Women's Bodies, Women's Wisdom (185 page)

40
. J. D. Cohen and H. W. Rubin, “Functional Menorrhagia: Treatment with Bioflavonoids and Vitamin C,”
Current Therapeutic Research,
vol. 2 (1960), p. 539.

41
. T. Fumii, “The Clinical Effects of Vitamin E on Purpura Due to Vascular Defects,”
Journal of Vitaminology,
vol. 18 (1972), pp. 125–30.

42
. F. Facchinetti et al., “Magnesium Prophylaxis of Menstrual Migraine,”
Headaches,
vol. 31 (1991), pp. 298–304; F. Facchinetti et al., “Oral Magnesium Successfully Relieves Premenstrual Mood Changes,”
Obstetrics and Gynecology,
vol. 78, no. 2 (Aug. 1991), pp. 177–81; P. Muller, presentation at the First International Symposium of Magnesium Deficit in Human Pathology, 1971; G. E. Abraham, “Nutritional Factors in the Etiology of the Premenstrual Tension Syndromes,”
Journal of Reproductive Medicine,
vol. 28, no. 7 (1983), pp. 446–64.

43
. Z. Harel, F. M. Biro, R. K. Kottenhahn, and S. L. Rosenthal, “Supplementation with Omega-3 Fatty Acids in the Management of Dysmenorrhea in Adolescents,”
American Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology,
vol. 174 (1996), pp. 1335–38.

44
. W. Menaker, “Lunar Periodicity in Human Reproduction: A Likely Unit of Biological Time,”
American Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology,
vol. 77, no. 4 (1959), pp. 905–14; E. M. Dewan, “On the Possibility of the Fact of the Rhythm Method of Birth Control by Periodic Light Stimulation,”
American Journal of
Obstetrics and Gynecology,
vol. 99, no. 7 (1967), pp. 1016–19.

45
. Dewan, “On the Possibility of the Perfect Rhythm Method of Birth Control by Periodic Light Stimulation.”

46
. B. L. Parry et al., “Morning vs. Evening Bright Light Treatment of Late Luteal Phase Dysphoric Disorder,”
American Journal of Psychiatry,
vol. 146 (1991). For a full discussion of light therapy, see Jacob Liberman,
Light: Medicine of the Future
(Santa Fe: Bear and Co., 1991).

47
. Joseph M. Helms, “Acupuncture for the Management of Primary Dysmenorrhea,”
Obstetrics and Gynecology,
vol. 69, no. 1 (Jan. 1987), pp. 51–56.

48
. The diagnosis of “liver stagnation” or “blocked liver
chi
” is supported by the fact that the herbs mentioned have been shown to normalize elevated liver enzymes. Margaret Naeser, “Outline Guide to Chinese Herbal Patent Medicines in Pill Form—with Sample Pictures of the Boxes: An Introduction to Chinese Medicine,” available from Boston Chinese Medicine Society, P.O. Box 5747, Boston, MA 02114.

49
. I. Goodale, A. Domar, and H. Benson, “Alleviation of Premenstrual Syndrome Symptoms with the Relaxation Response,”
Obstetrics and Gynecology,
vol. 75, no. 4 (Apr. 1990), pp. 649–89.

50
. Controlled trials of natural progesterone that have been reported in the gynecological literature
do not
bear out my experience here. I think that this is because diet, exercise, and supplements have not been part of these studies, and also because women in these studies have not been taught how to think about their PMS as a signal that their lives are out of balance.

51
. A. J. Rapkin, M. Morgan, L. Goldman, D. Brann, D. Simone, and V. B. Mahesh, “Progesterone Metabolite Allopregnanolone in Women with Premenstrual Syndrome,”
Obstetrics and Gynecology,
vol. 90, no. 5 (Nov. 1997), pp. 709–14; E. S. Arafat, J. T. Hargrove, W. S. Maxon, et al., “Sedative and Hypnotic Effects of Oral Administration of Micronized Oral Progesterone May Be Medicated Through Its Metabolites,”
American Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology,
vol. 159 (1988), p. 1203; Andrew Herzog, “Intermittent Progesterone Therapy and Frequency of Complex Partial Seizures in Women with Menstrual Disorders,”
Neurology,
vol. 36 (1986), pp. 1607–10.

52
. Data based on report from independent testing of over-the-counter progesterone and yam creams, performed by Aeron LifeCycles Laboratory, 1933 Davis Street, Suite 310, San Leandro, CA 94577, 1-800-631-7900.

53
. For years, those interested in PMS have batted around the idea of a “meno toxin” present in women around the time of their periods because of this Jekyll-and-Hyde phenomenon and also because skin breakouts were worse premenstrually.

