Perimenopause

[Gwenllian]

A quote from Christiane Northrup, M.D, author of The wisdom of Menopause

All of the changes I was about to undergo were spurred, supported, and encouraged by the complex and intricate brain and body changes that are an unheralded—but inevitable and often overwhelming—part of the menopausal transition. There is much, much more to this midlife transformation than “raging hormones.” Research into the physiological changes taking place in the peri-menopausal woman is revealing that, in addition to the hormonal shift that means an end to childbearing, our bodies—and, specifically, our nervous systems—are being, quite literally, rewired. It’s as simple as this: our brains are changing. A woman’s thoughts, her ability to focus, and the amount of fuel going to the intuitive centers in the temporal lobes of her brain all are plugged into, and affected by, the circuits being rewired.

A few pages of her book can be found here:
_http://www.drnorthrup.com/pdf/wisdom-of-menopause-excerpt-121211.pdf

 

[Teresa]

A quote from Christiane Northrup, M.D, author of The wisdom of Menopause

All of the changes I was about to undergo were spurred, supported, and encouraged by the complex and intricate brain and body changes that are an unheralded—but inevitable and often overwhelming—part of the menopausal transition. There is much, much more to this midlife transformation than “raging hormones.” Research into the physiological changes taking place in the peri-menopausal woman is revealing that, in addition to the hormonal shift that means an end to childbearing, our bodies—and, specifically, our nervous systems—are being, quite literally, rewired. It’s as simple as this: our brains are changing. A woman’s thoughts, her ability to focus, and the amount of fuel going to the intuitive centers in the temporal lobes of her brain all are plugged into, and affected by, the circuits being rewired.

A few pages of her book can be found here:
_http://www.drnorthrup.com/pdf/wisdom-of-menopause-excerpt-121211.pdf

Thank you for the link Mariama. I looks like I need to get this book.

 

[Tracy Anne]

Menrva thank you for starting this thread.

Here are some of the things that have helped me so far with perimenopause:

Red Raspberry Leaf Tea - I have 3 cups daily, hot flushes have gone. If I dont have it for a day or two I can feel them returning. I have no tea or coffee or alcohol.

Natural Progesterone Cream - helped with mood swings and sleeping however I gained weight so after a year I went off it and feel wonderful now.

Yoga - stretching muscles and strengthening your core. Done before bed gives a wonderful nights sleep. Excellent for relaxation when tense or anxious. Just learn a selection of basic moves to start with....nothing contorting! 15 - 20 minute sessions.

I have found this transition time to be unsettling to start with, it started about 4 years ago, and the other changes on different levels such as grief and endings.....so much of that it is difficult to describe. The book mentioned above by Mariama sounds great and is on my book list now.

I am finding myself to be more creative then ever and picking up a paintbrush or creating anything gives me such a boost. My mind seems to be sharper than ever too.....after going through the initial brainfog stage......it does pass. Now I am excited and looking forward to entering Cronehood.....52 now.

Research like crazy and try different remedies. Keto has helped me too (3 months)

 

[Meg]

I have found this transition time to be unsettling to start with, it started about 4 years ago, and the other changes on different levels such as grief and endings.....so much of that it is difficult to describe. The book mentioned above by Mariama sounds great and is on my book list now.

I cant relate 100%. It's on my list too. My hope is I move through it quickly. :)

I am finding myself to be more creative then ever and picking up a paintbrush or creating anything gives me such a boost. My mind seems to be sharper than ever too.....after going through the initial brainfog stage......it does pass. Now I am excited and looking forward to entering Cronehood.....52 now.

Creativity has been on my mind lately also. I'll have to dust off my paints. I've heard about the brain fog ending and sharp mind beginning. I am looking forward to it.

Thanks for the replies all. I am glad the info helped. It's nice to know I am not alone too :D

 

[Gwenllian]

I am finding myself to be more creative then ever and picking up a paintbrush or creating anything gives me such a boost. My mind seems to be sharper than ever too.....after going through the initial brainfog stage......it does pass. Now I am excited and looking forward to entering Cronehood.....52 now.

Creativity has been on my mind lately also. I'll have to dust off my paints. I've heard about the brain fog ending and sharp mind beginning. I am looking forward to it.

