Free Offer
Take advantage of this month's amazing free offer. The first 100 new or renewing members will each receive a free 30 capsule pack of Agnus Castus tablets, worth �7.99. Agnus Castus can help with irritability, anxiety, breast tenderness and fluid retention associated with PMS. Join up now and try for yourself.
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Contraceptive pill could cure PMS and cut breast cancer
The press have been reporting news of a new contraceptive pill, said to cut the risk of breast cancer. The pill, which could be on the market in five years, works by stopping periods, potentially putting an end to premenstrual symptoms.
Scientists also say it could help those women suffering from endometriosis, as well as cut the risk of thrombosis in older women who smoke and are overweight.
The new pill blocks out the effects of progesterone and is based on the components in the abortion pill RU486. It is one of a group of progesterone receptor modulators that block the effects of progesterone, using much lower doses than the abortion pill and blocking progesterone before a pregnancy occurs, scientists say.
Commenting on the news, Nicholas Panay, Consultant in Obstetrics and Gynaecology at Queen Charlotte's and Chelsea and Westminster Hospitals, London said: "This preparation is promising but we still need more data. It has considerable advantages over the traditional type of pill and in principal women will get the benefits without the risks."
NAPS member tells story
Scottish member, Madeleine Urquhart, has been telling her story and helping to raise awareness of serious PMS symptoms that many women suffer from. Her story recently appeared in the Daily Record. To see the full story click on the link below.
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Want to be a "Record Breaker"?
Calling all ladies! Aquaban Herbal is looking for 200 women who are willing to shimmy their way into the record books by helping them to break the Guinness World Record for the largest group belly dance.
Helen Roberts, an experienced belly dancing instructor, will teach a one hour crash course in belly dancing. There will then be time to perfect a five minute routine and perform it together to break the current record.
Aquaban Herbal and NAPS have joined partnership to help raise awareness of the issues of premenstrual bloating and highlight that it is a treatable condition. Participants will be invited to help raise money for NAPS by getting sponsored to take part in the record attempt.
So if you're up for a challenge and fancy raising money for NAPS, while learning something new or showing off your moves then come and join the fun...
- 11am Saturday 13 May at Cheltenham Racecourse (directions and a map are available in the information pack)
- Women aged 16+ are invited and no experience is necessary. So whether you're a total beginner, or an experienced dancer - come along!
- Belly dancing costumes are optional, with prizes up for grabs for the best dressed. Otherwise wear comfortable clothes and sensible shoes!
- Participants will be presented with a 'record breaker' medal after the successful attempt
Register now by calling 01242 633154 or email bellydancing@targetgroup.co.uk for your information pack and sponsorship form.
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Women's health information service colapses
At a time when the NHS Direct is cutting back 1,000 jobs and nursing leaders are warned about further redundancies, NAPS reports that another women's health organisation has closed down due to lack of financial support from the government.
Women's Health, which provided a valuable information service on a wide range of health issues specific to women, has been forced to close its e-mail, help-line and postal enquiries due to lack of funds. This will mean that services available to women will now be more thinly spread, and brings to the surface the question of whether the collapse of this vital service is just the beginning of further problems for other independent organisations representing women's health, and therefore, support for women in general.
It is vital that NAPS and other independent women's health charities receive NHS funding to help provide women with the support and information and services they so desperately need. Why not write a letter to your MP and support NAPS in a campaign to provide a women's alliance to keep women's health on top of the NHS agenda.
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Major clinical conference booked for September
Plans are now underway for the next NAPS Clinical Conference. Focusing on women's reproductive health, the conference will be targeted mainly at health professionals and will take place on 29 September in Kent.Susan Quilliam, agony aunt and resident sex and relationship expert for many publications will be speaking, together with key leaders in the field of women's health, including Professor John Studd and Mr Nicholas Panay, NAPS Chairman and Consultant in Obstetrics and Gynaecology at Queen Charlotte's and Chelsea and Westminster Hospitals, London. For more details please either contact the NAPS office, events@pms.org.uk or telephone Christine on 0870 777 2178.
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Does Agnus Castus interact with contraception pill
NAPS Expert Panel recently received an enquiry regarding the use of Agnus Castus and risks of any interaction if used at the same time as Marvelon, oral contraceptive pill.
Following research by NAPS research GP Dr Carrie Sadler and Lichtwer, the company which supplies Agnus Castus, there seems to be no evidence to suggest that Agnus Castus interferes in any way with the actions of other medicines.
Agnus castus is a herbal medicine which can be used for menstrual problems. It contains no oestrogen-like compounds, but seems to work by affecting the release of specific hormones from the pituitary gland in the brain.
Lichtwer looked specifically for information about any possible interaction between Agnus Castus and the hormones used in oral contraceptives but found no information in any of the standard reference books to indicate any interaction with the contraceptive pill. These books included Herbal Medicines by Barnes, Anderson and Phillipson, Martindale: The complete drug reference from the Pharmaceutical Press, ESCOP Monographs by the European Scientific Cooperative on Phytotherapy, as well as a literature search using PubMed, a data-base service operated by the US National Library of Medicine and the US National Institutes of Health. In 47 publications relating to Agnus Castus, the company found "no information that any interaction has ever been reported after using Agnus Castus. It thus seems highly unlikely that there will be any interaction between Agnus Castus and the oral contraceptive pill," Lichtwer commented. Dr Carrie Sadler agrees. "There is no evidence that Agnus Castus affects the contraceptive efficacy of the pill."
Lichtwer did question whether it was necessary to take Agnus Castus if already on the pill as both products address similar menstrual problems.
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Birthday time
It's now been an amazing two years since NAPS launched the Forum. With around 859 registered members and 7,640 posts, it continues to be a phenomenal success.
During this time hundreds of different topics have been discussed covering a wide range of subjects. Members have found it a huge support, as well as an invaluable information service. To see what's going on, check out the Forum on http://www.pms.org.uk/forum/. If you would like to volunteer to become a message board administrator, or have any ideas on how to make the Forum better, please let Christine know.
Cartoon of the month - Sally Ann Lasson
More wit from Sally Ann Lasson - cartoonist on The Independent - who has agreed to allow us to publish a cartoon strip each issue.
Sally Ann is a freelance journalist and cartoonist. Her cartoon strip, As If, appears daily in The Independent. A book of collected cartoons is published by Metro at �6.99. Sally lives in London.
Post Natal Depression Study
New mums may be dismissing their feelings of anxiety without recognising they could be showing signs of a distinct form of Post Natal Depression, according to a new study.
The study conducted by SMA Nutrition of 300 new mothers revealed that significant numbers experience a form of anxiety that is distinctly different from the commonly recognised Baby Blues - temporary mild emotional symptoms in the early days of motherhood - and the intense longer term or later-onset condition known as Post Natal Depression (PND).
Anxiety can be a key `stepping stone' that could develop into PND and the condition may merit its own distinct definition - MAMI (Maternal Anxiety and Mood Imbalance) - a distinct experience involving severe levels of anxiety which is different from PND.
Not only is PND more common than previously believed, high levels of anxiety are also manifested among women deemed `at risk' of developing PND, without any signs of depression. Three in ten mothers questioned (29%) for the SMA Nutrition study were found to be susceptible to PND.
