Cochrane S, Smith CA, Possamai-Inesedy A, et al. Unlike many women who train excessively and are never happy with their bodies, I was okay with myself for the most part. I was just diagnosed with HA last Monday after getting off the pill in December of 2016 and not having a period since then. I treated it like it was a machine that was supposed to handle all these intense workouts and running that I put it through. It typically occurs in women with lower body fat, eating disorder past, over-exerciser, post-pill and/or … The analysis of study trends of wild ginseng, bovis calculus, Ursi Fel, Moschus and the study on applied possibility as obesity medications. modify the keyword list to augment your search. [email protected]. OCs were 1st used in the 1960s; more recent contraceptives have included dermal patches, vaginal ring contraceptives, injections, implants, and intrauterine contraceptive devices. 51kilos is at the lowest end of the healthy weight range for your height, how much weight have you gained recently? Registered users can save articles, searches, and manage email alerts. The EQ-VAS is a useful tool for measuring the perception of QOL for an overall assessment of an individual's health condition. Effect of weight reduction on obesity-specific quality of life (QOL) in obese subjects. Additionally, she reported sudden weight gain of approximately 12 kg in 1 year. There are few reports regarding treatment of amenorrhea that has been present for 6 months for postpill women with suddenly increased body weight (BW), by using pharmacopuncture and moxibustion as a primary treatment method in TKM. At first I wasn’t really concerned about experiencing amenorrhea after coming off birth control pills. Paju: Hanmi Medical Publishing Co; 2016. 800-638-3030 (within USA), 301-223-2300 (international) Treatment of poststroke constipation with moxibustion: a case report. Some women may think that their lives can never be normal or the same anymore because their bodies change. Typically, getting your period back can take as little as 1 month to, in some cases, 2-3 years. http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0. Ojule JD, Oranu EO. My body just exists and I take good care of it, but it isn't in the center of my attention all day every day, because that would prevent me from living my life they way I want it to live and do other things that matter to me. Anthropometric measurement and body composition analysis were performed during the patient's treatment and at the 1-month follow-up (F/U); evaluations of QOL were performed during the patient's treatment, as well as at the 1-month F/U and 3-month F/U. J Korean Med Obes Res 2015;15:144–8. To me, loving myself every minute I'm awake is unrealistic. No one thought that I have no longer the right to train them because my fat percentage was higher. To treat the obesity and digestion problem, as a secondary treatment, Geoseub-hwan (E herba 3.5 g, Brassicae Rhizoma, Sophorae Fructus 0.9 g each, Scutellariae Radix, Coptidis Rhizoma, Phellodendri Cortex, Rhei Rhizoma 0.4 g each), 1 g concentrated pills, were prescribed at 1 g/dose, regardless of the meal time, in cases of overeating or during social meetings. This website uses cookies. 4. Do people with … “The phenomenon is called post-pill amenorrhea,” Dr. Weiss in his speech. If you lose even 2-3 kgs in a month … Hormone replacement therapy or birth control pills can help start your menstrual cycle again. As a secondary treatment, intermittent Geoseub-hwan was prescribed for obesity and digestion problem. Assessing the performance of the EQ-VAS in the NHS PROMs programme. I have been underweight my whole life and also restricting myself all the time. At 1st, it was used to improve obesity and general conditions, but the patient intermittently used the herbal formulations and her life management was not performed properly; thus, the therapeutic effect was minimal. Changes of body compositions and quality of life in the patient. Castillo-Martínez L, López-Alvarenga JC, Villa AR, et al. In future studies, we plan to perform a clinical trial with a larger sample size, conduct F/U appointments over a longer period of time, and use various evaluation methods to verify the long-term therapeutic effects of the combination of WGC pharmacopuncture and moxibustion. may email you for journal alerts and information, but is committed Beijing: Beijing Science & Technology Press; 1995. [3]. If this happens during your first cycle off the pill, you may not have a period at all. In women, obesity can increase menstrual irregularities, amenorrhea, infertility, preeclampsia, miscarriage, and fetal mortality. Lifestyle and reproductive factors associated with follicular phase length. Data is temporarily unavailable. [14] Pharmacopuncture with wild ginseng complex (WGC) has been reported to exhibit therapeutic effects, including antiobesity in female patients, including postmenopausal women. 