Thanks for the replies all. I am glad the info helped. It's nice to know I am not alone too :D

You most certainly are not alone, Menrva!
This thread is a lifesaver for me. I had done some research before, but it didn't ring a bell. When I reread the list of 35 symptoms of menopause (it had to sink in first) I realised that I was peri-menopausal and having quite a few symptoms. The mood swings have become stronger, the thought loops have increased, so much so, that I am really getting tired of my own thoughts, I feel more weepy (but that's nice at the same time, because I can tap into my emotions more easily) and I find it hard to concentrate and so on.
I think I will order Northrup's book as well. I like the idea that peri-menopause is not just a question of raging hormones, but it is also a time that we can use to clear up old debris and old hurts, or so I wish. :)

Please discount what I said about estrogenic oils. If we are estrogen dominant then why use these oils or have extra phyto estrogens? That doesn't make sense to me. Also, would these pesky xeno estrogens in our environment make things worse for us? They must do.

 

[Tracy Anne]

I am enjoying this thread very much and now that I am passing some of the yucky stages of perimenopause I am trying to embrace the third stage of my life....the rite of passage into Cronehood. The first two are Maiden and Mother (you dont have to have had children to pass through the Mother stage) For me it is important to try to understand all aspects of Menopause as it is so much more than physical changes (though I cant underestimate how debilitating these can be)

Dont you just love the description in bold below?

http://www.wisewomenworldwide.com/crone.html

Are you asking "What's a crone?" and not particularly liking the sound of the word? Well, you're not alone. Many of us feel that way until we better understand what it means to be a crone.

Simply speaking, a woman enters the crone phase when she has passed her child bearing years. However, the designation also refers to a perspective on life or philosophical point of view rather than just age or a biological change.

The crone is a woman that is gracefully adapting to the process of aging. She quietly inspires others. She is comfortable in her own skin and with her spirituality. Her intuitive and creative powers are pronounced. But what really sets the crone apart is that she embodies a passion to explore meaning in her life; and she exemplifies an unselfish willingness to share her honesty, knowledge, wisdom, love, and compassion.

Crones, it's up to us to stop in its tracks the negative stereotypes that aging has and redefine it to be the positive experience it is. I like to say it should be about Pro-Aging vs. Anti-Aging. It should be about gaining wisdom vs. losing our wits.

http://www.moondance.org/1997/autumn97/nonfiction/crone.h

Crone is a term used to describe an ancient archetype, an aspect of the triple goddess (maiden/mother/crone), and the third phase of a woman's life. When a woman is near, in, or past menopause, she is potentially a crone.

 

[Gwenllian]

But what really sets the crone apart is that she embodies a passion to explore meaning in her life; and she exemplifies an unselfish willingness to share her honesty, knowledge, wisdom, love, and compassion.

That is what Laura represents and does. :)

I found some interesting tidbits about adrenal fatigue and menopause in Nora Gedgauda's Primal Body, Primal Mind that I would like to add:

Women must depend on healthy adrenals to ease the transition of menopause. Exhausted adrenals are unable to take the "baton" from the ovaries, as they are supposed to at this time, to continue producing needed hormones. If your adrenals are shot, that transition called menopause can be pure hell. Women with healthy adrenals at menopause barely even notice anything has happened, which is how it is supposed to be. Hot flashes and other menopausal symptoms are not remotely normal simply because they are commonplace.
Your adrenals are often the first obvious casualty of blood sugar dysregulation. Stymied adrenal function can lead to chronic feelings of stress or being overwhelmed, fatigue, weight gain, insomnia, mood disorders or instability, headaches or migraines, and eventually thyroid problems. [See Menrva's posts] (Down the road, problems with sex hormones can develop, too, via an endocrine metabolic phenomenon known as the pregnenolone steall). You will never correct a problem with your thyroid or sex hormones without first correcting adrenal imbalance. And in order to correct that , of course, you must determine and address your main adrenal stressors and address issues around insulin and leptin.
Common adrenal stressors can include blood sugar dysregulation (the big one), chronic use of stimulants, chronic high levels of EMF exposure, chronic infections, food-sensitivity issues, prolonged life stress or chronic trauma, chronic lack of adequate sleep, and excessive exercise.

