What is Perimenopause?
As a woman approaches menopause, estrogen becomes erratic and progesterone starts declining creating a negative effect on a women’s well being and mental health . Some women experience symptoms early – in some cases 10-15 years before menopause – so it can sometimes be hard to recognize that a hormone problem is the culprit!
Common symptoms of perimenopause include:
- night sweats
- mood swings
- anxiety
- irritability
- waking up in the night
- worse PMS symptoms (like breast tenderness, fluid retention and bloating)
- longer PMS (lasting 1-2 weeks instead of just 1-2 days)
- heavier periods
- irregular periods or more frequent periods
- premenstrual spotting
- weight gain
What is Menopause?
Menopause is the time in a woman’s life when her ovaries stop producing estrogen and progesterone. You are considered menopausal if you have gone one whole year without a period. On average, this occurs at age 52, but can occur much earlier or later.
Typical symptoms may include:
- hot flashes
- depressed mood
- fatigue
- insomnia
- low libido
- vaginal dryness
- painful sex
- poor memory
- irritability
- dry skin
- dry eyes
- thin or aging skin, including wrinkles
- weight gain
Bio-Identical Hormone Replacement Therapy (BHRT)
A woman can suffer from hormone imbalance at any stage of her life. Stress, illness, diet, pregnancy and childbirth – all affect a woman’s hormone balance. Menopause is the most common type of hormonal imbalance. It is defined as the time when a woman ceases to menstruate for at least 12 months. However, the key hormones – estrogen, progesterone and testosterone – begin to decline up to 10 years earlier causing symptoms called perimenopause. The symptoms of hormonal imbalance and decline in women can be emotional, behavioral or physical:
- Hot flashes and night sweats
- Mood swings and irritability, PMS
- Depression and anxiety
- Weight gain and increase in body fat
- Low energy
- Loss of libido
- Vaginal dryness, painful intercourse
- Trouble sleeping
- Foggy thinking
The difference between conventional HRT and functional BHRT
Standard hormone replacement therapy (HRT) uses substances that act like hormones, but their molecular structure is different from the molecules naturally produced by your endocrine system. Those artificial hormones are made from chemicals or horse urine and carry a lot of side effects. Due to their differing molecular structure from your own, side effects and risk are associated. Progestins (synthetic progesterone in birth control and Provera) is considered Category X in pregnancy.
Bioidentical hormones used in BHRT, on the other hand, are safe for the majority of people. They are produced from plants such as yams and soybeans. Their molecular structure is an exact match to the hormones your body already makes, like a perfect puzzle piece. They do their work exactly the same way your own hormones do.
Progesterone (non-synthetic) is considered supportive to a pregnancy and often is prescribed the first 3 months of pregnancy to prevent miscarriages.
Hormone Replacement Benefits for Women:
- Reduces risk of Heart Disease
- Accelerates fat burning and weight loss
- Reduces insomnia and sleep troubles
- Improves sex drive and libido
- Protects against fibrocystic breasts
- Improves memory and concentration
- Prevents vaginal thinning & dryness
- Increases energy, less anxiety & depression
- Improves skin health and appearance
- Eliminates and reverses osteoporosis
- Reduces hot flashes or night sweats
- Reduces joint pain, muscle aches (myalgia)
