Stopping Depo- Provera: Why and what to do about adverse experiences. April 1. 4, 2. 01. We wish to thank all the women who. Comments are now closed. ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() Those concerned about Depo- Provera and bone density may want to read Dr. Prior. A screen shot of comments to Laura Wershler’s blog post of April 4, 2. This is a graph of her basal body temperature for this cycle. As you can see, after ovulation on about day 20, her temperature began to rise due to the heat-inducing. As women, we go our whole lives hating our periods and thinking they were more of a pain than anything. They are a complete drag most of the time. The menstrual cycle is the correct term for the cycle (usually monthly) in which a woman Correcting Short Cycles, Hormones, & the Luteal Phase. Menstrual cycle balance and successfully achieving pregnancy go hand-in-hand. Women with PCOS often struggle with irregular menstrual cycles. Taking herbs following a biphasic cycle, which mimics a normal menstrual cycle, may help the body to. How to Determine First Day of Menstrual Cycle. Having a good understanding of your menstrual cycle allows you to make informed decisions about your health and family. Coming off Depo- Provera can be a woman’s worst nightmare.”With 2. They report that health- care professionals seem unable to explain their problems or to offer effective solutions. What is puzzling for many is why they are experiencing symptoms like sore breasts, heavy and ongoing bleeding (or not getting flow back at all), digestive problems, weight gain and mood issues when they stop Depo. This post aims to briefly explain how Depo works to prevent pregnancy, its common side effects and, most importantly, why and what to do about adverse experiences when stopping it. What follows is my interview with Dr. ![]() Prior, Society for Menstrual Cycle Research board member, professor of endocrinology at the University of British Columbia, and scientific director of the Centre for Menstrual Cycle and Ovulation Research. Prior, what is Depo- Provera. Depo is a shot of MPA given every three months in the large dose of 1. Depo prevents pregnancy by . The other reason is that where the endometrium has gotten thin it is more likely to break down and bleed. These unpredictable flow side- effects of Depo are something that women should expect and plan for since they occur in the early days of use for every woman. After the first year of Depo (depending on the age and weight of the woman) about a third of women will have no more bleeding. The irregularity in menstrual cycle is commonly caused by hormonal imbalance which fortunately, is treatable. Whether there is a delayed or early. Menopause, also known as the climacteric, is the time in most women's lives when menstrual periods stop permanently, and they are no longer able to bear children. The patient should try to recall what seems to bring on the headache and anything that relieves it. Keeping a headache diary is a useful way to. LW: What about headaches and depression? Ask Jerilynn: It is not clear why headaches increase on Depo. Perhaps they are related to the higher stress hormones the body makes whenever estrogen levels drop. Unfortunately, headaches tend to increase over time, rather than getting better as the not- so- funny bleeding does. The reasons for depression are mysterious to me but this is an important adverse effect. I believe that anyone who has previously had an episode of depression (whether diagnosed or not, but sufficient to interfere with life and work) should avoid Depo. LW: Although there has been little discussion about bone health concerns on the previous blog post, I think we should address the fact that Depo causes bone loss. How does it do this? Ask Jerilynn: As we discussed, Depo causes estrogen levels to drop. Dropping estrogen levels always cause bone loss. Several randomized, blinded studies for example, have shown that if women taking Depo wear an estrogen patch, compared with a placebo patch, they don. MPA, like progesterone, stimulates new bone to form but this formation is not visible while bone loss is high (as in, while taking Depo). The increase in bone density on stopping Depo is because rising estrogen levels prevent bone loss and the increased bone formation then becomes visible. I have tended to think the bone loss is not an important problem because the bone density returns to normal. However, women at osteoporosis risk do have more broken bones while on Depo. Therefore I recommend that all woman choosing Depo for contraception have at least three high calcium (dairy or calcium- fortified) foods per day (or take one 5. IU of vitamin D3 daily. It is probably wise for teens to avoid Depo if they have a personal history of amenorrhea (no flow for three or more months), or a close