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Menopause & perimenopause

Posted by Melodie Munro on October 10, 2011 at 5:13pm
Menopause & perimenopause Your checklist for post-menopause symptom relief by Dixie Mills, MD, FACS Now that we’ve made it through menopause, many of us baby boomers are wondering, “What’s next?” I like this question for a couple of reasons — first, because there is no stock answer so it is a good conversation piece, and second, even my patients and friends who are just starting the menopause transition are asking it. After everything we’ve experienced in our lives, I don’t think any of us are ready to say this is the end and come to a standstill. But in regards to our health and feeling our best, the medical field doesn’t seem to be telling us much about what we can do beyond menopause — especially when it comes to our hormones. Five options to balance your hormones and support whole-body health post menopause You can keep your hormones — and your entire body — healthy in post menopause with a natural approach that combines supplementation, exercise, diet, and lifestyle changes. Women to Women provides you with five different plans to choose from based on the severity of your symptoms, if you are getting off HRT, or if you want extra support for your bones in post menopause. After all, we still have hormones after menopause — just in different levels and ratios. Making sure these hormones stay in optimal balance post menopause will help prevent bone loss, keep our sex lives active, slow hair loss and thinning, and avoid serious health issues. In fact, because hormonal balance affects so many areas of a woman’s body post menopause, I’ve created the following easy-to-use checklist with action items to help each of you build your own strong foundation of health. 1. Healthy weight: identify any imbalance Again and again, new research is showing what we have known for years — that the healthy weight equation involves much more than “calories-in, calories out.” If you have been eating well and exercising but still struggle to lose weight post menopause, you most likely have weight-loss resistance, a condition resulting from systemic imbalances such as hormonal, adrenal, or neurotransmitter dysregulation that cause your body to hold on to extra weight. What you can do: The first step to healing weight-loss resistance is to identify your personal imbalance so you can implement a strategy that will work for you. Our article Do you have weight-loss resistance? gives you specific details, as well as six overall ways to address weight-loss resistance. These include eating three well-balanced meals and two snacks each day. We recommend you fill any gaps daily with a high-quality vitamin–mineral complex that includes omega-3’s to help with hormone synthesis and metabolism, such as those found in Essential Nutrients. Moving your body is helpful — but so is finding time to restore yourself with rest and sleep. 2. Hot flashes (still!): find — and keep — your cool If you’re still experiencing hot flashes in post menopause, you are not alone. My experience suggests that some women continue to experience hot flashes well into their 70’s often as a result of a high-anxiety, hectic lifestyle or burnout in the face of chronic stress. As the estrogen levels produced by your ovaries decrease post menopause, your body looks to other places to produce estrogen — including your adrenal glands. But by the time you reach post menopause, your adrenal glands may be too tapped out to provide the support they were so beautifully designed for as you grow older. In some women, this imbalance could be the cause of continued hot flashes long after menopause. What you can do: As long as you have hormones — that is, your entire life — you’ll want to keep them in balance. We’ve found in over 25 years that the kindest, gentlest way to resolve post-menopausal hot flashes is with a multilayered natural approach that combines our tried-and-true Nutritional and Lifestyle Guidelines with supplemental nutrients and phytotherapeutic options expressly designed to target the imbalances so many of today’s women needlessly suffer. 3. Post-menopausal spotting and bleeding: check it out! With this particular health concern I’m letting you know “what you can do” first, because if you haven’t had your period for 12 months and then experience spotting or bleeding again — no matter how slight or brief — your best first step is to visit your OB/GYN healthcare provider. Some common causes of post-menopausal spotting or bleeding may include hormonal imbalance, polyps, and other changes in the lining of the vagina or uterus. In most cases it is nothing serious at all. Even so, it is important to rule out any more serious issues with post-menopausal spotting or bleeding. 4. Vaginal changes: reduce uncomfortable symptoms Vaginal changes affect many — if not most — women after menopause. Symptoms vary widely, ranging from mild itching and dryness to more serious discomfort — which can dramatically affect your desire and enjoyment of sex. Changes that lead to thinning and dryness of the vaginal wall tissues may be the result of decreased estrogen production. Understandably, this problem can be a difficult to discuss — and therefore, you may not realize that both vaginal dryness and discomfort are often quite easy to treat. Consider your emotional health, too! Of course, we know from experience that optimal health post menopause is about emotions, too. Dr. Mills has written an article with her thoughts on what being post-menopausal means to women. What you can do: Treatment options focus on increasing on the resiliency and thickness of the lining of the vagina. For many women who experience dryness, staying well-hydrated, using vitamin E suppositories, applying a natural lubricant during sex, and using phytotherapy are all options to find relief. For women who experience more severe dryness and discomfort (such as vaginal atrophy), applying topical bioidentical estrogen directly to the vagina may help. And once you feel like it, I recommend regular sexual activity. The vagina is a muscle and needs exercise! 5. Hair: slow thinning and reduce hair loss For many women, hair thinning — and even significant hair loss — is a frustrating concern post menopause. One possible cause is an imbalance between testosterone and estrogen that can sometimes worsen over time. Hair loss may also be a sign that you are lacking certain nutrients or experiencing too much stress. What you can do: The first thing I ask women with thinning hair is “How is your nutrition?” To reset the hair growth cycle and reduce hair thinning or loss, a low-glycemic-load diet and dietary supplements can help. Getting enough vitamins A and B (especially biotin), as well as vitamins C, D, and E, calcium, magnesium, copper, zinc, iron, and omega-3 fatty acids is a good place to start. 