Since it’s hard to age well without hormones, we’re spilling the tea today 🤗 I’m not a doctor, but a 53 year old woman going thru perimenopause, hoping to pass on some of my learnings in the hopes they might benefit you.
Estrogen, Progesterone & testosterone are the 3 sex hormones affected by perimenopause/menopause. These three hormones decline over time and they impact your well being; a talk with a hormone specialist can determine if you need Hormone Replacement Therapy (HRT).
Estrogen: super protective and anti-inflammatory. There are over 600 receptor sites in the body for estrogen and when Estrogen walks out the door, many sites are impacted. The side effects vary from woman to woman: you might experience hot flashes, night sweats, weight gain and insomnia while your friend has brain fog, joint pain, tinnitus and recurrent UTIs. If you’re over 40 and suddenly you can’t sleep or you’re getting UTIs, or you have night sweats or joint pain: it’s probably estrogen leaving the building.
Progesterone: regulates your cycle. When it declines, mood changes like anxiety / depression, headaches & migraines, cyclic irregularities and bloating may become more prevalent. Progesterone also impacts your sleep cycles!
Testosterone: responsible for your libido, for bone and muscle health, and energy levels. If you have fatigue, feel like you could never have sex again and be okay, your testosterone might be low.
Solution: If you’re feeling off and I listed some symptoms you’re having, you might want to consider seeing a hormone specialist to have a conversation about Hormone Replacement Therapy and how it could help you age well. HRT isn’t for everyone but you deserve to have a conversation with an informed doctor. If you would like a doctor recommendation, I can recommend mine who has been instrumental in my wellbeing - please send me a personal note and I'll email you her contact information.
As well, I can recommend Dr Mary Claire Haver's book, The New Menopause, which walks you through what to expect, how to advocate for yourself, and alternative strategies to deploy beyond Hormone Replacement Therapy, so you are truly aging well.
I’m determined to make the coming decades the best chapters of my life, and that includes managing and navigating menopause with knowledge and grace. Again, I am not a doctor but this is what I’ve learned through my perimenopause journey.
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