The ZRT Laboratory Blog

Premenstrual Dysphoric Disorder (PMDD) is a premenstrual disorder characterized by physical and psychological symptoms that occur in the luteal phase of the menstrual cycle and are often more extreme than the more common symptoms associated with Premenstrual Syndrome (PMS). PMS affects 20-40% of menstruating women and common symptoms include fatigue, irritability, mood swings, depression, abdominal bloating, breast tenderness, acne, changes in appetite and food cravings. PMDD occurs in 5-8% of menstruating women and is characterized by extreme mood and physical symptoms that interfere with quality of life to a significant degree.…

Tags: PMS and PMDD

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The fluctuation of hormones throughout the menstrual cycle is a normal process that supports ovulation and menstruation. Unfortunately, for some women, the inherent fluctuation of their hormone creates a rollercoaster of physical and emotional symptoms that can be extreme to the point of intolerable. While all women experience hormonal fluctuations throughout their cycle, some women experience only mild discomfort while other women feel as if their world is crashing around them. Premenstrual Syndrome (PMS) and Premenstrual Dysphoric Disorder (PMDD) are premenstrual disorders characterized by physical and psychological symptoms that occur in the luteal phase (after ovulation) of the menstrual cycle. PMS affects 20-40% of menstruating women and common symptoms include fatigue, irritability, mood swings, depression, abdominal bloating, breast tenderness, acne, changes in appetite and food cravings. PMDD occurs in 5-8% of menstruating women and is characterized by extreme mood and physical symptoms to such a degree that it is difficult to function in daily life.…

Tags: PMS and PMDD

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If one were to create a word cloud of our clinical consulting calls in 2020, the word “phosphatidylserine” would likely float to the center in a large, bold, brightly colored font. After a year spent coping with a global pandemic, record high unemployment, social distancing, and remote learning for students, accompanied by not only an extreme wildfire season but also a contentious presidential election in the U.S., people are stressed – and it shows.…

Tags: Cortisol, Stress, Mental Health, PMS and PMDD

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One of the most commonly used herbs in the botanical toolbox is Vitex agnus-castus, also known as chaste tree berry. During the Middle Ages the dried berries were used in monasteries as a peppery condiment that was said to help suppress libido. Additionally, in the mid-1900s, Vitex was often given to women for “sexual irritability,” nervousness and melancholia. Perhaps for these reasons the herb…

Tags: Hormone Balance, PMS and PMDD, Menstrual Cycle Mapping, Menopause, Mental Health

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When I turned 12, all of a sudden all of my friends were getting their periods, and I just couldn’t wait to get mine! I was so ready to join the ranks of glamorous women who had the privilege of being initiated into the menstruating club. I wanted to belong with them - everything about periods was synonymous with femininity for me at the time. I had to endure witnessing so many of my classmates…

Tags: PMS and PMDD, Estrogen, Progesterone, Menstruation, Menstrual Cycle Mapping

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Here in the Pacific Northwest we love talking about the sun! We grumble about it being hidden away behind heavy rain clouds for months at a time in the winter; we delight in the first breakthrough rays in the spring, realizing our pagan longing for it, watching, as if for the first time, as everything around us wakes up from a deep slumber; we marvel at its delightful, almost intoxicating warmth…

Tags: Vitamin D, Sleep, Depression, PMS and PMDD, Metabolic Health, Melatonin, Blood Spot Testing

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ZRT has launched a month-long hormone assessment in dried urine called the Menstrual Cycle Mapping test. This is what some call the 28-day hormone test. In our profile, we test estrogen, progesterone, and LH levels throughout a month. This article tackles some frequent questions providers might have regarding the purpose of the testing and who the ideal patient is.…

Tags: Menstruation, Fertility, PMS and PMDD

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The menstrual cycle is a symphony of hormones coordinated to yield an egg and to prepare the uterus and breast tissue for pregnancy. For most women, pregnancy will only take place in a very small percentage of cycles. However, the monthly surge and fall of hormones starting in menarche and ending in menopause influences the brain, breast and uterus of women and may result in numerous symptoms…

Tags: Menstruation, Fertility, PMS and PMDD

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It may be summer outside, but for many of us winter is coming in July this year. Finally, this is the weekend when the new season of Game of Thrones arrives! The richly twisted story makes you love to hate the Lannisters, and root for the Starks and Targaryen (or is it Targaryens?). And while I'm counting down the days, I can’t help but recount my careful dissections from the end of last…

Tags: Mental Health, SAD, HPA Axis, PMS and PMDD

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Historically a taboo subject, menstruation has long been stigmatized as unclean and negative; provoking multiple complex cultural values. Since starting to talk publically about periods, we know so much more about the biochemical basics and physical aspects of menstruation. We are now also beginning to better understand the underlying interplay of sex-hormones with neurotransmitters that create…

Tags: Neurotransmitters, Mental Health, HPA Axis, PMS and PMDD, Menstruation

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