What You Need to Know About Menopause
By David Sheridan, M.D.
Have any of your friends reached the “change of life”? Are they unsure if their symptoms are menopause-related? Are they frustrated because they still don’t feel better after seeing their doctor? I am often asked, “How do I really know if I am in menopause?” and “What is the best treatment for it?” Let me help you out.
Menopause Symptoms
- Basically, many women don’t feel well anymore once the “dreaded change” occurs.
- Besides the well known hot flashes and night sweats, they may have trouble sleeping and be tired all of the time.
- They’re also frequently moody and irritable; have headaches, even migraines.
- Menopausal women may become anxious about small things that never used to bother them
- They also tend to gain weight even though they exercise, eat a healthy diet and haven’t changed any part of their daily routine.
- These myriad symptoms add to the result of hormonal decline and the result is often little or no libido.
- A once idyllic life can become miserable.
Thankfully, women can feel like themselves again, and the “change” doesn’t have to be “dreaded” after all!
The Common Sense Solution
The key is that women are well informed about safe, natural approaches to treating the symptoms of menopause. Yes, I said safe! We begin making hormones in the womb. Hormones are safe for unborn babies. That’s pretty safe! What I refer to as “hormone death and destruction stories” are simply wrong. Such stories are invariably about drugs used to replace hormones (a bad idea!).
If low levels of hormones are causing the symptoms, then the solution is to supplement with the exact hormones that you have lost. It’s just common sense. The hormone dose is gently adjusted until symptoms are relieved, a pretty simple process. If any negative side effect happens to occur, in almost all cases, the dose can be adjusted to minimize or eliminate symptoms and side effects.
Because bioidentical hormones are identical in structure to the hormones produced by the human body, a woman’s cells respond to them in exactly the same way that they responded to the hormones she naturally produced when younger. The proof is in the pudding. When I give my patients back what their body needs, they feel better. In fact, they feel great. It works.
A Word of Warning
When women seek out a traditional doctor for help, chances are they will be prescribed pharmaceutical drugs such as Premarin, Provera, antidepressants, sleep medications or other drugs. At best, they mask symptoms while allowing the negative effects of hormonal decline to proceed. These will more often than not make them feel worse with a whole new set of symptoms. They simply can’t solve the underlying hormone deficiencies. They are not hormones. I see this all the time in my patients when they come to me for help. They are frustrated that their doctor told them that this is how they should feel. They were prescribed drugs while being told they were hormones. Not surprisingly, the results are unsatisfactory and they remain unsatisfied with their treatment.
Hysterectomy
Keep in mind that if a woman has a hysterectomy, this puts her right into menopause. Even if her ovaries are left behind, they are left damaged and usually function poorly. Most traditional doctors will tell women that they don’t need progesterone after a hysterectomy, but that couldn’t be further from the truth. Your body will feel the difference without balanced doses of estrogen and progesterone.
Importance of Progesterone
Progesterone is not just “a uterus/pregnancy hormone”! It is probably our biggest anti-cancer compound! In fact, men make about the same amount of progesterone as women. Last I checked men don’t have a uterus. We don’t have babies, either! But we make progesterone. Progesterone is a major bone builder and necessary for brain repair, as well. Definitely don’t leave home without it!
We Can Help
Are you struggling with your health after a hysterectomy? Contact our wellness consultants for a complimentary wellness consultation today at 281-698-8698. It’s time to get your life back!
