Beyond hormones: Real Options for Perimenopausal and Menopausal Symptoms
While supplementing hormones during perimenopause or post-menopause is helpful and desirable for some women, others cannot, or choose not to use them.
There are certain contraindications that do require more in depth evaluation with your doctor or specialist before embarking on the hormone therapy journey.
These include:
A history of hormone-sensitive cancers, such as breast cancer, or other estrogen sensitive cancers.
Unexplained vaginal bleeding. This needs to be checked, and it’s possible you can still take MHT.
A history of blood clots, recent heart attack, stroke, or coronary artery disease.
Active deep vein thrombosis or pulmonary embolism.
Pregnancy
Active liver disease
Uncontrolled hypertension
Each of the above warrant a deeper conversation with your doctor to ensure that hormone therapy could work for you.
If the above conditions or personal choice lead you away from MHT, there are still options and life-style changes that you can make, so that you feel like your best self again.
Even if you are supplementing hormones, I recommend making the following lifestyle changes.
Log symptoms to be aware of changes and fluctuations. The more information you have, the easier it is to address issues.
Add strength-training with heavy weights into your exercise routine 2-3 times a week + increasing protein intake to preserve muscle and bone, and to support your metabolism.
Add aerobic exercise + yoga/meditation to support sleep, mood, cardiovascular and metabolic health.
Keep to a sleep schedule. Be as consistent as possible with your sleep and wake times so that you wake up with the most energy possible. By keeping to a healthy sleep schedule we help to regulate cortisol hormone levels and keep your nervous system in rest and digest mode.
Increase fiber intake. Fiber supports the gut microbiome which is one more area in the body that is impacted by declining levels of estrogen. It’s important to support our gut health to improve mood and brain function, prevent inflammation, and promote bone health and gastric motility.
Increase phytoestrogens such as non-processed soy foods, seeds, grains, and fruit. Increase omega-3s such as salmon, mackerel, sardines, anchovies, flax, chia, and walnuts. All of these are great for brain health, keeping brain fog at bay, and your thinking clear.
Eat the rainbow. Remember to make your plate as colorful as possible, aiming for half your plate to be fruits and vegetables for good cardiovascular and immune health.
Make time to be social! Laughter and social time reduces stress and supports mood overall.
In addition to lifestyle changes, there are some non-hormonal prescription medications that can help women with any of the contraindications for hormone therapy. These include:
NK-antagonist medications approved for hot flashes
SSRIs/SNRIs are approved to improve mood and the incidence of hot flashes
Gabapentin, also for hot flashes
Mind-Body Approaches worth trying include:
Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy (CBT)
It has been shown to improve sleep and mood, as well as coping with the occurrence of hot flashes.
Somatic body work and breathwork
These approaches help to regulate the nervous system, reduce anxiety and irritability, as well as the stress response that intensifies hot flashes.
When considering making changes, I recommend logging your current symptoms first, and then making one change at a time. This way, you can observe and log improvements, and slowly begin to make other changes in a sustainable way. The important thing to remember is that all of the changes of perimenopause and menopause will be fluctuating, and that nothing is permanent. Try not to get discouraged, and instead, focus on what IS working for you.
My goal is to empower you as you begin to look at your lifestyle and make changes. Having a supportive coach in your corner as you navigate this journey is one of the keys to a happy, healthy life!Email me today to get started: MenoCoachRenee@gmail.com