Do you dread your periods with mind-numbing cramps and wicked mood swings that make you feel like you’re not yourself?
Maybe you also deal with embarrassing acne outbreaks and bloating that really affects your social life?
Or maybe you experience headaches, shoulder tension, and back pain as the “oh so annoying” calling card that your period is here?
If any of these symptoms sound familiar, you might be experiencing PMS caused by hormonal imbalances.
You shouldn’t just have to “grin and bear” PMS and in fact, you don’t have to live with these symptoms!
Many of the symptoms you are experiencing are caused by a number of imbalances that could also be compromising your health in other ways.
Hormonal imbalances that cause PMS can be caused by diet choices, gut dysbiosis or digestive issues, lack of sleep, environmental toxins, stress, and even nutritional imbalances. Unfortunately, these root causes are rarely addressed by your traditional PCP or even your OB-GYN. This is one of the many reasons why there is still confusion around PMS and how to treat it.
When patients present with hormonal imbalances or conditions like PMS, most traditionally-trained clinicians will focus on medications to treat the symptoms. PMS is typically treated with anti-inflammatory drugs (such as Advil or Aleve which can harm your gut health) and/or birth control pills. While oral birth control may lessen the symptoms, it can be a real concern for several reasons.
Unfortunately, this can bring on more unwanted side effects (especially for woman who are estrogen-dominant) and greatly increase their breast cancer risk.
One of the reasons why many conventional health practitioners are at a loss to treat PMS, is that it’s typically brought on by lifestyle factors that they are not trained to treat.
Hormonal imbalances have become one of the major health issues for women. All too often, women don’t make the connection between hormone imbalances and a long list of life-draining symptoms that include moodiness, anxiety, issues with sleep, and even memory loss or poor focus.
The functional medicine approach is to not only understand the root cause of any imbalance, including something that “seems simple or acceptable” like PMS, but also how other systems in your body may be impacted by or connected to the imbalance.
While there is no one hormone involved in triggering PMS, we begin with a comprehensive look at all your hormones using advanced lab testing. This gives us a clearer picture of where you may need the most support in the areas of nutrition, gut and hormone imbalances that are typically part of PMS.
As part of our hormone reset program, we devise a full body-balancing protocol that not only resolves your PMS, but also rebalances other areas that may be causing havoc with your hormones – including diet, gut health, lifestyle and stress factors, sleep habits and more.
If you have been experiencing symptoms that may be connected with PMS and are looking for answers, schedule a health strategy session today so you can see what your best next steps are.
Do you have questions about starting your path back to health? Our patient coordinator is standing by, happy to answer any questions you have to determine if our approach is right for you.
The Gut Doc is located in Kirkwood, Missouri, and serves clients throughout the St. Louis Area and surrounding areas, including St. Louis City and County, St. Charles County, Jefferson County, Franklin County, Illinois counties of Madison, St. Clair and Monroe.