This month’s case study is ‘Sarah’ — who came to the Clinic because of irregular periods

Sarah’s Story:

“Having always suffered with irregular periods of around 50-60 days I just got used to it and sometimes it actually felt like a blessing because I didn’t have a period every month! However, it wasn’t until I was starting to try for a family that it became a concern. Then for no apparent reason my period stopped altogether and I had no cycle for three months which was quite worrying. I went to my GP who ran some routine blood tests which all came back normal suggesting no hormone imbalance. He suggested I take the Pill to regulate my cycle.

“Even after seeing my GP I still knew it was not normal to be without a period. Aside from wanting a baby, I had read that there was an increased risk of the bone thinning disease, osteoporosis due to the lack of the female hormone oestrogen. But because I was 28, this didn’t seem to be an issue for my doctor. I knew I didn’t want to take the Pill because this would simply mask the problem and not address exactly why my periods were irregular.

“I decided to be a bit more proactive and typed ‘irregular periods’ into the internet and it generated lots of information and links. The first link that stood out to me was the Dr Marilyn Glenville Clinic.’ I downloaded an ‘e-book’ on Irregular Periods which gave me all the information I needed about why periods become irregular and what the medical and natural approach is. After reading the information it made so much sense, but I decided I needed some more support rather than trying to follow it on my own.

“I phoned the Dr Marilyn Glenville Clinic to book my first appointment in London. This felt like such a positive step for me because I was actually taking control and trying to find answers to why I had an irregular cycle and what I could do about it.

“Before my initial appointment I was asked to complete a very detailed questionnaire which formed the basis of the consultation. It went into my medical history, symptoms and very importantly what I ate and drank on a daily basis. Actually writing this all down was quite interesting as I didn’t realise just how much chocolate and cola I consumed! The receptionist at the Dr Marilyn Glenville Clinic did tell me it was best to be honest when filling in the dietary section because the advice given to me would be more relevant.

“My first appointment was one hour and the nutritionist took a very detailed history from me. She had also studied my questionnaire beforehand which made me feel very confident that someone was actually taking the time for me. All too often when I have seen my doctor, they don’t seem to have the time to really take a detailed history. Firstly she asked what my main aim was from the consultation and I explained that it was to ultimately conceive. She explained that we would work on the irregular cycle first because this needed to be sorted before starting to try for a baby.

“The nutritionist explained that suffering from irregular periods is a fairly clear indication that the menstrual cycle had become imbalanced usually due to lifestyle factors including stress and poor diet. I knew stress was a major factor for me because of my career and the long days I work which is very demanding. I confessed that some days I worked through lunch just living on cola and chocolate to get me through the day. She said that stress can completely shut the female reproductive system down because in a ‘fight or flight’ situation where the body is under extreme stress, it would not be in a position to reproduce! This all made so much sense.

“I explained that my routine blood tests from my doctor had come back normal, but apparently this is not always reliable. She explained to me that the natural approach is designed to encourage the body to re-establish regular ovulation and to get hormones back in balance. One of the first things I had to work on was reducing and then ultimately avoiding sugar and cola. I thought this would be impossible but once the nutritionist had explained how sugar and caffeine can affect hormones and create such imbalance it really motivated me to change my diet. She explained that the B vitamins, the mineral magnesium and essential fats from oily fish and nuts and seeds are all essential for hormone balance and to think of these nutrients as ‘fuel’. She explained it so well — ‘if you don’t have enough fuel your car will break down and similarly if your body doesn’t get enough essential nutrients it will also ‘break down’ and stop functioning’. All of my hormones are dependent on a good supply of vitamins and minerals and essential fats. She also explained that some herbs like agnus castus and black cohosh can help to regulate the cycle.

“The nutritionist gave me a plan of action which involved me changing my diet, taking specific vitamin and minerals and a special herbal tincture when contained several different herbs, all with the intention of bringing my period back. She explained that using a herbal formula rather than a single herb is often more valuable because it has a more nourishing effect on the menstrual cycle.

“I was asked to come back after eight weeks so the nutritionist could review and monitor me. She explained that it is particularly important to be monitored when taking herbal preparations. It felt really reassuring that I was coming back after a set time rather than just being left to my own devices. During the eight weeks I was asked to fill in my daily diet diaries which helped me to keep focused.

