Naturopathic Menopause and Perimenopause Support
Menopause is a major rite of passage in the life of every woman, defined by one year from the last menstrual period.
This is a time when dramatic shifts in hormones occur, resulting in complex changes in different body systems and how they interact. These changes start up to 10 years prior to the actual onset of menopause, a period which is known as perimenopause.
Even though most believe that menopause is the stage that needs treatment – it’s perimenopause that often causes the most difficult symptoms.
In this phase, you may feel “off” or like something isn’t quite right in your body. Many patients in perimenopause are misdiagnosed with other conditions such as depression, anxiety or fibromyalgia.
HRT and Natural Treatments for Perimenopause and Menopause
As licensed naturopathic doctors we can run lab and hormone tests for perimenopausal and menopausal symptoms to understand which treatments are most likely to work best.
Customized support with supplements, herbs or bioidentical hormones in this phase of life can help many patients feel like themselves again!
We assess the functions of all key hormones including adrenals, ovaries, thyroid, and pituitary.
We prescribe bioidentical hormones (HRT) and can provide updated information on the latest research in this area including updates on prescribing HRT safely and effectively.
Bioidentical HRT prescriptions can be covered by most prescription drug insurance plans if specific products are chosen. We also offer compounded hormone prescriptions for patients requiring these options.
Prescribing bioidentical HRT for perimenopause requires much more customization than HRT for menopause due to the natural and highly irregular ovarian hormones present in this phase of life.
Symptoms And Hormone Changes in Perimenopause
During permenopause, the initial stages are characterized by:
- a general increase in estrogen
- random high spikes/drops of estrogen
- a complete loss or marked reduction in progesterone.
In later phases of perimenopause we often see
- longer spans between cycles
- random high spikes/drops of estrogen
- a complete loss of progesterone.
Common Symptoms in Perimenopause
- Heavy and Irregular Menstrual Bleeding
- Anxiety
- Depression
- Problems with memory, brain fog, cognitive slowing
- Chronic “PMS” symptoms
- Sleep Problems
- Inflammation
- Autoimmune flareups
- Thyroid flareups
- Weight gain
- Insulin Resistance
- Fatty liver disease
- Joint Pain and Stiffness
- Frozen Shoulder, Plantar Fasciitis
- Chronic hair shedding (Chronic telogen effluvium)
- Androgenetic alopecia
- Unwanted hair growth (face)
- Low libido
- Pelvic pain
Common Symptoms During Menopause
Menopause is characterized by a close to complete loss of both estrogen and progesterone. There are no fluctuating background hormones which creates a different symptom picture and approach to treatment.
- Hot Flashes, feeling hot overall
- Night Sweats
- Insomnia
- Problems with memory, brain fog, cognitive slowing
- Osteoporosis
- Vaginal Dryness
- Low or no Libido
- Weight gain
- Blood sugar problems, prediabetes
- Insulin resistance
- Fatty Liver
- High cholesterol
- Androgenetic alopecia
- Unwanted hair growth (facial)
- Dry Skin, Increased skin aging
- Joint stiffness and slow repair of injuries
- Hair Changes
- Bladder Control Issues
- Depression/Anxiety often improve from perimenopause
Risks for diseases such as breast cancer, and cardiovascular disease also increase significantly after menopause.
Many different options are available to support the above conditions including nutrition, supplements, herbal medicines and bioidentical hormones. Your naturopathic doctor will help you understand the different array of options available which will support your goals so you can choose a treatment approach that suits your lifestyle.
Hormone Testing in Perimenopause and Menopause
Not every woman experiences menopause in the same way. An array of different hormones may shift in this phase including estrogen, progesterone, testosterone, cortisol, and thyroid hormones.
We offer comprehensive hormone and cortisol testing through urine, saliva and blood to ensure a fully understanding of your case is obtained.
This allows us to prescribe a program customized to you, aimed at restoring health and balance and allowing you to feel yourself again.
Lab and Hormone Testing in Menopause and Perimenopause
Testing may include some or all of the following:
- Estradiol
- Estrogen metabolites (urine), estrone, estriol
- Progesterone
- LH
- FSH
- Testosterone
- DHEA-S
- Dihydrotestosterone
- Sex Hormone Binding Globulin (SHBG)
- Full Thyroid Panel – including thyroid antibodies
- Cortisol & Adrenal Profiles
- Testing for Insulin Resistance and Prediabetes
- Testing for Lipids, ApoB
- Testing for Inflammation
- Testing for Autoimmune Conditions
and more…
