Acupuncture and hormones: Q&A with yoga teacher Edyta Handzlik

Tell us a little about your hormonal history, when did you first start struggling with your hormones?

It all started when I was about 18. My periods stopped for 3months and my acne became worse and painful. Doctors tried all sorts of things and nothing would work to bring my periods back so they put me on the Diane-35 contraceptive pill. It was a combination of cyproterone and ethinyl estradiol that would regulate the hormones that affect my skin. It did helped with my skin problems my periods but it didn’t make me feel good at all. My mood swings started, I gained lots of weight and lack of confidence started kicking in fast…

What sort of hormonal imbalances did you suffer from and did you find certain things made it worse?

Acupuncture and hormone imbalances- Q&A with yoga teacher Edyta Handzlik 2After each blood test doctors came back to me saying that there were no major imbalances, even though I knew my progesterone levels were not right. I recently had some more blood tests done in Poland and it was suggested that I might have hypothyroidism … but when I came back to England and had another 4-5 blood tests they came back fine. The trouble is my cycles are all over the place and range from 29-202 days! And it’s hard to tell when is the best time to take the blood test and I feel that it was never dealt with properly… and I still have no answers to what is happening with my body.

What other treatments did you experiment with before you discovered acupuncture?

I haven’t really tried anything else. I became vegetarian, started eating fish every now and then and tried turning vegan for a while, which was really hard. I also try not to have dairy and sugar but that is a real challenge for me! Especially after indulging in amazing food while I was in India for a month recently!

How did you go about finding the right acupuncturist for your needs?

I did some research and then my friend recommended a local lady. I liked her approach to concentrating on the whole body rather than just the symptoms. She has helped many people with their gynaecological problems and I decided to give it a go as I was told ‘she’s the one to go to with hormonal problems’.

What were your thoughts on acupuncture before your began your treatments? Were you skeptical?

I was more scared than skeptical. I hate needles and a though of having so many of them in my body at the same time was terrifying! I’m always willing to try new things and if it worked for others … well it could work for me too!

How long ago did you have your first acupuncture treatment and what was it like? Did it meet your expectations?

My first treatment must have been November/December time. It was not as bad as I thought. Monica is such a lovely and friendly person. She explained the whole process and made me feel really comfortable and relaxed. It wasn’t painful, I want to say uncomfortable for maybe a second or two and yet so relaxing. It gave me a chance to relax and forget about all my worries (as it had also been a really stressful time for me).

What did you learn about your body and energy during your first few treatments? Did acupuncture help you to focus on parts of your body that you hadn’t really thought were related to your hormonal imbalances?

Yes, I was told my body was blocked from my shoulders up to my hips and there’s a lack of energy flow, which resulted in sleep problems, low moods and lack of periods.

Did acupuncture encourage you to change your diet in anyway or alter your eating habits?

Yes, I started eating more fish. I was encouraged to go back to eating meat but this is not an option for me.

What was the first change you noticed during your treatments and how long did it take for you to notice the effect? (i.e stress relief, period relief, reduced inflammation, better digestion etc)

After just few sessions and slept better and my mood improved. After 3-4 sessions the bloating started going slowly and I felt a lot better and my period even came back, which was a great relief!

How many session of acupuncture did you have before you really felt that it was having a positive effect on your body?

I only had 4-5 sessions and they did wonders to my body. I’m definitely going back for more!

How often were your sessions?

It started off weekly then every 2 weeks.

After finishing/reducing your acupuncture sessions were you able to start enjoying things that you’d previously limited (i.e coffee, alcohol, sugar, dairy) in fear of it causing further skin problems or hormone imbalances?

I’m back on coffee, which I’m not proud of. I stopped refined sugar a while ago and only have natural sugar. I also went back to having dairy occasionally as when I was in India for a month there weren’t many alternatives. Unfortunately, my skin is pretty bad at the moment and I haven’t had a treatment for nearly 3 months now. I think it’s about time to say no to dairy and reduce sugar intake and book another acupuncture session!

Other than getting your period back and enjoying clearer, healthier skin, are there any other benefits you’ve enjoyed from your acupuncture treatments?

Better sleep, more energy and less bloating!

If you could give anyone reading this interview one piece of advice regarding acupuncture treatment and acne, what would it be?

Don’t be scared! It’s so relaxing and beneficial! Give it a go and see for yourself. There’s no need to take antibiotics, creams filled with chemicals which just cover the symptoms. Work on the whole body and use natural medicine – it does work! It did for me and so many other people!

To find out more about Edyta and the amazing work she does visit her website here or contact her here for more information about her classes and upcoming events. You can also follow Edyta on Instagram and Facebook!

Do you have any thoughts on acupuncture and hormones? Have your hormones been totally transformed since embarking on a acupuncture journey or have you tried it in the past with little to no results? Either way, I’d love to hear your stories in the comments below!

Peace, Love & Clear Skin