This month’s case study is 40 year old ‘Anne’ who came to the Clinic with menstrual migraines

I had suffered with menstrual migraines most my adult life. The migraines would start 5 days before my period and they would affect my speech and vision and I would experience a numb sensation down my arm. These symptoms were debilitating and I would have to take a cocktail of strong painkillers to get me through.

Over the years I was finding that I was becoming resistant to many of the migraine drugs so I would have to keep trying new ones. Another side effect I experienced was I would then get what felt like a ‘rebound’ migraine which was even worse than the first. It had got to the point that I was fed up with feeling like this every month and realising that all I was doing by taking the painkillers was masking the underlying cause. I read a magazine article on hormone imbalance and nutrition. I knew my migraines were affected my by hormones because they always came at the same time each month.

 

In the past I had tried a few natural remedies and changed my diet, but at this stage I decided to seek professional help because there was clearly something I had been overlooking.

 

I phoned The Dr Marilyn Glenville Clinic and booked an appointment in the London clinic which was easy for me to get to from work. I was sent a Nutritional Questionnaire that I was asked to complete and return before my first appointment to allow the nutritionist time to review it.

 

It was very comprehensive asking for information about my medical history, including drugs I was taking, symptoms and most importantly my diet!  As I went through the questionnaire, I soon realised that migraines were not my only problem. I had to underline symptoms that I frequently suffered with and this included mouth ulcers, bloating and constipation. I felt like I was falling apart!

 

My first consultation was one hour and the nutritionist took a detailed medical history and talked about my migraines in depth – it was quite refreshing because usually when I saw my GP there was no explanation of why I was getting these recurrent migraines and certainly no advice apart from taking drugs.  She explained that headaches are one the most common premenstrual symptoms and usually triggered by low levels of oestrogen or fluctuating hormones, making us more sensitive to headaches.

 

Some 80 per cent of migraine sufferers stop having headaches when they become pregnant, so there is an obvious correlation there. Aside from hormone imbalance, other triggers are inflammation, low levels of essential fats and low magnesium, plus food sensitivity. The nutritionist explained that I had to pay particular attention to my blood sugar, because missing meals or eating irregularly can actually trigger a migraine at any time, but especially premenstrually, when we are more sensitive to those fluctuations.

 

One main observation from my diet was lack of protein, which meant that I was eating mostly carbohydrates which are not favourable for keeping blood sugar levels stable. The nutritionist explained the importance of eating some protein (fish, eggs, pulses, nuts and seeds, quinoa) with every meal and every snack to help keep my blood sugar on an even keel. She also noticed that I was going longer than 3 hours without food which again is not ideal for keeping blood sugar stable.

 

Because of the hormonal link with my menstrual migraines the nutritionist recommended a test to actually see what was going on with my hormones throughout my cycle but mostly important in the few days running up to my period. The Female Hormone Test analyses levels of oestrogen and progesterone over the menstrual cycle. It was a really easy test to perform because it was via saliva and was performed at home.

 

The nutritionist gave me some excellent meal suggestions and a menu planner which was very inspirational! Although I thought I was eating well, this made me realise there was definitely room for improvement! The main recommendation was to avoid wheat, more so for the bloating and constipation and mouth ulcers, but there has been some correlation between migraines and wheat sensitivity.

 

I also had to eat every 3 hours and always think about eating sufficient protein. To make this easier she asked me to keep a food diary so I could keep a check on this. I would often just have toast for breakfast, vegetable soup for lunch and tomato based pasta sauce for dinner so some days there was no protein at all! Keep a food diary also made me eat more green vegetables which I knew I had found difficult. The dark green vegetables like broccoli, kale and cabbage are rich in magnesium which is so important for migraines. It is natural muscle relaxant so a deficiency can cause the blood vessels in the brain to go into spasm and then trigger a migraine.

 

The nutritionist also suggested some supplements including a good multi vitamin and mineral to provide me with a foundation of nutrients, fish oil to reduce inflammation and additional magnesium. She also recommended the mineral chromium which helps blood sugar stability. We talked about herbs like Angus Castus and Milk Thistle but she they weren’t added at this stage because she didn’t want them to interfere with the results of the Female Hormone Test. She explained that once the results from the test were back she could be more specific as to which herbs would be best. 

 

I was so motivated to get started with the programme because I felt I really understood why I had to eat certain foods and exclude others and how important it was to balance my meals with protein and carbohydrate. I think that if you have the knowledge and you understand how food essentially is medicine, it makes you more able to change and want to be more proactive. I thought it was going to be harder avoiding the wheat but in fact I was really amazed at how easy it was! All the supermarkets are well stocked with alternatives and even sandwich bars offered an alternative. Within the first week I experienced a definite reduction in bloating and my bowels were opening every day. The magnesium supplement also helped by bowels to relax which eases the constipation.

