The Hemp Connection [Search results for insomnia] 

This post comes from Karen Siegel in Houston, Texas. In addition to being a Registered Dietitian, she is also a Licensed Acupuncturist.

Acupuncture in Pregnancy & Childbirth

Pregnancy is an amazing time in a woman's life. Many women report feeling healthier than they have ever felt before; however, the physical growth of the baby and changes in hormone levels can bring about pain, discomfort and a variety of health problems.

Acupuncture and Oriental medicine can provide a safe, effective alternative for many of the health complications that may arise before, during and after pregnancy. A growing number of women are choosing acupuncture to use throughout their pregnancy and as an optional treatment for an overdue or difficult labor.

Planning for a Healthy Baby

Healthy parents produce healthy babies. With acupuncture and Oriental medicine, parents can improve their health to create the most optimal environment for their unborn child. In addition to their ability to strengthen, support, and balance overall health and well-being, acupuncture and Oriental medicine are an effective treatment for regulating menstruation and hormone levels, reducing stress and addressing any pre-existing medical conditions or concerns that a woman may have.

Acupuncture during Pregnancy

Acupuncture and Oriental medicine can play a vital role in the comfort of a pregnant woman. There is strong evidence to support that acupuncture is highly effective at treating some of the most common problems experienced during pregnancy including morning sickness, heartburn, insomnia, water retention and sciatica.

Here is a list of some of the problems that an acupuncturist often treats during pregnancy:

* Nausea and Vomiting
* Heartburn
* Constipation
* Hemorrhoids
* Edema and Swelling
* Urinary Tract Infection
* Pelvic Pain
* Neck and Back Pain
* Sciatica
* Carpal Tunnel Syndrome
* Leg Cramps
* Fatigue and Exhaustion
* Insomnia
* Anxiety and Depression

Acupuncture for Childbirth

While there are acupuncture points that can provide natural pain relief during labor, acupuncture is more commonly used to induce labor. There are several points that stimulate contractions and influence cervical ripening. There is also an acupuncture point that has been found to turn a breech baby.

Acupuncture Postpartum

Many women feel depleted after the birth experience. Acupuncture and Oriental medicine can help the transition of those first few months after birth to ensure a quick recovery. Postpartum care focuses on the physical, emotional and psychological recovery of the mother from the effects of pregnancy and labor, as well as encouraging breast feeding.

Here are some of the postpartum disorders that can be treated with acupuncture:

* Fatigue
* Postpartum Depression
* Mastitis
* Insufficient or Excessive Lactation
* Post Operative Healing
* Night Sweats

If you would like to know more how acupuncture and Oriental medicine ease discomfort and facilitate pregnancy, please call for more information.

Karen Siegel MPH, MS, RD, LD, L.Ac.
9660 Hillcroft, Suite 202
Houston, TX 77096
713-721-7755

I had a very interesting experience this past weekend that caused me to think about how and why we eat the way we do.

I'm working on an educational event for people with insomnia, and my partner in this project came across a restaurant in Los Angeles called Opaque. This restaurant serves the entire meal in the dark! So we decided to try it out as a potential event activity.

I found that the food became more intense when I couldn't see what I was eating. Every flavor, every texture, popped out at me as I moved from salad through entree through dessert.

Not being able to see anything I was eating also slowed me down. I had seared ahi tuna with sticky rice, and when I got to the rice I found myself resorting to using my hands to put food on my fork.

At one point I bit into something I really liked, but I couldn't identify it. My dinner parter had to tell me it was a strawberry! Which I couldn't believe, since strawberries are one of my favorite fruits. That made me think about how much of food is what you decide ahead of time about it…if you decide you're going to like it, based on what you see, you will eat it, and potentially eat more of it. Similarly, you may decide you don't like something because of its appearance, and cut yourself out of finding a food you'd like to eat more of.

You could easily replicate this experience at home, by eating blindfolded, either having someone serve you something you ask for in advance, or allowing yourself to be surprised. Perhaps what you learn about yourself in the experience will give you insight into why you eat the foods you do, in the quantities you do.

I'd love to hear feedback from anyone who accepts the challenge!

If you'd like to learn more about our insomnia events, join our Facebook Group!

Working with PCOS has taught me how prevalent the problem of poor sleep is. People who don't sleep well tend to gravitate toward caffeine and sugar all day long, and the vicious cycle can lead to insulin resistance and weight gain.

