Using Wild Yam and Chaste Berry Cream

I have started using the Wild Yam and Chaste Berry cream since yesterday (day 12), twice a day.

The interesting things that I have noticed so far from three (3) applications of the cream are (I experience the effects of herbs and medicines quite quickly, because I am so sensitive):

• Warmer body temperature - my body temperature is a little bit warmer than it normally is. I normally don't feel very warm most of the time (normally quite cold and especially more so in winter), but since I started using the cream, I not only feel warmer, but I get warmer more quickly when I am active
• 
  Clearer sinuses - now this is an interesting (in an excellent way) effect of the cream. Since yesterday, not only have my sinuses opened up that I can breathe properly, it also means I didnt experienced any sleep apnea last night, when I normally have been experiencing it quite regularly lately due to my sinuses being so blocked - no air coming in or out of my nasal passages, mouth closed and that means no breathing and hence the sleep  apnea. Additionally, my nose seems to have less blood (from the broken capillaries) than normal. Again, this is beneficial because it means my nose is getting cleared up and the sinuses are functioning much better. Having the ability to breathe through my nose is absolutely awesome

• A bit more emotional - yesterday I noticed I felt a bit more emotional after using the cream, like I had PMS (when I haven't yet started to ovulate, so it isn't that). Not overly emotional, but just a bit more tense than normal. It could be that it enhanced my state of mind which is to be a little bit tense at the moment anyway. And the manufacturer states that the cream sometimes causes the eostrogen to spike up a bit when you first start using it, but it calms down after about a week or so. Hopefully it does for me, as I dont really want to feel more emotional than I normally do and feel like I have PMS when I am not in the PMS time of the month
• More energy - both yesterday and today I have felt my energy levels increase a little bit. My energy has been quite low lately and it has been hard to get out of bed in the mornings (not just because it's Winter and that makes it hard to get up out of bed anyway). With the use of this cream, I have not has as much trouble getting up out of bed and I have been going to bed a little earlier so that should help me wake up earlier. I hope that continues to improve.

So there you have it. These are the effects of the cream so far and this is only after one and a half days. I hope I am like the women on the testimonials who wax lyrically about the wonderful effects of the cream and how much it has helped them.

Wild Yam and Chaste Berry cream

Tomorrow I am going to start using this cream to help normalise my periods.

Apparently it has enough of the natural forms of eostrogen and progesterone to help calm and regulate the menstrual cycle, reduce period pain and PMS.

The protocol is to rub about 1/4 of a teaspoon into a fleshy part of the body morning and night for every day (from day 12) until just before menstruation starts. That is the inner or outer thighs, under arms, neck or even soles of feet or the hands (for sensitive women). So there are lots of places to rub it in.

Wild yam contains diosgenin, which is a unsaponified steroid and is very much like the natural form of progesterone, completely bioidentical to the progesterone which is excreted from the ovaries. Diosgenin has the same chemical configuration to the progesterone that the body creates, which means the body will use it appropriately.

The claims for this wild yam cream suggest that it may not only help to normalise menstruation, it may also help to normal the adrenal cortex to produce the right level of hormones.

The cream also contains Chaste berry (Agnes Vitex Castus), which is well known to help normalise the hormones, prevent PMS and help reduce period pain.

Additionally, both wild yam and chaste berry may help to reduce the size and incidence of fibroids. These are benign growths usually inside the uterus wall and occur in a great majority of women, but which cause a great deal of health issues in many women.

The wild yam and chaste berry cream starts tomorrow. I am using it to reduce my severe period pain. Hopefully I see major improvements by next month's menstruation cycle.

Menstruation was very painful this month

While I had an excellent PMS, my periods were not so excellent this month.

I think it had a lot to do with the fact that I didn't exercise much, I was working insane hours and had too much pressure at work.

My stomach bloated up so much this month that I looked like I was 4-5 months pregnant. I couldn't button up my pants properly and they're made from a stretchy material!

This photo here, of a pregnant woman, is about as big as my stomach actually became!

Not only that, but I was also feeling very dizzy, like I was about to pass out any moment. That was a bit scary, especially when I was driving to work and felt this way on the highway!

I also felt very nauseous, like I wanted to throw up so badly, even though there was no reason for me to feel sick like that.