54
. A. Barbarino, L. De Marinis, G. Follis, et al., “Corticotrophin-Releasing Hormone Inhibition of Gonadotropin Secretion During the Menstrual Cycle,”
Metabolism,
vol. 38 (1989), pp. 504–6; I. Nagata, K. Kota, K. Seki, and K. Furuya, “Ovulatory Disturbances: Causative Factors Among Japanese Women Student Nurses in a Dormitory,”
Journal of Adolescent Health Care,
vol. 7 (1986), pp. 1–5; M. R. Soules, R. I. McLachlan, E. K. Marit, et al., “Luteal Phase Deficiency: Characterization of Reproductive Hormones over the Menstrual Cycle,”
Journal
of Clinical Endocrine Metabolism,
vol. 69 (1989), pp. 804–12.

55
. Terry Oleson and William Flocco, “Randomized Controlled Study of Premenstrual Symptoms Treated with Ear, Hand, and Foot Reflexology,”
Obstetrics and
Gynecology,
vol. 82 (1993), pp. 901–11; Jeanne Blum,
Woman Heal Thyself
(Boston: Charles Tuttle, 1995).

56
. J. Prior et al., “Conditioning Exercise Decreases Premenstrual Symptoms: A Prospective Controlled Six-Month Trial,”
Fertility and Sterility,
vol. 47 (1987), pp. 402–9.

57
. During the menstrual cycle, excess epinephrine released via stress (known as auto-nomic overdrive) may disrupt the natural autonomic nervous system balance. E. W. Winenman, “Autonomic Balance Changes During the Human Menstrual Cycle,”
Psychophysiology,
vol. 8, no. 1 (1971), pp. 1–6.

58
. American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG) 57th Annual Clinical Meeting, papers on current clinical and basic investigation, presented May 4, 2009.

59
. There is no uniformly agreed-upon definition of PMS in the medical literature, so many of the studies on the incidence of this disorder disagree. Regardless of medical definition, the experience of thousands of women around their menstrual cycle is one of emotional and physical suffering. F. L. Reid and S. S. Yen, “Premenstrual Syndrome,”
American Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology,
vol. 139 (1981), p. 86.

60
. Ronald Norris, “Progesterone for Premenstrual Tension,”
Journal of Reproductive
Medicine,
vol. 28, no. 8 (Aug. 1983), pp. 509–15.

61
. D. L. Jakubowicz, E. Godard, and J. Dewhurst, “The Treatment of Premenstrual Tension and Mefanamic Acid: Analysis of Prostaglandin Concentration,”
British
Journal of Obstetrics and Gynaecology,
vol. 91 (1984), p. 78.

62
. In one study, PMS patients consumed five times more dairy products than controls without PMS. The excess calcium intake from the dairy products may hinder magnesium absorption. G. S. Goci and G. E. Abraham, “Effect of Nutritional Supplement . . . on Symptoms of Premenstrual Tension,”
Journal of Reproductive
Medicine,
vol. 83 (1982), pp. 527–31.

63
. A. M. Rossignol, “Caffeine-Containing Beverages and Premenstrual Syndrome in Young Women,”
American Journal of Public Health,
vol. 75, no. 11 (1985), pp. 1335–37.

64
. B. L. Snider and D. F. Dietman, “Pyridoxine Therapy for Premenstrual Acne Flare,”
Archives of Dermatology,
vol. 110 (July 1974); G. E. Abraham and J. T. Hargrove, “Effect of Vitamin B on Premenstrual Tension Syndrome: A Double Blind Crossover Study,”
Infertility,
vol. 3 (1980), p. 155; M. S. Biskind, “Nutritional Deficiency in the Etiology of Menorrhagia Cystic Mastitis, Premenstrual Syndrome, and Treatment with Vitamin B Complex,”
Journal of Clinical Endocrinology
and Metabolism,
vol. 3 (1943), pp. 227–334; R. W. Engel, “The Relation of B Complex Vitamins and Dietary Fat to the Lipotropic Action of Choline,”
Journal of Biological Chemistry,
vol. 37 (1941), p. 140.

65
. D. G. Williams, “The Forgotten Hormone,”
Alternatives,
vol. 4, no. 6 (1991), p. 11.

66
. B. L. Denrefer et al., “Progesterone and Adenosine 3'5' Monophosphate Formation by Isolated Human Corpora Lutea of Different Ages: Influence of Human Chorionic Gonadotropin and Prostaglandins,”
Journal of Clinical Endocrinology
and Metabolism,
vol. 55 (1982), pp. 102–107.

