The Hemp Connection [Search results for vomiting] 

Not long ago, Renata Mangrum (who you'll soon see more of on our blog, she's studying to be an inCYST provider) forwarded me a note from a discussion list for lactation consultants. Someone on that list wanted to know if excessive vomiting during pregnancy (hyperemesis) was common with PCOS. The person asking the question had a patient who was experiencing that problem. There didn't seem to be much information about it in the scientific literature, but when this person lurked on a few PCOS listserves, it seemed to be commonly accepted as an issue.

LESSON ONE: Be sure to report all your unusual symptoms to your physician. When they start to see trends, that is when they can research the problem…the first step toward finding a solution.

I wrote Renata back and told her I'd never heard about it, but I did know that there was a very strong correlation between PCOS and bulimia, another medical diagnosis including vomiting. I did post about two weeks ago to see if any of inCYST's readers had experiences to share with their own pregnancy. One reader did write back to say that yes, she did experience vomiting, and was told it was due to having a low progesterone problem.

LESSON TWO: inCYST is as much about our readers sharing their experiences for us to learn from as it is about our giving advice. It's important that this be an interactive forum with communication moving in both directions.

Curious, I went into the National Library of Medicine database and used the keywords"bulimia" and"progesterone". It turns out, there were several articles reporting progesterone imbalances in bulimia. And, a correlation between imbalanced progesterone and binge eating. (References below.)

Hmmmmm…

What I know from my eating disorders work is that bulimia has many different colors. Sometimes it's induced. Sometimes it just happens. Sometimes women binge specifically so they can induce vomiting. Sometimes they overeat, and induce vomiting to relieve the discomfort that overeating produced. I learned that it is very important to get as much detail about how, why, and when the vomiting occurs, and not just lump all of it into one symptom with one cause and one motivation.

What I know from my PCOS work is that cysters have a low stress threshold. Meaning it takes less stress to activate the stress response. If you are prone to vomiting, that means you might be prone to feeling more nauseous with less stress than the average person. You may have learned over time that throwing up is a quick way to relieve discomfort other people quite simply never feel.

Here are some new insights I'd like to share and propose that all of you consider.

1. If you have bulimia, whether or not you have been diagnosed, and you honestly believe you are doing everything you possibly can to not vomit, and it's still coming, ask your physician if s/he might be amenable to checking your progesterone level. Correcting that (and natural ways to do so are written about elsewhere in this blog), may make it easier to stop vomiting.

When I worked in an eating disorder treatment center, I always felt for women I knew were doing their best to stay in recovery, who couldn't, who were considered by treatment teams as somehow being noncompliant or rebellious. I'm not saying you don't have a responsibility to work on challenging behaviors to the best of your ability, but I do think there may be an important physiological factor being overlooked that may be undermining the very best efforts of some of you.

2. The very first thing I thought of when I envisioned how these pieces fit together, was the poor woman who'd worked her tail off to get out of an eating disorder, finally became pregnant, and despite everything going seemingly well, having vomiting come back, with a vengeance. It might cross your mind to just silently live with it, thinking the first thing your treatment team is going to think is that you've relapsed. Which is why physicians may not be hearing about this.

Don't freak out…be proactive! Tell your physician, tell them your fears, and ask for help. Your problem may be low progesterone, and hyperemesis. And a susceptibility to low progesterone may actually have been the loaded gun that set you up as a candidate to get into bulimia in the first place.

If you have PCOS, with a history of an eating disorder, have become pregnant, and have found yourself all of a sudden vomiting or wanting to vomit again…we're here to help you find solutions. And we very much look forward to that.

LESSON THREE: inCYST needs to continue to challenge itself to think in a hugely interdisciplinary fashion. We are best at that when our readers are comfortable sharing their PCOS stories with us, trusting that we aspire to be inquisitive and scientific, not judgmental and shaming.

