Debilitating fatigue, unmanageable anxiety, bloating, breast tenderness, nausea, severe insomnia, irritability, depression and mood swings are just a few of the not so fun symptoms associated with PMDD. While this extreme version of PMS is only thought to affect between 3-8% of menstruating women, I’ve already seen a number of these cases here in Durango in the past few months and have been blown away by how well this issue responds to Acupuncture and Chinese herbs.

What in the world Is PMDD?

Premenstrual dysphoric disorder is like PMS on steroids. If you were to take all the usual unpleasant premenstrual symptoms; the mood-swings, sleeplessness, gastric distress and fatigue and multiplied them by 10 then added to that a giant heap of anxiety and joint pain, you’d begin to get a sense for just how sucky this disorder can be.

For some it can include nausea and vomiting so extreme that they actually lose weight prior to their periods, for others, migraines and joint pain and for almost all there is a profoundly debilitating sense of anxiety throughout the week or two leading up to menstruation.

What’s a girl to do about it?

• Get Acupuncture: I know, shocker that the Acupuncturist is suggesting Acupuncture for this issue, but Acupuncture and Chinese herbs are actually incredibly effective at treating the root of this issue which is often stress.

• Up your B vitamins: B12 shots along with specific methylated B vitamins help synthesize brain neurotransmitters to quell anxiety and enhance energy levels.

• Meditate: Download your favorite meditation app like Headspace or Calm and take a seat.

• Calcium and Magnesium: Add these super nervous system soothers to your supplements.

• Aminio Acids: I can help you find the right amino acid to help bring your personal serotonin, dopamine and cortisol levels into balance.

Forget every misconception you’ve ever had about Cannabis, forget the preconceived notion that Medical Marijuana is simply an excuse for people to get high without being hassled. Leave your stereotypes of bong rips and the Grateful Dead at the door because the Cannabis that we are about to dive into has nothing to do with the munchies or macrame and everything to do with cutting edge pharmacology. Scientific and clinical studies increasingly show exciting new potential for this incredible and ancient medicine and its significant benefits for those who suffer with severe neurological disease, auto-immune issues and chronic pain. The Cannabis discussed here can have profound and life changing implications in the treatment of your Mother’s Parkinson’s, your brother’s anxiety and your son’s autism. It can hold the key to getting off those dangerous opioids for your back pain and offer serious relief for your friend’s arthritis.

The medical benefits of Cannabis are already profound despite the recent discovery of phytocannabinoids that its difficult to capture them all in one blog post, therefore, bear with the length of this post and stand by for future articles on specific health benefits. For now, let us begin with the endocannabinoid system.

Endoca-what?!

You’ve heard of the nervous, vascular, and lymphatic systems of the body, but have you ever heard of the endocannabinoid system?  The Endocannabinoid system was only recently discovered by scientists in Israel in 1982 and has been found to play a vital role in maintaining a state of homeostasis.  It basically acts as a thermostat for most of the body’s other systems, including immune, nervous, endorphin and vanilloid systems (controlling pain receptors), and works to keep them in balance, much like Acupuncture.  This video does a great job of explaining it. https://www.facebook.com/pg/MeganlottAcupuncture/reviews/?ref=page_internal

So where do the CBD’s come in?

Over the centuries, THC; the one psycho-active component of cannabis has received all of the attention for its mind altering high.  However, scientists have only just discovered the over-looked and incredibly powerful phytocannabinoid; CBD. CBD works by indirectly stimulating the endocannabinoid system and by binding with receptors in the brain like serotonin which directly influence depression, gene expression, anti-cancer and osteoprotective effects.  CBD’s act as self regulatory adaptogens, helping to bring the body into harmony. There are at least 111 different phytocannabinoids that we know of in Cannabis yet we’ve only discovered 10% of their pharmacological effects.

what pharmacological effects DO we know of?

So far, clinical and laboratory tests show CBD’s to have the following benefits:

Anti-cancer, anti-proliferative, anti-emetic (nausea and vomiting), anti-inflammatory, antibacterial, anti-diabetic, anti-psoriatic, anti-diahreal, analgesic, bone stimulant, immunosuppresive, anti-ishemic, anti-spasmodic, vasorelaxant, neuroprotective, anti-epileptic, anti-tumor, anti-psychotic, axiolytic and that it turns white fat into brown fat.  

Other phytocannabinoids found in the plant have the additional effects of; appetite suppression, antibacterial, anti-fungal, anti-microbial, analgesic, all while increasing a state of well being, euphoria and pleasure.  

How Can CBD’s benefit me?

Here’s the short list of possible health issues that may be helped by Medicinal Cannabis:

ADHD, Addiction, ALS, ALzheimers, MRSA and Staph infections, anxiety, arthritis, asthma, autism, autoimmune disorders, cancer, concussions and traumatic brain injuries, depression, diabetes, eating disorders, IBS, migraine, MS, nausea, neurodegenerative diseases; Parkinson's, Huntingtons, pain, PTSD, schitzophrenia, seizures, skin conditions; psoriasis, acne, dermatitis,stress,  insomnia and sleep apnea.

Where does Acupuncture come in?

Like Cannabis, Acupuncture is found to also have a direct effect on the endocannabinoid system and has been used for thousands of years to induce and maintain a state of homeostasis and balance.  In fact, Cannabis was once cited as an empirical herb in Chinese Medicine prior to it’s prohibition. Acupuncture and CBD’s compliment each other by enhancing and amplifying each other’s effectiveness.  

