23 Jul Survive & Thrive in Perimenopause
Photo by Uday Mittal on Unsplash
Do you find it difficult to deal with stress? Are you not sleeping? Are you blowing up at your kids? Has your sex drive completely disappeared? Are you getting warm for no reason at all? Do you feel increasing anxiety? Are your periods changing? If you answered yes to any of these questions and are over 35, you may be wondering if you’re in perimenopause.
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Scroll to the bottom to learn about my three-visit package for perimenopause.
It can be difficult to know if you’re in perimenopause.
It was for me! My sleep was awful and my anxiety was through the roof but I thought it was stress. I had undergone a bad break up and a move across the country. I even fell down some stairs! My period hadn’t changed and my doctor thought it was stress. So, I used every herb and supplement I knew of to treat stress.
Guess what? I didn’t get better. I felt like I was going crazy.
I needed natural, bioidentical progesterone, a form of hormone replacement therapy. When I started it, I wished I had earlier! Some perimenopausal women find relief with lifestyle changes, herbs, vitamins, and minerals but not all. I was one of those women who did not improve.
When I was younger, I had severe PMS, possibly undiagnosed PMDD. One of my naturopathic professors had said, “If you have severe PMS, take care of it now because it means your menopause is going to be really bad.” We didn’t use the word perimenopause back then but that’s what she was referring to. For me, progesterone cured all my PMS symptoms. Even though I continued to have mostly regular periods for 10 years, I never had PMS again. My sleep and anxiety improved.
It was then that I decided I was going to help other women going through perimenopause.
Despite the fact that we know so much more about perimenopause and menopause, most doctors don’t know how to treat it. They’re not to blame. They never learned about it in medical school. A few of my teachers talked about menopause (never perimenopause.) But there was a predominant attitude that menopause was a natural right of passage – that a woman had to suffer through it. There are still a lot of doctors who believe this. I call it misogynist, medical BS!
Fifteen years ago, I learned how to treat menopause with bioidentical hormones and other natural therapies. At the same time, I had the privilege to learn from some of the pioneers in treating perimenopause. Over the years, I have helped many women between the ages of 45 and 55 survive and thrive in perimenopause.
Every perimenopausal woman is unique.
Some have very heavy periods while others have very light periods. Some skip periods while others have regular or frequent periods. Some have hot flashes while others do not. Some can’t sleep while others sleep like babies. Some lose muscle mass while others do not. Some lose hair while others do not. Some have aching muscles and joints while others do not. Some gain weight while others do not. Some have horrible PMS like I did while others do not. A few have a very high sex drive…most do not!
Hormones change a lot in perimenopause – from normal to high to low.
Perimenopause is anything but consistent. The beginning of perimenopause is not going to be like mid perimenopause or late perimenopause. So, one cycle you may not have any PMS but the next, you do. You might skip a few periods and then have two in one month.
You need a doctor like myself who is very familiar with every symptom of perimenopause. A doctor that understands periemenopause’s relationship with other hormones in your body. With monitoring and targeted treatment, hormone balance is possible in perimenopause
Get perimenopausal relief now. You cannot only survive perimenopause, but you can thrive in perimenopause.
Book Your Complimentary Consult With Dr. Kimberly Brown
Ask Dr. Brown ND about our three appointments with labwork package. It’s a great way to start feeling better sooner rather than later.
Package Description:
At your first appointment, I listen and ask a lot of questions. We review comprehensive lab work and start treatment. The treatment may include bioidentical progesterone, testosterone, and estrogen, and/or herbal, nutraceuticals. Once you have started treatment, you can communicate with me via a private patient portal. We then follow up within 3 to 6 weeks to talk about how you’re feeling and to make any necessary changes. Will also decide at that time if we need to do more bloodwork. This depends upon how you’re feeling and what your initial bloodwork showed. Your third follow up will be between month three and six – earlier if we need to make adjustments and later, if you’re feeling well. Most of my patients then follow up every six months.
Dr. Kimberly Brown, ND, LAc
Naturopathic Doctor
(408) 357-3422
San Jose Integrative Medicine
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Dr. Kimberly Brown ND is a specialist in perimenopause. She has helped thousands of other women through perimenopause and beyond.
For more information and to discover how Dr. Kimberly Brown ND can help you, click here to schedule an appointment to find out how you can feel better.