D.M.
HI K.---Most people don't realize that medicine is just as much of an art as it is science. Docs often times guess as to what is going on, based on 'the usual suspects'.
I'm sorry you have such problems with your period, but it is what a woman's body is supposed to do. I personally feel that even taking the pill is messing with the natural order of the hormones in the body. When you do that, something, some sort of side effect, is bound to happen. I think I agree that your body is telling you that the uterus needs to shed the lining it has been building preparing for pregnancy.
One thing you might do is to find another doc that specializes in problem menstrual cycles. In the meantime, you might be able to achieve a bit of relief from your diet. I am taking classes, taught by a Naturopath who has her Phd in Nutrition. Yes, your nutrition can impact your menstrual cycle. It affects every cell in your body.
What I've learned is that many of the chemicals we are exposed today mimic estrogen in the body. Do not use plastics in the microwave, or put anything that is hot in plastic. Do not use styrofoam for hot foods...when heated these give off compounds that can cause disease in a vulnerable body. Watch the chemicals you use for cleaning and for skincare. Go to www.ewg.org to look at their databases for the best and the worst of these products.
As for your diet, be sure you are eating mostly fresh fruits and veggies, whole grains, legumes/beans, nuts and seeds. Minimize animal protein and eliminate diary (see www.pcrm.org and put dairy in the search box). Much of the meat and milk produced today is full of added hormones to make the animals grow to market size faster (and unnaturally). Meat must be organic/grass fed, as that has a better balance of nutrients for us. But, too much meat is too much, and too much increases the risk of all disease (www.thechinastudy.com). When you eat mostly plants, you are getting more fiber. We should strive to eat at least 50 grams per day. Adequate fiber removes excess estrogen and cholesterol from the body. Too much of either of those leads to disease.
It is also important to avoid 'negative' foods. Artificial colors and flavors, MSG, preservatives, HFCS (it is overly processed...it is NOT the same as sugar). I recently realized that alcohol also messes with estrogen levels. I have hot flashes and I had lots more of them the past holiday weekend, as I was drinking more than usual with friends.
Our bodies are wonderfully complicated, a finely tuned machine. We sometimes take better care of our cars than we do our bodies. See if you can find a doctor who practices integrative medicine. You usually have to pay more out of pocket/ deductible, but these docs really understand the body better and know how to help the body help itself. If you think about it, when prescribed drugs, they are usually treating symptoms rather than the underlying conditions causing those symptoms.
Please feel free to contact me if you would like to discuss any of the points I've raised here. As I said, docs don't know everything, and they especially don't know what they don't know. And they know nothing of the power of food as medicine. I wish you much luck in figuring out how to best take care of your health issue. I hope to meet you soon. D.