Hemp CBD’s

While CBD’s work best with at least a trace amount of THC (which acts like a key to unlocking cannabinoid receptors), as little as 0.3% or less can often do the trick, which makes hemp CBD’s so appealing.  You see, Hemp contains so little THC that it has zero psychotropic effect (it will not get you high), but just enough to help the beneficial plant compounds like CBD get to their desired receptors in the brain. This means that you can travel with Hemp products and take them without fear of suddenly getting the munchies or spending an hour examining your hand while contemplating every poor choice you’ve made in life.

How can I integrate CBD’s into my health plan?

Finding the right dosage, delivery system, strain and  ratio of phytocannabinoids can be incredibly complicated, though there have been no cases of overdoses with Cannabis, too little or too much of this potent medicine can result in diminished or sub-optimal effect.  Add to that the fact that the recent popularity of CBD’s has resulted in flooding of the market with some seriously inferior companies. Because hemp has been used solely for agricultural purposes for centuries, there are a number of producers who source their hemp from inferior agricultural strains which are very low in the potent phytocannabinoids necessary for medicinal purposes.  Additionally, there are several producers who source their hemp from farms which use pesticides.

Fear not, I’ve got your endocannabinoid’s back!

Durango Acupuncture Clinic is proud to offer a wide array of heavily vetted, vigorously tested organic and pure Hemp based CBD products.  I’ve undergone some serious research to find the most potent medicinal Hemp strains and easily assimilated delivery systems for this incredible medicine and am happy to help you find the right dosage and strength for your particular health challenge.  You can simply ask for suggestions at your next appointment or schedule a CBD consultation with me online. Should you require a stronger THC ratio, I can help to steer you toward specific strains and delivery systems at local dispensaries as well.  

Why it’s important to solve this little canary in the coal mine with more than a pill from the pharmacy.  

There are times, it seems, that you can’t go on a raft trip in Durango without half of the women on your trip having Hashimotos.  No seriously, our raft trip of 26 people last summer included 5 women with hashi’s and that number was low because most of the folks on the trip were either under 12 or male.  Had we organized a trip of 26 women aged 30-50 our thyroiditis numbers would have been astronomical. I say we because I’m a member of the unofficial Durango Hashimotos club as well.  Before we dive into the how’s and what’s of this issue, I’ll take a moment to introduce you to:

The long and wildly pathetic list of hashimotos symptoms:  These are merely the ones I see most often at Durango Acupuncture Clinic, for a more complete list of woes click here:  https://stopthethyroidmadness.com/symptoms/

Joint Pain Hair Loss Brain Fog
extreme fatigue Dry skin Insomnia
Depression Cold hands and feet PMS
Anxiety Weight Gain Constipation
Mood Swings Constipation Infertility

Just to name a few…

Hashi-what?

Hashimotos is an autoimmune disease which is usually born from the hot and steamy love triangle of leaky gut (digestive and dietary issues), major hormonal shifts (think pregnancy and menopause) and adrenal fatigue (stress in a nutshell).  These immune, adrenal and hormonal stressors trigger thyroid antibodies to go all Rambo and attack your thyroid (among other organs), resulting in the lovely list of symptoms above as a result of low Thyroid stimulating hormone. Genetics can also play a big role into our susceptibility.  In my family, we share autoimmune disease like some families pass on good china or silver, it’s truly the gift that keeps on giving!

And why can’t we just pop a pill and forget about it?

You can just pop pills, but...While pharmaceuticals can provide symptomatic relief and prevent further destruction of your thyroid, they fail to solve the autoimmune issue that got you on the hashimotos bus in the first place.  Relying on medication alone is kind of like hiding in the bathtub while your house is on fire, sure, you’re feeling swell now, but give it a minute (or years) and things are going to get pretty uncomfortable. When the root is left untreated, those symptoms that originally disappeared with medication, can begin to slowly pop up again, along with a host of new and exotic autoimmune issues involving other organs and systems. Fun!

So What’s a girl to do?

1. Chill the heck out! Stress and adrenal taxation are recipes for autoimmune issues (among most other diseases).  Delegate, meditate, practice yoga (my class is at 4:30 on Tuesday’s, just say’in), play with your kids, let the laundry pile up, soak in a hot spring, ride your bike (shut the Strava off), laugh, walk your dog, take a moment to be present.

1. Heal your gut. Ditch the bread to start, (I know, I know, you hate me already but...) gluten has been shown in studies to have the effect of canned spinach on your Popeyed antibodies, enhancing their thyroid bashing abilities. Seal your gut lining with collagen rich bone broth or bone broth powders.  Eat fermented foods like sauerkraut, kimchi or kombucha to help repopulate the gut with good bacteria.

2. Get regular Acupuncture:  Acupuncture is clinically proven to calm your central nervous system, lower cortisol levels and reduce stress. Goodbye Adrenal taxation!  It’s also a wonderful way to balance hormones, address digestive and immune issues, increase energy and the body's ability to heal itself.  

At Durango Acupuncture Clinic, I see you as more than your long and sorry list of thyroid symptoms, I see you as the beautiful stressed out and under appreciated superwoman that you are! You’ll be encouraged to commit to self care, given some serious nurturing, dietary tips and recipes, lifestyle and supplement suggestions, Chinese herbs and someone who has experienced all that you’re going through to really listen to you.

Bring your Hashimoto's under control or even remission!  Regain your energy, vitality and balanced emotions, and Kiss that long and sorry list of symptoms goodbye.  Schedule now:  970-442-0284 or click the schedule button on this page.  Let’s set this canary free!