Let’s be real here. I think the above question, from a male’s standpoint, is purely rhetorical. But why? While many may disagree, the normal female cycle should be of minimal impact and last maybe 3-4 days. Anything past that–any pain, heavy bleeding or increased / decreased frequency is abnormal.
In today’s society, the answer given to most is the birth control pill. Unfortunately, the BCP does not fix a darn thing, and may actually make the underlying condition worse.
This particular study is done by Dr. Andrew Herzog at Harvard. Dr. Herzog has done some amazing research on the powerful impact of progesterone on seizures in women. In this study, his team goes beyond seizures and looks at Premenstrual Dysphoric Disorder (PMDD). As far as I know, PMDD was a condition created when Prosac was going off patent and they needed to find a condition is could be used for to get a new patent. So they merely created one. Got to give them points for creativity..
Progresterone gets converted to a neurosteroid called allopregnonalone. This is one of the most protective anti-seizure compounds on the planet, synthetic or natural. Thus, a woman have problems with her cycles will likely have too little progesterone being produced, sending the brain into havoc.
Post partum depression, mood disorders and seizures can all be a result. Thus, restoration of optimal levels of progesterone is very important. This means managing prediabetes (a major contributor because the elevated testosterone shuts down healthy ovarian function and release of progesterone from the corpus luteum). It means lowering your exposure to environmental estrogens from constipation, plastics and other chemicals as well as maintaining an ideal body weight.
Topical progesterone can also be a good temporary fix to supplement the body’s production of progesterone until the other physiological problems are brought into balance.