Female Hormones

Irregular cycles. PMS that disrupts your whole week. Pain and Heavy Bleeding. Fatigue that doesn't lift no matter how much you sleep. Persistent acne. Mood swings. Changes in weight that don't match what you're eating or how you're moving. These aren't things you just have to live with, they're signals, and in most cases, there's a reason behind them worth investigating.

In my practice, I take a thorough, investigative approach to female health. Rather than looking at a single symptom in isolation, I look at the bigger picture: your cycle, your gut, your stress load, your nutrition, your sleep, to understand what may actually be driving what you're experiencing.

Hormonal patterns I work with

Every hormonal presentation is different, and treatment is built around each person's specific picture rather than a one-size-fits-all protocol. Some of what I commonly see includes:

PMOS/ PCOS. Polycystic ovarian syndrome is often associated with elevated androgens, insulin resistance, and disrupted ovulation. It's one of the more common hormonal conditions in women of reproductive age, and symptoms can include irregular or absent periods, acne, hair thinning, facial hair growth, weight changes, and fertility difficulty. My approach looks at the underlying hormonal and metabolic patterns rather than addressing symptoms one at a time.

Endometriosis. Endometriosis is understood as an inflammatory condition, though it's closely tied to estrogen activity and immune regulation. It can involve lesions, ovarian cysts, and significant pain. Naturopathic support here tends to focus on reducing systemic inflammation, supporting immune function, and addressing gut health factors that influence estrogen metabolism.

PMS and painful periods. Bloating, mood changes, breast tenderness, anxiety, food cravings, and cramping before a period are often linked to hormonal shifts, commonly involving progesterone or estrogen balance. Supporting the luteal phase is often a meaningful piece of reducing PMS severity.

Estrogen dominance. This describes estrogen levels that are elevated relative to progesterone, and it's frequently associated with PMS, heavy periods, endometriosis, fibroids, and hormonal acne. Gut health plays a notable role here, when the microbiome isn't functioning well, estrogen clearance can be impaired, allowing estrogen to recirculate rather than being eliminated as it should.

Irregular or absent periods. Cycles that run too short, too long, or stop altogether often point to disrupted communication between the brain, ovaries, and adrenal glands. Stress, undereating, thyroid function, and gut health are common contributing factors worth exploring.

Perimenopause and menopause. This transition can begin years before periods actually stop, and often brings hot flashes, disrupted sleep, mood changes, weight shifts, brain fog, and joint discomfort. Naturopathic support can help manage symptom severity and support long-term health through this transition.

The gut-hormone connection

One of the most important and often overlooked pieces of hormonal health is how closely the gut and hormones are connected.

The gut plays a role in estrogen metabolism through a collection of bacteria known as the estrobolome. When the microbiome is disrupted, through dysbiosis, bacterial overgrowth, low diversity, or increased intestinal permeability, estrogen that should be cleared from the body can instead be reabsorbed and recirculated, which may contribute to estrogen dominance, worsening PMS, and conditions like endometriosis.

This is part of why I don't treat digestive symptoms and hormonal symptoms as separate conversations. If you're dealing with both IBS-type symptoms and hormonal symptoms, I look at both systems together rather than in isolation, since they're often more connected than people realize.

Read about Digestive Conditions and Gut Health Here.

Hormone testing

Rather than guessing at what's driving a hormonal pattern, functional testing helps build a clearer, more specific picture to guide treatment. Depending on your presentation, this may include:

  • Estrogen, progesterone, and testosterone across the cycle (serum or salivary)

  • Cortisol patterns across the day (4-point saliva testing)

  • DHEA and adrenal markers

  • Thyroid panel (TSH, T3, T4, reverse T3, antibodies)

  • Insulin and metabolic markers

  • Gut microbiome testing, given its role in estrogen metabolism

Test kits are typically completed at home, and results are reviewed together at your follow-up appointment as part of building your treatment plan.

What treatment may involve

My approach to hormonal health is investigative and personalized to your specific picture. Depending on what we find, this may include:

  • Targeted nutritional support for hormone production, clearance, and balance

  • Herbal medicine, including adaptogens, phytoestrogens, and cycle-supportive herbs

  • Dietary guidance specific to your hormonal presentation

  • Gut health support where microbiome imbalance is contributing to hormonal symptoms

  • Nervous system and stress support where cortisol appears to be a driver

  • Lifestyle and sleep recommendations tailored to your cycle

Every recommendation is based on your individual clinical picture, not a standard protocol applied to everyone.