Of Low Iron, Heavy Menses & Progesterone

I didn’t know that low iron and heavy menses were such common issues until I shared my story with friends and fellow oilers. The more I shared, the more I feel that I ought to share with a bigger audience so others may benefit from my experience of how I am overcoming these issues naturally and painlessly.

First, my story,…

I always knew that I have small red blood cells and not much of them. It’s a common condition for people with Thalassemia. I have Thalassemia Minor which is a much less serious condition than Thalassemia Major which can be fatal and debilitating. Thalassemia Minor carriers have anemic symptoms because of the low quantity of red blood cells which are smaller than normal. The condition didn’t affect me in any way when I was growing up. I was active in sports and outdoor activities. In fact, I didn’t know that I had such a condition until I had health check-ups when I started working in my early 20s. I didn’t have to do anything about it until I was pregnant with my first child. Due to the need for iron and blood volume to support the pregnancy, I was prescribed iron supplements. Even then, the dosage was low as the iron cannot be all absorbed by Thalassemia carriers and having too much iron in the body may cause other problems. I went on to have 2 more babies, with no issues with iron or red blood cells.

When my third child was 4, I had a fainting incident at a doctor’s office while the doctor was attending to my daughter. Looking back, it was hilarious but it was almost traumatic then. It happened so quickly that I had no idea what had happened when I regained consciousness. The sight of medical personnel looking over me made me panic and I had thought that something was wrong with my daughter. I was wondering why the doctor and nurses were not attending to her instead.

The doctor insisted that I go to the hospital in an ambulance. I recall the worst feeling rising up my chest as I looked at my children staring at me with worried faces as I was wheeled away to the ambulance, just as my husband arrived from his office to take the children. I assured them that I would be fine but deep inside I wasn’t sure of that myself. It was the most awful feeling of helplessness while facing the little people whom I should be protecting with my life.

The drama continued at the hospital as I went through blood tests, CT scan, ultrasound scan and questioning by various doctors over 5 days. They found that my iron level was extremely low but couldn’t find the cause of it. Eventually, I was discharged with iron supplements and instructions to return for blood tests every month.

Fast forward to one and half years after, when I was introduced to Young Living Essential Oils. I still didn’t know the cause of my low iron and was determined to find a natural way to resolve that. By then, my monthly periods had gotten burdensomely heavy. So bad that I would stay home on the second day of my period to avoid bloody accidents and because I was so fatigue during it too. I researched the problem and found that there were plenty of women with the same issue. It’s funny to read about their experiences and accidents because I can recount my own experiences and accidents! Many of these women were advised to go on oral contraceptives, put on intra-uterine devices (IUD) or more drastically, have a hysterectomy! No way I would do that, although the thought of never having periods was appealing! I think removing a major part of a woman’s reproductive system would wreak havoc on the body, somehow. I prefer to resolve the problem than to solve it by creating other problems.

Then I read that heavy menses could be caused by hormonal imbalance from insufficient progesterone. (I’ll write about hormonal imbalance in another post so this doesn’t get way too long!) A lightbulb lit up! Young Living has a product which women in the USA went crazy over and depleted all the stocks of, Progessence Plus, which promotes the production of progesterone naturally! It has wild yam extract which has been used by the Chinese traditionally for hormonal balance for older women. You may eat wild yam to get the same effect but applying 2 drops of Progessence a day is much easier. The blend has essential oils which help in the body’s absorption and also support the endocrine system. Outside the USA, the product is called Progessence Phyto Plus (PPP).

Progessence Phyto Plus

So, I started diligently applying PPP daily, before bed. It makes me sleepy so I don’t use it in the day but it’s perfect just before bed to enhance my sleep. The first noticeable effect was that the pre-menstrual irritability went away! Even I, who refused to admit to having PMS ever, was surprised that nobody irritated me days before my period. After 2-3 months’ use, my period became lighter. I no longer feel like all blood is drained out of me once a month and I have more energy! I can even go out during my period! It was freeing!

Subsequently, I learnt to optimise the effects of PPP by using it and other essential oils according to my cycle as the body needs and produces varying levels of progesterone and estrogen through the cycle. I created a chart to help me follow it. Read it in my post here.

PPP has changed my life and I make sure that I have it in stock all the time! It is something I can’t do without. As it helps to reduce my heavy menses, I’m building up my body’s store of iron by eating iron-rich food, taking Young Living’s Mineral Essence and liquid iron supplements which are gentler to the body and more easily absorbed.

Of course, going the natural way usually takes a longer time but I believe that the changes stay longer and there are no negative side effects. I hope my sharing helps you in your search for natural remedies or inspires you to go the natural way! If you want more information about Young Living and the business opportunity, contact me here or check out this page about How to Become a Member.

 

2 comments for “Of Low Iron, Heavy Menses & Progesterone

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *