PCOS: A naturopathic approach
Up to 21% of reproductive-aged females — anytime from their first period until menopause — will experience PCOS. Up to 70% remain undiagnosed.
PCOS, short for Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome, is becoming an increasingly common condition.
Now, let me get this out of the way first: there is some controversy around PCOS being an OVER-diagnosed condition, which could explain the rising rates. It’s also important to remember that any ‘syndrome’, including PCOS, is a term used for a collection of symptoms that aren’t entirely understood. Many people get incorrectly diagnosed with PCOS, and are left confused, uncertain and disconnected from their health.
One thing is for sure though: signs & symptoms of hormonal imbalance are becoming more and more common. PCOS diagnoses or not.
And a key thing I want to reassure you is this: you don’t have to fit into a perfect-PCOS box to get the right treatment for your unique experience. If you have been diagnosed with PCOS, your symptoms don’t have to perfectly match a list on Google, or be identical to your friend’s cousins’ experience because she has PCOS too. Plus, you don’t even need to have polycystic ovaries to experience this syndrome. Again… less focus on the name, more focus on the hormonal happenings beneath the surface.
A brief side note: the cysts referred to in polycystic ovarian syndrome aren’t actual cysts. They’re follicles, which your ovaries would normally have anyway. But due to the hormonal imbalances & lack of regular ovulation that occurs in PCOS, the follicles can increase in number and size. This gives off a ‘cystic’ presentation when observed with a transvaginal ultrasound.
Even when a PCOS diagnosis is made correctly (and correctly here means, in accordance with relatively outdated diagnostic criteria, formulated in 2003), we now know there are more specific PCOS ‘subtypes’, if you will. Identifying YOUR unique PCOS presentation can help you access much more specific care & treatments.
There are so many evidence-based, holistic approaches to managing PCOS naturally. I truly believe PCOS can be reversed.
So, what are the different types of PCOS?
The different types of PCOS can relate to the symptom patterns that you notice, but are more focused on the underlying cause of PCOS (specifically your PCOS picture). It’s important to note that there are often multiple factors at play that are contributing to your symptoms; there won’t always be one root-cause.
Post-pill (or post-hormonal birth control) PCOS
Adrenal & Androgenic PCOS
Insulin Resistance
Inflammatory PCOS
That list might look confusing or unfamiliar to you, right? That’s okay! This is where a hormone-passionate naturopath (that’s me) SWOOPS in and says, “don’t worry gal, we can get to the bottom of your hormonal imbalances & PCOS together.”
Let’s take a deeper look at each underlying cause of PCOS.
“Post-pill PCOS”
This kind of PCOS is as it sounds: a polycystic ovarian syndrome set off symptoms that arise after stopping hormonal birth control, most commonly, the oral contraceptive pill (OCP).
First, let’s get this straight. It’s not the birth control that causes PCOS. Most often, the PCOS-like hormonal imbalance was present when the person first started the birth control, but perhaps went undetected, or symptoms weren’t noticed at that stage. Alternatively, PCOS can develop while you’re using hormonal birth control, but the medication suppresses symptoms, so it goes unnoticed and undiagnosed. This is because lifestyle factors (sleep, diet, physical fitness, stress), regardless of the use of the pill or any other hormonal contraception, can contribute to PCOS.
So once you stop the contraception — the medication that masks symptoms — those symptoms of hormonal imbalance will then appear. It’s a timing thing, rather than a matter of causation.
Symptoms may arise such as acne, weight gain, missing or irregular periods, cycles longer than 35 days or excess hair growth where you wouldn’t usually find it on your body (chin, jaw, nipples, around belly button; may also appear as the darkening/coarsening of existing hair).
These symptoms can be due to a surge in testosterone and the slow return of full ovarian function after stopping hormonal birth control. Picture this: the pill is like a dam wall, preventing your body from being flooded by your own hormones (oestrogen, progesterone, testosterone). Once you stop taking the pill, that dam wall comes down, and those waves of hormones come crashing through. It’s not the hormones that are the problem, though — it’s the environment & signals that the hormones are responding to that we need to address.
2. Adrenal & Androgenic PCOS
PCOS can stem from the increased output of adrenal hormones, including androgens (what we would typically associate with male bodies). Other hormones at play here include DHEA, androstenedione, cortisol & cortisone, epinephrine and aldosterone.
A chronic imbalance of these hormones leads to dysregulated stress levels, less resilience, fatigue, higher levels of inflammation (which fuels insulin resistance — a common aspect of PCOS) and more. When these factors are present, they have a ripple effect on your sex hormones (oestrogen and progesterone), your brain (which talks to your ovaries to produce those hormones), and therefore, all the areas of health those hormones influence.
There are often strong chronic stress, emotional dysregulation & hypervigilant nervous system elements in these cases of PCOS, and can present with all the standard PCOS symptoms.