I generally don't have such painful menstruation and have only experienced these types of symptoms only a few times before.

PMS has improved quite a lot

This month, PMS was not so bad again. I just had about 1-2 days of the PMS emotional symptoms which were ameliorated when I told myself that it was just PMS and not real.

While I could tell I had PMS as my emotions were more intense and my thoughts were a bit emotional at times, I didn't have the really irrational thoughts that overwhelmed me to the point where I thought I was going to go crazy from them, like what used to happen to me during PMS before.

I used to get PMS so bad before that those erratic thoughts just totally overwhelmed me and I felt absolutely awful before. It felt like I was not in control of my emotions or thoughts (I knew I was, but with the intensity of my emotions it felt like I wasn't).

My emotions were a bit more intense, but very recognisable as PMS and the trick I use (telling myself it's only PMS, that it's not real and will go away), helps me to manage those PMS thoughts and see sense.

And even though I havent been exercising enough this past month and have been under incredible pressure at work and I have been working over 50 hours each week, I still have managed not to get terrible PMS symptoms, only the 1-2 days just prior to my periods. That is so brilliant!

All my tactics and strategies to manage PMS naturally, are obviously working well. Thank goodness!

Exercise helps to improve PMS-PMDD symptoms

A number of studies recommend exercise as a way to relieve PMS symptoms.

Exercise is a great way to not only increase aerobic conditioning of the body (especially the lungs) and improve muscle tone, it is also a beneficial technique to use to help alleviate PMS symptoms, prevent worsening of symptoms and reduce likelihood of severe symptoms in the future.

Studies evaluated whether strength training (or resistance training) vs aerobic training exercises for women with PMS and while both types of exercise are very beneficial and improve symptoms of PMS, it seems that aerobic exercise helps to improve symptoms a lot more than strength training alone.

One study also evaluated whether a high intensity training regime or lower intensity one was more beneficial for reducing PMS and managing mood and other symptoms of PMS. The study found that low impact training was better for managing the mood problems of PMS, whereas high intensity training made mood problems associated with PMS worse.

One study which reviewed previous studies on the efficacy of exercise on PMS symptoms found that while exercise did help to reduce PMS symptoms, more stringent and larger studies needed to be done in order to confirm the studies results. While this is a good idea, it does seem, from the studies conducted so far, that exercise, especially regular aerobic is necessary to ensure PMS symptoms are reduced.

Resources

• Cockerill IM, Nevill AM, Byrne NC. Mood, mileage and the menstrual cycle. Br J Sports Med. 1992 Sep;26(3):145-50. Accessed 26 July 2010
• Daley A. Exercise and premenstrual symptomatology: a comprehensive review. J Womens Health (Larchmt). 2009 Jun;18(6):895-9
• Daley A. The role of exercise in the treatment of menstrual disorders: the evidence. Br J Gen Pract. 2009 Apr;59(561):241-2. Accessed 26 July 2010
• Dickerson LM, Mazyck PJ, Hunter MH. Premenstrual syndrome. Am Fam Physician. 2003 Apr 15;67(8):1743-52. Accessed 26 July 2010
• Steege JF, Blumenthal JA. The effects of aerobic exercise on premenstrual symptoms in middle-aged women: A preliminary study. Journal of Psychosomatic Research, Volume 37, Issue 2, February 1993, Pages 127-133

Have some mild PMS symptoms at the moment

I am at day 26 of my cycle.

This means PMS is back!

This month, it is again, not too severe. The only aspect which is more pronounced is the fluid retention and weight gain, especially in my stomach and breasts (as usual). But at least I don't have major pain.

The other major symptoms I have had this month are: food cravings for sweet foods (especially my favourite chocolate) and some emotional lows.

I haven't done much about the food cravings (I give into them), but I have been able to prevent my emotions from escalating, by telling myself, "It's only PMS and not a real emotion" a few times, after which my mental status comes back to normal. It just takes a few seconds of repeating this to myself to stop the false mood swing to negativity. Thank goodness!

I have found that the more I exercise, the more fluid I pass through my urine and the better my fluid retention symptoms get. Exercise increases circulation and also helps the lymphatic system remove any excess fluids.

I'll keep doing the exercises every day (about 35-45 minutes) and that should help a lot.