Lara Briden's Forum

You’ve got this, and it's totally okay to feel nervous—surgery is a big deal, no matter how "simple" it might seem. The good news is that you’re in the hands of professionals who do this every day, and they’ll take great care of you. That feeling of going under can be unsettling but think ...

Hi Suzy This is a complex hormonal situation, which is not uncommon around the age of 45, often characterized by changes in menstrual patterns and symptoms like hair changes. Using bioidentical progesterone cyclically is generally helpful for perimenopausal symptoms, but since you've started experie...

Sorry to hear about your cousin's situation. Eating disorders are so complex, and there's a common misconception that periods can only return with weight gain. There are a few things that could explain what happened - none of which is tied to weight-gain: 1) The body's hormonal system is complex and...

I found this on the Violet website, so maybe it answers your question (highlighting mine). Is this different from other iodine (iodide) supplements currently available? Yes it is different. Violet is created using a novel technology that combines a formulation of two forms of iodine: iodide and ioda...

Hi Ebbie. I want to start by clarifying what Estradiol and Norethindrone are (for those who may not know). Estradiol is a bioidentical estrogen - i.e. the same as the estrogen we naturally make. Norethindrone is a progestin - i.e. a chemical compound that's somewhat like progesterone, but with some ...

Your issues with skin sound a lot like post-pill acne. It's a nasty cycle where women are given hormonal birth control to control for acne, but doing that just causes the body to try to produce even more sebum. As soon as you go off the pill, you'll be producing more sebum than ever. Lara talks a lo...

That wouldn't be a common side-effect for Prometrium, but it can cause fluid-retention, which I guess could come in the form of puffiness around the eyes. Are they itchy as well? If they are, then I suspect it's something else and the timing is just coincidence. You could always stop the Prometrium ...

Yes, it could just be water retention, as that can happen with cyclic progesterone. The other potential issue is that cyclic progesterone can cause an increase in appetite in some people. Have you noticed an increase in appetite? Are you eating a lot more than previously? If you aren't eating any mo...

It depends on the individual. If you are insulin resistant, then you really need to avoid ALL sugar and that includes honey, agave, etc. If you are not insulin resistant then a little honey in your tea (for example) is probably fine. Overall, less refined is better. So honey is pretty good and does ...

I don't know enough to make sense of all those blood readings, but everything else you say makes it sound like exercise amenorrhoea. From a biological point of view, our menstrual cycles exist to support reproduction. If your body is getting signals of stress and food scarcity, it makes a "choi...