When a woman’s ovaries are no longer producing hormones, she is said to be in menopause.  Some women have irregular periods for some time, with a lighter flow or an irregular schedule. This transition period called perimenopause, when a woman’s fertility comes to an end and her ovaries cease to produce hormones, can continue for a few months to a year or two.  Some women go through perimenopause and some just straight into menopause, which is a more jarring transition. Even when it is gradual, this change to a woman’s body is still very significant. There are many bothersome symptoms that can occur with menopause, including:

• Hot flashes
• Vaginal dryness
• Sleep problems
• Irritability
• Weight gain
• Headaches
• Breast tenderness
• Anxiety
• Reduced libido
• Hair loss
• Reduced bone mass
• cognitive changes

Many women find this hormonal imbalance, and the symptoms that go with it, so aggravating that they find their quality of life to be drastically reduced.  These women may seek treatment to replace the hormones that their body no longer produces, in order to restore the balance of hormones in their body and make the symptoms subside.  Yet many women are worried about taking estrogen, which has been linked to an increased risk of heart disease and cancer.

Dr. Skip, O.M.D., sees many women who wish to address the symptoms attributable to a hormonal imbalance with holistic therapies.   The first step is to assess current hormone levels through salivary hormone testing. Additional labs, such as functional endocrinology testing or food sensitivity testing, may also be done, depending on the symptoms that are present.  Dr. Skip will evaluate the results of all lab testing that is done, and prepare a complete, personalized holistic protocol that may include bio-identical hormone replacement therapy and /or other supplementary therapy to restore your body to complete health.