http://www.LavenderSpectrumHealth.com/

Lavender Spectrum Health, 5500 NE 109th Court Ste A, Vancouver, WA (2026)

05/31/2026

If you feel like a different person before your period, it might not be PMS.

PMDD (Premenstrual Dysphoric Disorder) is a condition where normal hormonal changes during the menstrual cycle trigger significant mood, emotional, and physical symptoms.

Symptoms often appear during the 1–2 weeks before a period and improve shortly after menstruation begins.

Common symptoms include:

• Intense irritability or anger
• Anxiety or panic symptoms
• Depression or hopelessness
• Mood swings or crying spells
• Fatigue and low energy
• Difficulty concentrating
• Sleep changes
• Increased sensory sensitivities
• Feeling overwhelmed by everyday tasks

PMDD is not a character flaw, weakness, or “just hormones.” It is a recognized medical condition that can affect relationships, work, school, and quality of life.

The good news? Treatment is available.

Depending on your symptoms and goals, treatment options may include cycle tracking, lifestyle changes, SSRIs, hormonal treatments, and other individualized approaches.

If you notice severe emotional or physical symptoms that reliably worsen before your period and improve afterward, talk with your healthcare provider.

You deserve to feel like yourself all month long.

05/30/2026

🦠 Still not feeling like yourself after COVID?

You’re not alone.

Long COVID affects millions of people and can occur even after a mild COVID infection. Symptoms may last for months or years and can affect multiple body systems.

Common symptoms include:
🔹 Fatigue that doesn’t improve with rest
🔹 Brain fog, memory, or concentration difficulties
🔹 Dizziness or feeling faint when standing
🔹 Rapid heart rate or palpitations
🔹 Shortness of breath
🔹 Headaches
🔹 Sleep disturbances
🔹 Exercise intolerance
🔹 Digestive symptoms

Researchers are also seeing increasing rates of conditions such as:

💓 POTS (Postural Orthostatic Tachycardia Syndrome)
Symptoms may include dizziness, rapid heart rate, fatigue, brain fog, nausea, and feeling worse when standing upright.

🌿 MCAS (Mast Cell Activation Syndrome)
Symptoms may include flushing, itching, hives, congestion, abdominal pain, diarrhea, headaches, dizziness, and reactions to foods, medications, fragrances, or environmental triggers.

🥗 Gastroparesis
Symptoms may include early fullness, bloating, nausea, vomiting, stomach pain, fatigue, and more.

While there is not yet a single cure for Long COVID, many people experience meaningful improvement through a combination of rehabilitation, medications, symptom management, and lifestyle modifications.

At Lavender Spectrum Health, we work with patients experiencing Long COVID, POTS, MCAS, and related conditions to develop individualized treatment plans. Depending on your symptoms and medical history, treatment options may include:

✅ Neurorehabilitation strategies
✅ Activity pacing and energy management
✅ Hydration and salt optimization
✅ Compression garments
✅ Low-dose naltrexone (LDN)
✅ Low-dose aripiprazole (Abilify)
✅ Antihistamines
✅ Cromolyn
✅ Guanfacine
✅ Beta blockers
✅ Other evidence-informed treatments as clinically appropriate

If you’ve had COVID and haven’t felt the same since, talk with your primary care provider. Persistent symptoms deserve evaluation, support, and a thoughtful treatment plan.

05/23/2026

Pathological Demand Avoidance (PDA) Autism Isn’t a Character Flaw

One of the most misunderstood aspects of PDA autism is the assumption that demand avoidance reflects laziness, oppositional behavior, manipulation, or a lack of responsibility.

In reality, many PDA autistic people care deeply. We often notice details others miss, think creatively, solve problems in novel ways, and bring extraordinary empathy and justice-oriented thinking to our relationships and communities.

Common strengths reported by PDA autistic individuals include:

✨ Creative and outside-the-box problem solving
✨ Strong sense of fairness and advocacy for others
✨ Deep empathy and emotional insight
✨ Adaptability in complex or unpredictable situations
✨ Curiosity, imagination, and innovative thinking
✨ Ability to question assumptions and improve systems that don’t work
✨ Authenticity and willingness to be themselves

What can look like “refusal” from the outside is often a nervous system responding to a perceived loss of autonomy or overwhelming pressure.

