I love, not only the educational piece of this, but also the bits of humor and overall writing style. It's not easy to make it fun to read about menstruation, but here we are.
I really want you to just read this blog post while drinking. And other blog posts. And then get other healthcare providers on board. Like Drunk History, but for medical professionals.
You said non-menstrual heavy bleeding was different. Is it ever a thing for uterine bleeding to happen when estrogen is low (e.g., during Lupron or aromatase inhibitor treatment)?
I'd love it if you'd comment on what I've pasted below, copied from an online news site:
“Pumpkin seeds contain a composition of nutrients that are particularly supportive of women’s health. The pumpkin seeds have a notably greater amount of magnesium compared to the other options. Magnesium is a mineral that is particularly important for the prevention of osteoporosis in women.
“The pumpkin seeds also have a good amount of zinc content. Zinc plays a role in regulating the menstrual cycle by participating in the synthesis, storage and release of reproductive hormones such as follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH) and luteinizing hormone (LH). Zinc is also important during pregnancy due to its role in DNA synthesis, which is a foundational physiological process for fetal development.
“[Another good pick is] Brazil nuts due to their selenium content ... which is an important hormone for menstrual regularity. I also love recommending Brazil nuts to clients because you can meet your daily selenium needs by eating just two nuts a day.” — Claire Rifkin, registered dietitian nutritionist and founder of Claire Rifkin Nutrition
This was fascinating and cleared up a lot for me! I was expecting to see tranexamic acid mentioned here as a method of reducing bleeding - I've been prescribed it for heavy periods and so have several friends/family members. From what I've read it's not an NSAID but an antifibrinolytic - presumably it's just boring to talk about 😅 but interested if there's anything further here or a reason it wasn't included?
Hi Dr Gunter, I thought I was in menopause. Last regular period (w/o MHT or birth control) was Nov 2022. I started MHT in Jan 2023 (had to experiment w various) for severe symptoms and had some periods (not sure if MHT periods “count” as timeline of menopause). Then no period again from April 2023 (near full month of period/spotting) until March 20, 2024. My doctors advised to temporarily dec estrogen/inc progesterone to 200 (due to concern I still had too much estrogen according to blood test). Now 2 weeks later I’m spotting for 7 days.
Do you think I’m still in menopause transition? Does it matter? Is the period/spotting a concern in your opinion? Does estrogen test result matter? Thanks in advance.
I love, not only the educational piece of this, but also the bits of humor and overall writing style. It's not easy to make it fun to read about menstruation, but here we are.
I really want you to just read this blog post while drinking. And other blog posts. And then get other healthcare providers on board. Like Drunk History, but for medical professionals.
Jello & lemon juice! As the saying goes, when you think you've heard it all, you haven't...
Wow, I had no idea all this went on, after 30 years of periods I finally understand what’s going on in my body. Thank you Jen 😊
Great article. Is there any reason why clots increase during menstruation in perimenopause?
You said non-menstrual heavy bleeding was different. Is it ever a thing for uterine bleeding to happen when estrogen is low (e.g., during Lupron or aromatase inhibitor treatment)?
I'd love it if you'd comment on what I've pasted below, copied from an online news site:
“Pumpkin seeds contain a composition of nutrients that are particularly supportive of women’s health. The pumpkin seeds have a notably greater amount of magnesium compared to the other options. Magnesium is a mineral that is particularly important for the prevention of osteoporosis in women.
“The pumpkin seeds also have a good amount of zinc content. Zinc plays a role in regulating the menstrual cycle by participating in the synthesis, storage and release of reproductive hormones such as follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH) and luteinizing hormone (LH). Zinc is also important during pregnancy due to its role in DNA synthesis, which is a foundational physiological process for fetal development.
“[Another good pick is] Brazil nuts due to their selenium content ... which is an important hormone for menstrual regularity. I also love recommending Brazil nuts to clients because you can meet your daily selenium needs by eating just two nuts a day.” — Claire Rifkin, registered dietitian nutritionist and founder of Claire Rifkin Nutrition
This was fascinating and cleared up a lot for me! I was expecting to see tranexamic acid mentioned here as a method of reducing bleeding - I've been prescribed it for heavy periods and so have several friends/family members. From what I've read it's not an NSAID but an antifibrinolytic - presumably it's just boring to talk about 😅 but interested if there's anything further here or a reason it wasn't included?
Hi Dr Gunter, I thought I was in menopause. Last regular period (w/o MHT or birth control) was Nov 2022. I started MHT in Jan 2023 (had to experiment w various) for severe symptoms and had some periods (not sure if MHT periods “count” as timeline of menopause). Then no period again from April 2023 (near full month of period/spotting) until March 20, 2024. My doctors advised to temporarily dec estrogen/inc progesterone to 200 (due to concern I still had too much estrogen according to blood test). Now 2 weeks later I’m spotting for 7 days.
Do you think I’m still in menopause transition? Does it matter? Is the period/spotting a concern in your opinion? Does estrogen test result matter? Thanks in advance.