 

In conjunction with the diet and supplements I was collecting my saliva samples ready to send back at the end of my cycle for analysis. I was really excited about what this was going to show. I felt really confident in the fact that this test was being used to determine the best herbs for me, rather than just giving a ‘blanket’ treatment as I had all too often experienced by going to the GP.

 

I had my follow up consultation 6 weeks after and the nutritionist went through the results from the Female Hormone test. The main observation was totally erratic oestrogen and progesterone in the week leading up to my period. Based on this she added a supplement called Agnus Castus Plus which contains Agnus Castus, Black Cohosh, Skull Cap and Milk Thistle. She explained that taking herbs in a formulation is more nurturing and balancing on the menstrual cycle. The Milk Thistle is important for liver function and how it processes the hormones plus a healthy liver is more able to break down certain foods that might trigger a migraine. She also explained the importance of supporting the liver with people taking drugs which are a huge burden on the liver.

 

By the end of the first 6 weeks I had had one period and the migraines were definitely less intense and only lasted for 3 instead of 5 days. My digestion had improved and I had not had a single mouth ulcer though I was still having to take my migraine drug, At my second follow up, which was another 6 weeks on I was feeling fantastic and my migraines were even less intense and really felt more like a headache. I no longer had blurred vision or numbness in my arm and best of all I only had to take one painkiller throughout the 3 days. I couldn’t believe how some relatively simple dietary changes and nutritional supplements could make such a difference. I just wish I had gone down this route sooner.

 

Marilyn’s Comment

 

This case shows just how important it is to fuel our bodies with good nutrients which naturally have a medicinal affect without having to take a cocktail of drugs.

 

Ann had been taking some very strong migraine drugs, using them almost as a ‘prop’ to just get her though that 5 day window before her period. It is understandable that so many people, just like Ann get caught up in this drug cycle because it is the easier option, but it gets to the point when the body becomes immune to the drugs and realise that all they are doing is dealing with the symptom and not the cause.

 

Although Ann said that she wishes she had made changes sooner – it is never too late to change.

 

‘You are what you eat’ as the saying goes, so next time you have a headache or perhaps digestive problems like constipation or diarrhea, listen to your body and take a look at what you are putting in it. Try keeping a food diary for a couple of weeks to keep you focused and you can really learn so much about how your body processes different foods and what impact they have on your body.

 

If you are interested in having the Female Hormone Test mentioned here please see the the Resource Page.

 

This month’s case study is ‘Hannah’ who came to the Clinic with low libido:

At the age of 37 and after having my two children, I noticed a real dip in my libido, which was quite upsetting because it had never been a problem for me. Not only was it affecting me, it was having a negative impact on my relationship with my husband. I think it was an accumulation of no longer feeling ‘sexy’ and just physically too tired to make the effort. I had also been aware of feeling slightly drier which then made intercourse quite uncomfortable. I had a hectic life running around after a 2 and 4 year old, plus working part time, so by the evening when my husband was ‘in the mood’, I was ready for sleep. Talking to fellow mothers, it did seem a trend, but I knew that it was not what I wanted for myself because my husband and I had always had such a loving, fulfilling relationship. 

I decided to be proactive about the situation and had heard that libido could be affected by nutrition. I knew my diet had slipped since having the children – not eating the right foods, snacking on leftovers and just not being consistent. I think I’d been so concerned that my children were eating well, that I took second place. I had got to the point though where I thought I had to change this and start thinking about me. A colleague at work had been to see a nutritionist at the Dr Marilyn Glenville Clinic for weight loss so I decided to phone and book and appointment.

 

I was sent a very comprehensive Nutritional Questionnaire that I was asked to complete and return before my first appointment to allow the nutritionist time to review it. It was excellent because it really made me think about how I was feeling and by the time I had completed the questionnaire. I realised that not only did I have low libido, my energy was low and I felt stressed and anxious. I also decided to perform a Hair Mineral Analysis to assess my mineral status. This was such a simple test, because all it involved was taking a sample of hair and sending it to the lab. The results would be back in time for my first consultation.

 

My first consultation was one hour and the nutritionist took a very detailed medical history and went through my ‘typical’ diet. She picked up that I wasn’t eating regularly; in fact sometimes I was going all day without food! I was running around after my children and so intent on making sure they were ok that sometime I just forgot to eat until the evening. She explained how this would affect my blood sugar levels, causing them to drop and then this would stimulate my adrenal glands to produce the stress hormones adrenalin and cortisol. These hormones encourage the body to store fat, particularly around the middle, plus they make stress and anxiety worse. Part of the reason my libido was low was due to lack of energy and just not ‘feeling in the mood’ so I could see how this made perfect sense to eat and nourish my body.

