hypothalamic amenorrhea articles • Page 2 of 2 • Lara Briden

PCOS Cannot Be Diagnosed (or Ruled Out) by Ultrasound

March 25, 2022April 16, 2021 by Lara Briden

Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) cannot be diagnosed by ultrasound because polycystic ovaries are not cysts. They’re follicles or eggs which are normal for the ovary.

It’s normal for all women to sometimes have a higher number of follicles. It’s normal for young women to always have a higher number of follicles because young women have more eggs. That’s why PCOS cannot be diagnosed by ultrasound. At the same time, PCOS cannot be ruled out by ultrasound because it’s possible to have normal-appearing ovaries on ultrasound and still have the hormonal condition PCOS.

Have You Lost Your Period to a Low Carb or Keto Diet?

October 22, 2022December 1, 2015 by Lara Briden

Have you lost your period to a keto diet?

Every time I tweet my concern about women losing their periods to a low-carb or keto diet, I get a lot of angry responses.

“It’s purely anecdotal,” men explain to me. “There is no known mechanism, so it can’t really be happening.”

Except it is really happening. Ask anyone who works with young menstruating women. Or not menstruating, as the case may be.

How Birth Control Switches Off Hormones and Why That Matters

November 9, 2023June 10, 2014 by Lara Briden

The pill was an important step in our struggle to legalize contraception. I celebrate that, of course. Hormonal birth control can also be medicine for debilitating conditions such as severe endometriosis and very heavy periods. I celebrate that.

What I don’t celebrate is the distorted message that hormonal birth control is the only birth control. And I don’t celebrate its widespread prescription as “hormone balance” for any hormonal symptom that might arise in women and teenage girls.

Gentle Carbs for GABA, Cortisol, and HPA (Adrenal) Dysfunction

October 22, 2022February 10, 2013 by Lara Briden

Those of us who treat young women know that some women need to eat carbs or what I call gentle carbs.

A keto diet is great in theory and great for many people. But it does not work for everyone.