Inositol

Inositol is a sugar alcohol that was once thought to be an essential B vitamin but is now classified as a pseudovitamin because we have since learned that our bodies can actually produce this compound itself.

I was recently reminded of its wow-power when following up with a patient of mine who did not meet criteria for PCOS but was found to have high androgens (testosterone) levels and was most bothered by her acne at the time of our chat. Her dermatologist had recommended a handful of topical medications and spironolactone (which is a medication that blocks androgen receptors). As a purist, she wanted to lean toward natural medicine first, and we tried Inositol. Her cystic acne was dramatically improved and she was “so happy” with the results!

I share this as an example as a way of highlighting a process.
-Listen to what a patient wants
-Think outside the Box
-Try the least invasive option first.

And to say: natural medicine inclines the body toward an outcome as opposed to more dramatically impacting the system in a uni-dimensional way. I’m obviously biased, but think it’s great to be able to pull from many tools in helping people (conventional and not)!