 

The Hair Mineral Analysis identified low levels of zinc and chromium which really related to my symptoms. Zinc deficiency is a common cause of low libido because it is directly involved with female hormone production. The nutritionist explained that zinc can be depleted by tea and coffee, both of which I was consuming on a daily basis. This had become a habit after the children were born because it was the only thing I found to get me through the day. Tea and coffee have diuretic properties which essentially ‘flush’ minerals like zinc out of the body. She gave me a list of zinc rich foods which included pumpkin seeds, wholegrains and shellfish – particularly oysters! She explained that this was why oysters had natural aphrodisiac properties! I went out with my new shopping list to stock up on all of these foods.

 

She wasn’t surprised that my chromium was low either because this mineral is associated with blood sugar balance. She explained that extremely high blood sugar stimulates the release of insulin. Both insulin and adrenaline can disrupt your production of the sex hormones, particularly progesterone.

 

We also talked about exercise and how important this was for raising natural mood enhancing chemicals called endorphins. I hadn’t done any formal exercise since the children were born and knew it was an area I needed to address. I suppose I felt I didn’t have time, but she said that I ideally I needed to exercise three times a week preferably cardiovascular exercise like aerobics/jogging. Not only does this improve mood and wellbeing, it helps with weight loss and helps improve physical appearance. I had got issues with my appearance since having the children which was one of the factors affecting my libido. I decided that I had to be proactive about this so started going to the gym three mornings a week when the children were at school and nursery.

 

The nutritionist recommended a programme of supplements and herbs to help improve my libido and give my weight loss a kick start. A good multi vitamin and mineral was prescribed together with extra zinc and chromium to account for my deficiencies. I was also given an herbal formula containing agnus castus, ginseng and shativari to ‘nurture’ reproductive organs and help boost libido. She gave me some natural vaginal lubricant which contained kiwi extract if I felt I needed some extra support.

 

I found the first week quite hard, making sure I was eating all the right foods, but as the week progressed it became easier as I started feeling I had more energy. It soon became second nature to eat every three hours and I felt so good for doing so. I was snacking on lots of zinc-rich pumpkin seeds and oatcakes and hummus in between my meals. I even cooked a romantic meal with oysters which went down very well with my husband! I could not believe the change in the first month. I had gone from being lethargic and feeling frumpy to having so much energy and for the first time in a long while I felt sexually attractive. It was a combination of losing weight and getting in better shape from going to the gym and nourishing my body with good nutrients which gave me more energy and improved hormone balance. I actually didn’t need the lubricant in the end so I think part of the problem had been the way I was feeling in my mind.

 

I must admit when I first started the programme I never imagined just how effective it would be and not only have I got my life back, I’ve got my marriage back and everything feels complete now. This change has made me realise just how important eating well and exercising is and I know I will never fall back into old habits. My husband says he has got back the lady he married and he is so pleased that I made contact with the Dr Marilyn Glenville Clinic.

 

I had my follow up consultation 8 weeks after and this was an excellent time to revaluate my programme and make some small modifications. Essentially the nutritionist said that I would be following this type of diet for life, but of course there are times when I can deviate! She did make some changes to my supplements and reduced the herbs down as these would not be needed in the long term. She was so happy with my progress and going back to see her was such a motivation in itself! 

 

Marilyn’s comments

 

It is so lovely to support a patient and see them progress so well. Not only has Hannah got her libido back, she has so much more energy and confidence, plus it has changed her whole relationship with her husband. We see patients like Hannah all too often at the clinic where they are rushing around leading busy lives, looking after the children and home and neglecting their own health and needs. Making time to put a plan into action is important as Hannah did, particularly with her exercise regime.

 

There is only so long your body can run ‘on empty’ and as we can see with Hannah, having had two pregnancies which depleted her nutrients, and then not eating properly it really took its toll on her whole body. The human body is a very delicate ‘machine’ which needs a constant supply of good nutrients.

 

If you are interested in having the test mentioned here please see the resources page.

 

 

 

 

This month’s case study is ‘Anne’ who came to the Clinic with recurrent colds and infections.

Anne’s story:

Since I reached my thirties I suddenly started becoming susceptible to coughs, colds and infections. I had always been quite well and hardly ever had a sick day until now. Not only was I getting these infections it was becoming increasingly difficult to ‘shift’ them in spite of regular trips to my GP! I was so fed up of feeling run down and realised that in spite of all of the antibiotics I was given it wasn’t helping me at all – in fact I think it was actually making me feel worse.

Every time I went to my GP it seemed that I was given a different antibiotic to try and then sent away with no real support. A new symptom that I started to develop was thrush which I had never experienced before and I had to keep using pessaries which cleared it at the time but it just kept coming back!

