Hormone Management

Starting in the mid to late 30s for most women, hormone levels start to shift.  Progesterone, Testosterone and Estrogen are the three main hormones affected.  Starting at the age of our first period and extending to the point of “peri-menopause”, these hormones work together like a well-oiled machine throughout the stages of the monthly menstrual cycle.  Starting in the mid to late 30s, progesterone starts to decline for many women.  In the early to mid 40s, testosterone joins the party and starts decreasing too.  Also starting in the 40s, estrogen levels start fluctuating from hour to hour, day to day and week to week.  Significant estrogen peaks and valleys wreak havoc on a woman’s system and THIS is the time when we experience the most bothersome symptoms…not during actual menopause (when estrogen levels remain low consistently and we stop menstruating), but during the 7-10 years before that last period, known as peri-menopause.  This time of hormonal chaos can cause any (and usually MANY) of these symptoms:  

Women are often dismissed, and the severity of their symptoms tend to be underestimated by many traditional medical providers.   I was trained as a Physician Assistant and I can tell you from experience, it is not completely the health care providers fault…Traditional medical programs do not focus on the health of women.  Medical research does not focus on the health of women.  The traditional medical system (spend 10 minutes with each patient, labs look “normal” so patient is fine, what will insurance reimburse, etc) does not consider the complexities of women’s hormones – AND NONE OF THIS IS OKAY!  We can do better and WOMEN CAN LIVE BETTER! 

My focus in hormone management is managing your wellness.  My primary focus is not what you look like on paper – using blood tests alone to manage your wellness is not sufficient.  A focus on HOW YOU FEEL and using blood work as an adjunct to help guide treatment and evaluate for other contributing factors, such as thyroid dysfunction or underlying insulin resistance, is necessary to treat the whole woman. 

Hormone replacement is not for everyone, but for the majority of women, hormone replacement is completely safe and when initiated early in the perimenopausal process, has significant long-term health benefits, including improved cardiovascular health, stronger bones (less fractures), and decreased mental decline.  Estrogen is a major anti-inflammatory in our bodies.

We THRIVE with estrogen in our bodies for 2/3 of our lives, so to think this hormone is dangerous for us is not only fear-based, but is also completely inaccurate based on the research.  All of that being said, each woman has her own story, her own concerns and her own goals – and all of these deserve to be heard and considered.  Let’s go through this journey together – literally, I’m 42 y.o. and going through all of this too – We deserve to LIVE BETTER!