Chronic adrenal dysregulation in women can lead to deficiencies of estrogen at menopause. This diminished estrogen in women lowers serotonin receptor activity, leading to commonly reported depression issues in postmenopausal women. Abnormally diminished estrogen also results in cerebral inflammation and subsequent brain degeneration. In men, dysglycemia and concomitant adrenal dysregulation can cause similarly diminished testosterone levels, which, in turn, depress dopamine function.

A bit about hormones and the role of leptin:

If any part of your endocrine system is awry, including the adrenals or sex hormones, you will never have a prayer of truly resolving those issues until you have brought your leptin levels under control.
This is a key thing to understand: The endocrine system is an exceedingly complex system of interrelationships that ultimately is regulated via an intricate hierarchical system of management.
At the top of the management pillar is leptin. Immediately below it is its subservient sidekick, insulin, which serves as somewhat of an antagonist to leptin. Beneath that are your adrenal hormones, adrenaline and cortisol. Then come the pituitary hormones, which regulate the thyroid and growth hormones (and others), then your thyroid hormones, then your sex hormones, and on down. It's a chain of command.
There is not a single endocrinologist in the world, not matter how brilliant or talented, who could possibly replicate the intricate and delicate balance that is orchestrated by the interrelationships of your own innate endocrine symphony, nor is there a single "bioidentical hormone" that can be prescribed that can truly replace what the body does naturally. Anything you do to micromanage a single hormone in the body affects them all- and often in unpredictable and unanticipated ways. This is not to say that bioidentical hormone replacement is never necessary or useful, but care must be taken not to reach blindly for this option instinctively without first seeking to comprehend the underlying mechanisms and foundational interrelationships involved. Sometimes a depressed hormone level is better treated as a clue to an underlying disorder than as a deficiency state requiring supplementation. Too often doctors (even natural doctors) assume that the body is somehow stupid and doesn't know how to function in its own best interest. ...
Hormones are measured in nanograms and picograms-billionths and trillionths of a gram! Hormones are not supplements (despite what "Dr." Suzanne Somers says). They are extremely powerful substances that are used in minute amounts in the body in extremely intricate and complex ways to manage your entire physiology. If you want to improve the functioning of your adrenals, thyroid, or sex hormones, talk to leptin. Restoring healthy leptin functioning is the first major step toward ultimately restoring healthy endocrine balance, at any age, assuming your endocrine organs are intact and have not been destroyed, attacked by autoimmune processes, or removed.

 

[truth seeker]

I came across this article and thought it was interesting and might be helpful for some. Perhaps seeing a chiropractor may do some good?:

How exactly does chiropractic care impact menopause symptoms? Here’s how it works.

Estrogen and progesterone are stimulated by the anterior pituitary gland, which is controlled by the hypothalamus portion of your brain. The hypothalamus is often referred to as the master control of your body, because it regulates and controls so many functions.

The hypothalamus receives its information from the internal organs through the nerve system that is housed within your spine.

The hypothalamus, in addition to regulating estrogen and progesterone, also receives information from other sections of your brain as well, such as your thalamus and limbic system. These systems control critical, delicate functions of your body such as emotions, sexual desire, thirst and hunger, body temperature, and sleep patterns.

Chiropractic specifically deals with your nerve system and spine. The spine, when under stress, irritates and decreases the function of the nerves that send the signals to control the levels of estrogen and progesterone. Simple stresses such as sitting for long periods, preservatives in foods, or a stressful day at work, can easily and often cause the spine to misalign causing subluxation.

Chiropractors reduce or eliminate these misalignments (subluxations) with safe, gentle chiropractic adjustments of the spinal vertebrae.

Since the nervous system controls all the functions of your body, it is imperative that you get your spine checked by a chiropractor regularly.

Simply getting under chiropractic care, exercising regularly, eating as many “hormone free” foods as possible (read the labels) and getting proper rest will help regulate and balance your hormonal system and help manage and diminish the effects of menopause.

Doesn’t that sound like a better idea than taking a drug that causes breast cancer, ovarian cancer, stroke, serious blood clots, dementia, and even brain shrinkage?

