Hormonal Balancing

May 2005

Currently I play soccer at the University of Montana. I’ve always been really active and ever since I was 13 I have had irregular periods. My periods were never painful or heavy and came every couple of months. Last August about three days into our fall preseason soccer camp I got my period. It started off normal but lasted longer than a week. After about three weeks it still hadn’t stopped so I went to discuss this with our team trainer. My trainer sent me to our team doctor at the University health center.

After my first visit to the health center, they prescribed me birth control as a means of stopping my period (ortho-trycyclen lo). I was instructed to take this for two weeks and the bleeding would cease. I was told that I was experiencing a severe imbalance of hormones, my progesterone and estrogen levels were low and this would make them normal.

After two weeks of taking birth control, my period got heavier and I occasionally felt nausea and my condition had not changed. I went back to the health center for a follow up and I was prescribed a higher dosage of birth control (nordette). I took this for another two weeks hoping it would stop the bleeding; instead the cramps grew more intense.

Another two weeks went by and nothing had improved. Again I went back to the health center, this time they explained to me that what I was experiencing was not only an imbalance of hormones but extremely low levels of them. This time they increased my dosage of nordette to three times the normal dosage and prescribed me premerin. I am a small girl and I thought it was a bit extreme to take that high dosage of birth control. I experienced nauseous spells, restless nights, and an exceptionally heavy period.

I continued this for three weeks with no change in the result, this was week twelve. I went back to the health center again and they instructed me to take nothing and let my period take its course and in a week try the nordette and permerin again for a span of one week.

Nothing changed again after I followed these instructions. Week fifteen, my period grew increasingly irritable. The pain from my period became so much that they prescribed me vico-proffen to ease the pain.

Dr. Tomsin saw me the next week and conducted an adjustment and by the end of that week my period had gone away. My period is back to what I feel is normal for my body and level of activity.

Thank you,

Laura