Herb schedule for menses

Program

This herb schedule for menses is for both BCP (birth control pill) use and non-BCP use. Menses should be light and of a short duration.

If menses intensity is low, if there isn't acne, if there isn't bloating, or if there isn't brown spotting, the herb schedule for this phase can be skipped.

As the herb schedule for menses was improved and simplified, there's no longer a first dose and a separation for the rest of the phase. It's all based on symptoms now.

Metabolic foods, supplements and spices seemed to interfere with estrogen production, which has usually caused setbacks, including for this phase. Avoid estrogenic topicals for this phase.

For the rest of the herb schedule, see the programs: proliferative and luteal. The proliferative phase program also applies to BCP use: BCP01 has more details.

Heavy menses

When there's no swelling and menses is of moderate or heavy intensity, take once:

• 1 fenugreek seed
• 1 sunflower seed

This taken once is expected to lower menses intensity, no matter how many days into menses it is. In other words, this can be taken any time there's heavy menses and when there's no swelling. If this doesn't work once, then don't repeat. 1 sunflower without a progestin may be needed, unless there's mixed signs such as cramps and brown spotting. BCP, IUD, foods with phytoprogestins and phytoprogestin herbs may count as fenugreek on the first day of menses. For mixed symptoms, an adjustment still needs to be made.

Gentle areola massage without topical oils can also be used to lower heavy menses, but the herbal suggestion for it is recommended instead. Use massage only if there's no access to these seeds. Massage seems to lower estrogen response later.

Brown spotting

When brown spotting occurs, take:

• 1 sunflower seed

This taken once is expected to lower brown spotting. Once should be enough. If brown spotting returns, this can be taken again, no sooner than once every hour.

Breast swelling/puffiness or bodily bloating

Breast swelling, puffiness or other bodily swelling or bloating often occur when there's brown spotting. This suggestion so far is theory:

• 1 sunflower seed

This can be taken no more than once a day for swelling or bloating. This does slightly lower swelling, puffiness and bloating, however, swelling can't be fully lowered yet until menses stops. Taking too much sunflower seed can cause cramps, headache and other unwanted symptoms. It's better to ride out swelling and bloating for menses phase, until the time between menses and proliferative.

Acne

There isn't a recommendation for acne during menses at this time. The theory is:

• 2 sunflower seeds
• 2 sesame seeds
• 1 fenugreek seed

If there's acne and other signs such as heavy menses or brown spotting, use the recommendations for those other signs first. Perhaps don't focus on acne for this phase, but instead focus on improving other signs and taking a break.

Estrogenic signs

Headache and cramping are symptoms of high estrogen balance.

If there's cramps, headache, abdominal discomfort or other excessive estrogenic signs, gentle areola/breast massage without topical oils or creams can be used. Breast massage can be expected to improve mood.

There isn't a herbal recommendation for lowering estrogenic signs yet. It could involve using 1 fenugreek seed, but this hasn't been worked out at the moment.

So far, dietary fiber especially that of apples or 1/4 cup of brown rice can help with this or any symptom.

Avoid these signs, as massage is a last resort for improving mood, for alleviating headaches, and for reducing cramps.

Breast massage can also be used to lower an androgenic sign of excess arousal.

If there's another sign present, use the recommendation for that first. Then, if that doesn't improve these signs, then try massage.

Notes

If menses is light, and there's no bloating, brown spotting or breast swelling, the herb schedule for menses can be skipped. Nothing else is recommended, especially for those with a history of hormone imbalances.

BCP still has to be worked in to the schedule for lowering menses. However, it's likely that the recommendation for lowering menses and taking BCP can be taken independently of each other, or they both can be taken once at the same time.

Bust increase for menses is mostly expected to be temporary, however, see if hip size grows and stays by the end of this phase. The main purposes are: to help prevent heavy and long duration menses, and to help lessen heavy hormone imbalances.

When fenugreek and sunflower seed are used, amounts should be as low as possible. When sesame is used, amounts should also be as low as possible for this phase. Too much sunflower seed can cause unwanted signs. Sesame also causes unwanted signs, as it can only be used when there's acne, and sesame still requires a higher proportion (in both volume and number) of sunflower seed.

When too much sunflower or flax is used during menses, it doesn't work well. It's important that the dose used is in small amounts of herbs and seeds suggested above.

Sesame seed targets the breasts, but it can only be used when there's acne. The effects on the reproductive tract must be balanced.

If there's acne, when more sunflower seed is taken, a break can be taken, because estrogen levels are naturally trying to increase during this phase, which will help counter the effects of acne.

Hops, which was previously suggested in the first dose of menses, was removed from this herb schedule. It required sesame seed. Sesame previously replaced minimal spearmint. The effects that included a hops and barley drink were too strongly estrogenic, It's better to avoid hops (including a hops/barley drink) for this phase.

For menses: hops, clover and thistles must be avoided. It's better to avoid these completely for menses.

Maca and shatavari (asparagus root) have similar hormone properties to fenugreek. Suma's and passionflower's phytohormones are similar to fenugreek's according to literature. Other Phyto-progestins are expected to also cause brown spotting, when used this time during menses.

Progestogenic herbs such as fenugreek, fennel, saw palmetto and wild yam may cause brown spotting during this phase. When over 1 fenugreek seed is taken more than once for menses, brown spotting is likely to occur. Any amount of fennel taken past the first day of menses causes brown spotting: fennel is not recommended for menses.

Cases

She had heavy cramps and abdominal pains. Menses was light, and there was also mild bloating. After areola massage: cramps, discomfort and bloating went away. Fiber also likely helped. She didn't take anything herbal for this phase. January 8, 2022

There's the possibility that minimal fenugreek with sunflower would not have worked, because the effects of bloating may have changed the normally expected result. Sunflower seed by itself could have been expected to increase estrogenic signs, which could have made symptoms worse. Massage is only suggested as a last resort for lowering these unwanted symptoms.

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