the menstrual cycle . Treatment needs to address not just the ovaries but the entire metabolic picture including the thyroid and the whole hypothalamus / pituitary / adrenal axis .
The focus of treatment for a woman with polycystic ovaries will depend on whether she is currently wanting to conceive or not . If she is not currently wanting to conceive , orthodox medicine will often prescribe the oral contraceptive pill and the woman will be told her cycle will be regulated and the issue will go away . This isn ’ t exactly true as her cycle isn ’ t regulated , but rather she will have a regular monthly withdrawal bleed due to taking hormones then withdrawing those hormones ( sugar pills ) for the ‘ period ’ part of the pill packet cycle . For some the issue can worsen when they come off the pill and for others they ’ re ok . Either way , the underlying causes need to be addressed if healthy fertility is to be achieved long term .
A naturopathic approach to treating a woman with PCO / S will not be as easy as just taking a pill to temporarily deal with the issues , but rather time will be taken to address the underlying cause of the issue . Many people and especially teenagers , are not willing to invest the time , effort and sometimes cost to do this and may prefer to simply take the oral contraceptive pill . The naturopathic approach involves educating the woman about the underlying causes of the condition and then addressing these underlying causes , often with a combination of nutritional and lifestyle advice , as well as herbal medicine when required . It is about creating balance back into the body .
The most common issues to be addressed include insulin resistance ( in both overweight and lean women ) and / or poor glucose metabolism , address hyperandrogenism ( excess male hormone
World wide 1 in 5 women are diagnosed with polycystic ovaries and in Australia 12-21 % of women are diagnosed with polycystic ovaries .
production ) and improve the balance of healthy female hormones . Hormones can not simply be treated like nutrient deficiencies , as hormone systems in the body intricately rely on various self regulated feedback mechanisms . Some of the things that can impact hormones include ongoing stress , exposure to endocrine ( hormone ) disruptors and other toxins ( pesticides , plastics etc ). If these things are conscientiously addressed , improvement can be seen in 6-9 months . Some of the nutrients currently showing promise in improving ovarian , metabolic and hormonal parameters include myo-inositol and
N-acetylcysteine . In the case of women with PCO / S wanting to conceive now , orthodox medical intervention usually involves the drug Clomid which has an anti-estrogenic effect and stimulates ovulation . Ovulatory rates can increase by up to 85 % but there is a much lower successful pregnancy rate . Obese women can often be resistant to Clomid and if it doesn ’ t work in the first couple of cycles , it ’ s not likely to . It makes sense to take the time to address the underlying causes of the hormonal imbalance and then if Clomid is required in the future , there is likely to be a better response rate . Orthodox and naturopathic medicine can work so well together like this .
Clomid may be used in conjunction with Metformin which is an insulin sensitiser and can decrease fasting insulin levels and improve ovulation but not necessarily improve pregnancy rate . The combination of the 2 drugs has shown to improve ovulation and early pregnancy but not live birth rate ( unless the female was resistant to Clomid ). In any case , when a couple is trying to conceive , it ’ s important to consider both the female and male fertility factors .
Ovarian drilling is often reserved for severe cases of PCO / S and as with any surgery there can be consequences , and once again there is a need to address the underlying cause if recurrence is to be avoided .
Diana Arundell is a university-qualified naturopath and consults from her Avoca Naturopath clinic . She has a special interest in fertility and pregnancy health , digestive health , immune function and family wellness programs . She was a nutrition lecturer at Macquarie University for 10years , and is an accredited Journey Practitioner .
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AUGUST / SEPTEMBER – ISSUE 95 27