HRT isn’t for everyone and with the recent uptake in demand it has become even more difficult to get a regular supply of the one that may agree with you. In the study done for the Davina programme out of a sample of 4000 women 1 in 10 had tried HRT and of those 50% said it helped them. That means there are 19/20 women in this country alone that are looking for support outside of the HRT arena. And here’s the best news: you can resolve your perimenopause and menopause symptoms without HRT! It’s only in recent years as pharmaceutical companies have taken over that there has been this drive that HRT is the only way. IT IS NOT. If you’re here it's because you’re looking for alternatives… but funnily enough the alternatives are the most natural way of helping your body transition. You’ll see today that your health imbalances and symptoms are exacerbated with your hormonal change; it's a balancing act to get it right so let your body work this out for you! I’ll explain this as we dive into: Is HRT the only option for you in menopause?
Is HRT the only option for you in menopause?
No, it is not the only option but it is an option when nothing else seems to work but read on first! I’ve seen many cases of women trying HRT in desperation only for their physical and mental symptoms to get worse. Here’s the main conundrum that faces women that doctors haven’t yet worked out how to treat: Are your symptoms due to lack of oestrogen or lack of progesterone; or too much physical stress? When this is answered correctly THEN you can start to balance out hormonal problems. If, however, you go to your doctor with a list of symptoms and the result is you’re just given oestrogen plus: Oh, by the way you still have a uterus so you need progesterone; all that happens is that you can find yourself feeling worse. Why?
If you’re in a symptom pattern of lack of progesterone then adding in oestrogen and progesterone together doesn’t resolve it; it magnifies. If you’re out of kilter with your hormones they need to be balanced not added too. There are women who have dropped oestrogen so quickly that they can’t function (and this would tie in with a lack of periods and hot flushes and extreme brain fog) so in this case adding in oestrogen is most likely the right solution.
If you still have regular periods (and for many heavy periods) you’re in perimenopause; you still have plenty of oestrogen! What you’re more likely experiencing is a lack of progesterone which can be suppressed when you’re stressed. Progesterone is the first of the 2 sex hormones to decline so this naturally creates an imbalance known as oestrogen dominance; this causes symptoms like:
These symptoms in Chinese medicine are all cold-related symptoms which goes against the grain of the classic menopause state of being hot and sweaty. There is a very good reason for this and it is called stress.
Stress and Perimenopause symptoms
If you’re under any type of stress your body is designed to make the stress hormone cortisol at the expense of progesterone. You’re now in a catch 22 situation – lack of progesterone leading to stress which creates a greater depletion!
If you’re a capable woman who has always dealt with situations well (as I was) then you’re good at compartmentalising stress. You have a strong mind and great will power but what then happens is that stress (which is a very physical issue) will embed into your body.
The Perimenopause symptom set IS stress and it is exacerbated at this time of your life because your natural progesterone is starting to decline.
Now that you know this; your course of action is to boost your progesterone and reduce your stress and this can be done with food nutrition and lifestyle.
Supporting your perimenopause naturally
Your aim is supporting your body to make progesterone. If you have any of the symptoms in the above image the likelihood is that you already have this first hormone in decline. The symptoms can be subtle at first; on reflection mine was when I got easily emotional in the board room – it was embarrassing and I didn’t know why it was happening. I quite often ask clients: Do you feel completely different to who you were 2/3 years ago? If the answer is yes (even with subtle symptoms) then this is the arena you’re currently in. It can start earlier than 40 and be magnified if you’ve not long given birth or have young children and especially if you have a demanding job. Perimenopause and post partem symptoms are (in Chinese medicine terms) exactly the same root imbalance in your body.
What you can do naturally for perimenopause
This stage is very much about reducing stress and boosting progesterone; all of which can be done naturally. The two go hand in hand - as you reduce stress you will enable your body to produce more progesterone. You have a nutritional imbalance! You need enough nutrients in your body to tip the scale in your favour. Cortisol loves nutrients! Feed it and it won’t suppress progesterone or leech minerals like magnesium from your muscles. If you have symptoms and you have periods – you needs minerals not meds!
