So many women who come in to see me are frustrated by the limited help they get with their insurance covered medical care. In America, medical doctors offer limited solutions for women going through the menopausal transition – surgery or hormone replacement therapy. Post-menopausal women are tested for bone density, heart health, scanned for cancers in breast, cervix and the uterus. Blood work reveals problems like elevated cholesterol, poor triglyceride ratios, Vitamin D deficiency, thyroid issues (hyper or hypothyroid). Treatment with medication seems to be the only option.
Emotional issues like mood swings, depression, and anxiety, mental changes in memory, brain fog and loss of clarity are also treated with pharmaceuticals. Insomnia, hot flashes, hair loss, weight gain, vaginal changes and painful sex are all given the same treatment-hormones or other medications.
Often these medical solutions are limited, ineffective, or have serious side effects. Many women feel dismissed by their doctors and often feel like they are not being heard. If they take the pharmaceuticals, they may feel some improvements though not consistently. And the nagging concern about side effects is often looming in many women’s thoughts.
“What is the cost to a woman’s long term health if she does use HRT?”
It is up to each of us to learn the pros and cons of using any type of hormonal therapy. The issues with Premarin (estrogen sourced from a pregnant mare’s urine) and the increasing incidence of cancer in the uterus and breasts of women, took decades to become public knowledge. It is still prescribed.
It has been my mission to be a voice of help, of effective care and of compassion for women of all ages. Over the past 3 decades my care has included nutrition, doula work and childbirth education, yoga, homeopathy and energetic embodiment. I provide support for young women dealing with PMS, sexual and intimacy issues, fertility, childbearing issues (pregnancy and birth) and care for babies and growing children. As I have grown older I have personally and professionally understood the need to support women in the menopausal transition and beyond menopause.
I often refer to Christiane Northrup’s book “Wisdom of Menopause,” in which she says she wouldn’t write the book until she went through menopause. There is nothing quite like real life experience.
I feel the same. I am 3 years post-menopausal now, 4 years without any menstrual bleeding. My journey started around age 45 and lasted about 8 years. I know what it is to “lose words” and bleed so heavily that no matter what feminine protection you use you still leak onto your clothes. I gained 10 -15 pounds, had no libido, felt deeply depressed, struggled with insomnia and felt so hot at times I thought I would explode. (read http://resonanthealingny.com/blog-posts/this-is-my-menopausal-transition-story/)
Living in a world that bombards our food and environment with petrochemicals, compounds the physiological changes women experience during the menopausal transition. Pesticides, herbicides, and antibiotics are used to treat our food. The landscape is bombarded with fertilizers. Cleaning compounds are laden with artificial odors and caustic ingredients. The use of plastic in the food industry, for storage, in clothing, fabrics and packing materials, is another example of hormone disruptors. Many of these chemicals have a negative effect on the delicate balance of all the bodily hormones, including the sexual hormones (estrogen, estradiol, and testosterone), and hormones that regulate digestion, the nervous system, and other organ functions.
Longevity of human life adds another dimension to health – more women live decades past the menopausal transition into their 70’s 80s’ and 90’s and more women will live to those ages in the coming decades. Even in a state of perfect health, the aging woman will be challenged to find the balance of health and wellness.
The limitations of pharmaceuticals are being addressed in the world of complementary and vitalistic healthcare- acupuncture, herbal medicine, plant and/or clean food, homeopathy, yoga, Ayurveda, Reiki, mind-body therapy, to name a few. Many of these systems of medicine have shown effectiveness and been used for hundreds of years. This will not be information found in the mainstream media or in most “doctors” offices.
If this is a normal part of the aging experience why are so many of us suffering?
I really get it and I can speak honestly about what has helped me and many women who have sought my help.
My signature programs, Breeze thru Menopause, specifically for women in the menopausal transition and Finding your Feminine Core, for women of all ages and stages in life, use homeopathic principles and care as the foundation to offer women a viable and safe solution to the symptoms experienced during life changes and aging.
There are many homeopathic remedies used for symptoms of hormonal changes associated with the menopausal transition. Homeopathic remedies look for a connection of mind and body, emotional and physical symptoms. The use of a well-matched remedy can offer relief and lasting change without the complications and serious effects of pharmaceutical hormonal therapies. If you want to explore how homeopathy can benefit you, schedule a discovery session with me.
And if you want to find support and community with women who are taking back their health and wellness join my Facebook group “Finding your Feminine Core”. The group is a platform where I share what I have learned, what actually works and has made a life-changing difference for me and the countless women I have worked with.