_http://www.yourspine.com/Chiropractic/Chiropractic+Menopause.aspx

 

[hotfrog]

I believe the problems in perimenopause relate to too much estrogen and intake of many compounds that are stored in the fat cells, that mimic estrogen. These xenoestrogens are not going to show up on a blood test either.

They are present in hundreds of common household and body care items. Anything you apply to the skin will enter your body and if it's a xenoestrogen it will bind to the estrogen sites in your body and can be hundreds of times more powerful than natural estrogen, including the most powerful type, estradiol.

Laundry detergent may be the biggest culprit. Residues on the clothes enter your body and mimic estrogen. This is as bad for men as it is for women. There are a few types of laundry detergent that don't do this -- but most do including those "natural" ones...

The best treatments as far as taking something goes are bioidentical progesterone and iodine in the form of potassium iodide/iodine (Lugol's solution, Ioderal, etc.)

These can result in worse symptoms though...as they release a lot of the xenoestrogens that are stored in fat cells...some women will have to detox by removing the xenoestrogens more slowly...perhaps starting with low doses of iodine and progesterone.

 

[Gwenllian]

This is what Maria Emmerich, author of Keto-Adapted has to say about menopause and the role of estrogen and what to avoid.

HEALTH TIP: Excess “bad” estrogen in the liver and fat cells is a leading cause of breast, thyroid, and uterine cancer in women and prostate cancer in men. Cutting out all of the estrogenic factors listed in the menopause section of this book is extremely important. A supplement called EstroFactors helps detox this bad estrogen out of the liver, which will in turn heal liver function and increase T3 production for thyroid patients.

...

