Menstrual Difficulties and Homeopathy

W e women are so very lucky in that we have a monthly reminder of our toxicity levels during the days before and during our menses.  Our menses is one way that the body detoxifies each month.  Physically it does this through our menstrual flow.  If I prescribe a very good homeopathic remedy that kick-starts the body’s natural healing process towards balance then my client will often notice quite a change in their first menstrual flow that follows the remedy.  Where previously the flow has been light now it becomes more normal, if the flow has been too heavy, after their remedy it might become somewhat lighter.  Sometimes the client may experience a very heavy and dark, almost black flow initially where the body is taking the opportunity to release toxicity.  After that initial cleansing response the menses will settle down and come into more of a balance.

Our menses not only benefits us by the physical clearing of toxins, it also shows us how much emotional toxicity that we are carrying around with us on a month-to-month basis.  How much stress, suppressed grief, anger and pain that we have sitting within our beings.  This is what we commonly refer to as Premenstrual Tension (PMT).  Have you ever noticed that after a particularly stressful month that your PMT is much worse?  When clients undergo constitutional homeopathic care they will particularly notice that their PMT reduces significantly and finally goes completely as they clear out and heal their underlying emotional issues and wounds.

Homoeopathy can help any female at any age with their hormone related health issues but I really love having the opportunity to help teenagers who are just beginning to experience menstruating.  The life of a teenager can be fraught with all sorts of emotions, current and also past family issues.  This can add to premenstrual tension as well as unbalancing their hormone system resulting in irritability and mood swings.  Add to that menstrual cycles that can be painful, exhausting , too heavy or that are nearly continuous or with spotting in between and life can soon become miserable.  I remember as a teenager, my menstrual cycle each month was so unbearably painful that I would dread it’s appearance and beg my mother for a hysterectomy.  Thankfully my mother took me to a homeopath and my menses soon came into balance with reduced pain and less PMT.

Nowadays, I see many teenage girls arrive in my clinic having been put on the contraceptive pill for menstrual cycle irregularities – but if this works, it only suppresses the symptoms of general toxicity and therefore leads to greater ill health in the long term.  As humans, generally we don’t tend to make changes in our lives until the pain is so bad that we must do something about it.  If we cover up the symptoms we disempower our young people the opportunities to address issues and imbalances that need attending to so that they can be as functional and productive adults in their own right.

 

Remedies to help with Menstrual Irregularities, PMT and Dysmenorrhea

Sepia: This remedy manifests as tired and exhausted before their period while also being extremely irritable.  They can also be depressed and joyless as if their world has lost it’s colour, just like a Sepia photograph.  Their cycle is irregular either being late and light or too early and copious.  They can have aching in the abdomen before the menses and then sharp pains during.  Sepia is one of the main remedies for helping to balance the hormones and ease period pain.  It works very well in a low potency given daily from ovulation until the beginning of menses if PMT is particularly severe and begins at ovulation.  A person needing Sepia will have a heavy, bearing down sensation during menses.  They love vigourous exercise and particularly dancing.

Pulsatilla:  This remedy is fantastic for teenagers (schoolgirls) who have irregular periods with changeable symptoms.  Menses can be delayed or intermittent and when it does come the flow can be thick, dark and clotted or very light.  There can be diarrhea during menses.  Nausea can accompany the menstrual symptoms.  Cramping pains.  The emotional state can be weepy and tearful each month as a person needing Pulsatilla is of a mild temperament and loves affection.  The person will feel generally much worse for being in a warm, stuffy room.

Lachesis:  Intense PMT symptoms where the person can feel their emotions building up inside them. They are intense and passionate people.  A person in a Lachesis state feel much better for discharge, whether that is discharging their emotions by almost excessive talking or a general feeling of improvement once their menstrual flow starts.  The menses can be black in colour.  It may stop and start and when the flow stops their discomfort and pains will begin again.  The pain and discomfort will be there in the hip and abdomen region before the flow starts.  They will not want tight clothing around the abdomen.  Once it begins the pains are much relieved.

 Because these remedies all have an emotional symptom picture as well as the physical symptoms, the remedy when well matched to the symptoms will have an effect on the entire being.  The emotional state will balance out, the person will relax and be happier while their menstrual cycle will begin to regulate.

To finish off here are a few smaller remedies that I have used in my clinic to relieve period pain acutely:-

Chamomilla:  This is well-known as a teething remedy as it is very useful in extreme nerve pain.  It can be useful to relieve unbearably painful periods.  Cramping, labour-like pains.  Person will be angry with the pain.  Does not want to eat.

Nux vomica: Cramping, constricting menstrual pain better for warmth and rest.  Irritability and offended easily.  Work pressures will make it worse.

Mag phos: Pains are worse on the right side with cramping that is better for warmth and pressure. Flow may be dark and stringy.

There are many others and a good homeopath will be able to take your symptoms to find your individual remedies that work well for you, both to improve acute pains and also to improve them over time so dysmenorrhea is a thing of the past.