When we replace demands with collaboration, flexibility, choices, curiosity, and respect, PDA autistic people are able to access our strengths more consistently and sustainably.

The goal shouldn’t be to make PDA autistic people appear more compliant.

The goal should be to create environments where we can thrive.

05/23/2026

Pathological Demand Avoidance (PDA) Autism Isn’t a Character Flaw

One of the most misunderstood aspects of PDA autism is the assumption that demand avoidance reflects laziness, oppositional behavior, manipulation, or a lack of responsibility.

In reality, many PDA autistic people care deeply. We often notice details others miss, think creatively, solve problems in novel ways, and bring extraordinary empathy and justice-oriented thinking to their relationships and communities.

Common strengths of PDA autistic individuals include:

✨ Creative and outside-the-box problem solving
✨ Strong sense of fairness and advocacy for others
✨ Deep empathy and emotional insight
✨ Adaptability in complex or unpredictable situations
✨ Curiosity, imagination, and innovative thinking
✨ Ability to question assumptions and improve systems that don’t work
✨ Authenticity and willingness to be ourselves

What can look like “refusal” from the outside is often a nervous system responding to a perceived loss of autonomy or overwhelming pressure.

When we replace demands with collaboration, flexibility, choices, curiosity, and respect, PDA autistic people are able to access our strengths more consistently and sustainably.

The goal shouldn’t be to make PDA autistic people appear more compliant.

The goal should be to create environments where we can thrive.

05/21/2026

Tirzepatide can make birth control pills less effective, especially when you first start the medication or when your dose is increased.

Why Does This Happen?

Tirzepatide slows down how quickly food and medications move through your stomach. Because of this, your body may absorb birth control pills less effectively.

This means there may be a higher risk of pregnancy even if you take your birth control pill exactly as prescribed.

What Should I Do?

If you use birth control pills and start tirzepatide, or if your tirzepatide dose is increased, you should:

• Use a non-oral birth control method (such as an IUD, implant, patch, ring, or injection)

OR

• Continue your birth control pills and also use a barrier method such as condoms

for 4 weeks after starting tirzepatide and 4 weeks after every dose increase.

Which Birth Control Methods Are Affected?

This interaction may affect oral hormonal contraceptives, including:

• Combined estrogen/progestin birth control pills
• Progestin-only pills (“mini-pill”)

Methods that do not rely on absorption through the stomach are not expected to be affected, including:

• Hormonal IUDs
• Copper IUDs
• Nexplanon® implant
• Depo-Provera® injection
• Vaginal ring
• Contraceptive patch

Tell Your Healthcare Team

Many people receive tirzepatide through telehealth services, weight-management programs, wellness clinics, or other healthcare providers.

Please let your primary care clinician know if you are taking tirzepatide so we can help ensure your medications and birth control methods are working safely and effectively together.

Questions?

If you are taking tirzepatide and are unsure whether your birth control method is affected, please contact your healthcare team.

Lavender Spectrum Health
Providing affirming, evidence-based care for every body.

sexualhealth

05/21/2026

TIRZEPATIDE (MOUNJARO® / ZEPBOUND®) AND BIRTH CONTROL PILLS

Important Information About Pregnancy Prevention

If you are taking tirzepatide (Mounjaro® or Zepbound®) and use birth control pills, there is an important medication interaction you should know about.

Tirzepatide can make birth control pills less effective, especially when you first start the medication or when your dose is increased.

Why Does This Happen?

Tirzepatide slows down how quickly food and medications move through your stomach. Because of this, your body may absorb birth control pills less effectively.

This means there may be a higher risk of pregnancy even if you take your birth control pill exactly as prescribed.

What Should I Do?

