Women's Bodies, Women's Wisdom (31 page)

Do I believe that I have the power to change the conditions of my life?

Consider journaling the answers. As you do so, also write down everything that you’d like to create in your life. See how much enthusiasm and energy you can muster simply by imagining what it would be like to let your creative talents or secret selves manifest fully. Note where you have any blocks to this process. They will usually be identifiable as “yes, but . . .” statements, such as “Yes, I’d love to sew beautiful clothing regularly, but there’s no way I can get the time.” You will soon be able to identify the limiting beliefs that are blocking your creativity.

Realize that this inner work is a vital part of any plan to promote pelvic health, because while any one of the components of this plan (including dietary changes and supplements) will help, none is likely to completely cure pelvic problems if you do not also address the energetic cause and release the energy blockages in the pelvis. In fact, I’ve seen fibroid patients go on very strict macrobiotic diets, only to find that their fibroids have actually grown. These women usually had unresolved childhood issues, such as incest, or were married to abusive partners.

Use affirmations. Regularly affirm your power to change your life for the better by saying this affirmation out loud in the mirror twice per day for a month: “The healing power that created the universe is now working in and through me, creating quickly and easily the perfect outcome—the perfect result.”

Homeopathy

Try homeopathy. Although I have not been trained in it, I wholeheartedly embrace homeopathic medicine, which addresses the vibratory nature of life at its deepest levels. Practitioners report that fibroids shrink or disappear and many gynecological symptoms can be alleviated with the right homeopathic remedy. Homeopathic medicine is a type of natural medicine that was very pop ular at the turn of the century. In fact, the very first placebo-controlled, double-blind clinical trials were designed by homeopaths to prove the efficacy of homeopathic remedies, which must be individually prescribed. A variety of homeopathic remedies are available specifically for gynecological problems.

Castor Oil Packs

Use castor oil packs to improve immune system functioning and decrease stress and adrenaline levels. Also known as palma Christi (the palm of Christ), castor oil has been used for healing for hundreds of years. The medical intuitive Edgar Cayce often prescribed this treatment for many different conditions. I was introduced to it by Gladys McGarey, M.D., who has used the packs in her general practice for over forty years.

The packs are made by saturating a piece of wool or cotton flannel, folded so that it is four thicknesses, with cold-pressed castor oil. The oil-saturated flannel is then placed directly on the skin of the lower abdomen and covered with a piece of plastic, such as a plas tic bag. Heat, in the form of a hot water bottle or heating pad, is then applied over the pack and the plastic. A blanket or towel can be placed over the heat source to keep everything in place. I prefer a nonelectric heat source and often recommend a hot water bottle or a Fomentek bag. (See Resources for everything you need to make a castor oil pack.)

Recline with a castor oil pack applied to your lower abdomen at least three times per week for one hour each time, except during times of heavy bleeding. During this treatment, I suggest that you pay attention to thoughts, images, and feelings that arise and make note of them in a journal. This regimen should be followed for at least three months and then can be tapered down to once a week. (A good alternative is taking warm baths for twenty to thirty minutes; add a few drops of rose oil, an aromatherapy treatment known for its soothing effects.)

Natural Progesterone

Consider natural progesterone, which in combination with lifestyle changes often produces profound improvement in PMS symptoms.
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In their capacity as neurotrans mitters, estrogen and progesterone clearly affect mood. Estrogen, if un opposed by progesterone, tends to irritate the nervous system. Progesterone, on the other hand, is associated with tranquility and is a central nervous system relaxant. It binds to the same receptors in the brain as Valium and has a soothing and relaxing effect.
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I recommend natural progesterone for women who have moderate to severe PMS that doesn’t respond to simple lifestyle changes and who often describe a Jekyll-and-Hyde personality change premenstrually. Natural progesterone also works well for women whose major premenstrual symptom is a migraine-type headache. These headaches often start with the gradual change in estrogen and progesterone levels that tends to occur in the years leading up to menopause.

