Perimenopause
Are you aged over 45 and think that you could be in perimenopause due to a combination of signs and symptoms but because your period is still regular you really don’t know? If this is you read on (if it’s not you right now but you are a woman it will be one day so read on).
Perimenopause precedes menopause and it can last anywhere from 5-10 years. It often starts in the mid to late 40’s. During this time women start to run out of eggs, our hormones shift as oestrogen levels decrease and the period stops. Menopause is defined as 12 months without a period. Unfortunately, perimenopause is not a straightforward process, our oestrogen and progesterone levels fluctuate wildly during this time, for example, oestrogen can rise up to 3 times its normal level before it finally declines as we enter menopause.
These fluctuating hormones can result in numerous symptoms, none of them pleasant. They can have varying impacts on women, some women experience all of the symptoms and others may find perimenopause passes by with little to no impact on their lives. I’m guessing if you are reading this you fall into the first group.
Signs and Symptoms
There are many signs and symptoms associated with perimenopause, these can include
Hot flushes
Irregular periods
Lightheaded feelings
Headaches
Irritability
Panic attacks
Depression
Anxiety
Mood changes
Rage
Brain fog
Sleeplessness
Joint pain
Muscle pain and muscle loss
Belly fat &/or weight gain
Dry skin
Itchy skin
Dry eyes
Facial hair
Thinning hair on head
Urinary frequency
Low libido
Dry vagina
Breast pain
Insulin resistance
Increased blood pressure
Increased cholesterol
You may experience one or many of these at varying intensity.
This quote from Dr Mary Claire Haver sums up perimenopause quite nicely, “the ovaries don’t simply ease into retirement, they go out fighting”.
Diagnosis
I keep seeing people in Facebook groups recommending blood tests to confirm if you are in perimenopause when the question of how to know if you’re in perimenopause is posted. Blood tests are not currently recommended to diagnose perimenopause and I’ll tell you why.
If you are over 45 and experiencing any of the above listed signs or symptoms, a blood test to measure your FSH, LH, AMH, oestradiol, testosterone, antral count or ovarian volume will not provide you with an accurate diagnosis because these hormones levels fluctuate daily during perimenopause.
The Australasian Menopause Society state that in women over 45, clinical signs and symptoms (those listed above) are what should be used to guide medical intervention and management of perimenopause and menopause.
Blood tests can delay access to management, for example if your levels fall within normal ranges on the day you had blood taken (because they are fluctuating) this may impact how your doctor proceeds with management. Keep notes of the signs and symptoms you are experiencing to let your treating health professional know, tell them the current advice from the Australasian Menopause Society is to review clinical signs and symptoms and base treatment on these.
Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM)
So what can TCM do for perimenopause and menopausal signs and symptoms? Let’s look at the outcomes of a recent study.
The BMJ published a randomised control study of women in perimenopause, the results found that with 6 weekly sessions of acupuncture there was; reduced hot flushes and sweating, improvement in menopausal related sleep issues, emotional symptoms, physical symptoms and skin and hair symptoms.
Treatment from a TCM point of view is focused on strengthening the kidney and tonifying and increasing yin to try to regain the yin yang balance. Acupuncture and Chinese herbal medicine can be used to address symptoms, as discussed in the study above. Lifestyle and diet play a part in a TCM treatment plan, stress management and following a healthy Mediterranean style diet with whole foods, healthy fats and decreased caffeine and alcohol is recommended along with exercise.
TCM works well on its own or in conjunction with Western Medicine to address the signs and symptoms of perimenopause and menopause. Here at Sydney Natural Fertility we won’t ask for blood tests, we will take you seriously and we will do our best to help manage your signs and symptoms.
Please contact us here for further information or to make a booking.
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