BENEFIT #4: Decrease in Undesired Side Effects of Menopause If you’re a female in your twenties, you may read this section and wonder
why on earth you would ever want your period to come back. Well, our menstrual cycle produces hormones that create a snowball effect for many other desired processes that come along with it. Menopausal women often suffer from tissue dryness and decreased libido (not to mention their body temperatures are going through the roof and they often gain belly fat). During menopause, many of my clients complain they are losing some of their feminine features on their face and body and are taking on a more masculine appearance. This is because their bodies are mimicking masculine hormone production (less healthy estrogen and progesterone). And these undesired effects are just the external ones. Internally, there are some serious issues going on too, such as bone loss, decreased production of collagen and elastin, and decreased muscle mass. The unpredictable hormonal highs and lows, along with clothing not fitting the way it used to, can be shattering to a woman’s mental and emotional well-being.
HEALTH TIP: Men can also have excess estrogen, which causes inflammation in the prostate gland. It has been grossly simplified that menopausal women have low estrogen; because of this simplification, these women are often given estrogen as a hormone replacement which can cause further estrogen dominance. The first hormonal shift for menopausal women is a downgrade in progesterone. Not estrogen. In some cases, estrogen levels get too high. Estrogen and progesterone need to be counter-balanced. When progesterone levels fall, estrogen levels shoot up to compensate, causing estrogen dominance. What causes low progesterone? Low-fat diets (specifically diets low in saturated fat) and external “bad” estrogens.
Our body produces three types of estrogen:
1. Estradiol (This healthy, or “good,” estrogen is produced by the ovaries.)
2. Estrone (Fat cells store and form this unhealthy, or “bad,” estrogen.)
3. Estriol (This type is produced only when a woman is pregnant.)
Healthy estrogen from our ovaries gives women ample curves, attractive breasts, and youthful skin. Unhealthy estrogen from our fat cells and external sources, however, causes too many curves (you might say “bulges”) mainly in the belly area. Farmers have known this for years. They use a little synthetic estrogen to fatten their cattle. But women say to themselves; “I don’t take any form of estrogen. Why do I have too much?” The sad truth is that estrogen comes from what we eat. Excess bad estrogen can come from several sources.
The following sections describe where excess bad estrogen originates from:
1. Carbohydrates and sugar. Our bodies make more estrogen when we eat too many processed carbohydrates. Insulin, the master hormone, is secreted from the pancreas in response to sugar and processed carbohydrates. Insulin stores fat and also causes our bodies to make more unhealthy estrogen.
2. Pesticides. Non-organic produce and coffee contain pesticides which are xenoestrogens. This would include herbs and spices.
3. Non-organic meat and poultry. Today, more than 80% of cattle are raised by using artificial hormones that help increase the growth rate as well as the body mass of cattle. These hormones are zeranol, estradiol, testosterone and progesterone, melengestrol acetate, and trenbolone acetate. Zeranol and estradiol can cause some serious health problems. These hormones in food products can lead to severe health problems which include ovarian cysts and cancer.
4. Soy consumption. Soy contains “isoflavones” which are changed in thebody to phytoestrogens (similar to the hormone estrogen).
5. Alcohol. Alcohol causes a quicker aromatization of androgens into estrogens, which explains why men who are heavy drinkers often get
gynecomastia (enlarged breasts) over a period of time.
6. Plastics and microwaves. Make sure to never microwave in plastic or drink from plastic water bottles.
7. Topical products and soaps. Even common soap can be estrogenic, and anything you put on your skin will get absorbed into the bloodstream.
Despite some of the things you may have been told about the benefits of soy during menopause, I am not going to recommend it. Soy is damaging in too many ways and actually increases estrogen even further. Soybeans have a couple of issues. One problem is phytic acid, also called phytates. This is an organic acid (found in the hulls of all wheat) which block the body’s ability to absorb minerals like calcium, magnesium, iron, and especially zinc. Soybeans also contain enzyme inhibitors called trypsin which block absorption of enzymes that the body needs for protein digestion and can cause serious gastric distress, reduced protein digestion, and can lead to chronic deficiencies in amino acid uptake (causing depression and other mood disorders and a decrease in muscle tone). Soybeans also contain a clot-promoting substance called hemagglutinin, which causes red blood cells to clump together. These blood cells are unable to absorb oxygen for distribution to a given cell’s mitochondria (a process that allows us to burn fat when we exercise) and is detrimental for cardiac health. Trypsin and hemagglutinin are “growth depressants,” a fact that explains why soy formula is so bad for babies. So, instead of soy, let’s look into a different
formula for menopause.
Let’s discuss how having a low level of healthy estrogen affects menopausal symptoms. A well-formulated keto-adapted diet works for menopausal symptoms by replacing glucose that’s lacking from the estrogen-deprived brain. When glucose can’t get into brain, it causes hot flashes and low cognitive function, two common complaints of my clients going through menopause. Ketone bodies are water-soluble by-products of fat breakdown that can pinch-hit for glucose in the brain and other tissues.
When the brain is deprived of estrogen after decades of exposure, hot flashes arrive. During the years of exposure, estrogen becomes closely involved in the transportation of glucose into the brain cells. When we are menstruating and have healthy estrogen, this hormone transports about 40% more glucose into brain cells than what would be shuttled without estrogen. When the healthy estrogen goes away at menopause, the amount of glucose transported into the brain cells decreases, and the brain cells become a little starved for energy. The hypothalamus responds to this starvation by increasing the release of norepinephrine [adrenaline] in order to raise the heart rate, an act that increases the level of sugar in the blood; the combination of these events causes an increase in the body temperature. A hot flash, therefore, is an outward sign of the brain trying to protect itself from blood sugar starvation.
HEALTH TIP: Supplements can help speed up the estrogen-progesterone imbalance that women suffer from. Gamma-linolenic acid, or GLA, is an activated fatty acid that assists in keeping our hormones balanced. You can find GLA easily enough in food, but due to an overconsumption of trans fats, most people are missing the enzyme to convert GLA fats from foods. Instead, they must supplement with an activated GLA such as evening primrose oil which will keep skin soft and supple. We need those fats getting into the tissues. I prefer that women take 1,300 mg of evening primrose oil three times a day to help with hormone balance.
Ultimately, you want your body to use fat to fuel itself instead of carbs. Carbohydrates promote inflammation and lead to hormonal imbalances that further intensify symptoms. Menopausal women who halt the detrimental symptoms with a well-formulated keto-adapted diet often see a regular menstrual cycle return, have less belly fat tissue, and experience an increased libido.

 

[Gwenllian]

Nora Gedgaudas is reconsidering adrenal fatigue, that is why I am posting it here.