Pirke KM, Fichter MM, Chlond C, Schweiger U, Laessle RG, Schwingenschloegel M, Hoehl C. Disturbances of the menstrual cycle in bulimia nervosa. Clin Endocrinol (Oxf). 1987 Aug;27(2):245-51.

Pirke KM, Dogs M, Fichter MM, Tuschl RJ.Gonadotrophins, oestradiol and progesterone during the menstrual cycle in bulimia nervosa. Clin Endocrinol (Oxf). 1988 Sep;29(3):265-70.

Schweiger U, Pirke KM, Laessle RG, Fichter MM. Gonadotropin secretion in bulimia nervosa. J Clin Endocrinol Metab. 1992 May;74(5):1122-7.

Edler C, Lipson SF, Keel PK. Ovarian hormones and binge eating in bulimia nervosa. Psychol Med. 2007 Jan;37(1):131-41. Epub 2006 Oct 12.

Klump KL, Keel PK, Culbert KM, Edler C. Ovarian hormones and binge eating: exploring associations in community samples. Psychol Med. 2008 Dec;38(12):1749-57. Epub 2008 Feb 29.

Hello readers,

I received a question for which I had no answer, so I thought I would go directly to the source.

If you have PCOS and you've been pregnant, did you have any problems with excessive vomiting during your pregnancy? If so, did you receive any medical attention for this? What were you told was the problem, and what were you told to do about it?

If you'd rather contact me in private, my direct email is marika@google.com

Thanks so much!

Monika

I don't know if it's because so many women with PCOS are struggling with weight, or if it's the attitude that health practitioners often have toward people working on weight issues (negative and judgmental), or what, but I meet and hear from many women who overlook activity possibilities that don't involve pushing yourself, in a very punitive way, to the point where exercise is painful and lacking in pleasure.

The Biggest Loser certainly doesn't help that mentality. If I have to see one more person pushed to the point of vomiting by a verbally abusive trainer who justifies that attitude by saying"This is what they come here for," I think I'll vomit myself.

But I digress.

Exercise should be challenging, and sometimes you'll feel sore, but it shouldn't feel like punishment.

One of the exercises I love to recommend is yoga. There are many reasons why yoga is helpful to PCOS.
1. It increases flexibility. If you haven't exercised much in awhile, your flexibility has likely diminished, and you're more prone to injury. The last thing you need, when you're just starting to take care of yourself, is to knock yourself out of commission with that!
2. Yoga can help to alleviate depression. And in turn, when you're less depressed, you are less likely to crave sugar, or to binge.
3. Yoga is good for improving circulation to your internal organs, including the reproductive ones.
4. It helps to release that pain-causing lactic acid I wrote about yesterday.
5. It helps to increase range of motion and fluidity in joints.
6. It helps you to improve your posture and stand taller, which can help you to have a longer, leaner look.
7. It reduces stress hormone levels.
8. It improves focus and concentration.
9. It can reduce cholesterol.
10. It can reduce symptoms of asthma, back pain, and arthritis, other inflammatory conditions often found in women with PCOS.

I'll be writing about various aspects of yoga throughout the week. But for now, just consider that even though cardiovascular exercise and strength training are important, you don't have to kill yourself with those, and exercises that don't emphasize those have benefit, too!

I'm looking to our readers to help us out.

If you experience at least three of the symptoms listed below in conjunction with your PCOS, would you please let us know which ones? It's part of a research project. I'll explain in detail in a future post, but I don't want to skew your answers with too much information.

Also, if you have ever experienced migraine headaches, do they ever occur in conjunction with any of the symptoms below, or are they separate events?

Thanks!

diarrhea
nausea
vomiting
food cravings
loss of appetite
thirst
increased urination
chills
fatigue
confusion
irritability
euphoria
wavy or jagged lines in your vision
flashing lights
dots or spots in your vision
blind spots
tunnel vision
disruptions in hearing
auditory hallucinations
distortions in smell or taste
numbness, a pins-and-needles feeling, or other unusual body sensations
difficulty remembering or saying a word
other language difficulties

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