Depression,
withdrawal from others, emotional liability
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Exacerbation
of preexisting conditions (lupus, arthritis,
ulcers, herpes, etc.)
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Food
binges, salt cravings, sweet cravings
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Don’t confuse PMS
with cramps occurring at the beginning of your period,
which is a different condition.
Chart the Pattern
You don’t have to suffer. By keeping a chart of
your symptoms, you can often begin to see a pattern emerge
and predict when the symptoms will start. Keeping a daily symptom journal can be a valuable tool when trying to
uncover your premenstrual symptom triggers and the issues
associated with them. Many events and other factors can
contribute to or trigger your PMS by resulting in hormonal
changes in the body, including:
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Discontinuing birth control pills
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Childbirth, or termination of pregnancy
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Decreased light associated with autumn and winter
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Family history of alcoholism; parent or grandparent
who is an alcoholic
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High consumption of dairy products
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Excessive consumption of caffeine (soft drinks, coffee,
chocolate)
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High blood levels of estrogen
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Low blood levels of progesterone, either due to lack
of production or excessive
breakdown
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Diet that leads to increased levels of the hormone
prostaglandin F2
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Excess body weight which can increase you levels
of estrogen
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Low levels of vitamins B, C and/or E
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Magnesium deficiency causing chocolate cravings
End the Suffering
Many of the factors in this list you can control. For
years allopathic (traditional) medicine has given symptomatic
treatments for PMS that do not work. Most physicians
do not know the latest research on hormone balancing.
Some never had any training in PMS. Treating a woman’s
bloating with diuretics, headaches with painkillers,
and anxiety with Valium ignores the underlying imbalance
that led to PMS. Many of the treatments prescribed
often have side effects. Psychotherapy can provide
insight about stress, but this bypasses the nutritional
and biochemical aspects of this disorder.
Don’t
give up! There are answers that can help you heal your
PMS:
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Adopt a diet of fresh, in-season,
organic fruits and vegetables.
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Review your dietary needs eliminating caffeine, sugar,
dairy and excess soy.
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Take good organic multivitamin mineral supplements.
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Reduce stress.
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Consider participating in a 12-step program if alcoholism
runs in your family.
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Get at least 20 minute of aerobic exercise five times
per week.
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Try reflexology.
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Get more natural or full-spectrum light.
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Test hormone levels and apply natural progesterone.
For
more suggestions go to www.menopause-pms-progesterone.org.
At the Oasis Advanced Wellness hormonal levels can be
tested with a simple and inexpensive saliva test performed
in the privacy of your own home. With these results
and your symptom journal, I can determine your need
for natural hormone replacement therapy (HRT). One
product that is safe and non-toxic is natural progesterone.
It helps to balance the effects of estrogen, and has
a calming effect on the nervous system. The use of
natural progesterone in combination with lifestyle
changes often improves PMS symptoms. By reviewing your
symptoms, I can evaluate your diet and exercise program,
prescribe a treatment, and then monitor your progress.
You
can find out more about the solutions in my e-Book,
Balancing
Your Hormones Without Drugs…You Can Feel
Good Again.
Loretta
Lanphier, ND, CN, HHP is a Doctor of Naturopath,
Clinical Nutritionist and Holistic Health Practitioner
in the Houston, TX area and CEO/President of Oasis
Advanced Wellness. A teacher, educator and author,
she counsels Oasis Advanced Wellness clients on the
aspects of getting the body healthy and keeping the
body healthy. As a cancer survivor, she is able to
relate extensively, both as a patient and a practitioner,
to clients suffering from disease. Dr. Lanphier has
been privileged to share her cancer survival story
with hundreds of people during seminars and lectures.
Her passionate style of truth and straight-forwardnessin
an easy-to-understand format is very refreshing to
even the most discerning of audiences. Dr. Lanphier
is the author of two books and many articles on health
conditions written from a natural/alternative medicine
viewpoint. Dr. Lanphier is dedicated to helping people
create lasting changes in their health and enhancing
well-being through whole body nutritional balancing
including physician strength supplementation. Dr.
Lanphier is Editor and contributor to the worldwide
newsletter Alternative
Health & Healing.
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