|
Going Crazy or just “Perimenopausal”?
Perimenopause may be a new word to you, but it may not be a new experience. Perimenopause refers to a condition or cluster of symptoms that are like menopausal symptoms, but are recognized to be premature. Perimenopause typically comes into a woman's life starting around 40 years old, and as early as 35 years old or even younger in some women, or about ten to fifteen years before menopause. Peri is the Greek preposition for "around", and the notion is that of the span of time "around" or leading up to menopause.
Sometimes the term Premenopause is used when describing the symptomatic complaints of perimenopause. However, Premenopause as a term simply designates the child-bearing years, or the years before menopause and does not automatically imply a symptomatic connotation the way perimenopause does. Of course, to be suffering the symptoms of perimenopause, you would have to be premenopausal.
Perimenopause is a condition of ongoing whacky changes in bodily metabolism, principally driven by premature and inappropriate reductions in progesterone, but not driven by reductions of estrogen levels per se, that are otherwise the hallmark of postmenopause. As well, stress hormones and blood sugar controlling hormones are almost always involved in the perimenopause condition or syndrome. However, when progesterone deficiencies are corrected, most of the other hormonal aberrations can be much more easily corrected with diet and lifestyle.
Perimenopause is typically characterized by alterations in the normal menstrual flow pattern, sometimes the menstrual flow is unusually light or unusually heavy, even at times only spotting occurs. Perimenopause is described as a time of significant discomfort, with weight gain, water retention and mood swings, as well as, insomnia, palpitations, irritability, and impatience over simple things. Many perimenopause sufferers describe inexplicable depression, fatigue, foggy thinking, short term memory problems, loss of sex drive, and thyroid dysfunction. Common signs of perimenopause include premature bone loss, breast tenderness, unexpected fat gains, fibrocystic breast, menstrual cycle headaches, hypoglycemia, and uterine fibroids
Symptoms of Perimenopause
Acne, Allergies, Anger, Anxiety, Backache, Bloating, Blood sugar imbalance, Bone loss, Panic attacks, Breast sagging, Breast tenderness, Depression, Facial Hair, Fatigue, Feelings of being crazy, Fibrocystic breasts, Fuzzy thinking, Hair loss or thinning, Headaches and/or Migraines, Hot flashes, Hypothyroidism, Hysteria, Insomnia, Irritability, Joint Pain, Leg Cramps, Menstrual cycle irregularities, Memory problems, Weight gain, Inability to lose weight, Mood swings, Muscular weakness, Night sweats, Sexual desire loss, Skin aging and dryness, Liver or age spots on skin, Stomach cramps, Swollen ankles and/or feet, Urinary incontinence, Urinary infections, Uterine fibroids, Vaginal dryness, Water retention
Perimenopause is the naturally occurring transition period that takes place in women before the onset of It may begin as early as 35, even earlier for women who smoke. It is a temporary phase, typically lasting two to three years for most women, though for some it can last as long as 10 or 12 years.
This stage of a women's life has not been talked about much, and a woman can find herself experiencing puzzling changes, and not know why. What is actually going on is a gradual decrease of estrogen.
Menopause Facts:
The average age that menopause occurs is 51.
The median age for the onset of menopause is 47.5 years. For most women, the transition lasts approximately four years.
It is estimated that 6,000 women reach menopause in the United States each day.
Most women surveyed reported being the happiest and most fulfilled between the ages of 50 and 65.
Only 20 percent of women report a significant decline in sexual interest after menopause.
62 percent of postmenopausal women reported to experiencing "only relief" at menopause; only two percent said they regretted the change.
Get Relief for Symptoms of PMS and Perimenopause.
Flaxseed Oil
High in lignans, a natural hormone-balancing substance, flaxseed oil is as effective as hormone replacement therapy in lessening hot flashes and sweating. It's also good for depression and fatigue.
— Recommended dosage: 1 to 2 tbsp. a day. An alternative is to buy ground up flaxseed, and sprinkle it on top of your food (such as oatmeal and popcorn).
Evening Primrose Oil
Helps in relieving breast tenderness, mood swings, anxiety, irritability, headaches and water retention.
— Recommended dosage: Two weeks prior to the start of your period, take 1,000 mg a day - half in the morning, half at night - after food.
Multi-vitamins and Magnesium
Having sufficient amounts of the essential multivitamins listed below, along with magnesium, will help to relieve mood swings, insomnia, anxiety, tissue dryness, and water-retention.
Recommended to start with:
— Vitamin B complex, 50 - 100 mg a day
— Vitamin C, 1000 mg three times a day
— Vitamin E, 400 - 1200 iu a day
— Magnesium, 500 - 1000 mg before bed
Zinc
Helps to lower estrogen (too much is as bad as too little) and increase progesterone levels. Also helps to build strong bones and improve your immune system.
— Recommended dosage: 15 - 50 mg a day
Natural Progesterone Cream
This can help in relieving fuzzy thinking, fatigue and fat gain. Rub on your throat, the fleshy areas of the inner arms, and in the palms of your hand.
Exercise
Work out vigorously for at least 30 minutes a day, five days a week.
De-stress
Stress amplifies symptoms and causes the body to produce the hormone cortisol. Too much cortisol can cause diabetes and high blood pressure. Stress also zaps the body of essential minerals and vitamins.
Adrenal Refresher
At times of high stress, replacing lost minerals and vitamins can help the adrenal glands produce less stress hormones.
— Recommended: B complex vitamins, Vitamin C, Adrenal Gland Extract, green and yellow vegetables and sea vegetables.
Soy Phytoestrogens
Soy can help in diminishing the intensity of hot flashes and night sweats. Consume moderate amounts of soy isoflavone supplements.
Natural Hormone Therapy
Visit Essential2Health, Natural Health Center, located at 1339-F East Republic Road in the Copperstone Square and schedule a saliva test. The results will tell you what your balance of progesterone and testosterone is, and what your estrogen/progesterone ratio is. This is an inexpensive and very acurate way to measure your hormone levels.
A great resource for more information on perimenopause is, Before the Change, by Ann Louise's Gittleman. Ann Louise is a fellow Clayton College of Natural Health graduate. I fully support her book and think it is a must reading for all women.
At Essential2Health we provide salvia hormone testing for perimenopausal, menopausal, and post-menopausal women, along with Natural Alternatives to Hormone Replacement Therapy (HRT). Give us a call today at 883-0115 or toll-free at 866-883-0115 to schedule a FREE CONSULTATION with Dr. Hoover to discuss your health concerns.
Read other related articles on Hormone Replacement Therapy (HRT) , PMS, and Menopause by clincking this link "Health Conditions".
|
