PMS Treatments Cincinnati OH

by David Edelberg, MD

I can't imagine what PMS actually feels like, but having heard the litany of miserable symptoms from thousands of my women patients, it sounds pretty dismal. But just because I happen to be a male physician doesn't mean I can't offer help. Trust me on this: most women can resolve the miseries of PMS on their own.

However, with the potential for two separate imbalances at play in PMS, one treatment size definitely doesn't fit all.

Step 1 is to find the symptoms that describe your own PMS and follow my herbal recommendations for a natural, drug-free solution. Then, check out the four easy additional steps that will speed your PMS recovery process.

Step 1

Let's start by looking at the two different types of PMS. Which group do you fall into?

• PMS symptoms of breast tenderness, headaches, bloating and fluid retention indicate you have too much estrogen relative to progesterone. If this describes your PMS, then I recommend chasteberry, one of my favorite herbs because it's incredibly effective. Chasteberry acts on your pituitary, the master gland of your body, to correct your hormone imbalance and, in turn, eliminate symptoms of estrogen-dominant PMS. Most of my patients report dramatic relief after two monthly cycles. Take 175-225 mg daily on an empty stomach when you don't have your period. Chasteberry is often the major component of the very effective PMS Herbal combinations, which also contain dong quai, black cohosh, and dandelion. Since chasteberry changes your hormone levels, you should not take it if you're taking birth control pills (because it can reduce effectiveness) or hormone replacement therapy, or if you're breastfeeding or pregnant.

• PMS symptoms of irritability, mood swings, depression, brain fog, chocolate (and other carb) cravings, anger, and snarkiness occur because your falling estrogen during the days before menstrual flow is dragging down your feel-good serotonin, a brain chemical related to good mood. If you fall into this group, you need to shore up your serotonin with two supplements that act like mild antidepressants: the herb St. John's wort and the amino acid 5HTP. Take 450 mg of St. John's wort twice daily with food during the two calendar weeks before your period. In addition, take 100 mg of 5HTP before you go to sleep during these days.

• Anticipating your next question: Yes, you can have both types of PMS going on at once. And also, yes, your PMS symptoms can begin as early as one week after your menstrual flow stops. I call this .Industrial Strength PMS.. Treat this using everything in our natural arsenal above: chasteberry (or a PMS combination), St. John's wort, and 5HTP

Steps 2-5

To speed up the process of getting rid of symptoms, I strongly suggest my patients with any PMS follow these additional steps:

• If necessary, change your food choices Drop the junk food, especially foods rich in saturated fats and sugars. Focus mostly on whole foods like fruits, veggies, nice lean protein, and whole grains. Replace refined, processed foods with high-quality carbohydrates.kidney beans, black beans, oatmeal, and nuts. Buy bags of pre-washed baby spinach, cook lightly, and top with olive oil, lemon, and capers. I promise you that eating well makes a tremendous difference in your PMS.

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