2017R1C1B5076224). In CAM, there are various treatment methods, such as herbal medicines, acupuncture, pharmacopuncture, electroacupuncture, moxibustion, and cupping. I'm not madly in love with my cellulite, rolls and dimples or love them insanely. I also started gentle yoga. I didn't appreciate my body all that much and I didn't think that it was awesome. [22] Previous studies have shown that Bovis Calculus, Ursi Fel, and Moschus have various positive effects, such as hepaprotection, antiinflammatory properties, antioxidant properties, immune regulation, anticancer properties, and antiobesity effects. It has been shown to have antiobesity and antiinflammatory effects in 3T3-L1 adipocytes and RAW264.7 macrophages when a high-fat diet is induced in obese mice. J Am Geriatr Soc 2005;53:2112–8. Intensive exercising, extreme weight loss, physical illness, and stress can all result in amenorrhea. I'm more relaxed around food, although my relationship with food was already pretty good two years ago (things were different during my excessive running years when I would count every calorie!). By continuing to use this website you are giving consent to cookies being used. [14] The choice of acupoints was likely to have a positive effect on the treatment. [4]. to maintaining your privacy and will not share your personal information without Sometimes we need to make the choice that we don't love. All views expressed on this website are based on my own personal research and experiences. The EQ-VAS is a visual analogue scale with values between 100 (best imaginable health) and 0 (worst imaginable health), on which patients provide a global assessment of their health. In a normal menstrual cycle, the pituitary gland produces hormones like Follicle Stimulating hormone (FSH) and Leutinizing Hormone(LH). [14] The patient in this case had a fear of a strong stimulus by acupuncture and refused to maintain the needle in place for longer than 10 minutes. Hi Megan, yes, post-pill amenorrhea is certainly a thing too — and I know that can be very confusing for some women. 2011. [5–7], Obesity has become a worldwide health challenge as its prevalence has increased globally in recent decades; it is a major risk factor for the deterioration of health, dysfunction, and reduced quality of life (QOL). At 1- and 3-month follow-up examinations, she confirmed regular menstruation without discomfort. 800-638-3030 (within USA), 301-223-2300 (international). But everyone is different. Park HS, Sung SW, Ou SW, et al. Hou JL. Malnutrition may affect how the hypothalamus and pituitary gland function, … [24]. You may be trying to access this site from a secured browser on the server. It is the way to protect our body from reproducing because your body doesn’t feel safe due to low-body fat, not eating enough, high-stress, or just not enough nutrition. Her personality was positive and social, and she liked to attend social meetings, which included drinking. She stood for more than 8 hours per day at her job, and stated that her body was well-worn and especially swollen in the morning; moreover, her legs “felt like a piece of wood.” She stated that as her fatigue increased, her ability to exercise decreased, and her digestion was poor. Sadiya A, Ahmed S, Siddieg HH, et al. Your email address will not be published. I'm not extremely happy with the way my body looks. Amenorrhea may result from disorders of the ovaries, pituitary gland, hypothalamus, or uterus. Virjinia @ With Purpose and Kindness says. Registered users can save articles, searches, and manage email alerts. Moxibustion at CV4 is a common treatment method for women with menstrual problems.[14]. Moxibustion involves warm stimulation at acupoints. In summary, this report describes the treatment of an obese patient with postpill amenorrhea who did not perform good self-management and did not achieve effectiveness by general herbal medicine. J Korean Med Obes Res 2013;13:46–50. You can also apply for 1:1 coaching with me! She was prescribed Choweseuncheng-tang gamibang (Coicis Semen, Castaneae Semen 9 g each, Raphani Semen 4.5 g, Ephedrae herba, Platycodi Radix, Liriopis Tuber, Schizandrae Fructus, Acori Graminei Rhizoma, Polygalae Radix, Asparagi Radix, Zizyphi Spinosae Semen, Longanae Arillus 3.6 g each, Scutellariae Radix, Magnoliae Cortex, Typhae Pollen 1.8 g each/1 pack, 120 cc) for 2 weeks, and was then prescribed Euiiin-tang granules (E herba, Angelica sinensis Radix, Atractylodes macrocephalae Rhizoma 1.33 g each, Coicis Semen 3.33 g, Cinnamomi Ramulus, Paeoniae Radix 1.0 g each, Glycyrrhizae Radix 0.67 g/1 pack; Hanpoong Pharm, Seoul, Korea) for 10 days due to cost and convenience of administration. At 1st, she solely desired an herbal prescription to improve her general condition, including abdominal obesity, due to the fear of a strong stimulus by acupuncture. Update: I am now recovered from HA and would love to help you do the same! Other causes of amenorrhea include problems with the reproductive organs or with the glands that help regulate hormone levels. I've tried to work out 4 times a week but that usually leads to insomnia and that again to depression… My body is not there yet, to be able to handle this many workouts per week. Isaac and I weren’t trying to con… My digestion was non existent — I had constipation very