Supporting Perimenopause with Naturopathic Medicine

I frequently see patients going through Perimenopause in my NW Calgary Naturopathic Medicine practice, and it can be a very difficult and frustrating time for my patients. There are a lot of changes my patients experience, on a physical, mental and emotional level. Many of my patients have busy, high stress lives full of work and family obligations and commitments, and these added health symptoms definitely do not make it any easier on them. A lot of my patients don’t understand why they feel the way they do, and this lack of control and the unknown can definitely make this a more stressful time.

The goal of this blog is to talk about what is going on in this transitional time of life and to talk about what Naturopathic Medicine can do to help.

Most of us know what Menopause is. Once a female hits the twelve month mark without a period, she is in Menopause. At this time, hormones tend to level out, and although a menopausal female still needs a lot of support to feel good and still have a good quality of life and prevent issues like Cardiovascular disease, Alzheimer’s and Osteoporosis, the fluctuations of hormones tend to settle down.

A female in perimenopause however, has to deal with fluctuating levels of Estrogen and Progesterone, which can cause a multitude of different symptoms, including irritability, anxiety, depression, and impatience…a lot of my patients tell me they feel like they are going crazy. This is in addition to physical symptoms which can include hot flashes, irregular periods, heavy bleeding, heart palpitations, vaginal dryness, sleeping problems, and so much more. Each patient can experience different symptoms that are unique to her and her alone.

Ovulation in perimenopause can be more sporadic which means that progesterone levels tend to be lower. Progesterone tends to have a calming affect on females, so we can see how lower progesterone can impact mood and sleep quality.

Estrogen levels can vary by the day, which is why patients can feel different from one week to the next, or even one day to the next. These estrogen fluctuations, coupled with a lower progesterone level most of the time (unless the female ovulates) puts the female in a relative estrogen dominance, which can cause worsening PMS symptoms, mood changes, heavy periods, weight gain, and so much more.

Perimenopause can start as early as the mid 30’s to the 50’s, and can last as long as 10 years.

So what can a female going through perimenopause do to support herself?

There is actually a lot that Naturopathic Medicine can do to support a female going through perimenopause, to make this transition less stressful mentally, physically and emotionally.

Lifestyle habits can make a difference in the way a female feels through this transition, and one of those biggest lifestyle habits is stress management. High stress spikes cortisol levels in the body, which can affect sex hormones such as Estrogen and Progesterone, making the perimenopausal transition more difficult. Exercise, yoga, meditation, and  walking can all make a big difference with stress and cortisol levels. Having a good support system in place can help as well, including other females who are experiencing this transition as well. It may help to be open with your family so they can be more understanding of what you are experiencing. Having time to yourself if possible can be helpful so you can ground yourself. Establish a good sleep routine, honoring your circadian rhythm so you can sleep restoratively and wake more rested.

Diet and nutrition can be very helpful in this time of transition as well. Feeding yourself high quality, whole foods, balancing your blood sugar, eating adequate protein and fiber and healthy fat, low glycemic carbs in moderation, moderating caffeine intake…these can all support healthy cortisol levels.

Vitamins, supplements and herbs can be very helpful here to support healthy ovulation, support lower progesterone levels and fluctuating estrogen levels, support mood, sleep, and energy levels. Neurotransmitter support to support serotonin and GABA can be very helpful here as well. Supplements are always prescribed based on the patients symptom profile picture as well as checked for interactions with a patients existing health conditions and existing medication profile.

Acupuncture can be very helpful to regulate the menstrual cycle (up to a certain point) and support a healthy ovulation (again up to a certain point) as well as with mood, sleep, energy.

Hormone testing can be useful to get a specific symptom picture for the individual patient to see what pathways a patient is metabolizing her estrogen down, as well as cortisol and a variety of organic acids to assess a patient for dopamine, epinephrine, melatonin, oxidative stress, inflammation, and so much more.

As you can see, a lot can be done to support a perimenopausal female so she does not have to suffer through this transitional time in her life. During my intake process I do a full symptom assessment of my patients, and assess things like energy, sleep, stress, mood, diet, exercise, and more. Based on this assessment I can prescribe a treatment protocol including herbs, vitamins, supplements, lifestyle and diet changes, acupuncture, or further testing, ensuring they are all safe for existing medical conditions and existing medication protocols.

Please do not hesitate to contact me at my NW Calgary Naturopathic Medicine clinic if you think Naturopathic Medicine can help you!

Dr. Ramona Charikar BScH, ND

Naturopathic Vitality Acupuncture and Wellness Clinic

205-5403 Crowchild Trail NW

Calgary, AB T3B 4Z1

(403) 719-2595