I've become increasingly concerned about the percentage of inCYST clients on Ambien and Lunesta, not to mention CPAP machines. I just have never been able to believe that this has to be the fate of the non-sleeper.

But…I also knew that even if insomniacs were motivated to spend all of a weekend day in a workshop designed to help them, they'd likely drift off right in the middle of it! So I've been working with colleague Nancy Carballo to develop an experiential alternative giving participants a chance to learn and experience a few different opportunities to look at insomnia a little more naturalistically.

I'm excited! We've planned yoga on the beach, a didgeridoo lesson (since this instrument helps to strengthen the muscles commonly weakened in sleep apnea), a couple of laid back lectures, and sleep-friendly eating (including dinner with popular LA dark dining restaurant, Opaque). Our spa partner in this endeavor, Creative Chakra, is also offering additional massages and light therapy sessions.

We have a Facebook page for the event…you can join us there to let us know you'd like to be notified when we open registration, or you can write me directly at marika@google.com

Anyone with insomnia, whether or not they have PCOS, is welcome to participate.

Zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz you there!

Most of you have some type of sleep disorder…and that can mess with your insulin and melatonin levels. You've already been told, here, and many, many times, elsewhere, that you need to get more omega-3's in your diet.

Did you know, chia seeds are one of the highest omega-3 foods around? One ounce of chia seeds has about 5000 mg of ALA, the vegetarian omega-3. That is more than twice what you need in a day!

Interestingly, chia seeds are high in tryptophan and often have a side effect of drowsiness, so if you're one of that majority of women with PCOS who have trouble with sleep, here's a potential idea for a non-pharmaceutical answer.

Dr. Oz (he's not my usual reference but this seemed practical) recommends taking chia seeds about 3 hours before bedtime. You can simply stir them into a glass of water and drink them, or you can sprinkle them onto yogurt, or into smoothies.

One of my friends of Mexican descent recently shared a recipe from the blog No Meat Athlete for something called pinole, a chia/cornmeal cake that has been made for centuries by the Tarahumara Indians of Mexico. They're the ones famous for running. I tried the recipe out last week. Instead of adding sugar, I juiced a nectarine and stirred it in. It was interesting, and I intend to experiment more with the recipe to make it more user-friendy. In its current form it's probably more something a total nutrition junkie would eat, not something irresistible to the average American palate. Here's the link if you want to try it out for yourself. If you make revisions that you like please share them!

If you or someone you know is an employee of Sony Pictures Studios, and you've been looking for someone to talk to about nutrition and lifestyle approaches for any of the following situations:

better skin
insomnia and sleep disorders
infertility
obesity
gastric bypass surgery
hypertension
high cholesterol
metabolic syndrome X
irritable bowel syndrome
eating disorders

Come to the Sony Pictures Studios Health and Wellness Fair and meet Dori Zerlin, MS, RD

Dori will be offering free nutrition consultations on the following dates, for the following issues:

July 8, 2008 12 pm — 4 pm Nutrition and Healthy Skin
August 5, 2008 12 pm — 4 pm Nutrition for Better Sleep
September 9, 2008 12 pm — 4 pm Ideas for Healthy Dining Out

To meet Dori, and/or sign up for one of these free sessions or arrange for a personal consultation, visit the Sony Pictures Studios Athletic Club, Tuesday, June 10, 2008, between 11:00 am and 2:30 pm.

If you can't make this event and you would like to make an appointment with Dori, contact her at dzerlin@gmail.com.

If you follow the blog, you have seen me mention a product called Nightly Beauty by Beauty Foods. It wasn't made for PCOS, and it has not been clinically tested on PCOS. However, if poor sleep is plaguing you, it is formulated in a way that makes it worthy of your consideration. I recently filmed a testimonial for the product for friend, CEO, and inCYST supporter Jacque Gibson (Jacque was a sponsor for our first walk-a-thon). Because the name implies that it is primarily a beauty aid, I wanted to explain some of the biochemistry behind its other potential.
If you're interested, Beauty Foods is available in our eMarket.

Jacque is in New York today, getting ready to introduce her product at Shecky's Beauty Night Out. If you're going to that event, please stop by, say hello, and taste it for yourself!

It’s normal to have some anxiety from time to time. Everyone experiences anxiety as a normal reaction to threatening, dangerous, uncertain, or important situations. When you’re taking a test, going on a trip, or meeting your prospective in-laws for the first time, you’re going to have anxiety. Psychologists classify anxiety as normal or pathological. Normal anxiety can enhance your function, motivation, and productivity, such as the person who works well under pressure.