often. It's all possible because of the mindset shift. [8]. Inje University, Hwang GS. I appreciate it. In TKM, we follow the Safety Guidelines for use of E herba in obesity treatment, which state that the dosage should be within 4.5 to 7.5 g per day for up to 6 months for generally healthy individuals. [15–18] Moxibustion is a heat therapy technique to promote healing in TCM and TKM, and has been used throughout Asia for thousands of years. [4,5], Postpill amenorrhea is a relatively uncomplicated medical problem to diagnose and treat in most cases; it can be associated with a pattern of hypothalamic deficiency, which typically involves low levels of gonadotropic and ovarian hormones and mild to moderate elevations of prolactin. [6,7] In this case study, the subject was suffering from amenorrhea for longer than 6 months with concerns of possible infertility. Thank you xo. Korean Acupuncture & Moxibution Society. [11]. Thank you so much Tiffany! Korean J Obesity 2006;15:106–13. Obstet Gynecol 1995;86:516–9. I'm eating without any rules and restrictions, and I call this way of eating dietless eating. [22]. [22] Therefore, the antiobesity effects of pharmacopuncture with WGC may be derived from the effects of each component of the herb. Cause of Post-pill Amenorrhea. Ephedrae herba is frequently prescribed for obesity management in TKM. Sometimes we need to make the choice that we don't love. Most women ovulate again about two weeks after stopping the pill. Elevated body mass index and mortality risk in the elderly. Longer menstrual cycles have been associated with higher BMI and recent use of OCs.[7,8]. The standard treatment of post-pill amenorrhea is by stimulating the pituitary to produce FSH and LH. Subjectively, post-pill amenorrhea is the failure to resume menstruation within six months after discontinuation of oral contraceptives. Her family history and previous medical history included no specific instances worthy of report. World Health Organization (WHO), Retrieved 2018. Keyword Highlighting While I loved working out, the amount of exercise that I did was too much for my body. More than you'd probably like but you need to trust your body in this – you can't control it. Kim MW, Song YK, Lim HH. Wen J, Zhuang Z, Zhao M, et al. This is an open access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution-Non Commercial-No Derivatives License 4.0 (CCBY-NC-ND), where it is permissible to download and share the work provided it is properly cited. I still have my clients, no one left me as a result of weight gain. WGC extract (0.2 mL) was injected into each point (1.0 mL total) at each weekly visit for 1 month. [9]. I also chose to gain weight over being very lean if it was going to improve my health. There was a price, for sure. [17]. [4,5] Postpill amenorrhea can also occur. Her height was measured to 0.1 cm by using a height meter (G-Tech International co., Uijeongbu, Korea). Birth control pills may prevent your period from starting for a few months after you stop taking them. [14] Pharmacopuncture with WGC is commonly used to treat obesity. What has changed in my life and what hasn't, during the past two years when I gained probably around 20 lbs and as a result, become overweight, to get my period back? The main components are ephedrine alkaloids, which can have serious adverse side effects, such as heart attack, stroke, or sudden death. [7]. [5]. However, she had a lot of social meetings that included drinks, did not take the medicine as prescribed, and her BW was not well controlled; it decreased slightly, then increased again to 61.3 kg at 6 weeks after the 1st visit. Sued0nim … This is not true, because inside, you're still the same person, right? If you'd like to read the article instead, here we go: The two pictures side by side are from 2016 and 2018, almost two years apart. QOL was evaluated by using EQ-VAS score and KOQOL (Korean version of obesity-related QOL) before and after treatment and at the 1- and 3-month F/U. Could I have chosen differently? In November 2017, a 39-year-old female patient (nonsmoker, 154 cm, 61.8 kg) presented with the primary concern of sudden weight gain of approximately 12 kg in 1 year. Some error has occurred while processing your request. Could I have chosen differently? My doctor thought it was because my weight was on the lower end of healthy (although i explained to her that i'd always been around that weight and never had problems) and suggested i gain weight. I’d heard (and read online) that it can take a while for your body to adjust. [13]. Diabetes Metab Syndr Obes 2011;4:409–16. This work was supported by the National Research Foundation of Korea (NRF) grant funded by the Korea government (MSIT) (No. You are a beautiful lady inside and out and you are helping many women! She refused a strong acupuncture stimulus; she underwent lower abdomen pharmacopuncture with wild ginseng complex (WGC) and moxibustion at CV4, 5 times during 1 month. All registration fields are required. Amenorrhea is typically not a life-threatening condition. Four months ago I decided to go all in and stopped caring about what I