If you use birth control pills and start tirzepatide, or if your tirzepatide dose is increased, you should:

• Use a non-oral birth control method (such as an IUD, implant, patch, ring, or injection)

OR

• Continue your birth control pills and also use a barrier method such as condoms

for 4 weeks after starting tirzepatide and 4 weeks after every dose increase.

Which Birth Control Methods Are Affected?

This interaction may affect oral hormonal contraceptives, including:

• Combined estrogen/progestin birth control pills
• Progestin-only pills ("mini-pill")

Methods that do not rely on absorption through the stomach are not expected to be affected, including:

• Hormonal IUDs
• Copper IUDs
• Nexplanon® implant
• Depo-Provera® injection
• Vaginal ring
• Contraceptive patch

Tell Your Healthcare Team

Many people receive tirzepatide through telehealth services, weight-management programs, wellness clinics, or other healthcare providers.

Please let your primary care clinician know if you are taking tirzepatide so we can help ensure your medications and birth control methods are working safely and effectively together.

Questions?

If you are taking tirzepatide and are unsure whether your birth control method is affected, please contact your healthcare team.

Lavender Spectrum Health
Providing affirming, evidence-based care for every body.

05/12/2026

We’re hiring at Lavender Spectrum Health and this is not your typical primary care job.

We’re looking for a Nurse Practitioner or Physician Assistant who wants to help build the future of q***r, neurodiversity-affirming, trauma-informed healthcare in the Pacific Northwest.

At Lavender Spectrum Health, we do things differently:
- 60-minute intakes and 30-minute follow-ups
- Deep relationship-based care
- Gender-affirming medicine integrated into primary care
- Reproductive and sexual healthcare, including abortion care
- A collaborative, mission-driven team
- A model intentionally designed to reduce burnout and allow thoughtful medicine

But there’s more.

We’re also exploring an opportunity for the right candidate to serve as an Associate Medical Director for our affiliated electrolysis clinic — helping expand access to gender-affirming electrolysis and local anesthetic support for trans patients navigating hair removal care.

This is an unusual opportunity to help shape not just a clinic, but an ecosystem of affirming care.

Ideal for clinicians who:
- Want meaningful patient relationships
- Care deeply about LGBTQ+ communities
- Are intellectually curious and growth-oriented
- Want leadership opportunities beyond traditional primary care
- Believe healthcare can be both compassionate and financially sustainable

Located in Vancouver, WA near Portland, OR.

If you’ve ever felt like medicine could be done better — this may be your place.

More info here:
https://www.lavenderspectrumhealth.com/career-opportunities

04/26/2026

Are spring allergies making you miserable?

Spring allergies can range from disruptive to debilitating, and can exacerbate conditions like asthma, eczema, POTS, MCAS and other conditions.

Symptoms:
Runny nose
Itchy eyes, ears, nose, throat
Postnasal drip
Cough, wheezing, shortness of breath

Tips to manage allergies at home:
Take over the counter antihistamines like loratadine, cetirizine, fexofenadine, or levocetirizine once or twice daily
Rinse your sinuses with sterile saline bottles twice daily
Use nasal steroid sprays like fluticasone or beclomethasone after nasal saline twice daily
Use antihistamine eye drops daily as needed
Stay well hydrated and keep your environment cool
Wash sheets, pillowcases, towels weekly in hot water
Run an indoor air filter or HEPA filter if possible
Use an albuterol inhaler or combined ICS/LABA inhaler if you have asthma

When to seek care at an ER or Urgent Care:
Chest tightness, shortness of breath, wheezing that doesn’t respond to an inhaler or requires you to modify activities
Swelling of your lips, throat, tongue causing breathing issue

04/13/2026

We’ve updated our Pap smear prize box at Lavender Spectrum Health! Schedule your Pap smear today and get a prize!

04/13/2026

Founder Natalie made this video called “Reasons not to see an autistic nurse practitioner” for autism awareness month. It highlights the unique perspective an autistic healthcare provider brings, lets patients know they can see a provider like them, and hopefully inspires future autistic providers! There is music from Studio Ghibli as it is one of Natalie’s special interests 💜✨

Lavender Spectrum Health

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