But there’s a larger problem called Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD), and it affects an estimated five to seven million Americans. People with GAD experience pathological anxiety, which is excessive, chronic, and typically interferes with their ability to function in normal daily activities. GAD patients are about 60%women/40% men, and women with PCOS are affected by anxiety disorders more often than other people, just as we’re more affected by depressive disorders.

There are biological and environmental risk factors for GAD, which include the following:

• Environmental stressors (e.g., work, school, relationships)

• Genetics (Research has shown a 20% risk for GAD in blood relatives of people with the disorder and a 10% risk among relatives of people with depression.)

• Sleep deprivation, sleep inconsistency

Stress in the following areas can intensify symptoms:

• Financial concerns

• Health

• Relationships

• School problems

• Work problems

Symptoms include trembling, general nervousness or tension, shortness of breath, diarrhea, hot flashes, feeling worried or agitated, trouble falling asleep, poor concentration, tingling, sweating, rapid heartbeat, frequent urination, and dizziness. A panic attack, which is an extreme manifestation of anxiety, may feel like a heart attack, and sends many patients to the emergency room. If you’re having these types of symptoms, you should definitely make sure you’ve seen a physician to rule out medical conditions.

This type of anxiety is obviously more severe than normal anxiety, and can even be quite disabling. There might be a tendency to expect the worst without clear evidence, with particular worries about health, finances, job, and family. Individuals often can’t relax, sleep or concentrate on the task at hand. This disorder affects the quality of work and home life. You may know that your worry is excessive, but don’t feel like you can do anything about it. There are also some cultural issues — many people in the United States who are diagnosed with GAD claim to have been nervous or anxious their whole lives. Eastern societies, on the other hand, perceive and treat anxiety differently, as something associated with pain. So anxiety may be seen as normal in one setting, and pathological in another setting.

GAD is associated with irregular levels of neurotransmitters in the brain. Neurotransmitters are chemicals that carry signals across nerve endings. Neurotransmitters that seem to involve anxiety include norepinephrine, GABA (gamma-aminobutyric acid), and serotonin. Anxiety may result in part from defects in serotonin neurotransmission, and drugs that augment this activity may be useful in the treatment of anxiety disorders. However, many therapists believe that GAD is a behavioral condition and should not be treated with medication. Further, some believe GAD is more closely related to depression than to anxiety. I tend to believe that there’s a spectrum, and usually, if you’ve got depression, you’ve got some anxiety, and vice versa. There also seems to be a correlation between GAD and other psychiatric disorders, including depression, phobia disorder, and panic disorder. Anxiety is a risk factor for sleep disorders such as insomnia.

If you have numerous symptoms of anxiety, it’s important to be evaluated by a mental health professional who can help you identify the causes of your anxiety, and teach you ways to manage your anxiety. Many forms of therapy are effective, and I see great results in my anxiety clients who practice yoga or meditation (or both!). If that’s not enough, you can be evaluated by a psychiatrist and try some of the highly effective anxiety-reduction medications.

Gretchen Kubacky, Psy.D. is a Health Psychologist in private practice in West Los Angeles, California. She has completed the inCYST training. She specializes in counseling women and couples who are coping with infertility, PCOS, and related endocrine disorders and chronic illnesses.

If you would like to learn more about Dr. HOUSE or her practice, or obtain referrals in the Los Angeles area, please visit her website at www.drhousemd.com, or e-mail her at AskDrHouseMD@gmail.com. You can also follow her on Twitter @askdrhousemd.

In addition to PCOS, I specialize in the nutritional aspects of medications affecting the brain and nervous system. That includes psych meds, Parkinson's meds…pretty much any medication that has the potential to affect how the brain and nervous system function.

A few years ago, while compiling a series of fact sheets about the nutritional implications of these medications, I started reading about the anti-obesity medication called Meridia (generic name sibutramine). This drug appeared on the market after the famous phen-fen combination was deemed dangerous. It was supposed to be a kindler, gentler alternative. And it supposedly can reduce the severity of symptoms associated with PCOS.

I was floored by what was showing up, unedited, in the peer-reviewed literature about this medication. But not at all surprised with the announcement yesterday that this drug is potentially dangerous for people with heart conditions.

Repeatedly and consistently, researchers were reporting reactions. Some of the most common problems this medication seemed to incite, were anxiety, hypertension, and elevated heart rate.