“In this time I also started to think more about how I could reduce my stress. I knew that some things like my job I could not alter and would always be a ‘constant’, but I decided to have acupuncture and make time for yoga which would hopefully allow me and my body to deal more efficiently with the stress.

“After the first 2 months I was already feeling like a new woman! I had had a period which was fantastic and aside from that I just felt so much better and had more energy and rather than coming home after work and collapsing in front of the TV, I came home and started exercising a couple of nights a week.

“After 6 months I had had a 32 day cycle which was totally unheard of — the first ‘normal’ cycle in years. Even though my partner and I had decided to put trying for a baby on hold, it just felt so reassuring that my body was functioning normally and in balance to prepare us ultimately for having a baby. All I can say is how powerful I have found nutrition to be and only wish I had sought advice sooner, but you know what it’s like — we all put things to the back of our minds until we are forced to deal with them. This has taught me to always listen to my body and take action rather than letting the weeks and months and years pass by.”

My Comments:

“This is just one of many cases where people ignore what their body is telling them. The only reason Sarah sought advice for her irregular cycle was because she was thinking about trying to start a family.

“Ideally she should have acknowledged her cycle as not being normal and done something about it sooner. Unfortunately though we see this at the clinic all too often because of people leading increasingly busy lives and putting off until tomorrow. Thankfully Sarah is young enough to take the time to follow a good 3-6 month preconception programme and putting her fertility plans on hold is a good thing to make sure that we have really got her body back in to balance.

“We can see from Sarah’s story how powerful nutrition can be in encouraging your body to re-balance. Given the right tools, your body has the remarkable ability to balance itself. It is just a question of being ‘in tune’ with your body as we are all so unique and listen to what it is telling you.”

This month’s case study is a couple – ‘Mandy and Paul’ — who came to the Clinic because of infertility.

Mandy and Paul’s Story:

Myself and my husband had been trying to conceive for 3 years. After numerous medical investigations it was discovered that Paul had a very low sperm count of 1.5 million (needs to be at least 20 million to conceive) with 95% of these being abnormal. The motility of Paul’s sperm was also low at only 27% when it should be at least 50%. Our consultant very bluntly told us that we had no hope of conceiving naturally and that we should go straight for an IVF cycle.

Although neither of us was keen to go down this route we wanted to have a baby so much that it was something we had to do. Because of Paul’s poor semen analysis we had to have an ICSI cycle. This means that the sperm is inserted into the egg rather than allowing the sperm to fertilise the egg within the ‘test tube.’ 14 eggs fertilised and 2 were put back into my womb but unfortunately this didn’t result in a pregnancy.

We both found the ICSI procedure very draining both physically and emotionally and after going through this invasive treatment we were devastated by the outcome. Apart from the stress and invasive procedure it cost us more than £3000.

Shortly after, a friend of mine had seen a review on the book, ‘Natural Solutions to Infertility’, by Dr Marilyn Glenville. I read the book cover to cover and what I really liked about it was how it explained so clearly all the possible causes of infertility and what the options were both medically and naturally.

It was also encouraging because the book wasn’t just recommending one course of treatment. It was made very clear that whether a couple wants or has to go down the assisted conception route, or they don’t want to, they can be supported nutritionally. There were case studies in the book that gave us a lot of hope and inspiration. This is what prompted us to contact the Dr Marilyn Glenville Clinic.

When we phoned to book our first consultation it was recommended that we perform a Hair Mineral Analysis before hand. The results would then be back in time for our first appointment with the nutritionist. The Hair Mineral Analysis detects whether there are any deficiencies which can have implications on fertility. The nice thing about this test is how simple it is and non-invasive. This was such a relief having had so many blood tests, injections, been prodded and poked over the last 3 years!

We met two weeks later with our nutritionist who spent a full hour with us going through our medical and fertility history and finding out where we were at and our plans and goals for the next 3-6 months. This felt really reassuring as it was the first time that someone was taking the time to learn everything possible about us, rather than just having a rushed 15 minutes and feeling like another statistic! One of the first areas she looked at was helping me over the IVF by supporting my body to eliminate the toxins from the huge amount of drugs.