67
. B. R. Goldin et al., “Estrogen Excretion Patterns and Plasma Levels in Vegetarian and Omnivorous Women,”
New England Journal of Medicine,
vol. 307 (1982), pp. 1542–47; B. R. Goldin et al., “Effect of Diet on Excretion of Estrogens in Pre-and Post-Menopausal Women,”
Cancer Research,
vol. 41 (1981), pp. 3771–73.

68
. G. E. Abraham, “Nutritional Factors in the Etiology of the Premenstrual Tension Syndromes,”
Journal of Reproductive Medicine,
vol. 28 (1983), p. 446; M. Lu-bran and G. Abraham, “Serum and Red Cell Magnesium Levels in Patients with Premenstrual Tension,”
American Journal of Clinical Nutrition,
vol. 34 (1982), p. 2364; G. E. Abraham and J. T. Hargrove, “Effect of Vitamin B on Premenstrual Tension Syndrome: A Double Blind Crossover Study,”
Infertility,
vol. 3 (1980), p. 155; Facchinetti et al., “Oral Magnesium.”

69
. R. S. Landau et al., “The Effect of Alpha Tocopherol in Premenstrual Symptoma-tology: A Double-Blind Trial,”
Journal of the American College of Nutrition,
vol. 2 (1983), pp. 115–23; M. R. Werback,
Nutritional Influences on Illness
(Tarzana, CA: Third Line Press, 1988).

70
. Lubran and Abraham, “Serum and Red Cell Magnesium Levels”; Facchinetti et al., “Oral Magnesium.”

71
. B. L. Parry et al., “Morning vs. Evening Bright Light Treatment of Late Luteal Phase Dysphoric Disorder,”
American Journal of Psychiatry,
vol. 146 (1991), p. 9.

72
. J. Ott,
Health and Light
(New York: Pocket Books, 1978); Z. Kime,
Sunlight
Could Save Your Life
(Penryn, CA: World Health Publications, 1980, available by writing to World Health Publications, P.O. Box 400, Penryn, CA 95663); Jacob Liberman,
Light: Medicine of the Future
(Santa Fe: Bear and Co., 1991); M. D. Rao, B. Muller-Oerlinghausen, and H. P. Volz, “The Influence of Phototherapy on Serotonin and Metatonin in Nonseasonal Depression,”
Pharmacopsychiatry,
vol. 23 (1990), pp. 155–58; J. E. Blundell, “Serotonin and Appetite,”
Neuropharma-cology,
vol. 23, no. 128 (1984), pp. 1537–51.

73
. M. Steiner et al., “Fluoxetine in the Treatment of Premenstrual Dysphoria,”
New
England Journal of Medicine,
vol. 332, no. 23 (1995), pp. 1529–34.

74
. S. Zuckerman, “The Menstrual Cycle,”
Lancet
(June 18, 1949), pp. 1031–35.

75
. Cystic and adenomatous hyperplasia of the endometrium is very common after periods of amenorrhea or anovulation. It is a benign condition if there is no atypia of the cells. A good gynecological pathologist can make a prediction as to how dangerous this condition is, depending upon the nature of the cells present on the specimen.

76
. F. Z. Stanczyk, R. J. Paulson, and S. Roy, “Percutaneous Administration of Progesterone: Blood Levels and Endometrial Protection,”
Menopause,
vol. 12, no. 2 (March 2005), pp. 232–37.

77
. Clomid has an estrogen-like structure. Its presence in the first half of the menstrual cycles causes the hypothalamus to put out increased levels of the hormones LH and FSH, thus stimulating the ovary to produce an egg.

78
. A. J. Hartz, P. N. Baroriak, A. Wong, et al., “The Association of Obesity with Infertility and Related Menstrual Abnormalities in Women,”
International Journal
of Obesity,
vol. 3 (1979), pp. 57–73.

79
. C. Benedetto, “Eicosanoids in Primary Dysmenorrhea, Endometriosis and Menstrual Migraines,”
Gynecological Endocrinology,
vol. 3, no. 1 (1989), pp. 71–94; A. Anderson et al., “Reduction of Menstrual Blood Loss by Prostaglandin-Synthetase Inhibitors,”
Lancet,
1967, p. 774.

80
. Hugh O’Connor and Adam Magos, “Endometrial Resection for the Treatment of Menorrhagia,”
New England Journal of Medicine,
vol. 335 (1996), pp. 151–56.

81
. American Psychological Association Task Force on the Sexualization of Girls,
Report
of the APA Task Force on the Sexualization of Girls
(Washington, DC: American Psychological Association, 2007); available online at
www.apa.org/pi/wpo/sexualization.html
.

82
. I was introduced to this concept by Tamara Slayton.

Chapter 6

1
. While doing the research for this book, I was amazed by the lack of data on the uterus itself, separate from childbearing. The silence on the organ speaks volumes.