Natural progesterone is not the same thing as the synthetic progesterones (progestins), such as medroxyprogesterone acetate (Provera) and norethindrone (commonly used in birth control pills). There are no serious side effects with natural progesterone at the usual doses. Sometimes it might cause inter-menstrual spotting or delay the period. This usually resolves itself in one to two months. Extremely high doses—much higher than I recommend—have been associated with euphoria and occasional dizziness in rare cases. Oral natural progesterone is available by prescription from your doctor. The dosage depends on the symptoms; usually it is 50 to 200 mg orally on a daily basis from midcycle to the onset of menses (usually days fourteen to twenty-eight of the cycle), for at least three months. Natural proges terone can also be given vaginally for thirty days or more, depending on the patient.

It’s also available in the form of skin creams. Note that while natural progesterone is synthesized from wild Mexican yams, creams that contain only yam extract, though helpful for some women, are not the same as those that contain adequate amounts of natural progesterone. Formulary pharmacies always carry natural progesterone.

For application to the skin, you can use one of several natural progesterone creams available over the counter, or have your doctor prescribe one for you from a pharmacy that specializes in individualized prescriptions. I have recommended a 2 percent progesterone cream such as Emerita for many years. (See Resources for a list of brand names.) These 2 percent creams contain at least 375 mg of natural progesterone per ounce. One-quarter to one-half teaspoon applied to the skin once or twice per day has been shown to result in physiological levels of progesterone that match those found in the normal luteal phase.
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General instructions are to apply one-quarter to one-half teaspoon (approximately 30–60 mg) on the soft areas of skin (breasts, abdomen, neck, face, inner arms, or hands) in the morning and again in the evening. Apply on days fourteen through twenty-eight of your menstrual cycle for at least three months. The precise timing and dosage will vary from woman to woman, how ever. It is important to get the progesterone into your system
before
you normally experience your mood change. You need to apply the cream a day or two before ovulation or a day or two before your symptoms usually start. For some women, this will be on day twenty-one; for others, day twelve or thirteen. Continue through the first day of men strual bleeding (day one of the cycle). This will often prevent symptoms or greatly alleviate them. Waiting until you are symptomatic to start treatment often doesn’t work. Increase or decrease the dosage depending on the severity of the symptoms; most women have to experiment to find a level that works for them. You may safely use natural progesterone for more than two weeks of your cycle provided that you inter rupt use in each cycle for at least twelve hours.

Synthetic progestins, as opposed to natural progesterone, have many known side effects, such as bloating, headache, and weight gain. Unfortunately, many woman are told that synthetic progestin is the same as natural progesterone. But synthetic progestins can actually increase PMS symptoms, because taking a synthetic progestin decreases the body’s natural progesterone levels.

Women who do well on progesterone are often those who experience a rapid change in mood that begins after ovulation and ends just as the menstrual flow starts. They describe feeling fine and then within several hours having a “black cloud” come over them.
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When their periods start, they feel as though “a light has gone on.” These women are describing a biochemical change in their bodyminds that is very real and not just “in their heads.”

The possible relative imbalance between estrogen, progesterone, and other hormones that is associated with PMS appears to be a dy namic, changing phenomenon that currently cannot be documented with existing laboratory tests. A subtle hormonal imbalance is also associated with irregular periods and emotional stress. Emotional stress increases levels of the hormone ACTH, often resulting in anovulatory cycles (cycles in which an egg is not released) characterized by inadequate levels of progesterone.
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The use of natural progesterone over time helps rebalance the estrogen-progesterone ratio. Using natural progesterone produces a gradual improvement of symptoms with each cycle. Many women are able to decrease or eliminate their dosages over time once their symptoms have been completely relieved (though progesterone has many beneficial effects, and some may want to stay on it even after PMS symptoms are gone). It is much more effective, however, to start out with dosages that are on the high end of usual and stay with these for several months. Many women are able to reestablish hormonal balance without this hormone, but it can be very helpful in the beginning.