relative (mother, grandfather or sister) who had a broken bone without a major fall. A similar weight gain occurs in women or in animals when their ovaries are removed. It is probably the body. Can you comment on this? Ask Jerilynn. What I do know is that abdominal problems are common in general for women and haven. I suspect, again, that the drop in estrogen level triggers stress hormones that cause crampy gut pain and changes in bowel habits. Stopping Depo- Provera: What is causing adverse effects and what to do about them. LW: Thanks for explaining the side effects women experience while taking Depo. What happens and why are women miserable when they stop it? Ask Jerilynn: First let me say that I have looked in the recent medical literature and been unable to find any studies of women. One would surely hope that drug regulatory bodies have required research on the return to fertility in women taking Depo. ![]() ![]() Here. This means that (figuratively speaking) the hypothalamus, pituitary and ovaries have . The result is erratic but high estrogen levels causing nausea, sore breasts, fluid retention and abdominal bloating, mood swings and heavy or prolonged vaginal bleeding. With high estrogen levels and weight gain, plus the . I believe that it is this estrogen- progesterone imbalance that is leading to all these miserable symptoms. LW: Many women who have shared their experiences on my previous post also seem very concerned by the delayed return to normal menstrual cycles, with some experiencing no bleeding for months. Others seem to have flooding and continual flow. On the other hand, those who have heavy and/or prolonged vaginal bleeding are likely older (and often perimenopausal. Another possibility is that women have become perimenopausal during their years on Depo. Thus when they stop Depo they are now in a symptomatic perimenopause that the Depo was preventing or treating. LW: Some women have noted extreme weight gain upon stopping Depo. Can you explain why this might be happening? Ask Jerilynn: If estrogen levels are high and progesterone levels are low, the natural result is inappropriate hunger and weight gain. Progesterone levels following ovulation make women burn about 3. I think this weight gain side- effect of stopping is also due . What causes this? Ask Jerilynn: This is directly caused by the . Sore breasts tell us that our estrogen levels are higher than the highest normal mid- cycle estrogen peak. If it is sore when you press your palm onto your nipple, you don? These symptoms are typically associated with perimenopause, the transition to menopause. Ask Jerilynn. Some women who have become perimenopausal while on Depo will have had their hot flushes and night sweats effectively treated by the progestin. Therefore, when they stop, they experience the symptoms of perimenopause including night sweats and daytime hot flushes. That brings me to another educated guess. They may already be starting into perimenopause but the signs, such as hot flushes, are masked while on Depo. However, off Depo the estrogen swings (that may be high both because of stopping Depo and because of changes related to perimenopause) cause hot flushes and night sweats. When you add the estrogen excess production on stopping Depo to perimenopause (. No wonder women are so frustrated and doctors are so puzzled. LW: Many women are told to just . If not, what would you suggest? Ask Jerilynn. One tablet four times on every heavy- flow day, decreases flow by almost a half. See this article about how to manage flooding or heavy vaginal bleeding. You can take ibuprofen on your own and track your own cycles by downloading and completing the Daily Perimenopause Diary. Having such a record will help your health care provider to understand what you are experiencing as well as allowing you to know for yourself what is going on. If ibuprofen does not sufficiently decrease heavy flow so you can cope, you will likely need to ask your physician. You will need a prescription in order to take what I next recommend, cyclic or daily progesterone. The answer is progesterone every day for three months (plus ibuprofen on every heavy flow day). Just keep doing that two weeks . Even without flow, this treatment will increase bone density (based on a trial we did years ago). If, in the course of taking cyclic progesterone you start getting irregular flow, follow the instructions (and picture) in that handout carefully. Most of all, think of this as restoring a normal balance of your own hormones and ovulatory menstrual cycles. When you start noticing stretchy mucus about the middle of the month, this means your estrogen levels are recovering. Now you can actively start working on becoming pregnant, if this is your desire. You will take the progesterone for two weeks or fourteen days but start checking