I was looking through a magazine and I read an article on ‘Boosting your Immunity Naturally’. It talked about foods to eat more of to provide your body with all the essential nutrients and specific vitamins, minerals and herbs that could be incorporated. It had a very interesting section on the ‘over-use’ of antibiotics and how in the long term we can become resistant to them and they don’t work. It also said that if an infection is viral then antibiotics would not work at all!

This really resonated with me. There was a contact number at the end of the article for The Dr Marilyn Glenville Clinic to book a consultation with one of the Nutritionists. I decided this was the best thing to do because I wanted to get a tailored programme rather than just taking ‘random’ supplements and trying to help myself!

My first consultation was one hour and the nutritionist took a very detailed medical history and went through my ‘typical’ diet. She commented on the lack of fresh fruit and vegetables and the abundance of ‘ready made’ meals and alcohol! I explained that because I worked long hours I had little time to prepare fresh food so I had to rely on prepared meals. The nutritionist explained how important it is to include plenty of fresh fruit and vegetables each day because they provide the body with immune boosting vitamins A, C, and E which are classed as antioxidants

These antioxidants protect the body from damage by ‘free radicals’ which can lower our immunity. She asked me to eat more vibrant coloured vegetables like sweet potato, butternut squash, red and green peppers and carrots which contain amazing amounts of these antioxidants. I was advised to eat more garlic as this has amazing abilities to boost the immune system because it is naturally anti-viral, anti-bacterial and anti-fungal. I didn’t realise just how unhealthy some of the prepared meals could be as she explained they are often high in salt and very low in vitamins and minerals. She gave me recipe ideas and menu suggestions which really helped!

The nutritionist wanted to check my mineral status, particularly concerned about my zinc and selenium levels as these are vital for immunity. I performed a Hair Mineral Analysis which was a very simple test I collected at home and then sent to the lab. It gave valuable information about my mineral levels over the last three months. The test picked up low zinc which is a vital mineral for the production of white blood cells. It was recommended that I eat plenty of seeds, especially pumpkin which are rich in zinc and shellfish – including oysters!

The nutritionist explained how damaging alcohol is on our immune system by stressing the detoxification processes and causing vital nutrients such as zinc, B vitamins and Vitamin C to be depleted from the body. Alcohol is also very high in sugar which adds more burden to our immune system. She advised me to avoid it altogether for three months to get the best out of my programme. I knew it would be difficult but I was determined to get my health back.

She also talked in depth about antibiotics and how they eventually have a damaging effect because we become resistant to them over time, plus they destroy our ‘friendly’ bacteria which she explained would be the reason for why I was getting recurrent thrush. I did not realise how linked our gut (bacteria) was to our immune system and that we need a good supply of the ‘friendly’ bacteria to keep our gut in good order and boost our immune system. The bacteria in our gut provide our system with our first line of defence against viruses and harmful bacteria.

The nutritionist also recommended me specific vitamins and minerals to boost my immune system which included a good quality multi-vitamin and mineral, an antioxidant complex with Vitamin A, C, E, selenium and zinc, together with a friendly bacteria supplement and the herb echinacea. Echinacea has been used by herbalists for years for it’s ability to increase white blood cell production and it is the white blood cells which keep our immune system strong by ‘clearing up’ the bacteria and viruses.

Within the first month I was generally feeling stronger and had not had thrush for the first time in about 12months! I was really enjoying the new way of eating and found that it wasn’t as difficult to cook from fresh as I thought. One of my favourites was roasted butternut squash with garlic and olive oil in the oven which was so easy and tastes delicious!

Six months on and not a cold in sight and I was feeling great! I had not even had a day off work! All my friends and colleagues commented on how well I looked and asked what I was doing! I hadn’t even been near the GP’s surgery! I continue to eat well and take all my supplements and am really motivated to keep it up to keep strong and healthy in the long term. I do have alcohol, but occasionally rather than every day as before. In fact when I do drink now I feel very lethargic and find it then triggers my thrush so that’s motivation in itself not to drink!

All I can say is I wish I’d found the Dr Marilyn Glenville Clinic sooner.

Marilyn’s comments:

Anne’s story is a perfect example of how important a healthy diet is to boost our immune system and a few simple changes can make such an enormous difference. We see it all too often where people are given antibiotics as a ‘blanket’ treatment and ultimately they don’t work and can in fact create more health problems as we have seen with Anne.

This time of the year it is increasingly important to think about eating to nourish your immune system with coughs and colds being more prevalent. If this story resonates with you and you are forever coughing and sneezing and seem to catch everything around you, you may like to think about seeing one of my nutritionists at the clinic.

If you are interested in having the test mentioned here please see the resources page.