Dysmenorrhea literally means diseased menses or abnormal, uncomfortable, severe menstrual cycles. Dysmenorrhea can manifest as prolonged, heavy vaginal bleeding with severe cramps. Many women who suffer from dysmenorrhea also experience other symptoms related to their menstrual cycles including depression, fatigue, aches and pains, headaches, nausea, fluid retention, skin breakouts, constipation, and diarrhea.
Dysmenorrhea is always caused by some sort of hormonal imbalance, specifically problems with estrogen and progesterone levels. Women that suffer from dysmenorrhea often have other problems like irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS), fibromylagia, polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS), chronic headaches, mood disorders and thyroid disease.
Dysmenorrhea (and its associated diseases) is the result of a complex web of hormonal, immune system and nervous system imbalances as a consequence of genetic predispositions, dietary indiscretions and environmental allergies.
Unfortunately most mainstream doctors will attempt to treat your dysmenorrhea by prescribing various drugs to treat each of your symptoms, like anti-inflammatory drugs for pain and headache, diuretics for edema, and birth control pills for heavy bleeding and cramping.
The optimal treatment for dysmenorrhea is to balance out your entire body chemistry using a holistic approach, employing proper diet, metabolically directed nutritional supplements, and judicious use of bioidentical hormones (if needed).
Contact Michael Rothman MD for a holistic treatment plan if you have symptoms of dysmenorrhea. Together we can help get you on the road to wellness without the use of prescription medication.