_http://www.primalbody-primalmind.com/rethinking-fatigue-video/

Here is a review on amazon about her newest book RETHINKING FATIGUE: What Your Adrenals Are Really Telling You And What You Can Do About It that explains well what she discussed in the video above.

First, let me say that there are few books I've been as excited to see coming down the pike as this one, and I'll tell you why. As a naturopathic physician, I can attest that it's difficult to overestimate the enormous number of people for whom fatigue or "adrenal burnout" are frustrating and debilitating drags on their health. Yet, despite the prevalence of this miserable scenario, the medical model most doctors use to treat it is completely antiquated, stubbornly stuck back in the 1950s. Until now, that is, because suddenly all this has changed.

In one fell swoop, with the publication of Rethinking Fatigue: What Your Adrenals Are Really Telling You and What You Can Do About It, Nora Gedgaudas, CNS, CNT, has brilliantly and entirely revamped the way we look at fatigue from all causes.

For one thing, we learn that "adrenal" fatigue is often not adrenal at all. The adrenal glands, which mediate stress in the body, are but "hormone factories" doing the "bidding of the brain," Gedgaudas explains, and to understand the whole picture we must look upstream to that organ, which is what's really calling the shots. In other situations it can be autoimmunity [or a chronic infection] that's driving it all, the adrenal glands simply the unlucky target organs of what is essentially an immune problem, the wages of our toxic world. Cases like these and others -- all of which Gedgaudas elegantly elucidates -- shed light on why it is that so often merely taking handfuls of adrenal supplements doesn't cut the mustard. Any doctor worth their salt will recognize all of this as cutting-edge thinking.

Written for a wide, popular readership with an obvious intent to help, the book is at once easy to understand -- Gedgaudas has a relaxed, often wryly humorous style -- but is never simplistic, providing just the right amount of detail to make it of great practical use.

And useful it is. This book is by no means a mere teaser! It contains extensive, solid information, not only about concept but also about concrete, effective actions one can take on one's own in terms of such things as nutritional intervention, laboratory testing (some of which one can self-order), supplements (how and when to use them), and important sections on techniques like neurofeedback as well as other strategies one can accomplish in the privacy of one's chambers.

Anyone familiar with Nora Gedgaudas' previous book Primal Body, Primal Mind (arguably one of the best books out there about the paleo approach to nutrition and physical and emotional health) will once again recognize this author's impeccable scholarship and characteristic inclination to think one level deeper than the rest of us poor slobs.

I'll freely admit that Rethinking Fatigue is far and away the best collection of information I've ever read on the subject and the only work I've encountered that puts everything together into a clear, cohesive whole replete with instruction manual. If you get half of this wonderful book under your belt my bet is that you'll know more than most practicing physicians. And if you, like so many other people, suffer from fatigue, my guess is that you'll start to feel a heck of a lot better.

 

[Jacques]

Nora Gedgaudas is reconsidering adrenal fatigue, that is why I am posting it here.

_http://www.primalbody-primalmind.com/rethinking-fatigue-video/

Here is a review on amazon about her newest book RETHINKING FATIGUE: What Your Adrenals Are Really Telling You And What You Can Do About It that explains well what she discussed in the video above.

Thanks Mariama for sharing.

Another kindle book on the list.

 

[Gwenllian]

Far Infra Red (FIR) treatment helps us detoxify, but apparently, it is also beneficial for (peri)menopausal women. A tidbit of a study I found here:

_http://www.get-fitt.com/far_infrared_for_womens_health.htm

OBJECTIVES: The aim of this study was to evaluate the effects of local thermal therapy with far-infrared rays (FIR) on menopausal symptoms and bone mineral density (BMD) in postmenopausal women.

SUBJECTS AND METHODS: A prospective randomized, controlled trial was conducted in female volunteers from communities in Northern Taiwan. The intervention group (n=22) received local thermal therapy with the help of FIR from an FIR emitter, for approximately 20 minutes per day, twice a week, for 20 sessions. They received the therapy on their backs while lying in a supine position. The control group (n=21) received no treatment. The primary outcome was the change in the Perceived Perimenopausal Disturbances Scale, designed for the measurement of menopause-related symptoms (MRS) before and after completion of treatment in a 10-week period. Secondary outcome parameters included serum levels of estradiol (E2) with osteocalcin (OC), and calcaneal BMD by quantitative ultrasound.