6. Urinary incontinence: take action Urinary incontinence is a hidden, but very common problem for women later in life. Problems with urinary frequency or urgency develop partly due to the thinning and weakening of the pelvic muscles and connective tissues, but also because of more modifiable factors like weight, insulin resistance, and dietary irritants. What you can do: It is important to know that the sooner you address symptoms of urinary incontinence, the easier they are to treat. For some women, all that’s needed is a little dab of topical estrogen cream every few nights. Other options include pelvic floor exercises such as Kegels or pelvic physical therapy to strengthen your muscles, acupuncture, or changes to your eating habits — as both weight, insulin resistance, and sensitivities can affect a sensitive or overactive bladder. And — if warranted — there are a number of additional options you can consider, including newer, minimally invasive surgical options that generally do not require a lengthy recovery period. 7. Sleep: find your dream state If you feel less energetic — and can’t seem to fall asleep or stay asleep — it could be due to age-related changes in your circadian rhythms. Changes to your post menopause sleep–wake cycle can be influenced by a natural tapering-off of hormone production as we grow older. These hormones include melatonin, which signals to the body that it’s time for sleep, progesterone, which has an overall calming influence on the nervous system, and estrogen. What you can do: Writing in a sleep log for several weeks can reveal how food, drink, medication, stress, and other factors may be keeping you awake. Then you can explore options to enhance sleep naturally, such as: creating nighttime rituals, balancing your hormones with phytotherapy, and using natural sleep aids like the mineral magnesium and herbs such as passionflower and valerian. 8. Bone health: break out of traditional thinking Learn more about health issues in post menopause • Six ways to stop bone loss during the menopause transition • Insomnia — reset your inner clock and get back to sleep • Hair loss in women Osteopenia and osteoporosis aren’t a normal part of aging, despite what many say. Even in menopause and post menopausepost menopause, we can build bone and reduce fracture risk. The years right before and after menopause are especially important for maintaining bone. This is when the rate of bone loss tends to speed up (before slowing back down again within five to seven years after menopause). What you can do: Nutrition is a top priority to keep bone strength. Your body needs 20 essential bone-building nutrients — at the top of the list are vitamin D and the lesser-known vitamins K1 and K2 (found in dark leafy greens and aged cheeses). Eating a well-balanced diet also supports optimal hormonal balance, as do herbal therapies. An active lifestyle, walking, going to the gym, or even doing yoga helps retain muscle strength supports the normal, healthy bone-turnover process. 9. Memory: think sharp A forgotten name or lost purse can cause any woman in post menopause to worry — Is this the start of serious memory problems? But fuzzy thinking and memory lapses starting in menopause are common, partly due to changes in a woman’s estrogen and progesterone balance, but also as a result of an overworked stress response. In any event, forgetfulness is usually nothing serious. What you can do: You can help clear up your thinking by supporting your body’s natural hormonal balance. First, consider changes to your diet to fill in any nutritional gaps. Studies link a diet rich in omega-3 fatty acids with mood stability and memory preservation in post-menopausal women, as well as long-term protection from serious disease. Second, a sound night’s sleep is one of the best memory tonics I know! Third, keep active by exercising both the body and brain! 10. Overall health: continue check-ups During post menopause, it’s more important than ever to continue your check-ups! What you can do: Just as during the rest of your life, the testing you require after menopause will depend upon your personal and family health history. In general, we suggest women stay up-to-date on the following: • Bone health testing (vitamin D, NTx, DEXA) • Breast health (mammography, ultrasound, or MRI as appropriate) • Thyroid health (routine screening with further testing if symptomatic) • Blood pressure monitoring and hs-CRP for cardiovascular health • Blood sugar monitoring / insulin resistance testing • Cardiovascular health (lipid profile, blood pressure monitoring, testing for markers of inflammation if warranted) • Digestive health (routine colonoscopy, testing for digestive wellness) • Pelvic exams / Pap smears What’s next for you? Just yesterday, one of my patients told me that the second half of life is designed for doing the things you’ve been putting off for so long — especially now that you know what you really want to do, or have the time to figure out your talents and to give back. I agree! By supporting your good health and emotional well-being, you build yourself a foundation from which to make your own way and explore so many possibilities — whether it’s pursuing a second career, learning to play the piano, traveling, tending your garden, or caring for your grandchildren. I hope this checklist will be helpful in getting started and discovering your own personal answer to the question: What’s next? It takes a Program to find real, lasting relief from the post-menopause symptoms on your checklist. If you have menopause and post-menopause symptoms, a single bottle of pills from your health food store or your corner pharmacy cannot provide the long-lasting, symptom relief that’s possible with Women to Women’s Personal Program. And you’ll get those pills you want — ours our targeted, research-based formulas, and you’ll get much more, including the plan you need to create the diet and lifestyle you’ve dreamed of. • Find the Personal Program that’s right for you. • Do you know what’s causing your symptoms? Take our FREE Hormonal Health Profile. Talk to a woman who can help you feel better and knows just what you’re going through. Call us toll-free at 1-800-798-7902 .

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