Menopause & perimenopause

About menopause

Ending confusion about menopause, symptoms and treatment

by Dixie Mills, MD

Menopause (frequently misspelled menapause) is a natural part of a woman’s life. Women to Women believes that a basic understanding of “what is menopause” will bring an end to confusion on various women’s health issues, including a better understanding of menopause treatments and how to detect menopausal symptoms or care for general hormonal imbalances.

Technically, menopause is the stopping of periods or menses. The average age is 52; however, a woman’s menopause can occur at any point between her 30’s and her 60’s. This time in a woman’s life can be dramatic or quite simple — it is different for each woman — but every woman does stop having periods. Some people call it adolescence in reverse — a rocky time of fluctuating hormones and emotions. Perimenopause is usually the two to five years beforehand, but sometimes women have symptoms for 10–15 years before stopping their periods. When menopausal symptoms arise at a young age it is commonly called early menopause.

Menopause symptoms can range from mild hot spells at night to constant dripping sweats all day and night. Some women spot for a few months, others bleed heavily for years. These symptoms are caused by hormonal imbalances and changes — not necessarily estrogen loss. They are also related to diet, lifestyle and genetic factors. Many menopausal women seek forms of menopause treatment that do not work and create even greater hormone imbalance.

Nowadays, many women hit 50 years of age while working 60 hours a week, taking care of a family — children and parents — and having little time for themselves. They have burnt out their hormones, and have little reserve for dealing with this natural period in life when the body resets its hormones for the second half. Ideally women would have more time to relax and go with the flow during these years, but few have that opportunity.

The good news is that like puberty, this phase ends — most women’s menopause symptoms diminish over two to five years, although for some it may take more than ten. And there are things you can do to help! Adjusting diet, exercise, and sleep patterns does work. A simple detox program can help flush out years of toxins that our guts have accumulated. Taking a good multivitamin with some herbs and oils can do wonders. Looking at your family patterns and relationships is also quite helpful. Menopause can be a very angry time, and women find that they no longer feel guilty about expressing the rage they may have been repressing for the last 30 years. This energy can all be directed toward some very positive avenues.

The medical profession in the past has encouraged women to use hormone replacement pills as their only menopause treatment to “keep women young” and protect them from diseases of aging. We now know from the Women’s Health Initiative that Premarin, a horse estrogen derived from pregnant mares’ urine (hence the name “Premarin”), doesn’t do this and may be detrimental. Women are now asking what they should do. We at Women to Women feel that women need to find a trusted advisor and discuss with her all the information needed to make as wise a decision as possible. Women have an innate wisdom about their own bodies which unfortunately has been largely lost, but can be found again. Women have access to many sources of information now and need to collect them and then trust their inner guidance to choose the best course of action.

In addition to the information and insight we offer on our website, Women to Women offers direct help in two forms. Our Personal Program is an at-home version of the natural approach to hormonal balance and menopause treatment we practice at our clinic. And our Healthcare Center offers telephone consultations and always welcomes new patients to visit us in Yarmouth, Maine.

 

Original Publication Date: 10/15/2002
Last Modified: 03/18/2010
Principal Author: Dixie Mills, MD