During the first year of learning about Multiple Sclerosis from our Naturopathic Doctor, we learned quickly that hormones play a huge roll in the bodies ability to function properly. Depression, mood swings, water usage, adrenal function, sleep problems and many other issues in Multiple Sclerosis seem to stem from hormone problems. The way we originally found this ND was through a video he created on the human body's need for water. Through this video he explained how hormones in the body regulate water which attributes to the underlying issues of disease. This video was made specifically for auto immune diseases and the effects water had on the healing of these diseases.
After visiting with the ND we soon learned that there were tests we could perform that would give levels of hormones circulating through the body. He advised us to complete a Female Circadian (24 hour) Hormonal Panel from Sabre Sciences. This test is conducted over a 24 hour period using swabs to capture saliva for testing. She would swab her mouth at different times so that our ND could see how her hormone levels were throughout a full day. The hormones tested included Cortisol, DHEA, Progesterone, Estradiol and Testosterone. The test also included 6 minerals/electrolytes. We were quite shocked to see the irregularities when the results arrived from the first test.
My wife has had insomnia off and on for years. With the hormone test, we found out why. In the results, you could actually see the Cortisol level jump in the middle of the night which would cause her to wake up and have issues sleeping. There were many other irregularities too that we soon found out affected her mood and many other issues she was having. Based off of these tests, we received a compounded cream that my wife would use daily to regulate her hormones. Once on the cream, she started sleeping better and feeling better. We were instructed to take the test fairly often at first to see the progress of the cream so it could be adjusted. We learned that it takes quite a bit of time for your hormones to come back into balance and you have to work to keep them balanced.
Through the hormone testing we also found that my wife's adrenals were shot. They were overworked and stressed out. My wife has had times when she would start to feel light headed and woozy and the ND attributed this to her adrenal problems. For awhile this seemed to happen often, but utilizing certain supplements, rest and diet, she was able to stop this problem. There is much more to say about hormones and MS, and on a future post I will try to give specifics on my wife's hormone level
results. I feel like this is one of the key elements we used to begin gaining some control over my wife's health.
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4 comments:
Wow, still up reading your blog (4:30am but I'm too uncomfortable to sleep anyways tonight). I really feel God showed me this blog for so many reasons! It's like it was written for me by my husband!
I have realized over the years that I have to know my body better than any doctor. I was told I could NEVER have children of my own and after much prayer and learning everything I could about my body and hormones, I have a beautiful amazing miracle daughter who is now 2 1/2 years old. If I am diagnosed with MS (waiting for an appointment next Friday) I know that I need to understand MS and my body and not just do whatever the doctor tells me, but learn what works for me. It's funny because I have been researching the Swank plan and also Dr Zamboni's research (which is so strange because my MRI's have always shown that I have one completely closed artery from my brain, but doctors have always said that wasn't something to worry about and for some reason it just always bothered me!). Like you said, regardless of whether something is specifically MS related, your whole body is reacting. My most frustrating thing is that I feel like doctors are treating everything like it's a separate issue "oh your leg pain has nothing to do with your hormones". They have made me feel like my whole body is falling apart separately and are treating each symptom- when I feel it's all one big issue which is seeming like MS. I'm looking into how I can change my life to help live with MS- and everytime I read your blogs- it seems right in line with what my husband and I are talking about! I feel like your just a few years ahead of us in the process, but I'm just so thankful for your blog tonight!! I went from laying in bed in pain to feeling God's direction once again! Thank you!
This site has given me all sorts of hopes and understanding...
I don't use treatments, have been diagnosed in May of 2009, through Optic Neuritis, have been pretty good with just keeping my diet healthy, sugar is your enemy, so I imagine that most books involving foods for ms, include that detail. Basically anything you enjoy eating, isn't allowed. So find healthy alternatives hehe..
Myself and my husband as most other people associated with MS, totally appreciate the honestly in yours and others' stories.
This will help me offer some advices to my husband. Currently my Left leg/foot is misbehaving while we go out walking. My right foot tends to want to be the hero and basically walks over where my left foot is meant to, and just trips me up. I do take brief rests, on benches/against walls, when I can, and this helps to allow me 10-20 steps at once, and then rest. It's funny, I was always a speed walker, and a yoga specialist, now I just try and meditate/do slow pilates to bring out the frustration.... We're on holiday in London, unfortunately back home in Norway it's quite a bit of harsh coldness, so at this point, here's to Spring! Positive vibes to all.. Strife Free Life... :)
Just by chance my partner came to your page as I amBconvinced hormones are having an affect on my MS symptoms. A few years ago I had started the contraceptive pill but after a few months I felt that the tingly feeling down my legs were due to that tablet. After stopping, the sensation went. Just now I began a different contraceptive pill and was told by the doctor there is no evidence that the pill has any effect on MS. However, just after one day, the headache came back (which is a common side effect anyway) but I felt the slight tingling sensation beginning to return. I have again stopped the tablets and feel I now need to go back to my docs to tell them I have the evidence from my own experience! It does make sense as every 2 weeks as hormone levels change, I do have my ups and downs worse than what's normal, and I do feel the tingly feelings in my legs and feel more nerve sensitive.
Thank you for this blog, I was always being told it's just me and that it is not related to MS. (Although I am still having slight difficulty accepting MS, reading through your blog clears up some things for me)
Keep at it. Thank u!
Hey Anonymous, thanks for the comment. We found a lot of the same things with doctors telling us how something should or shouldn't affect my wife and we had real results showing the opposite. I guess my wife learned that listening to her body was important for her to find out what would and wouldn't work specifically for her. Like you, she found that she would say something was affecting her and the doctor would try to say it wasn't the meds but she knew it was affecting her. Thanks for reading my blog, and let me know if you have any specific questions.
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