Heavy Periods
Heavy menstrual periods (or menorrhagia, as doctors call this condition) are blamed on a long list of imbalances, including too much of the hormones estrogen and prolactin, as well as an excess of a hormonelike substance called prostaglandin 2. A sluggish thyroid also increases menstruation. So can endometriosis, uterine fibroids, the presence of an IUD, and drugs that inhibit blood coagulation. Some medical researchers believe that an iron deficiency stimulates bleeding, which in turn leads to an even greater deficiency of iron. Weakness and a great deal of inconvenience often accompany heavy menstruation. Menstruation normally causes a decrease in physical energy, and if you bleed heavily you may find that respiration is impaired and blood pressure lowered—some women become lightheaded and exhausted. Since excessive bleeding can indicate several serious problems, be sure to have a physician investigate the cause before embarking on self-treatment.
Of course, "heavy bleeding" is a relative term. Watch for changes in your own cycle. One survey from Scandinavia found that almost 50 percent of the women with what doctors consider heavy flow considered their flow moderate, while more than 10 percent of those with a light flow judged their periods to be heavy.
Yarrow, nettles and especially shepherd's purse lessen menstrual bleeding by directing blood away from the pelvis. Although mainstream medical science never adopted the use of shepherd's purse, scientists learned in the late 1930s that this herb effectively decreases heavy periods. Where I live, all three of these herbs grow wild. In my garden, I also grow other herbs to slow menstrual bleeding—agrimony, used by the Chinese for this purpose, lady's mantle, vervain and red raspberry, which is thought to strengthen the uterus. Another herbal treatment is to rub on the lower belly a massage oil containing sage essential oil.
These herbs are good for a quick fix while you are bleeding heavily, but for long-term results treat the source of the problem by adjusting out-of-balance hormones with vitex. In the late 1950s, researchers began investigating how this herb helps women who have menstrual disorders. They used a product called Agnolyt—a tincture of dried vitex berries—which had been developed and patented in the 1930s by a German doctor, Gerhard Madaus, M.D. When women who had short but very heavy periods took Agnolyt, almost half of them started having completely normal menstrual cycles, and even more of them found that their periods were much more regular. Dr. Madaus wrote a manual on the use of vitex in which he described numerous studies that have been conducted on this herb. In the late 1980s, this book and accounts of other German studies were translated by herbal researcher and licensed acupuncturist Christopher Hobbs, who has also written a booklet about this herb called Vitex: The Woman's Herb.
When heavy bleeding leaves you feeling weak, see your doctor to make sure that it is not making you anemic. If you are suffering from anemia, see "Anemia" in chapter 58. If you experience cramping along with heavy bleeding, use the same herbs suggested for alleviating menstrual cramps—wild yam root, false unicorn root, cramp bark and American spikenard—to reduce the severity of both of the problems.
Menstrual Bleeding Tincture
1 teaspoon each tinctures of shepherd's purse leaf and yarrow flower
½ teaspoon each tinctures of red raspberry leaf and vitex berry
Combine ingredients. Take half a dropperful every 15 to 30 minutes. This formula is most effective when made with fresh shepherd's purse. When dried, shepherd's purse loses some of its strength.
Sage Massage Oil
2 ounces vegetable oil
12 drops sage essential oil
Combine ingredients. Massage into lower belly a few times a day.