If Meridia was a drug intended to treat cancer, or glaucoma, or hangnail, and it caused this battery of symptoms, I don't think the FDA would have tolerated consistent reports that it had the ability to send the cardiovascular system into a tailspin.

Yet, in the obese research subject, in the face of these observations, researchers continued to report some of the following conclusions:

**In a 21 patient study, 40% experienced sleep disturbances and 30% complained of irritability, unusual impatience, or"excitation".
RESEARCH CONCLUSION: Sibutramine, 5 and 20 mg, added to a multimodal program assisted participants in losing weight.
Weintraub M, Rubio A, Golik A, Byrne L, Scheinbaum ML. Sibutramine in weight control: a dose-ranging, efficacy study. Clin Pharmacol Ther. 1991 Sep;50(3):330-7.

**In a review study, the author reported,"In controlled studies, 84% of sibutramine-treated patients reported adverse events, compared with 71% of patients receiving placebo. The most frequently reported adverse events are related to pharmacological actions of sibutramine, and include dry mouth, decreased appetite, constipation and insomnia. Despite the high incidence of"side effects" in the control population, the author of this article attributed the problems in the tested population to"pharmacological actions of sibutramine".
Lean ME. Sibutramine--a review of clinical efficacy. Int J Obes Relat Metab Disord. 1997 Mar;21 Suppl 1:S30-6; discussion 37-9.

**In a study of 226 people comparing sibutramine to dexfenfluramine, researchers reported,"174 patients (77%) experienced adverse events; 17 patients withdrew due to adverse events. Pulse rate increased significantly in sibutramine-treated patients." Then they concluded,"Sibutramine (10 mg once daily) is at least as effective as dexfenfluramine (15 mg twice daily) in achieving weight loss in patients with obesity."
Hanotin C, Thomas F, Jones SP, Leutenegger E, Drouin P. A comparison of sibutramine and dexfenfluramine in the treatment of obesity. Obes Res. 1998 Jul;6(4):285-91.

**In a study of 235 people, the following was reported,"a significant increase in heart rate (about 4 beats/min) was noted for patients who received 10 mg or 15 mg sibutramine, compared with the placebo." Then it was concluded,"Doses of 10 mg and 15 mg once daily were shown to be similarly effective, well tolerated and significantly more effective than the placebo."
Hanotin C, Thomas F, Jones SP, Leutenegger E, Drouin P. Efficacy and tolerability of sibutramine in obese patients: a dose-ranging study. Int J Obes Relat Metab Disord. 1998 Jan;22(1):32-8.

**In a study of 11 men, it was observed that"the sibutramine-induced increase in energy expenditure was accompanied by an increase in plasma epinephrine, heart rate, blood pressure, and plasma glucose. The conclusion:"Sibutramine caused a significant increase in both energy expenditure and satiety, which may both contribute to its weight-reducing properties.
Hansen DL, Toubro S, Stock MJ, Macdonald IA, Astrup A. Thermogenic effects of sibutramine in humans. Am J Clin Nutr. 1998 Dec;68(6):1180-6.

As of 2006, I had found 14 studies reporting an elevated heart rate with use. You can easily find them yourself in http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/; I encourage you to see for yourself. I've supported myself here with enough references and my Saturday has other obligations prohibiting me from using it to repeat work I've already done. I hope I've encouraged you to see for yourself what I've been talking about with colleagues for several years.

I like to call this the Biggest Loser Mentality. It doesn't matter if we make these people vomit, pull a muscle, or give them a bloody heart attack. This market of obese people is just too lucrative to ignore.

If you have PCOS and you are obese, you deserve better. You're not where you are because you have a deficiency of ANY kind of medication in your body. Don't let anyone convince you otherwise.

“Gretchen, oh Gretchen! It’s Halloween, come on, I’m so tiny, just eat me. You deserve a treat. I’m only here once a year.” Sound familiar when you substitute your own name?

A few M&Ms, an itty-bitty Butterfinger, those adorable little packets of candy corn, or whatever form of cheap sugar it is that you favor are probably calling your name – LOUDLY – right about now. If you haven’t already succumbed repeatedly to the bowls scattered throughout many offices, or sneaking some out of the stash you intend to distribute tonight, or if you didn’t full-on snag an entire bag of your favorites for yourself, which is even now lurking in your desk drawer. I know the drill. You’ve got that guilty laugh, don’t you?