These symptoms can be combatted with the right supplements and lifestyle changes. You can feel the effects in 4 to 8 weeks (depending on the intensity of the changes you make). I explain all of this in my book Understanding Your Menopause.
Supporting your menopause naturally
The more you do to regain your health in perimenopause the less there is to do when the time comes and your periods stop (the actual menopause). Medically you’re in menopause if you’ve been one year without a period but we are not computers so symptoms can appear as your periods get more infrequent and lighter. You may miss periods for 6 or 9 months and then have one – do not distress this doesn’t mean you start all over again. It just means your body still has an egg or 2 left; and you can get a period even after 12 months. You’ll still be in menopause but just be aware that you could still conceive. Post menopause is a time when you’ve not had periods and successfully have no symptoms. However, in post menopause what seems like menopausal symptoms can appear even years later. This isn’t due to hormones like oestrogen but again cortisol; your body can be physically stressed at any age.
What you can do naturally for Menopause
When you get symptoms like hot flushes these are a culmination of a lot of symptoms that have gone undealt with in the years running up to this point. Hot flushes aren’t any one thing they are the tip of the menopause iceberg. Caused by continued stress along with the effects of oestrogen decline on your soft tissues like arteries in your cardio vascular system. These symptoms can be combatted with the right supplements and lifestyle changes and you can feel the effects in 4 to 8 weeks (depending on the intensity of the changes you make). I explain all of this in my book Understanding Your Menopause or my video series - The 28 Days Menopause programme.
Meet Phytoestrogens – foods and supplements that have an oestrogenic quality and are a clean form of oestrogen. These are explained further in my supplements guide.
Night Sweats in Chinese medicine
You can get night sweats at ANY TIME during your menopause transition (and men can get them too) – I had mine at 42; 11 years before my periods stopped. Night sweats in Chinese medicine are very different to hot flushes; they are an indication of the state of your liver. Night sweats specifically happen between around 1 to 3am and you wake up already hot and/or sweaty (maybe even cold sweat).
Hot flushes tend to happen around 30 seconds or so AFTER you’ve woken up and you feel the heat coming on.
Night sweats are triggered when your liver requires a detox. When your liver is struggling it can affect your hormonal balance so I always recommend a daily liver support supplement or regular detoxing. This will help your body regain its hormonal equilibrium. The body is an incredibly intricate and intelligent system that rebalances quickly when given the nutrients it wants. Then it can create the hormones that it knows it needs!
Combatting health issues post menopause
Rightly so many women are concerned about major health concerns post menopause like osteoporosis heart disease cancer and dementia. This is one of the main pushes by HRT spokes people stating it will reduce the likelihood of you getting these health issues; they jury is still out on this. What you’re not told is that most of these are brought about by a lack of nutrition in your life along with too much sugar. Look after your liver so that it can detoxify your body and ensure you’re getting enough vitamins, minerals and essential fatty acids along with reducing stress. Finding a better work life balance will all contribute to reducing the likelihood of any of these ailments.
HRT is only ONE option for you in menopause
Many women that I have consultations with eat well but still have symptoms. They may or may not be on HRT; this isn’t a concern to me as I deal with the underlying health imbalances. When these are addressed, your symptoms subside. The one good piece of advice you can take away from today is that your body is crying out for more nutrients. Sadly, we don’t get enough from food. Our world is laden with stress and toxins and the soil quality (in which our food is grown) is poor – THIS is what is causing your symptoms.
Ready to start reducing your menopause symptoms naturally?
I suggest:
Watch my 2-hour masterclass that shows today’s blog in more detail and with plenty of advice on how to resolve your symptoms – Find it here.
Download my accompanying supplements guide – Find it here.
Meet Andrea - Holistic Menopause Specialist
Andrea is a shiatsu and Chinese medicine practitioner who uses the principles and wisdom of Chinese medicine in a completely practical way to help you resolve your symptoms naturally and effectively. If you live locally you can book in for a wonderfully relaxing Shiatsu for Menopause, otherwise Andrea does online in depth consultations where you'll leave with an actionable plan to follow. Andrea is also passionate about doing workplace talks and has written a book to help you step through simple and effect changes to reduce your symptoms: Understanding Your Menopause
