{"type":"rich","version":"1.0","provider_name":"Transistor","provider_url":"https://transistor.fm","author_name":"Thyroid Mystery Solved: Hashimoto's and Hypothyroidism Revealed","title":"030 The Case of Horrible PMS w/ Dr. Anu Arasu","html":"","width":"100%","height":180,"duration":1860,"description":"The Case: \n Amelia is 39 and dealing with heavy periods.\nShe was also experiencing extreme PMS including headaches, bloating, and uncomfortable breast tenderness.\nIt got so bad, she started to plan meetings, social gatherings and vacations around her cycle.\nThe only solutions doctors offered was to take the birth control pill but a previous blood clot made that a risky proposition.\n\nThe Investigation\nEvery menstruating woman experiences her period differently but it was hard to hear about what Amelia was going through. I completely understood her predicament and resistance to start taking the pill again after having suffered a blood clot the last time she was on it. I knew there was still hope and that there had to be something else going on that we could address that would help make her periods more bearable. My first hunch was to look more closely at her hormones. \n \nJoining me to discuss this case is Dr. Anu Arasu. She’s the founder of London Bioidentical Hormones clinic and was one of the first doctors in the UK to train in functional medicine.  \n \nWhat’s Actually Happening with Hormones During the Menstrual Cycle?\nHaving your period is the result of cyclical release of hormones. In the first day of your period, both estrogen and progesterone will be low. At the end of the period (about 7 days later), the estrogen begins to rise. In an ideal world, we would then get a LH (luteinizing hormone) surge. This triggers ovulation (and the peak of our estrogen cycle). If ovulation does not result in a pregnancy, then the corpus luteum breaks down and produces progesterone. Soon, both estrogen and progesterone levels drop triggering a bleed. \n \nWhat is a Heavy Period?\nIt’s tricky to quantify what is a heavy menstrual flow and what is “normal” and a lot of women don’t know where they fall on the spectrum. It is difficult because we often only have ourselves to compare it to. Dr. Arasu says that if your menstrual flow is affecting your quality of life then it might be...","thumbnail_url":"https://img.transistorcdn.com/9ZbRr0xzgu8-YRnig2AcyeY_Nu_m2EBquTr83LV8K2g/rs:fill:0:0:1/w:400/h:400/q:60/mb:500000/aHR0cHM6Ly9pbWct/dXBsb2FkLXByb2R1/Y3Rpb24udHJhbnNp/c3Rvci5mbS9zaG93/LzQ4NTg5LzE3MTE1/NjQxMDktYXJ0d29y/ay5qcGc.webp","thumbnail_width":300,"thumbnail_height":300}