It’s darn near impossible to be perfect around the issue of refined sugar. It’s in everything from the obvious baked goods and candy to the less obvious prepared salad dressings and sauces – even a Chinese stir-fry or some other meat dishes. Many of us set abstinence from sugars as a goal, and/or adhering to a low-glycemic diet. This is a great idea generally speaking. But we’re entering the time of year when treats abound (I’d say treat season pretty well spans Halloween through Valentine’s Day, which is a long time to be totally out of control), and it’s time to get a grip on yourself, and implement a strategy that works. Here are some of my favorite self-protection strategies:

• Don’t buy the stuff – DUH!? If you don’t have it in your house, you can’t eat it. Or at least you’d have to go make a special trip to buy it, which gives you enough time to re-think that idea. Refusal to participate in self-destruction is empowering.

• If you must buy it, buy something you don’t like – personally, there’s no way on earth I’m going to eat gumballs, Twizzlers, or Skittles. If that’s what I’m handing out, it’s ALL leaving the house. Saved!

• Turn down offers quickly – when you’re standing at the receptionist’s counter staring at that giant bowl of toxic sugar, and she pushes some on you like a perfect hostess, quickly excuse yourself by saying you’re diabetic, you’re allergic to chocolate, or whatever else you need to say. This is one occasion where you should feel free to lie. It’s highly likely the embarrassment and potential questioning (“Um, I’m not trying to tell you what to do, but didn’t you say you were diabetic?!) will prevent you from sticking your hand in that very public bowl.

• Buy yourself a real treat – if I’m going to do chocolate, I want it to be European, very dark, very smooth, and preferably kind of expensive. That doesn’t sound like any of the usual Halloween treats, does it? Better yet, buy yourself a non-food item as a reward for your good behavior. Make your calories and your glycemic bumps meaningful, for cryin’ out loud!

I’m all for self-indulgence, but I believe it is best practiced with thoughtfulness and, frankly, dedication. We should PLAN for indulgence, actually. It shouldn’t be random, stupid, or designed to give you a sugar rush followed by a sugar crash, wildly fluctuating insulin levels, and a bad mood (because yes, the sugar crash causes headaches, stomach aches, insomnia, and contributes to anxiety and depression).

In the world of PCOS, you need to make smart choices. I don’t think choosing cheap Halloween candy is a good choice for your mind or your body because it doesn’t make you feel better, bottom line, and I’m all about feeling better, not throwing things out of balance.

Gretchen Kubacky, Psy.D. is a Health Psychologist in private practice in West Los Angeles, California. She specializes in counseling women and couples who are coping with infertility, PCOS, and related endocrine disorders and chronic illnesses.

If you would like to learn more about Dr. HOUSE or her practice, or obtain referrals in the Los Angeles area, please visit her website at www.drhousemd.com, or e-mail her at Gretchen@drhousemd.com. You can also follow her on Twitter @askdrhousemd.

In my last post, I talked about the relationship between depression and PCOS; this post addresses anxiety and PCOS. Although we may tend to think of anxiety and depression as two different and distinct conditions or diagnoses, in fact, there's a lot of overlap. As a therapist, I end up assessing to see whether depression or anxiety is the more dominant condition, but I almost always end up treating some degree of both conditions.

Women with PCOS are well aware that their state of well-being is affected by their hormonal balance. Estrogen, progesterone, testosterone, melatonin, and cortisol all play vital roles in mood regulation as well as physical well-being. Depression is often a symptom of estrogen deficiency. Irritability and anxiety can be indicators of progesterone deficiency or estrogen excess. Likewise, testosterone deficiency can contribute to symptoms of anxiety, not to mention reduced energy and initiative (which is where you can start to see the overlap with depression symptoms). Melatonin deficiency contributes to anxiety and nervousness and disrupts sleep, which can further contribute to development of insomnia and depression. Inadequate cortisol as a result of too much stress can also result in symptoms of anxiety and depression.

The endocrine system is so complex, and PCOS patients typically are managed with hormone-affecting medications such as birth control pills and diabetes medications. If not properly balanced, side effects of such medications may include moodiness, irritability, and other symptoms that either mimic or exacerbate anxiety conditions. Medications that are prescribed for treatment of anxiety may include special anti-anxiety medications, but anxiety symptoms are often treated with depression medications, like the SSRIs (Zoloft, Celexa, etc.). Some anti-anxiety medications can be addictive if overused or misused.