for your urinary LH peak (with a fertility kit you can buy over the counter) in the evening when you notice stretchy vaginal mucus. Only begin the progesterone after you see the LH peak (a positive test) or after the stretchy mucus decreases. The reason is that if you take the progesterone too early it could suppress that necessary LH peak. Sore breasts, bloating and/or nausea: These symptoms mean high estrogen levels, usually without any or enough progesterone. Increasing exercise, increasing vegetables and fruits, and decreasing junk/snacks and desserts (except fruit) will decrease estrogen levels in premenopausal women. Follow the suggestions about how to take progesterone on the Cyclic Progesterone Therapy. If sore breasts get better but still persist, you can also try (gradually) decreasing your caffeine and alcohol intakes. Hot flushes and night sweats: To start, I think it is important to realize that the experience of hot flushes or night sweats means you are in perimenopause. So, although it is not much help, you can blame some of what you are experiencing on perimenopause instead of just on stopping Depo! Ce. MCOR recently proved that progesterone is effective for treatment of menopausal hot flushes in a randomized, placebo- controlled trial. We are now testing its effectiveness for perimenopausal hot flushes in a similar controlled study. If you live anywhere in Canada, you could potentially participate. If, as is typical in very early perimenopause, you are waking at night feeling hot (and often sweaty or irritable) on only a few nights a month, and usually around flow, then cyclic progesterone works. Take it for 1. 4 days, but if you typically have night sweats on the first few nights of flow, continue it a few more days. Adrenal Fatigue Recovery: Diet, Lifestyle and Supplements. The Adrenal Glands: Not just another spleen. In my high school biology class, we gave the adrenal glands as much attention as the spleen. That is to say, we gave them no attention. We memorized the roles of the liver, the route of urine through the kidneys, and the complete lifecycle of the human egg. But the adrenal glands? Those things didn’t even appear in the Extra Credit questions of an exam. Many of you consider your adrenal glands as just another spleen: you know you have both organs, but they don’t get any special attention. Your daily choices either abuse or support these glands, however. If your adrenals take too much abuse, it leads to adrenal fatigue. Adrenal fatigue is currently a chic diagnosis in the world of alternative medicine, although most doctors do not recognize this health issue. As someone who has struggled with adrenal fatigue, I can tell you that it is very real. Fortunately, with some straight- forward dietary and lifestyle changes, you will be on your path to adrenal fatigue recovery. Symptoms of adrenal fatigue. Do many of these symptoms describe you? Then adopting an adrenal recovery diet and lifestyle is a key step in reaching your optimal health. Low energy through the day and trouble getting out of bed. Low thyroid function (hypothyroid)Inability to lose weight. Low or no libido. Low blood pressure. Dizzy when standing up (this was the key symptom for me to discover my adrenal fatigue!)Cravings for salt and sugar. Anxiety, mental exhaustion, and/or depression. Reduced immunity (you get every cold that goes around). The outer part of the adrenal gland, the adrenal cortex, secretes the corticosteroid hormones including cortisol that monitor the body’s metabolism, inflammation, and blood pressure. The adrenal medulla, the inner part, secretes adrenaline and noradrenaline, hormones that respond to stressors. When the adrenal medulla fires, it increases the heart rate, boosts blood flow to the muscles, and creates a surge of glucose (blood sugar) in the bloodstream. This mechanism evolved so we could draw from a quick burst of energy in a fight- or- flight situation. What is adrenal fatigue? Adrenal fatigue results when dietary and lifestyle choices cause the adrenal glands to exhaust after firing over and over. Our hunter- gatherer ancestors didn’t fatigue his adrenal glands because they only needed a burst of stress hormones during the occasional flight- or- fight situation. When we face chronic stress, however, it means that our adrenal glands fire constantly. This depletes the adrenal glands and compromises their ability to perform their tasks, like the controlled secretion of corticosteroid hormones. This leads to chronic fatigue, an impaired immune system, inflammation, and the other symptoms of adrenal fatigue. There are numerous situations that frequently precede adrenal fatigue. Here are some common causes, according to Dr. James Wilson, author of Adrenal Fatigue: The 2. Century Syndrome: Sudden life change, such as a move or loss of a