RESULTS: After 10 weeks of intervention, MRS determined by the scale decreased in mean total scores and mean scores for vasomotor, musculoskeletal, urologic, reproductive, and psychologic domains (p<0.05), except for reproductive (sexuality-related) symptoms. In the control group, mean total scores and scores of each domain had no significant difference between baseline and follow-up examination after 10 weeks. There was no significant difference between the quantitative ultrasound parameters in the calcaneus, serum E2, and OC levels either at the baseline or in the changes from the baseline between the intervention and control groups of women (p>0.05).

CONCLUSIONS: Local thermal therapy with FIR results in a significant reduction of MRS [Menopause-Related Symptoms] in postmenopausal women. Serum E2, OC levels, and calcaneal BMD showed no significant changes between the two groups. These results suggest that FIR local thermal therapy may be a potential alternative for the management of postmenopausal symptoms.

Some facts about estrogen dominance:

http://www.sott.net/article/290099-Facts-on-estrogen-dominance

"Estrogen dominance" is a term coined by Harvard physician John R. Lee M.D. It describes a condition where a woman can have deficient, normal, or excessive estrogen but the body has little or no progesterone to balance its effects.
...
Anything that impairs liver function or ties up the detoxifying function will result in excess estrogen levels, whether it has a physical basis, as in liver disease, or an external cause, as with exposure to environmental toxins, drugs, or dietary substances.
...
We live in an estrogenic or feminizing environment. Certain chemicals in the environment and our foods, one of which is DDT, cause estrogenic effects. Although banned in 1972, DDT, like its breakdown product DDE, is an estrogen-like substance and is still present in the environment.

Chlorine and hormone residues in meats and dairy products can also have estrogenic effects.
...
In industrialized countries such as the United States, diets rich in animal fats, sugar, refined starches, and processed foods can lead to estrogen levels in women twice that of women of third-world countries.

Comment: In fact, animal fat is about the most healing food since time immemorial. See Nina Teicholz: The Big Fat Surprise! (Video). Choose organic sources to reap the benefits.
...
It is irresponsible and dangerous for doctors to be routinely prescribing estrogen for any type of pre-menopausal or menopausal symptom, and this practice can have tragic consequences.

 

[Gwenllian]

I came across this article and thought it was interesting and might be helpful for some. Perhaps seeing a chiropractor may do some good?:

How exactly does chiropractic care impact menopause symptoms? Here’s how it works.

Estrogen and progesterone are stimulated by the anterior pituitary gland, which is controlled by the hypothalamus portion of your brain. The hypothalamus is often referred to as the master control of your body, because it regulates and controls so many functions.

The hypothalamus receives its information from the internal organs through the nerve system that is housed within your spine.

The hypothalamus, in addition to regulating estrogen and progesterone, also receives information from other sections of your brain as well, such as your thalamus and limbic system. These systems control critical, delicate functions of your body such as emotions, sexual desire, thirst and hunger, body temperature, and sleep patterns.

Chiropractic specifically deals with your nerve system and spine. The spine, when under stress, irritates and decreases the function of the nerves that send the signals to control the levels of estrogen and progesterone. Simple stresses such as sitting for long periods, preservatives in foods, or a stressful day at work, can easily and often cause the spine to misalign causing subluxation.

Chiropractors reduce or eliminate these misalignments (subluxations) with safe, gentle chiropractic adjustments of the spinal vertebrae.

Since the nervous system controls all the functions of your body, it is imperative that you get your spine checked by a chiropractor regularly.

Simply getting under chiropractic care, exercising regularly, eating as many “hormone free” foods as possible (read the labels) and getting proper rest will help regulate and balance your hormonal system and help manage and diminish the effects of menopause.

Doesn’t that sound like a better idea than taking a drug that causes breast cancer, ovarian cancer, stroke, serious blood clots, dementia, and even brain shrinkage?

_http://www.yourspine.com/Chiropractic/Chiropractic+Menopause.aspx

Thank you so much, truth seeker, for reminding me. I have hurt my back and have made an appointment with a chiropractor (who is a physician, too; they all are) and will keep this in mind.
An osteopath might also be beneficial?

