Lyme disease and female hormones: finding balance
Supporting female hormones while healing Lyme disease
For many of us Lyme Ladies, hormones are a bit of an issue. Our cycle can trigger symptoms, as can the full and new moons. Lyme disease can cause some hormone levels to plummet, while raising others too high. Supporting optimal hormone balance can make the healing process smoother and easier. You can support hormone balance through supplementation, and using other natural tools.
Options for hormone supplementation
After getting your hormone levels checked through a good doctor, you have a few options on the table for supplementing those that are low. There are herbs that can help, such as wild yam or rhubarb root, both of which support estrogen levels. You could choose synthetic hormones, often covered by insurance. It’s also worth looking into compounded, bioavailable hormones – more expensive, but possibly easier on the body.
Your doctor can help you choose which hormones are right for you, but it’s nice to know your options going in. Here is an article I published with ProHealth called Lyme disease and your hormones. It goes over all the options and what to consider. I’ve wound up happy with a combination of all of the above: some synthetic, some compounded, and some herbal support as well. It took a bit of experimentation, and there were a few weeks where I felt like a raging teenager, but I’m happy with the results now. My cycle is easy and awesomely pain-free, and I no longer feel affected by the cycle of the moon in a negative way.
Yoga to support female hormones
My very favorite way to support my hormones naturally (beyond herbs) is through yoga. I often use yoga exercises to support and embody the uterus in my practice with private clients, especially those who have a history of pelvic pain, C-sections, or miscarriages. Here is an example you can try at home.
The uterus is right there behind the second chakra. If you place a hand on your lowest belly, there you are. Try lying on your back, knees up, with a hand over your uterus. Imagine your uterus cradled by your sacrum, far back toward your spine, fist-sized, warm, and round.
Gently rock your pelvis forward and backward by pressing your feet into the floor and releasing. Take your time. Imagine your uterus loosening and softening as you move. Uterine ligaments can get tight, and the organ can even get a little stuck to the muscles around it. With this gentle movement, you are hydrating and softening all the tissue around the uterus, the ovaries, the psoas muscle, and even the muscles of the lower back, and encouraging optimal function.
Thank you for reading! We are healing together, lighting the way.
Shona
Sources:
Atkinson C, Compston JE, Day NE, Dowsett M, Bingham SA. The effects of phytoestrogen isoflavones on bone density in women: a double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled trial. The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition. February 2004; 79(2): 326-333. doi: 10.1093/ajcn/79.2.326
Chaste Berry (chastetree). University of Rochester Medical Center Health Encyclopedia Website. https://www.urmc.rochester.edu/encyclopedia/content.aspx?contenttypeid=19&contentid=ChasteTree
Matthew J. Leach, Vivienne Moore. Black cohosh (Cimicifuga spp.) for meno pausal symptoms. Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews. 2012 Sep; 2012(9): CD007244. doi: 10.1002/14651858.CD007244.pub2
Vollmer F, Papke A, Zierau O. Treatment of menopausal symptoms by an extract from the roots of rhapontic rhubarb: the role of estrogen receptors. Chinese Medicine. Feb 2010. doi: 10.1186/1749-8546-5-7