Your Menopause, Your Way

Everyone from social media influencers, internet ads, wellness spas, and online medical care platforms are touting menopausal hormonal therapy or "hormonal optimization" as the panacea for midlife perimenopausal and menopausal women.  Hormones vacillate hourly if not more frequently and we base treatments on how someone feels not a lab number which can say it's normal, but women still can feel "crappy or not themselves". There is no true hormonal optimization, except maybe for those during infertility treatment but other than that, each woman is an individual with her own physiology, biochemistry and metabolism and needs to be cared for and treated and valued as such.
There are many ways to relieve hot flashes other than hormones. There are ways to preserve bone other than estrogen. There are ways to screen for cardiovascular disease and mitigate risk other than via hormone use. YOUR MENOPAUSE CARE NEEDS TO BE MANAGED YOUR WAY encompassing your preferences, values and lifestyle. Since the black box label was removed from all estrogens (and was only supposed to be removed from vaginal estrogen but the FDA wet a little too far) people with little knowledge base other than a weekend hormone course are touting estrogen as the answer to everything. Chiropractors, naturopaths, orthopedic surgeons, psychiatrists, are prescribing hormone replacement therapy who's correct name is now menopausal hormonal therapy. Understanding the side effects, family histories, bleeding complications and other disease risks are paramount in managing these women as they navigate through this time. These conversations are nuanced and highly complex. Women deserve to have their complaints, desires and preferences taken seriously which takes time. They don't deserve to be upsold supplements on which that clinician may make addition revenue. Women are intelligent. They need a navigating partner. They deserve someone well trained, board certified that understand good science/the hormonal studies, what comprises a good double blind randomized study (not extrapolating just the parts that serve someone’s purpose) can digest and present the information to women in a positive unbiased manner which they can understand. Only then can women choose powerfully, be empowered and do what's right for them based on their lifestyle, values and priorities. That doesn't happen in a traditional 15–20-minute visit. That sometimes isn't even enough time to review someone's medical history properly to identify personal and family risks and trends and discuss alternatives of treatments. 
Ladies, You are the master of your universe, health, body and well-being.  Be smart, be savvy, don't succumb to social media or peer pressure, Women are smart. They can figure things out for themselves. Find a clinician that gets you, that listens to you, that cares about you and your preferences. Find someone that will discuss adjuvant treatments and interventions in addition to or besides hormones. We have a huge tool, box to keep you healthy. Know all your options. Come prepared to your appointments with questions and know the qualifications of the person that is providing your care. That's your right and I hope you would want to know. It's your menopause. Do it your way. Know ALL your options including benefits and risks to figure out your WHY. Make the right decisions for you. That said, these things take time and accessibility and great communication with your clinician. We provide all that and then more!! Please give us a call today and understand how we want to help make you a wise woman, holistically, meaning physically, emotionally and spiritually to live your best and last 1/3rd of your life (if lucky enough to live that long,) well, happy, vibrant and thriving. Your life may depend on it!! Namaste and blessings to all.