_http://www.fremantleosteopathy.com.au/osteopathy-for-menopause.htm

Apparently, osteopaths go a bit further than chiropractors, because they also take into account the role of the connective tissue that "provides for the exchange of fluids that distribute hormones throughout the body, and it also carries information coming from the nervous system and immune system", OSIT.
[Source: Acupressure Taping by Hans-Ulrich Hecker, M.D., and Kay Liebchen, M.D.; you can find a thread about acutaping here on the forum]

 

[Gaby]

Here is an important update on progesterone cream by Dr. Mercola:

Complications regarding progesterone cream
_http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2011/09/18/oral-progesterone-and-progesterone-cream-complications.aspx

He explains why it is important to apply the cream in the inner lining of the vagina or rectum:

[...]

The Key to Safely and Effectively Using Progesterone Cream

If you want to copy nature and reproduce a hormonal environment that most closely resembles a normal premenopausal woman the first logical step would be to get the hormones directly into your blood stream, just the way your ovary does.

Hormones carefully measured and formulated in an appropriate cream or gel need only be rubbed once or twice a day into your mucous (epithelial) membranes. Since there are no destructive detours through your GI tract when administered this way, your tissues are exposed to the appropriate concentrations of the hormone without the side effects of 30 different liver metabolites.

I first started using these creams in the early 1990s be became gradually disenchanted with them after I noticed that they typically worked wonderfully initially but then invariably stopped working. This is now known as "dermal fatigue".

What happens, not only for progesterone cream, but for ANY hormone preparation you use by applying as a cream to your skin is that within a few weeks to a few months you will saturate the fat tissue with the hormones and they will actually stop working or can even make your symptoms worse.

The problem relates to the fact that progesterone is highly fat soluble and once applied to your skin will store itself in your fat tissue. When one initially uses the cream, there aren't any problems as the fat stores are very low. But as time goes on, the cream accumulates and contributes to disruptions in your adrenal hormones such as DHEA, cortisol, and testosterone. I have learned that although progesterone cream is an enormously useful tool, it needs to be used very cautiously.

I found that many of the women who were on the cream have terribly elevated levels of this hormone. Progesterone is normally a cyclical hormone and the body really needs to see a change in the concentration to affect a proper physiological response. If the level is constantly above the concentration that it recognizes as "off" or low, this is not possible.

Fortunately, this is repairable. But it may involve going off the cream for as long as two years to wash the progesterone out of your system.

Best Way to Use Progesterone Cream

The key mistake that many well intentioned knowledgeable doctors, including myself made is to advise to use the cream on your skin. While this certainly provides better results than swallowing the hormones, it can still be improved.

There is a relatively minor tweak you can make with the creams which avoids nearly all of the side effects of applying the cream on your skin.

If you apply the cream to your mucous epithelial membranes that line your uterus and vagina you obtain a virtually ideal administration system. Not only is absorption through these membranes more complete than through your skin, but hormones absorbed through your vaginal membranes enter the very same pelvic plexus of veins that your ovaries normally empty into.

From here the hormones are carried to your heart and lungs and distributed to your tissues just as if your ovary had actually produced them.

Men also require hormones. Obviously men don't have a vagina to use but we do have a rectum that has a similar mucosal epithelial surface and can be used to administer the hormones in a near ideal fashion without any of the complications previously described.

Timing and Dose of Progesterone Cream

For most premenopausal women the usual dose is 15-24 mg/day for 14 days before expected menses, stopping the day or so before menses. So you would use the cream for twelve days and then stop. Typically this would mean you would start on day 12 of your cycle and stop on day 26.

The abrupt lowering of your progesterone level is the primary stimulus for your period to start. Hopefully when it starts any PMS and painful periods will be dramatically reduced.

When a women is in menopause she may only need 15 mg but taken for the first 25 days of the month, then take 5 or 6 days off and restart on the first of the month.

For most women a single daily application will work. However, because the half-life is relatively short, some women find that they get a more satisfactory response by splitting the daily dose in two, half in the morning and half in the evening. If you are only taking the hormones in the morning and begin to feel symptoms later in the day, splitting the dose in two should solve this problem. [...]

FWIW.