In the office the other day I saw Mrs. G age 45, who was complaining of worsening PMS, weight gain, fatigue and depression.
Mrs. G is very typical of the woman I see between the ages of 40 and 50. She has been to the medical doctor who has recommended that she take a low dose birth control pill (BCP) to help control her peri-menopause symptoms.
She has had reactions to BCP’s in the past and wants to avoid the possible increased risk of breast cancer. She has been reading about the possible links of taking estrogens and the increase risk of breast cancer.
She doesn’t have a family history of breast cancer but she has had a history of lumpy painful breasts (fibrocystic breast disease, FBD) and doesn’t want to take anything that may also aggravate that condition.
I suggest that we do a lab work up as the results she has brought in from her doctor are more than one year old and a TSH, triglycerides (TG), HDL and LDL cholesterol, and ferritin were not done.
The lab work I do on her reveals that she has a low ferritin (iron stores), probably due to her period which has been on the heavier side over the last five years; high normal TSH which indicates a borderline under-active thyroid; and her TG’s are on the high side of normal indicating in increasing inability to utilize sugars.
I explained to her that when I treat the anemia and the low thyroid that her energy, FBD and her PMS will improve. She is in peri-menopause which are the 10 years before the period actually stops and when the period can change or not, but the thyroid and adrenal glands are under more stress as the ovaries struggle to maintain a homeostasis in her body.
We can support all of these hormonal organs or what we call the endocrine system so that her transition into menopause can be less symptomatic. I give her a good non-constipating iron supplement, and herbs to jump-start her thyroid.
To support her endocrine system and liver, I recommend my menopausal tonic that helps to regulate estrogens and progesterones in the body as well as support the liver and adrenal glands. Within days of taking this tonic she will feel more emotionally stable, more energetic, and she will notice her periods to be less crampy and less heavy.
The reason for her increasing weight is that her TG’s are elevating along with her fasting blood sugar that indicates according to Dr. Reaven MD, that she is developing insulin resistance. This means that the insulin she is producing is not getting the blood sugar into the cells where it is needed for energy production, and instead is converted into fats, and stored and thus the reason for the weight gain.
The most common culprit for this development is the ingestion of too many carbohydrates of any form. It is hard for her to understand this because she has been taught and read that it is fats in her diet that create fat in her body, not carbohydrates.
I explain that one of the reasons we are seeing an explosion of diabetes in North America in the last 20 years is the push to a high carbohydrate diet in place of meats and fats and this has made many insulin resistant!
By the time this shows up as a blood sugar problem in the form of diabetes, insulin resistance has been happening for many years!
I encourage her to limit carbohydrates in the form of breads, sugars and potatoes, and encourage good quality lean, organic protein sources. She will notice that as she increases her protein intake that her cravings for sugars will decrease.
Good omega 3 and 6 fats are very important and I convince her that the calories in flax-oil will in fact lower her cravings for poor quality fats such as found in chips and crackers and lower her heart disease, breast and colon cancer risk. It is one of the most simple bowel regulators I know!
On her next visit I will want to discuss bone density issues, heart disease risk prevention, and brain function as she ages. Mrs. G is a typical "baby boomer" who wants to age successfully so that she can remain in optimal health as she reaches retirement age and have the fun that she has been saving for!
Dr. Pincott has been practicing naturopathic medicine since 1985 and is currently practicing in Campbell River. She can be reached at (250) 286-3655 or