Perimenopause

Estrogen and Progesterone in Perimenopause

 Are you a woman approaching middle age and noticing changes in your mood, sleep, weight, libido, and menstrual cycle?

If you’re in your 40s (although it can be as early as your 30s), it is likely you are transitioning into perimenopause.

Perimenopause is a shifting of hormones in which estrogen, progesterone, and testosterone begin to decline.

Typically, progesterone declines first creating estrogen-dominant symptoms such as:

• mood swings
• anxiety
• irritability
• disruptions in sleep
• weight gain
• inconsistent energy
• irregular menstrual cycle (shorter or longer, heavier or lighter)

As time progresses (usually after a few years of symptom onset), estrogen begins to decline as well and can result in:

• hot flashes
• night sweats
• vaginal dryness
• headaches
• breast tenderness

Testosterone lowers as ovary function is reduced in perimenopause, but it usually is a slower decline than estrogen and progesterone and usually affects energy and libido.

Within 5-10 years, menopause (the end of your menstrual cycle and reproductive years that is signaled by 12 months of no period), typically sets in.

Although there are average timelines and common symptoms, each woman experiences perimenopause uniquely and it can disrupt daily life for many.

Fortunately, there are a variety of naturopathic options to ease this transition and help manage symptoms.

Acupuncture

Relieving stuck qi (energy) during perimenopause, acupuncture can help reduce a variety of perimenopausal symptoms such as:

• stress
• sleep
• mood
• energy
• anxiety
• hot flashes
• night sweats

It can calm the nervous system and restore proper energy flow for symptom relief.

Supplements and bio-identical hormones

Herbal supplements and bio-identical hormones may also play a significant role in symptom management.

Depending on symptoms, Dr. Graves frequently recommends:

DIM Detox by Pure Encapsulations® for reduction of estrogen-dominant symptoms such as heavier periods, PMS, and hot flashes.

Vitex by Vital Nutrients to raise progesterone levels.

FemRebalance® by Vitanica® to stimulate progesterone production and help the body manage stress.

Cortisol Manager® by Integrative Therapeutics to keep the nervous system stable for healthy stress management and sleep.

Adrenal Response by Innate Response to calm the adrenal glands and support proper stress response.

AdrenoMend™ by Douglas Laboratories for adrenal recovery and stress management.

ProgonB-L 4X™ by Bezwecken – bio-identical progesterone

PhytoB-L 4X™ by Bezwecken – bio-identical progesterone and estrogen

Each of these are available at the CNMA office and it’s also important to note that in recent years, some bio-identical hormones have become available as a prescription that some insurances may cover.

Testing

Testing can give great insight into hormone levels, providing guidance for which supplements and therapies could be most effective.

Standard and hormone blood labs, saliva tests, and DUTCH panel (urine test) are all helpful options that can be prescribed and analyzed by Dr. Graves.

If you are experiencing perimenopausal symptoms and are seeking relief, please call us at (303) 688-6698 or click here to schedule a free 15 minute phone consultation with Dr. Graves to discuss testing and how naturopathic medicine may be able to help.

The CNMA office provides naturopathic care, acupuncture, testing, massage, and holistic counseling to those in Castle Rock, Castle Pines, Highlands Ranch, Lone Tree, Centennial, Parker, Larkspur, Monument, Colorado Springs, and the greater Denver metro area.  For those outside of these areas, virtual appointments are available.

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