To further complicate matters, your physician may not be aware of the complex interaction and possible healing benefits of proper nutrition and PCOS-specific supplementation that can dramatically lessen symptoms, and even eliminate the need for some medications. All of our neurotransmitters (those things in the brain that help generate the happy, sad, and anxious feelings) can be positively affected by the proper fuel as well as mind/body treatments that include stress management, meditation, mindfulness, exercise, yoga, hypnotherapy, etc. Just as the body yearns for homeostasis, so does the brain. The brain actually reshapes itself in response to stress, trauma, and our interactions with other people — that's true for the good as well as the bad.

So even if you have experienced a lot of negative things that are contributing to feelings of being anxious, there are many ways to approach the problem — and medication is only one of the possibilities in a big bag of therapeutic tools. Although your hormones are powerful influencers of mood and anxiety, so are nutrition, supplementation, and a proactive approach to therapy and other forms of support.

…and I'm guessing it is, since our own research has shown that most women with PCOS simply do not get enough sleep…

…consider joining us in Los Angeles this July to learn more about how to change that.

Poor sleep can worsen insulin resistance, trigger carbohydrate cravings, promote weight gain, and, well…just make you crabby.

I've been working on a project with colleague Nancy Carballo, that is designed to give you some ideas for how to improve your sleep, hopefully eliminating the need for that godawful and totally unromantic CPAP machine that's all the rage in some circles. We decided to make it fun and interactive, because, well, when you're sleep-deprived, why the heck would you come out on a beautiful Saturday to fall asleep during a bunch of dry medical lectures?

We have a Facebook group if you'd like to learn more and be updated on our event details; you can find us at"Insomniacfest".

Please consider joining us! After all, there's no point losing sleep over your PCOS, your weight, your infertility…or your insomnia.

It's not something many PCOS practitioners think to ask during an assessment…but it's one of my first. That is, how well you sleep. Most women with PCOS are exhausted. They can't sleep at night and it's all they want to do all day. We did an informal survey a few years ago that surprised the sleep specialists I showed it to. Fully 85% of women with PCOS reported insomnia, sleepwalking, night eating, fibromyalgia, and/or early morning waking. We didn't even include obstructive sleep apnea, the sleep disorder most often associated with PCOS. What's going on? Melatonin, the chemical we tend to associate with making us sleepy, is also an extremely powerful antioxidant. It makes you sleepy so you slow down and rest while it does its main job…scrubbing up and cleaning up oxidative damage that has happened during the day. If you're under a lot of oxidative stress, it tends to want to kick in at odd hours…during the day. It's your brain's way of telling you that you need to slow things down, because it's gotten behind on the cleaning chores. When you are sleepy during the day, you are likely under stress. And if you have used up your melatonin stores during the day in an attempt to clean up the junk, there may not be enough to make you sleepy enough to fall asleep. What's a PCOS girl to do? --work on stress management --make sure your sleep hygiene practices are impeccable: turn off all digital equipment after 7:30 pm, keep the shades drawn to protect yourself from outdoor light, turn the alarm clock to face the wall so the light will not interfere with your hormones. Yes, you can take melatonin, and I've recommended it from time to time. But it's a bandaid solution. Your true answer is to start pulling yourself back into balance.

The more I read about melatonin the more I think I should have majored in sleep instead of nutrition. Just ran across a research abstract reviewing the many effects melatonin, our sleep hormone, has on hair health.

In addition to being a potent antioxidant, which means it destroys compounds that promote the many symptoms of PCOS, melatonin reduces apoptosis, a process which kills cells in the body.

It's really important to value your sleep. Not getting it is not a sign of drive…or superiority…or success…or a glamorous lifestyle…losing sleep is something you do that accelerates aging and promotes all the nasty things you've come to hate about PCOS. Those of you who are losing hair to your PCOS…should take this very seriously!!!

Fischer TW, Slominski A, Tobin DJ, Paus R. Melatonin and the hair follicle. J Pineal Res. 2008 Jan;44(1):1-15.

The following is a guest post reprinted with permission from the blog of Karen Siegel, MPH, MS, RD, LD, LAc. Karen is a registered dietitian and licensed acupuncturist practicing in Houston, TX. If that's your neck of the woods, I highly recommend you take advantage of her knowledge, experience and talent.

Depression, Anxiety, Bi-Polar Disorder & Acupuncture
Questions about acupuncture for mental health issues are one of the most common inquiries I receive after questions about pain.

