Perimenopause
Often times I have 30-40 year old female patients coming in wondering if they are on the fast train to menopause-ville given their symptoms. Symptoms can present as night sweats (oftentimes located in the upper body/chest area), verrrrry moody cycles, sometimes irregular cycles, change in period flow, and lack of deep sleep.
And although perimenopause is a very natural part of our cycle journey as females, sometimes its not the only part we need to look at in our overall health when we are experiencing the symptoms listed above.
Perimenopause is the period in our life where sex hormones start to fluctuate prior to our menstrual cycle retiring. (I just picture a period with a sun hat on and a pair of sunglasses heading south as a snow bird!)
It also often coincides with a time in our lives where women are quite taxed. It may be that they are just getting out of the early early days of parenting, it may be coinciding with putting a lot of effort and energy towards excelling in a career, beit in the house or outside of it, and it may be coinciding with women now a days twirling the globe on their pinky, whilst balancing ten different kid activities on their toe, whilst flipping pancakes with their rear end, and answering phone calls with their toes. ALL. At. The. Same. Time.
This is taxing on the adrenals. On a side note, I understand adrenal fatigue is not in the diagnostic manual yet I’ll explain what hormones we are using in our adrenals when females do ALL the things as per above… Cortisol is our stress hormone, its meant to increase in acute stress. Yet when cortisol responds to chronic stress (ie the juggle in life) it runs high for a long period of time. Cortisol essentially competes with DHEA (another adrenal hormone) which is the precursor to some of our sex hormones, namely estrogen and androgens, in our ovaries. DHEA then says woah woah hey, I need some help. Cortisol runs away with all the energy, and DHEA is left to its own demise, not being able to regulate our sex hormones all that well.
What happens? Well, sex hormones that are meant to operate smoothly just don’t! Leaving females all:
My cycle is shorter/longer/heavier/lighter
My mood is something fierce around my period, I never used to be like this!
I think I’m having night sweats?!
Some nights I’m just laying in bed wide awake…not mind racing, not restless, just AWAKE. And by the way - my kids have just started sleeping somewhat through the night so it's not them!?
I look like I got shot with a bee bee gun - what are these blemishes doing on my face?!
Treatment for these lovely souls:
Well, first it’s identifying what is really going on. I love running extensive bloodwork for sex hormones, and other factors such as thyroid and ruling out other causes for the shift in cycle.
I do feel it's about really understanding the root of the stress/constant adrenaline surge. Understanding the physiological response that goes along with being superheroes dressed up as females and how do we shift this picture/pattern/way of life for them? I often tell patients, well I’m not taking away your job/chores/kids/life yet we need to figure out how to insert your needs in here IE TAKE CARE OF CORTISOL.
My point is here that we can take all the supplements in the world, yet if we aren’t shifting our patterns of go go go, then we are not going to shift these symptoms.
And in the meantime, during these shifts, let’s nurture nurture nurture.
I love using herbs in this case. Tinctures of all kinds - using ones for the adrenals, for actual symptoms such as night sweats, to support the hormones we need to sleep.
I also love using acupuncture as its nurturing (did I mention that word?) during times of transition in our life (amongst many other times lol!) It's helpful for sleep, stress, and hormones. I do a bit of acupuncture in my practice yet I work closely with one of my dearest friends and colleagues Leisha Laird from Flourish Wellness. If you are in her hands you are nurtured (eek. Said it again!)
Lastly - I love using supplements and even more so IV nutrient therapy. This is where we inject nutrients into your bloodstream directly. I picture this as high dose cofactors to help support the enzymatic process in your liver, adrenals, thyroid - all that are being affected by this time in your life!
Here’s to nurturing! LOL!! Any questions, ask away!
