Female MENOPAUSE
Natural Strategies to Manage Female Menopausal Symptoms
See
Menopause:"The Climacteric" for a
full discussion of what occurs during menopause.
Conventional hormone replacement therapy (HRT), which uses
unnatural doses of the most potent female hormone, estradiol, has
been known for over a decade to be unsafe. However, it was just
this past year that several large-scale human studies had to be
stopped because the harm caused by such HRT was undeniable.
Finally, conventional medicine has acknowledged that HRT is
unsafe.
Natural hormone replacement therapy (nHRT), which seeks to
duplicate the hormone profile of a younger woman using natural
hormones (not horse estrogens or synthetic estrogens or
progesterones), has a long track record and a solid safety
profile. In fact, it appears that maintaining a youthful hormone
delays the aging process AND helps protect women from
hormone-related cancers, heart disease and bone loss.
How is this accomplished? First a
female hormone profile should be performed. Based on the
results of this test, some combination of DHEA, estriol, estrone,
estradiol, progesterone and testosterone will be prescribed. This
is no "one size fits all" prescription! Your hormone prescription
can then be customized to you, depending on which hormones are
deficient or excess. Contrary to what one might think, "menopause"
is not "just" a simple across-the-board decline in sex hormones!
Again, please refer to
Menopause:"The
Climacteric" for a full discussion of what occurs during
menopause.
While a hormone profile is a highly advisable "first step" for
hormone balancing, there are safe and effective self-care measures
which can be used to improve hormone balance.
DIET AND LIFESTYLE RECOMMENDATIONS
- Diet: eat a nutritious diet high in nutrient-rich foods.
Increase consumption of soy products (both sexes) if tolerated.
- Achieve and maintain a normal weight.
-
Exercise regularly. 30 minutes, 3
times per week minimum.
- Don’t smoke! The climacteric occurs sooner in people who
smoke.
PRIMARY SUPPORT
-
Maxi Multi:
3 caps, 3 times per day with meals. Optimal (not minimal) doses
of vitamin E, C, B6, B12, folic acid, calcium, magnesium, boron,
and vanadium are particularly important for peri or
post-menopausal women.
- Omega 3 fatty acids:
Flax seed meal,
2 teaspoons per day with food
OR
Flax seed capsules:
2-4 caps, 3 times per day [target dose range: 6-12 caps per day]
OR
Flax seed oil:
1 tablespoon per day
OR
Max EPA
(Omega-3 rich fish oil): 1-2 caps, 3 times per day with meals
[target dose: 3-6 caps per day].
ADDITIONAL SUPPORT
-
Black Cohosh Plus+ 1-2
caps, 2-3 times daily between meals. [Target dose: 2 to 6 caps
per day. Adjust dose according to symptoms].
•
DHEA: 25 mg taken in the
morning. Do not use higher doses without the results of a
hormone profile. (A typical dose
for post-menopausal females is 10-50mg per day).
-
Mega Soy: 1
capsule, once per
day with breakfast. [Target dose: 100mg or more of isoflavones;
50-100mg or more of genisteins].
-
Melatonin: 3 mg at
bedtime.
For hot flashes
-
Female hormone profile
highly recommended.
-
Black Cohosh Plus+ 1-2
caps, 2-3 times daily between meals. [Target dose: 2 to 6 caps
per day. Adjust dose according to symptoms. When symptoms
improve, decrease dose].
-
Vitamin E: 400IU with a meal.
[Target dose: 800IU per day.
Maxi
Multi contains 400IU].
For Depression
For vaginal dryness/lack of lubrication
TESTS
Hormone replacement creams or natural prescriptions as
recommended by your holistic physician AFTER a
sex hormone profile has been
performed. I am available for
consultations by telephone to help you achieve optimal hormone
balance.
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