job. Severe emotional trauma. Single parenting. College life. Drug or alcohol abuse. All work, little play. Perfectionist mentality towards life or work. Another type of chronic stress that contributes to adrenal fatigue is blood sugar problems. When we eat imbalanced meals, high in carbs and low in fat, it causes first hyperglycemia (high blood sugar) and then hypoglycemia (low blood sugar). In response to the dangerous blood sugar crash, the adrenal glands kick in with stress hormones to mobilize glucose and raise blood sugar. The problem is that the adrenals aren’t meant to be drawn on for daily blood sugar regulation. They are only supposed to fill that role very occasionally. When it happens on a regular basis, it drains the adrenals. How do I confirm adrenal fatigue? The symptoms of adrenal fatigue are non- specific, meaning they can relate to other health issues. So it’s difficult to diagnose adrenal fatigue with just symptoms. I believe one key indicator of adrenal fatigue is lifestyle choices and health history. Are you currently exhausted, although you used to be a busy bee? Have you always taken on more than you can handle, but now you are unable to keep up? Do you rely on caffeine to get through the day? While adopting an adrenal fatigue diet and lifestyle certainly won’t hurt if you don’t have adrenal fatigue, the way to confirm adrenal fatigue is a cortisol saliva test. All you have to do is spit in some vials, stick them in the freezer, and mail them to a lab. After processing, you’ll receive a chart that shows if your cortisol levels throughout the day are normal or wonky. You can request this test from a naturopath or natural health practitioner. Why it is important to address adrenal fatigue? Without good adrenal function, the body can’t properly regulate blood sugar. This perpetuates inflammation and weight issues. Without healthy adrenals, the thyroid takes a big hit. It is impossible to fix hypothyroidism without also correcting adrenal fatigue. Women, it’s vitally important to fix your adrenal fatigue before menopause. Healthy adrenal function can prevent most – if not all – of the unpleasant symptoms associated with menopause. Once adrenal fatigue corrected, you’ll feel like you have your mojo back. You will be able to wake up with energy and motivation, you’ll have your libido back and you’ll have the energy to get through your day. Natural Adrenal Fatigue Recovery. Three important factors work together to address adrenal fatigue: diet, supplements, and lifestyle. Of all three, the most important – and challenging – is lifestyle. Diet and supplements certainly improve adrenal fatigue, but you must make the lifestyle changes. The Adrenal Fatigue Recovery Diet. Start Primal. This eliminates grains, legumes, refined sugar and vegetable oils – all foods that stress the adrenals and increase inflammation. While it is possible, but difficult, to address adrenal fatigue on a vegetarian diet, it is impossible to reach optimal adrenal health on a vegan diet. Do breakfast correctly. In Your Personal Paleo Code, expert Chris Kresser advocates a very high protein breakfast for adrenal fatigue. He suggests 4. 0 grams of protein at breakfast, which promotes stable blood sugar through the day. I’m unable to consume 4. I consume at least 2. Also, enjoy breakfast within 3. Also, I recommend consuming a very low- carb breakfast (eggs, sausage and veggies, for example). Carbs can create drowsiness due to insulin release, and carb- digesting enzymes also peak in the evening. So enjoy your sweet potato with dinner, rather than breakfast. Unrefiend salt. Since adequate sodium in the blood is essential for healthy blood pressure, we can experience dizziness when aldosterone levels drop. Most people with adrenal fatigue crave salt. This is not the time to practice intermittent fasting! Your body is unable to properly monitor salt and glucose levels in your blood, so you must provide those factors frequently. Meals should focus on vegetables, healthy fats. Fruit juices, refined sugars and grains should be avoided because they wreck havoc on your blood sugar. Mindfully consume fluids. Dietary dogma hounds us to drink 8- 1. This stresses a healthy persons metabolism but chronically compromises the metabolism of someone with adrenal fatigue. Too much fluid reduces thyroid function, which works hand in hand with the adrenal glands. Additionally, too much water further dilutes to imbalanced sodium in your blood, exacerbating dizziness. Follow the simple tips in my post Hydrate for Metabolic Health. Enjoy lots of good fats. Monounsaturated fats from avocado and unadulterated olive oil can also be enjoyed. Strictly limit nuts and seeds, because the fatty acid profile and anti- nutrients impair thyroid function and digestion. Avoid all plant oils, including canola oil, sunflower