The Hair Mineral Analysis showed that I was low in the mineral zinc and magnesium and Paul low in zinc, selenium and magnesium. The nutritionist explained how important zinc was for both of us, but particularly Paul. For the man, zinc is needed for the head of the sperm to enable it to penetrate and fertilise the egg.

Zinc and selenium are also important anti-oxidants which means they protect the sperm from damage which could account for the high percentage of abnormal sperm. Finally, magnesium which is a mineral that can be used up when stress levels are high and is needed for the motility of the sperm. This all made so much sense and gave us something really positive to focus on.

The practitioner talked about the different reasons why men can have a high percentage of unhealthy sperm and explained the possible link between this and an underlying prostate infection. Aside from this, toxins from poor diet and the environment are also a huge factor.

This had never been mentioned before and it was just put down to ‘one of those things’. The nutritionist referred Paul to see a Microbiologist who performed an infection screen which came back positive. Paul was then referred on to an Urologist who prescribed antibiotics to clear the infection.

Immediately this reduced the percentage of abnormal sperm, but motility and count were still low. Having followed an eating plan to maximise our fertility and take nutritional supplements tailored to our needs, we were asked to come back for a follow up appointment in 12 weeks. Before the second consultation Paul had to arrange another semen analysis so we could see what had happened in this time.

Paul was overjoyed as the percentage of abnormal sperm had dropped to 90% and the count had increased to 6 million and motility to 35%. Although some of these improvements were not dramatic, it was a move in the right direction!

Six months on and still eating well and taking the recommended supplements my period didn’t arrive on time. My cycle had always been a regular 30 days, but without getting too excited I waited. After 7 days and still no bleed I performed a pregnancy test – it was positive! We were so excited but at the same time wanted to keep our feet firmly on the ground as it was such early days. I phoned the clinic to tell them and they advised that I had an early pregnancy scan at 5 weeks. This was very reassuring and I felt in control of the pregnancy.

After 12 weeks of pregnancy we had another consultation to review our progress and repeated the Hair Mineral Analysis so the nutritionist could make the necessary adjustments and talk me through the final two trimesters.

Our beautiful son Ben was born weighing 9lb 3oz and it was such an amazing experience for us both. We feel so fortunate to have produced such a wonderful little boy naturally when we were told so many times that it would be impossible.

Our message to anyone reading this is don’t just look at one option. Take everything into consideration and do the best you can to help yourselves and your fertility. Aside from the fertility, we are both enjoying a healthier way of eating and feeling the benefit in other aspects i.e. more energy and I no longer have recurrent bouts of thrush! We are still taking a basic supplement programme and our plan is to have another consultation to prepare us for trying for our second baby.

Marilyn’s comments:

This is such a lovely example of how powerful nutrition can be. All too often we see couples at my clinics that have been ‘railroaded’ into assisted conception when perhaps other avenues haven’t been fully explored. This is a particularly good example of how male factor infertility is not given enough consideration. Mandy had no reproductive problems at all and because Paul had poor sperm quality and low count and motility it was the easier option to recommend IVF.

However, we know, not just from this case, but from scientific research and years of clinical experience that nutrition plays an extremely important part in sperm health. To have been told that it was impossible to conceive without medical intervention and then to have a beautiful son is wonderful.

I hope Mandy and Paul’s story has inspired you all to really think about the power of nutrition whether you are trying to conceive naturally or planning to have assisted conception.

Follow this link if you are interested in having the Hair Mineral Analysis.

This month’s case study is ‘Jackie’ — who came to the Clinic because of severe PMS …

Jackie’s story:

My life had been ruled by my periods for the last ten years. Every month I would have debilitating PMS which lasted for 6 days before my period. Not only was this ruining my life, it was affecting my relationship. It was like flicking a switch — one minute I was my usual happy go lucky self and the next I was depressed, moody and even suicidal (this I was dealing with through a psychotherapist).

Although my husband was so supportive and understanding, I knew it wasn’t fair to continue living like this as I was so angry towards him during this premenstrual phase. Aside from PMS, I had been diagnosed with endometriosis and would experience painful, heavy periods. On top of this I was getting thrush every month and having to resort to using pessaries and cream to treat it. So, at the age of 39 I decided enough was enough and I had to do something about it! My diet had always been fairly good with no caffeine and very little sugar but this obviously wasn’t enough.

