A reader’s 42-year-old cousin has been taking oestrogen for many years as treatment for polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS).  She suffered a thrombosis about a year ago and was prescribed the blood thinner warfarin, and had various tests.  However, she has recently been diagnosed with Factor V Leiden, a hereditary blood coagulation disorder.  She is now off the warfarin and has been told she must not take oestrogen.  She is awaiting a specialist appointment ‘to discuss her condition’ but has been told there’s not much she can do.  Can anyone offer advice?  Are there any natural ways to deal with both the PCOS and the clotting disorder?

First up is Louise, who gives some helpful advice from a homeopathic point of view: “As a homeopath, I first would want to establish whether or not her Factor V Leiden is a hereditary condition or if, in fact, it is the result of having taken warfarin that has caused this ‘clotting disorder’.  If it is the warfarin, it can be flushed out of her system homeopathically and the ‘disorder’ will right itself in time.  (It sounds a bit suspicious that this hereditary condition suddenly appears after she’s taken warfarin for a year).  Also, tell her to look at the listed side-effects of both warfarin and the oestrogen she took (www.bnf.org) - it will clearly state what they are, and she may be able to match a lot of the symptoms with the drugs. 

Homeopathy can provide a ‘tautological drug detox’ which will help remove these from her system.  Second, she is full of years’ worth of synthetic oestrogen, guaranteed to confuse and damage the natural hormone-producing glands.  This also needs to be removed (again, easy to do homeopathically) and an organ support remedy given to aid the glands and the liver whilst this is going on.  Then, when her system is clear of the drugs, homeopathic remedies for PCOS can be given (it's very successful at treating PCOS) along with a herbal ‘hormone balancer’ and in time it will improve greatly.  My advice is that your cousin go to a good practical homeopath who can do all this for her.”

In addition to homeopathy, a change of diet may also help with both conditions.  For PCOS, one reader recommends cutting out all carbohydrate-rich foods.  “PCOS is an insulin-caused disease,” she says.  “Your cousin needs to stop all carbohydrate-rich foods which cause a spike in insulin production.  I recently had a patient who was drinking six to eight colas a day and suffered from PCOS.  Once she stopped the liquid sugar she was drinking the PCOS went away.”  In addition to eliminating high-carb foods like sweets and alcohol, she also recommends the herb Gymnema sylvestre.  This can help with PCOS if taken regularly, she says.

For Factor V Leiden, the FVL support website (www.fvleiden.org) has some useful suggestions on diet and lifestyle tips to prevent clotting.  The advice is aimed at pregnant women but is helpful nonetheless.  See www.fvleiden.org/publications/midwife.html.

Finally, Suzanne recommends a couple of books: Inconceivable (Broadway Books, 2001) and Fertile Female (Adell Press, 2007), both by Julia Indichova.  “Don't be put off by the books’ main topic, which is infertility,” she says.  “Fertile Female, in particular, is about how our body communicates with us and the book covers many ways we can work with our bodies through imagery, diet etc. to better health.  It is a great read for anyone and I think it would be a helpful approach to PCOS – or any health concern.”