I actually do quite a bit of “mental health” acupuncture. Because of my nutrition specialty of working with eating disorders (for over 25 years), I have developed a great network with some of the best mental health professionals in Houston.

Acupuncture can help with depression, anxiety, stress and bi-polar disorder. So in terms of various mental health issues, yes, acupuncture can frequently help.

I caution to say that acupuncture is not in lieu of continuing or being in therapy. I do not take patients off of their Western medication if they’re already on it. Medication is a discussion between the patient and their doctor. Acupuncture, and in many cases Chinese herbal formulas, work just fine in conjunction with Western medication as the mechanism of action is quite different. They can complement each other beautifully.

When a patient comes in with a Western diagnosis of depression, anxiety or bi-polar disorder, my job is to determine what the underlying problem(s) are from a Chinese medical perspective. For example, if someone presents with anxiety along with insomnia, excessive worrying, hypervigilance and internalizing feelings, the strategy might be to balance the heart and kidney channels. However, if the main complaints include depression, irritability, sleep disruptions and digestive problems, the approach might focus on smoothing the liver channel.

Usually, a patient will present with a combination of the above plus more. After a thorough evaluation, a point selection is chosen based on the most disruptive concerns working our way in to the deepest and most chronic issues. We as human beings are rarely uni-dimensional, therefore it is more complicated than I have described. However, it gives you an understanding that the treatment strategy is quite individualized.

I have treated bipolar disorder and have found that acupuncture can be stabilizing; but with bipolar, it’s really important to stay on your Western drugs and/or be in regular communication with your therapist. What the acupuncture can do is help balance and stabilize some of the mood swings: the degree, frequency and intensity of the ups and the downs. You might be able to reduce the dosage of some of the medications, but again, that’s between you and your psychiatrist.

Stress is a major variable in just about every health issue we have. I think that stress is the one variable in our life that cannot be controlled in a double-blind, placebo control study. So you can have everything, all variables equal, but how do you really control for stress? Stress definitely triggers mental health issues and it triggers health issues overall.

Because stress is a major factor in all of our lives, acupuncture in and of itself helps with mental health issues because it works to balance the mind, body and spirit. When we are in balance, our emotional and physical health is improved.

Fluctuating hormones, limited research, and dietary recommendations that are all over the place (ranging from vegan to Paleo) are all things that characterize PCOS. Given the vagaries of PCOS treatment (really, how many divergent opinions can we extract from a gynecologist, an endocrinologist, a reproductive gynecologist, and a dietician or two?!) and the limited success that treatments often have, it can be really tempting to think about abandoning western (allopathic, traditional) medicine and going in search of alternative care.

Alternative care includes, but is not limited to, homeopathy, meditation, nutritional coaching or consultation with unlicensed individuals, muscle testing, psychological counseling from unlicensed individuals, yoga, spiritual counseling, reiki, and EFT. We often think of acupuncture, chiropractic, osteopathy, massage, and naturopathy as part of the alternative spectrum, but in fact they’re generally well-regulated, licensed professions, and many of them have been studied extensively, and received acceptance from both traditional and alternative practitioners.

I’ve been through hundreds of treatments myself, both traditional and alternative. I’m highly sympathetic to your frustration and feelings of hopelessness. And while I’m personally all for exploring the alternatives, I’m also cautious. Just because something is “natural” doesn’t mean it’s safe. I, for example, actually believed the “dietician” some years ago who told me that, if I just gave them a good trial of a couple of weeks, I’d ultimately have no problem digesting the nuts to which I’d been told I was allergic (and the swelling in my throat when I ate them seemed to verify that, but I had faith!). Nuts are great, so I dutifully tried all sorts of tree nuts, and had a bad enough reaction to walnuts that my allergist thought I’d better keep an Epi-Pen with me at all times. As in, I could have a potentially fatal allergic reaction to them, so I’d better be prepared. Epic fail on the natural/alternative nutrition approach, in other words.

HCG injections that back-fire and result in more weight gain; poorly regulated, excessive, and/or inappropriate supplements; homeopathic treatments that result in unmitigated symptoms, up to and including depression-inducing insomnia; diarrhea, constipation, and other digestive disturbances; unnoticeable impacts from treatments or supplements that a practitioner swears are working, but just taking time; malnutrition; exercise-induced damage of all sorts; allergic reactions – the list of problems is endless. This is not to say that western medicine doesn’t have most of the same potential side effects, not to mention quite a few that are equally if not moreacute, but I think it’s important to know what you’re dealing with.

