How to Overcome Polycystic Ovary Syndrome (PCOS) Spotting

Do you see yourself here: “I have PCOS and have not been on the pill for 2 years due to lack of insurance. My cycles have gotten progressively longer in the last 6 months. The last 2 cycles were approximately 40 days. Today is day 18 for me and I am spotting light brown when I wipe. Do you think this is from ovulation? I am not cramping at all…”

This is one of the questions many women are trying to find answers to about the spotting they are experiencing. Well, if you’re one of them and you’re not pregnant, Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome (PCOS) is one among various causes of abnormal bleeding. Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome (PCOS) spotting can happen between ages 15 to 44, when you can still have children. Symptoms of PCOS usually surface between ages 20 to 30, when women experience problems with getting pregnant. This could create feelings of anxiety and fear about never being able to conceive and carry a baby. Therefore, you want to overcome PCOS spotting.

What are the Causes of PCOS?

Most who are looking for answers first wonder what are the exact causes of PCOS. Since we are unable to exactly pinpoint the specific causes, PCOS can somehow be related to hormonal imbalance, heredity, excess androgens resulting in acne and hirsutism, and resistance to insulin that leads to excess insulin in the bloodstream, leading to excess weight gain. Much of it very similar to pre-diabetes

Signs and Symptoms of PCOS

Aside from spotting, other symptoms of PCOS include oily skin or acne, infertility, excess body or facial hair, weight gain, thinning of hair, and pelvic pain.

PCOS and Fertility

It is important to know how PCOS affects your reproductive health. Polycystic ovaries means that there are many tiny bumps or cysts within your ovaries, just beneath the surface. Despite having PCOS, many women have a normal uterus and healthy eggs but it would take a longer waiting period to get a positive pregnancy test. This is due to irregular periods. Instead of developing and releasing just one egg each cycle, the ovaries may develop multiple follicles but not release them. When this happens, it results in light bleeding or spotting instead of a true menstrual period. It may surprise you to know that women with PCOS may have as many children as other women. However, if you have difficulty getting pregnant, consulting your OB and or saliva hormone testing at home are the first things to do. Getting your hormone levels for progesterone, cortisol, estrogen (including estradiol) and testosterone checked is key.

How To Stop PCOS Spotting

The challenge now is how to stop PCOS spotting. Healthful eating and daily exercise are very helpful. There are medications prescribed to help you manage irregular periods and spotting, the birth control pill (BCP) being the most common form. The combination of estrogen and a synthetic form of progesterone called progestin, is suggested to regulate some hormonal imbalances by increasing a woman’s estrogen levels and decreasing the amount of testosterone her body produces. What doctors may fail to mention is that this “solution” may produce temporary, similar looking results, but in the end can cause even more harm. This is not a natural solution but a bandaid leaving hard to get rid of progestins behind.

Note: BCPs are abortifacients, meaning they do not prevent pregnancy but shed the lining with or without implanted foetus. This means if you use BCP to regulate your cycles and become pregnant, you will shed the endometrial lining along with that baby you have longed for.

Natural Remedies for PCOS

There are ways to help overcome PCOS spotting, but what we most desire are natural remedies for PCOS. There’s no one-size-fits-all approach to lessening the symptoms of PCOS but there are some lifestyle changes and dietary supplements that could help manage the symptoms. Diet changes include nourishing elements such as whole foods, low-carbs, protein, iron, magnesium, soy products, fiber, and anti-inflammatory foods. Discover how a PCOS diet plan can help with PCOS symptoms.

Some supplements have been studied for their ability to aid in hormone regulation, insulin resistance, and inflammation associated with PCOS. Your doctor might be familiar with some from this list:

• For insulin resistance – Inositol, chromium, cinnamon, berberine (berberine complex) (Chinese medicine)
• For anti-inflammatory – Turmeric
• For fertility – Zinc, evening primrose oil, vitamin D and calcium, cod liver oil
• For hormonal balance – Adaptogenic herbs as found in our Ayurvedic Fertility Booster
• For digestion – Natural probiotic supplements like Alive Probiotic as well as digestive enzyme supplement and proteolytic enzymes (proteolytic enzymes remove organic waste like pus and cysts).

Progesterone Cream for PCOS

Progesterone plays a role in maintaining a healthy balance of hormones in the body. Progesterone levels rise and fall throughout our monthly menstrual cycle, and are normally at its peak after ovulation. Progesterone also regulates the condition of the endometrium, the inner lining of the uterus. When the progesterone level is low, the estrogen hormone becomes dominant and may cause thinning of the uterus. This may lead to abnormal uterine bleeding or spotting in non-pregnant women.

Progesterone Cream for PCOS, one of the commonly tried natural remedies for PCOS, may be highly beneficial. The cream is applied after ovulation, the last two weeks of your cycle, then stop for two days before your period is due to start. Since the progesterone cream is fat-soluble, the preferred manner of applying the progesterone cream is vaginally or on thin skin areas of the body by capillary flow. By doing so, you allow the cream to be absorbed directly into the bloodstream, then to the ovaries. Read more about the progesterone challenge on our site.

Knowing more about PCOS spotting should encourage you to make self-care a high priority. Not only is remedy the goal, but the maintenance of health through natural health supplements and good nutrition, and suitable exercise as well. If you so desire to have children, then adjust your lifestyle toward the fulfillment of this goal!