Paleo Diet and Paleolithic Diet Questions & Answers

Question

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I am a 21 year old female, 5'3 and an athletic 135 pounds. I have experienced a small amount of facial hair growth in my life- just a few hairs here and there (i am of middle eastern descent) but recently my body hair has gotten totally out of control.

Been paleo for over a year now. Initially when I was very strict about it and while doing my whole 30 it seemed to be getting a little better, but not much. I have since gotten a little looser about my diet (a little dairy here and there, occasional corn, tequila, cigarette) I i used to drink from 3-5 cups of coffee a day but quit doing that about three weeks ago. since then I have experienced what feels like an explosion of body and facial hair!!! I replaced the coffee with a dandelion root beverage and have started taking a little milk thistle to help my liver detox hormones.

i also take calcium d glucarate and dim daily, as well as some omega 3s

the hair springs up on my cheeks neck and chest as well as some on my stomach around my navel. i tried taking iodine once and the next day a large black coil of hair sprung from the middle of my chest! super gross. not sure if that information is helpful or just TMI. also suffered with bulimia nervosa and anorexia until I was 18, and was on birth control pills for about a year (but that was a while ago). unsure if those things factor into it

i want to figure out what i can do to get my hormones balanced, let me know if you have experienced anything similar or have any insight into what kind of imbalance this is and where is stems from!

HELP ITS DRIVING ME CRAZY

edited May 6 2012 at 17:50

asked May 6 2012 at 17:45

stella
175●7

	Have you actually gotten your hormones checked by a doctor? That might be a good place to start if not. I know hirsutism can be a symptom of PCOS, which is another thing to ask you doctor about. Also, are you on the pill or taking other medications? – Jaych May 6 2012 at 17:53
	Not on any medications. I got them checked a few years ago, but was told they were "normal". didn't get any specifics from them at the time though. I don't have a doctor right now, and wouldn't know what kind of test to ask for or doctor to see! If you have any ideas that would be great. Also money is tight, I am a student. – stella May 6 2012 at 17:59
	@Stella Lanugo? – Roth May 6 2012 at 22:17
	@roth i imagine it could be connected since i was eating very very poorly from age 13-18 (pretty formative for hormonal composition i imagine)- but i've been healthy for a few years now and the hair is pretty thick. I think lanugo is more of a soft downy kind of layer? – stella May 7 2012 at 3:05

Jaych · Accepted Answer · 2012-05-06 18:04:08Z UTC

A gynecologist will do a hormone test for you. If you're a student, your student health center should offer that test for a pretty reasonable cost. See what the test says and ask the doctor where to go from there. Hirsutism is a symptom of something else, so until you figure out what's causing it, it's probably not going to get better, unfortunately. It's a very frustrating symptom, I know! Good luck!

Dragonfly · Answer 2 · 2012-05-06 18:07:19Z UTC

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Focusing on replenishing your body so that your hormones can balance themselves is the approach I would take.

Sufficient Vitamin D is essential, along with other co-factors.

This blog post I wrote on Pregnancy nutrition is actually a good place to start. Essentially the same diet I would recommend for hormone balancing. It's working for my perimenopausal symptoms!

answered May 6 2012 at 18:07

Dragonfly
31.2k●1●8●41

thanks! i like the idea of replenishing my body but i'm not really sure what that means. even when i was eating super clean for an extended period of time i was having these issues, albeit not quite so strongly. it makes me feel like there is an inherant hormonal imbalance that cannot be corrected by the approaches i have taken before, especially since i have taken birth control and been through eating disorders. apparently those things wreak havoc on hormonal balances... hopefully i am wrong! – stella May 7 2012 at 3:02

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Replenishing is about focusing on getting the micronutrients your body needs. Sunshine (Vitamin D), organ meats, fish, bone broth & gelatin are often ignored as part of a "clean" Paleo diet, but they all have vitamins & minerals your body needs for good hormonal balance. Your hormones are mostly determined by your diet & environment--much less so by heredity. – Dragonfly May 7 2012 at 12:57

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And yes, birth control & eating disororders can mess up your hormonal balance, but a nutrient-rich diet, sleep & gentle exercise can remedy that. It just takes time & patience! Give yourself 6 months-1 year to see significant changes. – Dragonfly May 7 2012 at 12:59

Sasha · Answer 3 · 2012-05-06 20:00:21Z UTC

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You might want to see if you can find a compounding pharmacy that will do a more thorough blood panel. I did this, and it helped immensely. Check out www.cocprx.com. They do phone consultations and may e able to give you some answers. Good luck!

answered May 6 2012 at 20:00

Sasha
61●2

thank you for the link! – stella May 7 2012 at 3:06

Gretchen · Answer 4 · 2012-05-06 20:01:15Z UTC

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I second (third?) getting a complete hormonal workup. It sounds like PCOS to me, and people with PCOS can actually be of normal weight. Hormones are what stimulates the hair follicle, and if you're getting male pattern hair growth/color, then those follicles are being stimulated by an excess of androgens (assuming PCOS).

answered May 6 2012 at 20:01

Gretchen
21●3

yeah i always assumed it wasn't pcos because i'm a normal weight and havent had any problems or pains during my cycle. definitely will be getting my hormones tested. – stella May 7 2012 at 2:59

elliemay · Answer 5 · 2012-05-06 23:46:59Z UTC

I have had problems with PCOS and saw a doctor who prescribed estrogen and progesterone creams for me. These were not helpful, they regulated my periods, but I still had other PCOS symptoms plus heavy fatigue. What was most helpful for me, and I would suggest to any woman with hormonal imbalances is acupuncture. After about 2 months of acupuncture my PCOS symptoms really improved. Also, congratulations on quitting caffeine. I am currently taking another stab at quitting caffeine because it's stress on the adrenals and insulin release just exacerbates hormonal imbalances.

HACK MY HORMONES

5 Answers