oil, safflower oil, grapeseed oil, and hemp oil. He suggests aiming for about 2. Favor fresh fruits and starchy vegetables for carb intake. A low carb diet exacerbates adrenal fatigue. During my short stint on a low carb diet (yes, I did try it before I knew better!) my adrenal fatigue symptoms drastically intensified. Eliminate. Glandular treatment, the ingestion of small amounts of animal glands, is a traditional treatment practiced by ancient healers from across the globe. When it comes to glandulars, less is usually better and quality counts. I follow the dose recommendation on the bottle. Vitamin C. Experts widely recommend vitamin C for adrenal fatigue recovery. Ascorbic acid, the popular choice for vitamin C supplementation, is a synthetic compound usually made from GMO corn. It also kills the good bacteria in our digestive tract, so it is not a good option for the long term (read more). I use plant- sourced vitamin C, either these acerola powder or camu camu capsules. Pastured Beef, Chicken or Pork Liver – Gram for gram, pasture- raised liver is the most nutrient- dense food on the planet. It provides true vitamin A, an essential nutrient for adrenal fatigue recovery and hormone balance in general. I am extremely cautious of using hormones or pre- hormones for therapy because they can do much more harm than good, especially in the long- term. I am not disagreeing with their experience, but I had severe adrenal fatigue and dedicated myself to healing through diet and lifestyle, without the need for expensive and potentially harmful supplements. If you do look into the option of DHEA, progesterone or pregnenolone, seek the guidance of the most experienced professional you can find. Lifestyle Changes for Adrenal Fatigue Recovery. Sleep. It’s time to move sleep to a number one priority. Be in bed, ready to sleep, by 1. It’s just one month, you can do it! After the month, depending on the severity of your adrenal fatigue, you may be able to have a more lenient bedtime but for best results, stick to a 1. Stop the intense exercise for a month. Early Menstrual, Menstruation Cycle Reasons. Reasons for an Early Menstrual Period. All fertile females experience the menstrual cycle of physiological change. The menstrual cycle is under the endocrine system’s control and is essential for reproduction. There are three phases of a normal menstrual cycle: Follicular or menstruation phase. Ovulation or Proliferative phase. Luteal or Secretory phase. The average menstrual cycle is usually twenty- eight days, but it may vary from woman to woman depending on the length of time that occurs in each phase. Females or girls experience their first menstrual cycle during the later stage of puberty or at the age of twelve or anywhere between eight and sixteen. Several factors can affect early menstrual cycle or the delayed menstruation. This may include diet, heredity and one’s overall health. Reasons for an early menstrual period, irregular, missed or too frequent periods are usually benign. The irregularity in menstrual cycle is commonly caused by hormonal imbalance which fortunately, is treatable. Signs of Fertility. Whether there is a delayed or early menstrual period, menstruation or menstrual bleeding is a sign that a woman is not pregnant and will be on her most fertile period five days before or one or two days after the ovulation phase. During menstruation, one may experience cramping in the abdomen and thighs, back pain, and irritability. What are the Causes of Early Periods. Early menstrual period reasons happen when hormonal signals are thrown out of sync. Your body produces hormones such as estrogen and progesterone. These hormones are found in the pituitary gland, the hypothalamus and the ovaries. They send signals to one another to trigger menstruation and ovulation. When the hormonal signals are deregulated, it can cause an early (or irregular) menstrual cycle. Here are some reasons that cause the change in hormonal levels: Stress: Fatigue, too much worrying, and anxiousness can cause the hormonal imbalance. Diet: Extreme weight loss or weight gain, or basically a poor diet greatly affects the hormones. Exercise: Intense exercise can cause havoc on the body and thereby could be a reason for an early period. Menstrual Complications. Early menstrual period by itself does not generally indicate any major complication. Most women would have regular menstrual cycle and periods later on. There are instances when some underlying complications are the reason for what causes early periods. If in the course of a menstrual period, you observe something different, which is consistent like excess flow or scanty flow of blood, severe cramping and headache, nausea or fainting, then you should seek medical attention right away.
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