Three Supplements that Support Recovering for Hypothalamic Amenorrhea

If you have hypothalamic amenorrhea, resting and providing your body with sufficient calories are the first and most important things to do. But there are also some supplements that have shown to be helpful in recovering from hypothalamic amenorrhea. 

I'm taking a handful of supplements every day. That's new to me, because I'm not used to much more than taking some vitamin D and multivitamin here and there…

But this time, I'm working with a chiropractor who is using muscle testing to figure out my vitamin and mineral deficiencies. We're trying to build my body up again. Fixing my menstrual cycle is one huge part of it, and some of the supplements I'm taking are particularly useful for that.

Of course, there may be many supplements that can be useful for you and your situation. However, there are three supplements that can be really useful and help to speed the recovery from hypothalamic amenorrhea. These three are magnesium, Chaste Tree (Vitex, Chasteberry) and ashwaganda.

I'm currently taking magnesium and Chaste tree but not ashwaganda. I decided to add ashwaganda to this list though because according to many experts, it's really beneficial in normalizing the cycle again.

Before you take any of these supplements, please understand that I am not a doctor and won't take responsibility for anyone else's health. This post is based on my personal experience and research. 

Here are the three supplements that can help you to recover from hypothalamic amenorrhea faster:

Magnesium

Why It’s Important?

Magnesium is helpful for many problems related to menstruation, and it can also be really helpful for hypothalamic amenorrhea.

When we’re stressed, our bodies can run really low on magnesium. Think about it that way: Stress is like a citrus press that squeezes all the juice (magnesium) out from a lemon (that's you). 

We know that hypothalamic amenorrhea is caused by physical and/or mental stress, so there has been a lot of lemon squeezing going on and as a result, we’re running out of our juice. To function properly, we need more of it. Insert magnesium.

Under a reasonable amount of stress, we can just eat plenty of magnesium-rich foods and be okay. However, this is not the case when you have hypothalamic amenorrhea–we can't get enough magnesium from food, so it’s helpful to supplement with it.

How Can It Help You?

Magnesium…

• Regulates cortisol, the “stress hormone”, and therefore makes you feel more calm and relaxed
• Provides our cells with energy
• Helps to produce estrogen and progresterone, both of which are low when having hypothalaic amenorrhea
• Is anti-inflammatory
• Improves thyroid function
• Helps to stabilize blood sugar
• When taken before bed, can help to sleep better.

But you may still want to have magnesium-rich foods to make things even better. Here's what you'd want to have on your plate often: nuts, seeds and leafy greens (spinach, collard greens, kale, or Swiss chard).

Chaste Tree (also know as Chasteberry or Vitex agnus-castus)

Why It’s Important?

Women whose prolactin levels are high often experience really difficult PMS symptoms and/ or irregular periods. But if you don't have hypothalamic amenorrhea, it's likely that high prolactin has shut your ovulation down altogether.

Chaste tree is supposed to be really good for restoring ovulation, because it prevents the pituitary from making too much prolactin.

It's an interesting herb though, because back in the old days it was used to suppress the monks' sex drive! Fortunately, it doesn't work like that in women, which is a good thing, because if you have hypothalamic amenorrhea, you don't need any less sex drive… ahem, you're probably too active on that front anyway. That's because your hormones are messed up, not because you were born that way.

How Can It Help You?

Chaste tree…

• Promotes ovulation
• Reduces the production of prolactin, a hormone that prevents the pituitary gland from making too much of it
• Calms the nervous system

It's recommended to take it first thing in the morning, because that's when the pituitary is most awake and receptive. (However, do as your doctor/ practitioner recommends–my chiropractor has me to take it twice a day with food).

Chaste tree is very powerful, so there are some things to keep in mind:

• It's recommended to take a break from supplementing with Chaste tree. For example, take it for 25 days and then take a break for five, then supplement again for the next 25 days and so on. Chaste tree should not be taken for longer than six months.
• Don't take it if you're younger than 18, if it's been less than three months since coming coming off the birth control pill, if you have PCOS or if you're currently taking any fertility drugs.

Ashwaganda

I don't take ashwaganda, because my chiropractor hasn't found that I need it right now. However, it might be helpful for you, so it might be something you want to talk about with your functional medicine practitioner of you're seeing one.

Why It's Important? 

Ashwaganda is a natural, herbal medicine that has been long used in Ayurveda tradition to give energy and help to strengthen the reproductive system.

Modern studies have shown that there are more benefits to ashwaganda.

How Can It Help You?

Ashwaganda…

• Helps to reduce hypothalamic suppression
• Helps to stabilize blood sugar
• Calms down the nervous system
• Allows you to sleep better
• Reduces stress and depression.

Ashwaganda doesn't have known side effects, so it's pretty safe to use. However, don't take more than directed on the package (it can come as liquid, tablet or tea).

Conclusion

These three supplements, magnesium, Chaste tree and Ashwaganda, should help you to get your period back faster.

I wouldn't take them without talking about it with your funcional medicine professional. I totally trust my chiropractor and don't take any herbs or supplements before she has approved them, because anything can interfere with other stuff that I'm taking.

Also, keep in mind that popping pills and drinking herbal teas won't do the whole work for you. If you ever over exercised, restricted calories or lost a lot of weight or did all of them, these are the reasons why you probably lost your period. The main key is to chill and eat. These supplements can potentially help if you are doing most of the work.

Questions? 

If there's anything you'd like to ask me, please, email or leave your comment here. You can always find me on Instagram too 🙂

 

 

Update: I am now recovered from HA and would love to help you do the same!

Learn how to eat to recover from it. 

You can also apply for 1:1 coaching with me! 

https://kerstenkimura.com/work-with-me/