What I worry about from the mental health side of things is:

-Not wanting to take prescription medication for depression when it’s clearly indicated may be fatal;

-The pursuit of hope – and subsequent failure to achieve the desired results – can result in a sharper drop-off of hope – right into hopelessness, which is a predictor for suicidality;

--Wasting money, time, and other resources can contribute further to feelings of hopelessness;

--Unknown/unstudied impacts on the brain, mood, and our future health;

--Shame or embarrassment about not trusting one’s doctor enough, leading to keeping the alternative care a secret, which can impair your M.D.’s ability to provide appropriate treatment;

--The endless pursuit of alternatives may impair the process of reaching acceptance about your condition, its permanence, and it’s long-term health implications; and

--Information overload is already prevalent in our society; unfortunately, the alternative care world is full of even more phenomenal amounts of inaccurate, misleading, and anecdotal evidence than the world of Western medicine.

I want you to be empowered, educated, and make informed decisions. I want you to know your options, both Western/allopathic and alternative. I want you to take charge of your health, and use your health care dollars wisely. I want you to use your time and energy and hope in ways that have a meaningful impact on your health. I want you to be well.

Gretchen Kubacky, Psy.D. is a Health Psychologist in private practice in West Los Angeles, California. She has completed the inCYST training. She specializes in counseling women and couples who are coping with infertility, PCOS, and related endocrine disorders and chronic illnesses.

If you would like to learn more about Dr. HOUSE or her practice, or obtain referrals in the Los Angeles area, please visit her website at www.drhousemd.com, or e-mail her at AskDrGretchen@gmail.com. You can also follow her on Twitter @askdrhousemd.

I am continuously struck by the immense quantity of health, nutrition, and medical advice that is offered to us by not only our physicians, but on television, the internet, and from personal trainers, friends, and well-meaning strangers. Additionally, there are no quality controls on the internet, unless you go to select, peer-reviewed sites. Even seemingly legitimate sources may disperse faulty information.

I had the dubious privilege of attending a corporate wellness training recently, in which the educator advised people to substitute honey for sugar, and sea salt for salt, because “the honey is good for your health, because it’s natural, and the sea salt is just evaporated ocean water.” I was thinking about how crazy that is, when honey is a known cure for low blood sugar and salt is, well, SALT, regardless of the source. Sure, they both have some beneficial trace minerals, but if you’re watching your sugar or sodium intake, you’ve got know you’re still eating sugar and salt.

If you are being conscious and conscientious about your health, you may find yourself suffering from a serious case of information overload, in addition to the original problem. We simply cannot absorb all of this information, nor should we. Information overload looks like:

• Hundreds of backlogged e-mails from WebMD, the Mayo Clinic, Dr. Weil, and a host of other experts;

• Stacks of clippings, magazine articles or issues, or books related to health topics;

• Fear, frenzy, and distress when you see or hear another piece of health or nutrition advice, or a medical warning is issued on the news; and

• Avoidance of such material, as well as physicians and other healthcare providers.

My frustration with this situation made me think about the fact that I know so much about nutrition, medicine, and psychology, and have a critical perspective on all of it – but if you’re new to nutrition, or having a medical or psychological diagnosis, you can easily get a lot of misinformation. And when misinformation from one source collides with correct information from another source and even more misinformation from yet another source, the net result is chaotic and the bottom line is, you may get frustrated and give up trying to get educated or get well.

I suggest asking a trusted physician or dietician for two or three of their favorite, reputable sources of health information and using those exclusively. Random internet searches are liable to lead you into chat rooms, hucksters, and juicy-sounding but inaccurate tidbits. Do yourself a favor and limit the information overload. Doing so will help reduce the kind of stress that contributes to inaction, insomnia, and a host of other symptoms, both mental and physical.

Gretchen Kubacky, Psy.D. is a Health Psychologist in private practice in West Los Angeles, California. She has completed the inCYST training. She specializes in counseling women and couples who are coping with infertility, PCOS, and related endocrine disorders and chronic illnesses.

If you would like to learn more about Dr. HOUSE or her practice, or obtain referrals in the Los Angeles area, please visit her website at www.drhousemd.com, or e-mail her at AskDrHouseMD@gmail.com. You can also follow her on Twitter @askdrhousemd.