Health & Well-Being Pre-Menopause and Beyond

In all my reading about pre menopause symptoms and hormone replacement therapies, I’ve been hearing this term bantered about – Estrogen Dominance. After reading the symptoms, I’ve realized that it is something I have been battling most of my life. Terrible periods, fibroids, retaining water, tender breasts, you name it, I’ve had it since I first started my period.

Back in the day, when I was very young, I was told that my cramps were probably from, having a tipped uterus, taking in too much sodium, caffeine, etc. In my teens and twenties, the only solution provided by my doctor was birth control pills. I learned early on that synthetic progestin in BC did not agree with me – migraines, nausea, bloating and more – so I learned to live with the misery.

We are subjected to higher levels of estrogen than ever with all of the estrogen-like hormones being injected and fed to commercial cattle and poultry, not to mention the pesticides being used on crops of vegetables and fruits we eat. Couple that with today’s high-stress lifestyles and childhood obesity, our children have a life of hormone imbalance to look forward to – and pharmaceutical companies are just waiting to profit from us.

Ok, I’ll get off my soapbox now. So, what are some symptoms of estrogen dominance? Here are a few:

Breast tenderness
Bloating, Water Retention
Weight gain, especially in the waist and hips
Mood Swings, PMS
Irritability and anxiousness
Allergies, Sinus Infections
Cold Hands and Feet
Low Sex Drive
Dry eyes
Fatigue
Foggy thinking, Memory Loss
Fibrocystic Breasts
Hair Loss
Headaches
Irregular Periods
Insomnia
Sluggish Metabolism
Uterine Fibroids

It is possible for men and women both to suffer from estrogen dominance, because, like I mentioned before, there is so much of it in our environment. Over time, more chronic conditions like as arthritis and premenopause symptoms may develop.

There must have been a free day this week due to the inaguration, because the Oprah show is rebroadcasting that show on bioidentical hormones today. Try to catch it (or record it) if you can. Lots of good info.

You should also check out Oprah.com on Thursday January 29th at 9p.m. ET – 8p.m. CT, for The Hormone Webcast with Christiane Northrup M.D.  If you have any questions for Dr. Northrup you can submit them now! What a great opportunity to have your questions about bioidentical hormone replacement therapy, or HRT in general answered by an expert on the subject. And yes, I already put in my 2 cents.

I have been hearing about bio-identical hormones for a while, but have never really paid attention to all of the fuss. However, with perimenopause looming, catching up on my reading and research about pre menopause symptoms and treatments has moved up on my list of priorities.

It never hurts to do some research on your own – you never know, (unless you are dealing with a specialist) maybe you will bring new information to your doctor.

Most of us have heard of hormone replacement therapy (HRT), which is made up of synthetic estrogen, progesterone (or a progestin) and testosterone. From what I understand so far, bioidentical hormone replacement therapy (BHRT), also referred to as Natural Hormone replacement Therapy, is made up of a blend of hormones that are supposed to be customized to a woman’s individual hormone needs. That “need” is apparently determined through a saliva test.

Bioidentical hormones are created from plants and are manufactured to be a “custom fit” to a particular individual’s own chemical/molecular structure. Even though bioidentical hormones have been around for years, many doctors are unfamiliar with them (I will leave my personal opinions out here, but you are probably thinking the same thing).

Manufacturers claim that bioidentical hormones are safer than the standard synthetic hormone therapy, however according to the FDA these claims regarding safety, efficacy and superiority of BHRT have not been substantiated.

As always though, when a celebrity becomes involved, whatever they are ‘into’ becomes the rage, or center of attention. When Suzanne Somers published two books in recent years, The Sexy Years: Discover the Hormone Connection–The Secret to Fabulous Sex, Great Health, and Vitality, for Women and Men and Ageless: The Naked Truth About Bioidentical Hormones, describing her experience with bioidentical hormones and how they relieved her menopause symptoms, doctors were plagued with calls from patients wanting to know more about this form of hormone therapy. So thank you Suzanne Somers, for at least bringing another option to our attention that many of our doctors would not have otherwise.

I have to say that I was not really considering reading her books, since she is not a medical expert, however after rethinking that theory I have reconsidered and recently purchased a copy of The Sexy Years to add to my reading pile. I considered the fact that no one I know personally has tried BHRT and it may be very informative to read about someone’s own experiences – better yet, it will more than likely be something I could understand and relate to and not filled with a bunch of medical jargon that would be hard to digest. Be sure to check back later for my review!

I was watching Oprah the other day, when an audience member asked Dr. Oz this question (how long will hot flashes last without HRT), explaining that her night sweats were driving her crazy.

For those of us trying to find out more about our menopause symptoms and treatments, he gave a very easy-to-understand explanation of hot flashes, akin to misfiring ovaries. He said that during this time, ovaries are intermittently secreting estrogen. Estrogen dilates arteries – arteries open, therefore causing the 'rush of blood' to areas such as the face – hence the hot, flushed sensations. Just as suddenly, the flow of estrogen shuts down.

He said that the whole process usually lasts less than five years – then they got into a discussion of hormone replacement therapy. He seems to be pro-HRT and wanted to get into the different forms, but it sounded like that would be another show altogether. He seemed to be waiving a caution flag regarding alternative herbal therapies, saying herbal was not necessarily better – pointing out that it is an unregulated area and the tendency for herb's potentcy to variate, among other things.

It will be interesting to see the show on that subject.

 Way back when my mother, her friends and my aunts were discussing the types of hormone therapies they were trying for their menopause symptoms, I really did not pay too much attention. It all sounded foreign and was too far off into the future for me to be concerned about it then. Boy, does time fly!

Hormone Replacement Therapy (HRT) has come a long way since those days and with continuing research and education, it will remain a viable option for some women.  After doing some research on the subject, I have posted a page with a general overview – here.

As a woman who is not one for taking drugs (besides over-the-counter pain reliever), in my research into menopause symptoms and treatments, I have been looking into alternative therapies, and will have a page for you on that soon (it's almost done).

The choice is a highly personal one, as every woman is different and each person will have differing levels of physical and emotional experiences when it comes to menopause.