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Bleeding every 6 month safe and healthy?

Posted: Tue Jun 21, 2022 9:21 pm
by gardenia
Hi Dr. Lara Briden, my 19 year old daughter got diagnosed with PCOS by Sharp Rees-Stealy OBGYN in April 2022 because she has abnormal testosterone and androstenedione levels, and at least 12 follicles on each ovary. Sharp recommended a low dosage mini combo birth control pill (Junel Fe 1/20), which she started taking June 16, 2022.

These are her April 2022 blood test results:

Testo%Free F/Ch: Result 23.2 [H R4], Reference [2.2-20.6] ng/dL

Androstenedione: Result 2.713 [H R1], Reference [0.260-2.140]
ng/mL

My daughter has had only one natural period in May 2018 and one withdrawal period in May 2022 following a 10 day progesterone challenge given by Sharp.

She has been a rock climber since about 2014 when she was around 11 years old at which point she was 5 feet and 1 inches tall and weighed 88 pounds. In March 2018 she grew to her current height of 5 feet and 8 inches and weighed 117 pounds.

In 2017 her dentist noticed she had holes on her molars and at the same time she had back pain and felt fatigued. She fainted in 2019 while standing and talking with her brother.

In 2017 she started going to a chiropractor and to an acupuncturist/herbalist in 2018.

Kaiser tested her in 2017, 2019, 2020, and 2021, and the results showed she was borderline anemic, low T4 Free, low T3, Thyroperoxidase normal, low within normal TSH, low vitamin D, high cholesterol, high LDL, high androstenedione, high LH, high testosterone, low potassium, low RBC, low HCT, high phosphorus, high Albumin, most white blood count results low within normal, bone age study x-ray showed skeletal age of 16 years (Ella's chronological age was 17 years and 8 months).

In 2019 she weighed 119 pounds and Kaiser recommended she gain weight, which she has and has weighed about 135 pounds since around January 2021.

Kaiser OBGYN stated women only need to bleed once every 6 months, either naturally or with the help of progesterone or birth control pill.

I am wondering if you agree with Kaiser that it is safe and healthy for women to only bleed every 6 months?

Re: Bleeding every 6 month safe and healthy?

Posted: Wed Jun 22, 2022 7:29 pm
by Lara
When he says that, he just means two bleeds per year to protect the uterine lining.

In terms of general health, it is important to have regular (monthly) ovulatory natural menstrual cycles. Because ovulation is how women make hormones.

For more, see my blog posts
- Do women need periods?
- If You’re Not Thinking About Ovulation, You’re Not Thinking About Health.
And my book Period Repair Manual.

Re: Bleeding every 6 month safe and healthy?

Posted: Tue Jun 28, 2022 2:12 pm
by gardenia
Thank you Dr. Briden!