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Ovarian cyst treatment
My 18-year-old daughter has been diagnosed with an ovarian cyst, which will soon be drained. I understand the conventional treatment is the contraceptive pill but am worried about the long-term use of hormones, especially as she has taken the pill before and suffered from headaches. We would be grateful for any advice you can give us.
The ovaries are made up of follicles, each of which contains an egg, and once each month a follicle ruptures to release that egg. Ovarian cysts are enlarged follicles that have not ruptured. This is believed to be the result of the body producing too much oestrogen at the wrong time of the menstrual cycle.
The key hormone-balancing herb for women is agnus castus, and so this would be the alternative remedy to try. Agnus castus is an adaptogen, which means it will work to boost oestrogen levels if they are too low and lower them if, as in this case, they are too high. The therapeutic daily dose is 250mg and although this remedy is widely on sale, I would pay a little more for a good quality brand such as Vega’s Agnus Castus which costs £12.50 for 120 capsules.
If your daughter decides to take the conventional route and use hormones to prevent the recurrence of an ovarian cyst then she can also use the herb milk thistle, which will support the liver in its job of processing everything we ingest, including prescription medicines.
Research suggests the active agents in this herb are better absorbed in the body if you use a supplement where the milk thistle is already bound with another compound called phosphatidycholine. If you cannot find this combination in your local health store, then mail order Maximum Milk Thistle from the Nutricentre (0800-587 2290) where 90 capsules cost £29.95.