Dr. Katharina Dalton: A Pioneer in Women's Health

When examining the history of women’s hormonal health, few figures are as influential as Dr. Katharina Dalton. As a pioneer in the field, her work fundamentally changed how we understand and treat PMS.

It’s not really funny, yet PMS jokes abound in today’s society. It’s very likely that most of us toss around the acronym for premenstrual syndrome without giving a thought to where this term originated.

PMS in the Movies

In 1994, the movie “Tom and Viv” depicted the relationship between the American poet T.S. Eliot and his wife, Vivienne Haight-Wood Eliot. They married in 1915, but Vivienne suffered terribly each month from what we now recognize as PMS. After trying to help her unsuccessfully, Eliot had his wife committed to an asylum where she spent the remainder of her days.

Upon their marriage, T.S. Eliot became the legal custodian of both her fortune and her physical self. Sadly, he never saw her again after her commitment. This tragic story reflected the times perfectly. During that era, people believed women who suffered from hormone disturbances had mental rather than physical problems.

Prime Video: Tom and Viv

The Legacy of Dr. Katharina Dalton in Modern Medicine

Dr. Katharina Dalton made a huge contribution to our understanding of these disturbances. In fact, she is the person who originally named the syndrome “PMS.” As we explore the benefits of modern hormone therapies, we are standing on the shoulders of her achievements and her extensive clinical observations.

The women’s health movement may very well have started with her work. Specifically, she identified and successfully treated many problems that were uniquely female. When she passed away at age 87 in 2004, major newspapers in Great Britain and the United States reviewed her life and impactful career.

How Katharina Dalton Defined PMS

She was still a medical student and pregnant at age 32 when she wondered why her severe monthly headaches suddenly vanished. Consequently, she took her observations to endocrinologist Dr. Raymond Greene. Together, they determined that progesterone—which is abundant during pregnancy and the luteal phase—might be the key.

In 1953, they first published their clinical experiences in British medical journals and proposed the term “premenstrual syndrome.” By then, she had successfully treated premenstrual asthma, epilepsy, and migraines with natural progesterone. Furthermore, she remained adamant that synthetic derivatives could not achieve the same results as the hormone found naturally in the human body.

Charting the Menstrual Cycle is Key

Throughout her career, Dr. Dalton carefully examined her patients and collected data to test her ideas. To manage the vast number of symptoms that could present, she developed a specialized system of charting. This data-driven approach allowed her to prove that symptoms were cyclical rather than psychological.

Toxemia of Pregnancy

One of her most vital observations was that some PMS symptoms, such as hypertension and edema, also appeared as early signs of toxemia in pregnancy. Because of this, she began progesterone intervention trials in collaboration with a maternity hospital.

The results were staggering. While hospital records showed a 9% average incidence of toxemia, the rate dropped to just 1.0% after she treated patients in 1955. Doctors gave each patient a test dose when symptoms occurred and then continued treatment if the symptoms resolved.

Dr. Katherina Dalton Advanced Our Understanding of Progesterone Receptors

Dr. Katharina Dalton focused much of her attention on progesterone receptors. Since only natural progesterone fits these receptors, she argued it was the only appropriate treatment to use. Additionally, she noted that high levels of adrenaline or swings in blood sugar could prevent progesterone from activating the receptor.

It is important to remember that men, women, and children all have progesterone receptors that operate throughout their lifetimes. Progesterone is essential for health, as the hormone is produced in the adrenal glands and affects the entire body.

Why Progesterone Testing Can Be Misleading

She often used generous doses, such as 400 mg suppositories, to treat her patients. In her opinion, testing for progesterone levels in the blood was often immaterial. This is because she believed the only meaningful test would be of the receptor sites themselves.

Progesterone and Luxuriant Hair

She also observed that progesterone has a very positive effect on hair growth. After childbirth, many women experience significant hair loss due to the sudden drop in hormone levels. However, when these women supplement with progesterone, the hair often regrows luxuriantly.

Protecting the Brain

Beyond reproductive health, progesterone proved effective for brain trauma. This is due to its protective effect on the myelin sheath which covers nerve tissue. Furthermore, neurosurgeons have used it to reduce brain swelling prior to surgery.

Safety and Dosage

Dr. Dalton claimed there was no unsafe dose of natural progesterone. When started before ovulation in high enough doses, it could even serve as a safe contraceptive. Moreover, she found it safe for patients with breast cancer. She also noted that symptoms identical to PMS often appear at least two years prior to menopause due to a developing deficiency.

Depression After Childbirth

She was the first to identify that the onslaught of symptoms after childbirth followed a similar pattern to PMS. To help, she advocated for using large doses of progesterone immediately after delivery. This “cushion” protected women from the effects of the massive hormonal drop that occurs at birth.

Progesterone Needs After Hysterectomy

Contrary to conventional thinking, she claimed that women who have had a hysterectomy actually need more progesterone than those undergoing natural menopause. Most hysterectomies result from long-term deficiencies. Therefore, after surgery, the body requires even more support to relieve symptoms.

Conventional medicine often claims these women do not need progesterone because the uterus is gone. However, this ignores the fact that progesterone receptors exist throughout the entire body.

Crimes Associated with Deficiencies

Dr. Katharina Dalton was an active advocate in the justice system and published “Premenstrual Syndrome Goes to Court.” She documented that a large majority of crimes committed by women in prison happened during the luteal phase. In about 50 trials, she defended women by claiming a state of “diminished responsibility” due to severe hormonal shifts.

Using the Scientific Method

Ultimately, Dr. Katharina Dalton practiced the true scientific method. First, she made observations based on clinical evidence. Following this, she devised a theory to explain those findings. Finally, she tested her theory across various medical situations to strengthen her conclusions.

Today, many scientists only look at one symptom at a time. Instead of using progesterone—the “golden key” for our receptors—they turn to piecemeal drug treatments.

Moving Beyond Piecemeal Treatments

Currently, we treat PMS symptoms individually. We use diuretics for edema, narcotics for pain, and antidepressants for mood disorders. However, since we are now more than 50 years from her first publication, the time is ripe for full acceptance of her work. The widespread use of bioidentical hormone therapies today suggests that Dr. Katharina Dalton’s ideas have finally found a place in our collective consciousness.

Discover more from The Wellness By Design Project

Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email.