3. Insulin Resistant PCOS
Insulin resistance is an underlying factor in many types of PCOS, but can be distinguished as it’s own unique type. In this case, metabolism and blood sugar regulation is at the forefront of the picture.
To summarise insulin resistance as succinctly as possible… *deep breath*. So, when you eat anything containing sugar /carbohydrates, your pancreas secretes insulin to help get that sugar into your cells. Remember, sugar is how your cells produce energy so you can function. The insulin talks to receptors on your cells to pretty much say, ‘hey, we’ve got some sugar, let her in!’. For many reasons, but for this example, we’ll focus on the over-consumption of high-sugar foods, or imbalanced meals that contain too much carbohydrate without sufficient protein, fibre or fat, your insulin levels can go up too quickly, or in greater quantities. When this occurs repeatedly over time, eventually your cells can ignore (get desensitized) to insulin’s signals. So sugar stays in your blood (and blood sugar often rises very quickly) and can’t get into the cells. The result? Your cells are like, ‘how are we meant to make energy? We don’t have any sugar!’ and send signals to your brain to eat more (hello, cravings) and to make energy from other processes (muscle breakdown, breaking down glycogen from your liver, and calling upon your adrenal glands to help with these processes… that means higher levels of stress hormones!).
Alright, that was a lot of info. Let’s take a collective breath, shall we?
The result of insulin-resistant PCOS is strong food cravings (often for high-sugar foods), overeating as a result, which leads to stress, energy imbalance & fatigue. Insulin resistance increases levels of androgens, which can lead to acne, suppress ovulation, and thereby increase the number of follicles on your ovaries, which can lead to a positive diagnosis of PCOS.
There are so many wonderful natural medicines to help improve your cells’ sensitivity to insulin, as well as holistic dietary changes to improve your blood sugar stability.
4. Inflammatory PCOS
All the subtypes of PCOS have one thing in common… other than being labelled as PCOS. It’s inflammation.
While inflammation will always be a component of PCOS, regardless of subtype, in some cases it’s a bigger player in the game. Depending on your symptoms and general health, it might be apparent that inflammation is really driving this train and causing the hormonal imbalance.
So, how long will it take to fix my PCOS?
I wish I could give a clear AF, straightforward answer. Unfortunately, I can’t. This will differ for every individual and depend on so many factors — how long you’ve had PCOS for, if you’ve been on (or are currently using) hormonal birth control, how severe your hormonal imbalance is, how easily you can apply new habits, reduce unhelpful habits, how keen you are on the deeper inner work (psycho-spiritual) that plays a role in your physical health, and how consistently you use your prescriptions.
I will say this, though. Where many doctors, gynaecologists and specialists will say that PCOS is guaranteed for life, that it will definitely impact your fertility, and that there’s not much that can be done…. I don’t believe this is the case.
I believe PCOS can be reversed.
I believe PCOS doesn’t automatically mean infertility or difficulty falling pregnant. If you choose a holistic path for your PCOS and are really ready to make some life changes, PCOS is NOT a life sentence.
You can read more about naturopathic healing & natural health journeys in general in my FAQ section.
What kind of treatments will be used to help my PCOS?
This will vary depending on your unique case & needs. But in general, treating PCOS naturally and managing symptoms long-term will involve…
Learning to eat holistically for your hormonal health
Eating to reverse insulin resistance
Using food as medicine to reduce inflammation & stabilise blood sugar
Getting in tune with your cyclical rhythm; learning about your cycle phases
Natural stress management medicines & techniques to encourage regular ovulation
Working on your vagus nerve & vagal tone
Moving & exercising in a way that works for your body, with a focus on muscle building
Applying any herbal medicines that are tailored to your symptoms & constitution
If it’s up your alley, I also love to incorporate more esoteric & energetic factors into your treatment plan. These may include looking at your astrological natal chart, your Human Design profile, understanding your Ayurvedic dosha balance, your iridology constitution, distance Reiki & energy cleansing, as well as understanding your motivation style (I love using Gretchen Rubin’s Four Tendencies Quiz for this!).
Is this sounding like the kind of healing you’re ready for? It’s seriously a one-of-a-kind style.
If this is feeling like a big YES to you, and you’re READY to be supported by a holistic hormone, menstrual mystic, passionate naturopath — I’d LOVE to hear from you. You can book in directly using the links below. For most cases of PCOS, I highly recommend at least 3 months of consistency with a solid treatment plan before seeing benefit (although results can be seen much earlier), and as such, I’d recommend my Harmonised Hormones package.
Holistic Health Starter Pack (6 weeks) can holistically kick-start your healing journey, no matter your symptoms. We can focus on 1-2 key health goals of yours and get you started on your natural health plan to address these
Harmonised Hormones Package (3 or 6 month) is the best option for long-term or severe PCOS or signs of hormonal imbalance, as we like to allow for at least 3 menstrual cycles of consistent action & treatments before expecting any amazing results.
