BBetter Home Page Forums Ask Your Questions Mold & Amenorrhea

  • Mold & Amenorrhea

    Posted by mishaakhan1999 on July 13, 2022 at 6:23 pm
    Has anyone experienced amenorrhea after mold exposure? I have fairly regular periods (unless something happens, like getting COVID, traveling to a different country, high stress), and I haven’t gotten a period for the past two months despite my lifestyle being better than it used to be (no processed sugar, exercising and walking regularly, low stress, switching off wifi before bed, eating mainly nutrient dense meals, sweating more). 

    I have noticed some mold growth in our bathroom, and I’m wondering if that’s the cause. I’ve been actively trying to sweat more to detox from the mold, but I still have some symptoms that I suspect are from mold (my face sometimes gets red and feels itchy)

    Has anyone experienced something similar?

    mishaakhan1999 replied 2 years, 6 months ago 2 Members · 2 Replies
  • 2 Replies
  • Bernadette

    Member
    July 13, 2022 at 8:52 pm

     I have not seen a direct connection between mold and amenorrhea, however that’s not to say that there isn’t a secondary link. Mold can disrupt our gut microbiome balance which can impair serotonin synthesis. Serotonin, as you may be aware, is a neurotransmitter that can affect the brain and hormone cascade. And we know that serotonin plays a stimulatory role in the brain for the synthesis of Gonadotropin Releasing Hormone (GnRH), which makes our sex hormones.

    From a nutrient perspective, serotonin is also made from a series of conversions beginning with tryptophan, an amino acid protein. You did not mention your type of diet, but does it include enough animal protein? Are you digesting and absorbing your protein with enough stomach acid? Gut health masterclass will help you troubleshoot this.

    The conversion from tryptophan to serotonin also needs nutrients: iron, B vitamins (especially B6), copper, magnesium. Again, are you eating a diet that provides these nutrients? Are they optimal?

    So to summarize, dysbiosis (from mold or other causes) & nutrient deficiencies can impair serotonin production, which can affect the brain-hormone cascade. Also, you mentioned that your face gets red and itchy at times. This sounds like a histamine reaction and gut dysbiosis can affect the DAO enzyme needed to break down extracellular histamine. Again, we need a good amount of B vitamins to break down histamine. 

    A trial with 50mg of 5-HTP (with B6) support twice daily to begin (morning and afternoon) would be an interesting test to see if it helps. Of course, please speak with your practitioner as 5-HTP is contraindicated in those who are taking antidepressants or other medications that might directly affect serotonin synthesis or uptake.

    Hope this helps!

  • mishaakhan1999

    Member
    July 16, 2022 at 1:14 am

     Thank you for this detailed response! My diet is pretty good  (2-5 cups of local fruits & vegetables daily, grass fed red meat, A2 low pasteurized fermented dairy, eggs, wild caught seafood, occasionally poultry, and some sprouted/soaked grains and some seeds) and I eat meat at least 1-2 times a day. I have been trying to take a magnesium glycinate supplement a few times a week, but I do not take any other supplements or medications besides that. 

    I’ve started the gut masterclass, and I’m looking forward to trouble shooting some of these issues. 

The forum ‘Ask Your Questions’ is closed to new discussions and replies.

Start of Discussion
0 of 0 replies June 2018
Now