eat. Your message has been successfully sent to your colleague. The acupuncture treatment method involves needling on the meridian points. By maintaining a normal weight, girls can prevent primary amenorrhea caused by excessive weight loss or weight gain. Please enable scripts and reload this page. Pharmacopuncture can be thought of as a terminal method (rapid insertion/removal acupuncture), where needle acupuncture therapy is inserted into the acupuncture point very quickly and pulled out very quickly to provide a weak stimulus; it is most commonly applied to children, those with physical weaknesses, and mentally stressed patients. Br J Med Med Res 2017;20:1–7. Pharm review 2014. Rojas-Walsson R, Cardoso R. Diagnosis and management of post-pill amenorrhea. I gained about 20 pounds but I still didn’t get a period. This case report involves retrospective chart reviews, for which the patient provided informed consent. Fertil Steril 1978;30:243–4. I don't work out more than 2-3 days a week. [26]. There are people who say that this is what body positivity should look like, but to me, it doesn't. Without follicular growth, ovulation does not occur and … Yoo JE, Chon YJL. [24] In this study, we also selected herbal formulations, including E herba, under 7.5 g per day. Please consult your doctor with any medical issues before beginning a training program. Women's reproductive health: the role of body mass index in early and adult life. Treatment of the underlying condition often resolves amenorrhea. Due to her fear of a strong stimulus or obtaining qi by acupuncture, the primary treatments selected were pharmacopuncture with WGC and moxibustion at CV4. At the 3-month F/U, the patient confirmed no menstrual abnormalities by telephone F/U. Women who don't menstruate, lose about 2.5% bone density per year. Pharmacopuncture and moxibustion can stimulate acupoints with herbal extract and heat, respectively, to regulate the function of qi and blood, expel pathogens, and support health. To minimize fear of needle insertion and discomfort after treatment, a dose corresponding to 20% of the usual dose was selected, along with only 5 acupoints. Highlight selected keywords in the article text. Women who have missed at least three menstrual periods in a row have amenorrhea, as do girls who haven't begun menstruation by age 15.The most common cause of amenorrhea is pregnancy. It’s important to note that post-pill amenorrhea is not a medical condition. J Korean Soc Study Obesity 2003;12:280–93. Nutrition 2003;19:317–20. [19]. Drug safety: selection of oral contraceptives and management of side effects. Available at: [2]. After 3 primary treatments, she began menstruation without menstrual cramps or discomfort. (Again, that is a huge generalization.) After 3 treatments of pharmacopuncture and moxibustion, she reported that she had begun menstruation without menstrual cramps or discomfort. In terms of QOL, KOQOL improved from 22 to 21 and EQ-VASs score improved from 70 to 80. Post pill amenorrhea is a symptom of Post-Birth Control syndrome is marked by the absence of menses that persists 4-6 months after the pill. Adolescent Obesity and Diet on the Development of Educational Plan. Gwak HS. Amenorrhea is the absence of a menstrual period in a woman of reproductive age. [15–18] Moxibustion is a heat therapy technique that involves burning an herb called Mugwort to promote healing; it has been used throughout Asia for thousands of years, alone or in combination with other treatment methods. In the first picture, taken in 2016, I was really lean. I could tell she was kind of annoyed with me for just going off them without asking. It causes social problems, as well as physical and mental problems. The enlarging follicles produce estrogen as they grow and develop into … My husband didn't leave me, my friends didn't start talking crap about me because I gained weight, my family didn't care about my body fat. I did 3 months of … I put way less time and effort into worrying about its imperfections and trying to make it smaller. There were no significant changes in obesity. This is huge given that the pill is the most common treatment for irregular periods associated with PCOS. However, I did like the way my physique looked. J Korean Med Obes Res 2006;6:17–27. Qual Life Res 2014;23:977–89. How much weight did you lose before losing it? Obesity increases the incidences of hypertension, arteriosclerosis, hyperlipidemia, diabetes, and cardiovascular disease; it also impairs endocrine function. Development of Korean version of obesity-related quality of life scale. If you take the birth control pill (oral contraceptive), you're probably happy with its convenience and reliability. The item(s) has been successfully added to ", This article has been saved into your User Account, in the Favorites area, under the new folder. [29] KOQOL, a representative indicator of the QOL related to obesity in Koreans, was evaluated in 4 areas: psychosocial health, physical and work efficiency, sexual attractiveness, and relationship with food, on the basis of reliability and confirmative factor analysis. Acupuncture