How Can Naturopathic Medicine Help You? Heather’s Story ...

Heather came to see me with a chief complaint of Debilitating Pre-menstrual (PMS). She stated that she had tried everything she knew to manage her condition, and since a good diet and relaxation techniques didn’t work she needed to reach out for something more. The last two weeks out of the month before her menstrual flow she was extremely weepy, had terrible mood swings, and would fly off the handle during day to day activities with people she came into contact. She had anxiety about her health and thought she was going crazy. Her mother encouraged her to seek natural therapies for hormone balancing stating that “someone just shouldn’t act that way just because she was preparing to menstruate."

At the time Heather was in a relationship that wasn’t meeting her emotional needs as much as she tried to please her partner. This was a recurring theme in Heather’s case, she tried to please everyone in her life, she wanted to be liked and was extremely sympathetic to other peoples circumstances. So much so in fact that she neglected herself in the process.

Heather’s symptoms got much worse at nighttime. She was extremely fearful of the dark, and couldn’t stand to be alone. She really felt better with people around who could console her. She had anxiety at night with heart palpitations, and difficulty breathing. The heart and breathing symptoms got much worse when in bed, especially when lying on her left side. She would jump out of bed and begin pacing the room back and forth while drinking water. Just before menstruation she would get a headache that left her in bed for 2 days, unable to function. When Heather came to see me she finally made the call because she felt she had reached an emotional rock bottom.

I used a comprehensive natural approach with Heather, measuring hormone levels through saliva testing I was able to individualize the hormones that were out of balance, I then recommended a nutritional supplement for menstruating women to provide her body with the nutrients required to restore balance, supported her stress response, and recommended cod liver oil, as it is an excellent source of eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA). For Heather, I prescribed the homeopathic remedy, Phosphorus, as it clearly matched the totality of her symptoms. With PMS it usually takes 2-3 menstrual cycles to see the results of Naturopathic Medicine, and that is true in this case. Heather’s anxiety was better within 2 weeks, but her first cycle was difficult, with a continuation of past symptoms.

By her second cycle she was doing better and told me she had gone on a job interview! Normally on the first day of menstruation she would have been in bed crying and it was all thanks to naturopathic medicine that she got her life back. Within 2 months she called to tell me she hadn’t felt this good in eight years and she was so thankful she had found a Naturopathic Doctor.