Menopausal Symptoms in Women

For a woman entering menopause, symptoms can start as early as her late 30’s. It actually takes about ten years or one full decade for a woman’s body to make the transition from a fertile state to one of ovarian failure, or menopause. Perhaps you’ve heard the terms “pre-menopause” or “peri-menopause” used interchangeably. Symptoms of pre- or peri-menopause can start as early as the late thirties for some women, and for others symptoms don’t become apparent until much later. The typical age for officially entering into menopause is age 50 to 52 years. But remember, it takes several years to actually enter menopause after a woman starts to experience unpleasant symptoms associated with that major life change. For example, a woman in her forties  who starts to experience hot flashes or night sweats may become confused because she’s still having menstrual cycles and thinks she’s too young to be having symptoms of menopause. Another alarming symptom for a woman is when her bleeding cycle becomes unpredictable and seems excessive. A menstrual flow that doesn’t predictably stop will ALWAYS send a woman to her doctor! This scenario frequently ends with the woman’s doctor scheduling a surgical procedure which may include endometrial ablation or hysterectomy. Certainly, there are legitimate reasons for a woman to have a hysterectomy, but this procedure is not always the best treatment option for a woman experiencing symptoms of a hormonal imbalance. A hormonal imbalance can cause drastic changes to occur in a woman’s menstrual flow.

Symptoms of Pre- or Peri-menopause
The symptoms of pre-menopause and menopause are very similar. The most common pre-menopausal symptoms that patients have reported to me include:

hot flashes and/or night sweats
sleeping problems
lack of energy – feel tired most of the time
depression, mood swings or anxiety
decreased or absent libido
irregular cycles or heavy bleeding
forgetfulness or decreased memory

This list includes some of the major symptoms, but there are a host of other unpleasant symptoms that can occur. The good news is that many of these symptoms can be decreased or completely eliminated with natural hormone balancing.

Choose a Medical Provider Trained in Bio-Identical Hormone Replacement Therapy
It is important to be aware that within the medical community and among different providers there is much conflicting information regarding women’s health. When it comes to treating a woman with supplemental hormones, it is critically important to make sure your provider has completed specialty training in diagnosing and treating hormonal imbalances. You can check this out with your doctor by asking if he or she prescribes bio-identical hormones. If the answer is not clear, or if by simply asking that question, your doctor seems a bit put off, it might be the right time for you to add a Hormone Specialist to your contact list.

Dangers of Synthetic Hormone Treatments
If a woman opts to be treated by a doctor who is not specialized in Bio-Identical Hormone Replacement Therapy (BHRT), her treatments will mostly likely include a pharmacologic solution (i.e., a prescription) and/or a surgical procedure. The prescriptions will most likely include one or all of the following: a synthetic hormone (such as a birth control pill), an antidepressant, a water pill, an anti-inflammatory, a sleeping pill, an anti-anxiety medication, and a pill for her thyroid. Synthetic hormones are typically prescribed for a woman without even checking her baseline hormone levels. [Note: My question for any provider who practices medicine in this manner is, “Why are you prescribing synthetic hormones which have been researched and found to increase your patients’ risks for breast cancer, heart disease, Alzheimer’s, and etc.? Why aren’t you looking at safer, healthier options such as natural or bio-identical hormones?”]

Please be aware that hormones are very potent in even the smallest doses — so make sure you make an educated, informed decision before entering into any type of treatment plan that includes hormone replacement therapy!