Perimenopause & Menopause

Perimenopause & Menopause

Perimenopause marks the transition to a new chapter in life that I believe can be a liberating time of Self-care, freedom, and renewal.

Unfortunately, it’s often during this time when hormones (primarily estrogen and progesterone) are fluctuating A LOT, which results in the majority of symptoms:

• Irregular periods: heavier cycles, lighter cycles, shorter cycles (e.g. every 20 days), longer cycles (e.g. every 3 months)
• Hot flashes
• Insomnia
• Anxiety and depression
• Irritability and mood swings
• Acne
• Decreased libido
• Increased vaginal dryness: usually this isn’t experienced until later in perimenopause and into menopause, due to declining estrogen levels

Many people experiencing these symptoms ask themselves, and me in their first visits: “Am I in menopause?” Once I ask them questions about their menstrual cycle and find out that they are still getting their period, I explain to them that they’re actually in perimenopause. Here’s the difference…

But first – premenopause!

When you’re having your period regularly (or it should be regular) – approximately every 22-35 days, you’re considered to be in premenopause. This feels like a confusing term doesn’t it? I agree! It means the time before menopause. BUT there is a transitional time before you go from regular cycles to no cycles -and it’s called perimenopause.

What’s the difference between perimenopause & menopause?

Perimenopause is the transitional years (4-10 years) leading up to the final menstrual period. When your menstrual cycles have shifted from their typical cycle length (22-35 days)

After you no longer have your period for 1 year you are considered to be officially in menopause. So, technically speaking, menopause is something we can only diagnose after the fact – that is, after 12 months have passed since your last period. The years after that are often referred to postmenopause.

While it’s true that many of these symptoms can be the result of declining and fluctuating reproductive hormones like estrogen, there are many other factors that affect a woman’s experience of these symptoms including:

• Digestive health
• Stress levels & adrenal health
• Blood sugar balance
• Thyroid health

As you can imagine, addressing each of these factors is crucial for a woman to not only get through menopause but to thrive during this important time of transition.

“What can I do to feel my best through perimenopause & menopause?”

Over her past 15 years of clinical practice, Dr. Odette has found that a naturopathic approach can be safe and effective in supporting a person through this natural transition of life by integrating:

• Nutritional changes and supplements: to help support the common symptoms of fluctuating hormones (anxiety, insomnia, mood swings) – and the health of other systems that are involved in hormone health – like digestive health
• Acupuncture: to help reduce intensity of hot flashes, improve sleep, decrease anxiety, and irritability
• Herbal medicine: to help support hormone balance and help reduce hot flashes, mood changes and insomnia
• Lifestyle counselling: to help reduce insomnia, anxiety, depression and mood swings
• Bioidentical hormone replacement therapy: topical estrogen and progesterone may also be prescribed as part of a comprehensive treatment plan for perimenopause and menopause