and Moxibustion Therapy in Gynecology and Obstetrics. Some of the most common reasons for amenorrhea after stopping the pill include: PCOS: This common hormonal condition can lead to long, irregular cycles or … Reply. After 3 treatments of pharmacopuncture and moxibustion, she began menstruation without menstrual cramps or discomfort. Birth control pills profile of acceptors at the University of Port Harcourt Teaching Hospital, Port Harcourt Nigeria. [8–13], In complementary and alternative medicine (CAM), various treatment methods, such as acupuncture, pharmacopuncture, herbal medicine, cupping, and moxa, are used for many diseases, including obesity and female reproductive problems. amenorrhea; infertility; menstruation; moxibustion; obesity; oral contraceptives; pharmacopuncture; wild ginseng complex. I had my hormone levels drawn and LH and FSH were normal (but on the low side) and estradiol was low at 20. Although this report only describes a single case, our study indicates that pharmacopuncture with WGC can be used as a new alternative treatment method for postpill amenorrhea, as well as amenorrhea with abdominal obesity. Published by Wolters Kluwer Health, Inc. I weighed about 56-57kg at the time (i'm 170cm) and intentionally gained a … Check a pregnancy test if you've had unprotected … Lake JK, Power C, Cole TJ. This is the same rate as menopausal women. Despite the small number of treatments, we confirmed patient satisfaction through the improvement of amenorrhea and obesity without loss of muscle mass. Herein, we report the therapeutic effects of pharmacopuncture with WGC and moxibustion at CV4 for a patient with sudden increase in BW and amenorrhea for more than 6 months after the discontinuation of OCs. Acupuncture Medicine. I have to say though that I was still sometimes wondering what I could do to get leaner looking abs… (I didn't see that I actually did have abs, which I realized only later). Therefore, pharmacopuncture with WGC was selected. The locations of the pharmacopuncture treatment were 5-point vessels (CV4 and left and right side of ST28 and SP14), inferior to the navel points on the meridians of the stomach, as well as the spleen and the concept vessels. The association of obesity with infertility and related menstrual abnormalities in women. Douchi T, Ijuin H, Nakamura S, et al. Effect of Ramadan fasting on metabolic markers, body composition, and dietary intake in Emiratis of Ajman (UAE) with metabolic syndrome. [26] According to World Health Organization guidelines, WHR is a superior indicator of abdominal obesity, compared with BMI, especially for Asian population. Int J Obesity 1979;3:57–73. "I think post-pill amenorrhea is a myth, a catchall for doctors who dont know what they heck is wrong with you - but I would be willing to bet money (if i had it), that subtle abnormalities in diet, ...writer, my best friend and her husband adopted a little boy in February, and she lost weight initially - and her period became irregular, i'll point out - because she wasn't eating well or consistenty. Glass AR, Dahms WT, Abraham G, et al. 0. ∗Correspondence: Ji Hye Hwang, Department of Acupuncture and Moxibustion Medicine, College of Korean Medicine, Gachon University, Seongnam 13120, Republic of Korea (e-mail: [email protected]). As soon as you ovulate again, you can get pregnant. Choi GY, Song MY, Shin HD, et al. Jukic AMZ, Weinberg CR, Baird DD, et al. Thank you for sharing your journey with us. your express consent. But other than decreased exercise and being more relaxed around food, my life isn't that much different. Get new journal Tables of Contents sent right to your email inbox, http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0, August 2019 - Volume 98 - Issue 35 - p e16996, https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/family-planning-contraception, http://www.health.kr/Menu.PharmReview/View.asp?PharmReview_IDX=164&PharmReview_Referrer, Treatment of postpill amenorrhea with abdominal obesity by traditional Korean medicine treatment focused on pharmacopuncture and moxibustion: A case report, Articles in PubMed by Ji Hye Hwang, PhD, KMD, Articles in Google Scholar by Ji Hye Hwang, PhD, KMD, Other articles in this journal by Ji Hye Hwang, PhD, KMD, Management of epidermal cysts arising from scar tissues: A retrospective clinical study, Determinants of compassion satisfaction, compassion fatigue and burn out in nursing: A correlative meta-analysis, Methamphetamine consumption and life-threatening abdominal complications: A case report, Use of noncontact infrared thermography to measure temperature in children in a triage room, C-reactive protein and risk of ovarian cancer: A systematic review and meta-analysis. Rather I am of the opinion that weight is the reason why you have polycystic ovaries. Additionally, she reported sudden weight gain of approximately 12 kg in 1 year. [31]. After 5 weekly primary treatments, Geoseub-hwan was prescribed intermittently. Still, you may have questions about how birth control pills could affect your health, the benefits and risks of birth control pills, and newer options available.