A friend of mine had found a book in the library called ‘Overcoming PMS The Natural Way‘ by Dr Marilyn Glenville and told me to read it! I did and it was like reading a story about me. It made me realise that there were other people out there suffering each month and that I wasn’t totally on my own suffering.

I decided that I needed some professional help with this rather than trying to tackle it by myself so I phoned the Clinic. I spoke to a receptionist at the Dr Marilyn Glenville Clinic who talked me through the consultation process. She explained that my first appointment would be one hour and this would give me the opportunity to discuss my health issues with the nutritionist who would then put together a programme for me incorporating diet, vitamins and minerals and herbs where appropriate.

The next day I received a Nutrition Questionnaire which I had to complete and send back prior to my first appointment. This was very in-depth and enabled me to write down everything that I thought would be useful. This felt like a first step in the right direction and it really motivated me ready for my first meeting with the nutritionist.

I visited the Tunbridge Wells clinic and saw a practitioner who actually made me feel like a human being and took my PMS seriously, rather than my experience of doctors who just wanted to give me the Pill or stick me on an anti-depressant when I actually wasn’t depressed 3 weeks out of the month!

We talked about my symptoms and how the PMS made me feel which in itself was very reassuring. The nutritionist recommended that I perform a test called a Female Hormone Profile, which would give me a lot more insight into the state of my hormones rather than using ‘guess work.’

The nutritionist made some changes to my diet, which was actually generally good but her main observation was I didn’t eat enough protein. I was recommended to eat more oily fish, eggs, pulses, nuts and seeds and tofu. At this stage she only recommended a very basic supplement programme which incorporated magnesium, the B vitamins and a good essential fatty acid. She didn’t recommend any herbs at this stage because she explained how this would then not give me a true picture of my hormone levels when doing the test.

A couple of days after my first appointment I received the ‘kit’ for performing the Female Hormone Profile. It was great because it was a saliva test which made a change from the numerous blood tests I had had over the years. This test involved collecting twelve saliva samples throughout one month. At the end of the month all samples were sent to the laboratory for analysis. The results were back in time for my follow up consultation. The practitioner explained how efficient saliva is in measuring hormones and gives a much broader picture rather than a blood test which is just one moment in time.

At my second appointment the practitioner explained my test results and it made so much sense as to why I had been suffering for so long. My hormones were in a complete mess with erratic oestrogen and progesterone levels before my period. Because I had performed this test, it enabled the nutritionist to tailor my supplement programme further by adding hormone balancing herbs. She modified my programme and asked to see me again in 8 weeks, giving me two menstrual cycles to assess how I was responding to the nutrition.

The nutritionist explained the relationship between my female hormones oestrogen and progesterone and my blood sugar levels. This was one area of my diet that certainly needed more attention. I was told that protein helps to regulate blood sugar and is especially important for boosting the brain chemical serotonin which can be low in women suffering with PMS. I was asked to keep a detailed food and symptom diary until my next appointment to keep me focused on ensuring I was eating protein with each meal and snack. This really helped to keep me on track.

The difference was quite amazing even within the first 4 weeks of taking the herbs. My mood was more stable and my days of suffering had reduced from 6 to just half a day before my period. I felt like a human being again and could actually get on with my life rather than having to plan everything around my period. The most striking change for me was not feeling suicidal. My husband was so amazed at how different I was and he no longer had to keep his distance from me the week before my period!

My periods have also improved and are now more manageable which is brilliant and I no longer get thrush. All I can say is how life changing this has been for me and I just wish I had found out about the Dr Marilyn Glenville Clinic sooner.

My Comments:

Jackie’s story shows just how debilitating PMS can be yet so many women still just continue suffering and feel that they are alone. It also shows how effective nutrition can be in balancing hormones and improving menstrual problems like PMS and painful/heavy periods. Many women just suppress their symptoms with drugs, but once they come off them, their symptoms return and are often even more severe.

This case study also shows how useful it can be to test before taking specific herbs because the advice can be more tailored rather than using a blanket approach. The Female Hormone Profile was good for Jackie because she could see exactly what was happening to her hormones throughout her menstrual cycle, rather than just being told she had an hormone imbalance without really seeing or understanding.

Jackie has her life and relationship back and continues to be symptom free.

If you are interested in doing The Female Hormone Profile, please click here.