Expert Q&A: Hormone Imbalance

Question from Kristina:

I’m 33, no children, and not sure what my hormone issues are. About 5 months ago I developed cystic acne, mostly on my chin, and extremely oily skin all over. My menstrual cycles also went from 24 days to 20 – 22 days and my libido went down to zero.

I have very heavy periods with a lots of cramps, bloating, and lower back pain but I have always have had this when not on BC pills. For my last 3 cycles I have been having 3 – 5 days of brown spotting before my periods and diarrhea for one day during. I went to my ob/gyn but he said that he doesn’t think sex hormone tests are accurate and just wanted to put me back on a BC. Which I DON’T want to do because I’m getting married this summer and we wanted to start a family.

Now this past month I’ve been getting headaches all the time, frequent urination(urina lysis came back clear), and constipation. I feel like this is all hormone related but I’m not sure what else to do.

Answer from Jason Moskovitz, LAc Dipl OM

Make sure you’re exercising, sleeping, and eating regularly; avoiding sugar, caffeine, and alcohol and to get a thorough evaluation from an acupuncturist and a custom herbal prescription.

It appears your ovulation is coming too early and that things may be bound up so much that fatigue in many parts of your system are showing up.

I would also look into stressors that may have come online in the last several cycles. Regular exercise, meditation, and fun is always advisable.

Answer from Aram Akopyan, Lac Dipl OM

Given the symptoms you describe I would urge you to get your hormone tested.

Testosterone, progesterone and estrogen fluctuations can easily effect the menstrual cycles and be indirectly responsible for the ACNE as well.

Also I would suggest you contact a Eastern medicine physician, with herbs, dietary suggestions and acupuncture, we can help bring your menstrual cycle back into regularity without birth control pills.

Answer from Dr. Jiling Hu, Lac Dipl OM

You need to check FSH and Estrone on day 3 of your menstrual cycle to see your ovarian function.

If FSH is elevated and Estrone decreased, it may indicate pre-mature ovarian failure. If the test result shows normal hormone levels, you may have hormone imbalance, perhaps from using birth control pills over a long period of time.

Hormone imbalance can be regulated by Chinese herbs, acupuncture and dietary changes.

Also your cycle is short. You should start tracking your basal body temperature to see if you ovulate or not. This can help to figure out the nature of hormone imbalance.

Kristina, hope you find our experts’ suggestions helpful.

If you are facing some challenges in your menstrual health, and would like some recommendations from our experts, please feel free to ask us!