High Estrogen? Vitex agnus Castus? Any one?

Yes, because things like aspirin and penicillin didn't come from a source in nature...(oh, wait...)

Also, if it is PCOS, most conventional doctors aren't much better equipped to treat it than a "witch doctor." Most will blindly throw pills at you -- if you can get them to run the tests at all. So...yeah.

Chasteberry is actually known for its ability to inhibit the production of follicle stimulating hormone (thus decreasing estrogen production), and increasing the production of lutenizing hormone and inhibits prolactin (thus increase progesterone production). Additionally, chasteberry doesn't really have side effects, nor does it interfere with other medications (except dopamine related ones), so it's harmless to try.

That said, I do agree that it sounds very much like Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome (PCOS) with estrogen dominance, and you should see an endo to get it confirmed/ruled out (and monitored if confirmed). PCOS is a pain in the *kitten* to deal with on your own, so any medical support you can get will help.

http://www.aafp.org/afp/2005/0901/p821.html

Quote above:


thank you for this... very insightful when I did see the endocrinologist she wasn't helpful at all didn't even suggest looking past my thyroid test. It had been about 18 months after I had my son and her advice was "It takes 5 years for a womens body to regulate after having a baby. Give yourself more time" I was so discouraged...

:noway:

While there are certain things that don't go back to "normal" right away and could stay a given way for a few years (elevating the hormones that maintain lactation, suppressing the hormones that cause ovulation), it's generally only a couple of years, and only that long if you're breastfeeding. Having periods that last for weeks is never a good sign, and can even be dangerous due to the loss of blood and increased risk of iron deficiency anemia. Additionally, it sounds like you started having problems even before you had your baby, so that sends the "it takes time" BS out the window (besides, generally speaking, things either "return to normal" within a few months of either having the baby or weaning, or are permanent changes).

Fire your conventional/allopathic doctors and find new ones. Check out http://primaldocs.com/ or http://paleophysiciansnetwork.com/ or ask your ND for a reference to an allopathic doctor (particularly if NDs in your state have limited ability to do things like prescribe medications or run blood tests; it's always good to have access to more tools should you need them, even if you end up not needing them). Never settle for doctors that refuse to run tests when you're concerned about something. The tests are on your dime and it doesn't hurt to have them run, even if it's just for your own informational purposes. Also, make sure that they don't just throw Metformin and the Pill at you without good reason (and especially without tests). Blindly prescribing things is a sure sign that the doctor only has a cursory "knowledge" of PCOS and is as good as useless to you. I'll explain the issues with the Pill in a minute, and Metformin is solely for reducing insulin resistance and insulin levels. It's not a "PCOS drug."

Ideally, find someone who specializes in PCOS, or, barring that, in Type 2 Diabetes. In my experience, those backgrounds are more likely to take your concerns more seriously, because they're more educated in the "subclinical" precursors to and early symptoms of both issues (and PCOS is a pretty close cousin to Diabetes, so there's enough crossover that a Diabetes-experienced doctor can help).

From there, see to it that you get your fasting insulin tested (different from the glucose test, but the glucose test is also useful, especially when insulin is known, too), and monitor your estrogen, progesterone, and androgen hormones (DHEAs, aldosterone). Your hormone levels will help determine what's best for you to eat or avoid.

Additionally, drop your protein and carbs down a little (to around 100g each or so, doesn't have to be exact) and increase your fats some more. Fat is required for proper absorption of vitamins A, D, E, and K, with D and K being rather integral to women's health and weight loss. Swap out your egg beaters and egg whites for whole eggs to get the choline, folate, and Omega-3 fats that egg yolks are rich in (and don't worry about the cholesterol content, that whole thing is a myth; besides, the body needs cholesterol to produce Vitamin D). That will also allow you to eat other things besides chicken breast and tuna. While protein is good, exceeding 1g/lb of lean mass doesn't really provide any more benefit.

I also highly recommend joining the PCOSis group here on MFP -- http://www.myfitnesspal.com/groups/home/3070-p-c-o-sis They're a great group of ladies, and a ton of resources that can help you.

Also, which birth control did you go on that made things worse? Most birth controls are very bad for PCOS, because they're estrogen-based, which just throws an already-unbalanced system into even more disarray (worse still, the standard Pill masks the issues caused by PCOS and gives the illusion of regular periods because of the withdrawal bleeding). However, Yaz and its cousins are progesterone-based, and a mild aldosterone inhibitor, which works in favor of the PCOS body, actually helping to rebalance the hormones. If you weren't put on Yaz again after your baby, it might be worth trying. If you were, and it still backfired, then I recommend a non-hormonal birth control, like the ParaGard IUD (there's some evidence that IUDs are beneficial in women with PCOS for preventing some of the more nasty uterine issues, like cancer, so there's also that).

You could always talk to your doc about having your hormones tested and try some natural balancing through compounding.
I did this, and it's the best thing I ever did.