The Menopause: from completely non-existent to impacting your everyday life.
Are you experiencing insomnia, hot flashes, and major mood swings?
Ahhh the Menopause. You may barely notice the symptoms, but the reality, for some women, is that the symptoms can be quite severe impacting their home life and work life. Did you know, those are not the only symptoms that might show up out of the blue (and your doctor may not take them seriously!) Heart palpitations, anxiety, creepy crawly feeling on your skin and brain fog are some to note. It’s not you.
The good news?
With a healthy lifestyle you can make a difference!
But are you ready to make that change?
Menopause is not a disease!
The Menopause is a natural process starting at around 34 where our hormones start to decrease slightly and get more intense as we get closer to 45 and 50 years old. Medically, the word menopause is defined as not having had your period for 12 months, so you only know you’ve gone through it after the fact. On average, it happens around age 51.
Did you know, the menopause process lasts about four to eight years? And some women, who are already through the change, may still have symptoms like hot flashes for many years after.
The Menopause is not just a physical process.
It is a physical and mental, emotional, and spiritual journey. I did not expect the thoughts and questions that popped into my head as well as the grieving of old dreams not realized. And at the same time, certain freedoms started to pop up that I didn’t know was possible.
Think about what is typically happening in a 50-year-old woman’s life.
· Middle age can be a time of upheaval.
· The children are becoming more independent or maybe even move out.
· Some women realize that they may not be able to have children of their own.
· Aging parents need more support or daily care.
· A surprise change in jobs can create stress and unpredictable feelings towards the future.
· Our sex life may also start to shift and change in ways we didn’t expect.
· We start to become aware of our body aging.
Everyone is different.
Each person experiences the Menopause in their own way. Some see the menopause as a great opportunity to go deep on who they are. It is a time to let go of old goals that no longer serve us, time to discover new passions, assess our relationships, and maybe it’s time to look at our professional goals and go for something new.
Remember, the Menopause is not an illness, it is just like puberty or pregnancy - a phase of life.
With this knowledge, take a deep breath and think about how to shift the doom and gloom of hot flashes, night sweats, and brain fog towards something NEW and possibly GREAT for you.
With a shift in thinking, a balanced diet, exercise and a bit of mindfulness, women can do a lot to support their body and their mental/emotional well-being.
Mental Health through the Menopause
Most of the time, people think only about their periods going away, but the truth is, the hormonal changes can throw our mental wellbeing off balance. Most women tell us about mood swings, sleep issues, irritability, anxiety, unexpected fears, and a loss in sexual desire.
Getting support is important when this happens. The highest suicide rate for women is when they are between 45 and 64 years of age. We need to take this seriously, especially when it can be prevented. AND TAKING ANTIDEPRESSANTS MAY NOT BE THE ANSWER.
Herbal Supplements or Hormone Replacement Therapy?
No matter if you choose a natural therapy approach, hormone replacement therapy or treatment with bioidentical hormones, the appropriate form of treatment depends heavily on the individual suffering and if they’ve had any previous health conditions.
It is important to see your gynecologist for a thorough examination and risk assessment, as some believe that hormone replacement therapies may create cancer in the body, but this depends on your current health status and genetic predisposition.
1. Natural Remedies
There are natural remedies that are known to manage minor menopausal symptoms. They are referred to as phytopharmaceuticals, meaning they are plant derived and can have an effect on the body similar to medicines. Here are a few:
o Chasteberry can help regulate hormone levels that are out of balance.
o Black cohosh has been proven to be effective as a medicinal plant against hot flashes, sweating and insomnia because of its estrogen-like effect.
o St. John's wort can help with insomnia - this herbal antidepressant may also relieve inner restlessness and anxiety.
If you are in Basel, Switzerland, I would recommend visiting a pharmacy that is known to have these natural remedies and offers professional advice on what to take, how and when. The two I have worked with before are Saner Apotheke and Wettstein Apotheke. This way you can look at you as a whole person in conjunction with any other medications of conditions you may have before exploring a new remedy.
2. Hormone Replacement Therapy
For women with very severe symptoms, hormone replacement therapy (HRT) may be the right solution. Hormones for HRT are formulated in the laboratory so that their structure is similar to the body's own hormones.
There are tablets, patches, gels, spray, and creams depending on where you experience the symptoms most. I am currently using an estrogen cream inside the vagina to send the estrogen directly to the tissues impacted.
With HRT it is sometimes difficult to get the right amount of hormone or dosage into the body because the hormones are fluctuating so much. So, you will need patience as you explore different dosages and allow the body to adjust or adapt to the added hormones.
3. Bioidentical or Nature-identical Hormones.
Bioidentical hormones are made from plants such as yams and soy. Their chemical structural formula is similar to the structure of our body's own hormones. Bioidentical Hormones come in pills, patches, creams, gels, and injections.
Some people feel they are better as they come from natural vs. synthetic sources, but most of these products are not regulated or researched and still have side effects. If you are in Switzerland, look for products that are authorized by SwissMedic and please work with a qualified specialist, doctor, or pharmacy to decide on the appropriate product and dosage for your unique situation.
Common Symptoms of the Menopause
Hot flashes
Night sweats
Sleep disturbances
Mood swings including massive rage!
Depressive and low moods
Overwhelm
Brain fog
Irritability
Anxiety
Muscle and joint pain
Weight gain
Creepy crawling sensation on your skin
Sudden minor allergies against foods that were previously okay
Sensitive to sounds
How to ease menopausal symptoms with lifestyle:
1. Move
Regular and gentle exercise can increase your well-being
Focus on sports that are fun
Exercise in the fresh air as often as possible. This makes the body less prone to hot flashes.
2. Digest Your Thoughts
Meditation
Journal
Create, paint, write, build
3. Improve Your Nutrition
Eat more foods know as brain food (fatty fish, berries, nuts, seeds…)
Add in more spices, like turmeric,
Stay hydrated!
Balance alcohol
Consider your relationship with caffeinated drinks like coffee, tea, green tea as they may trigger hot flashes and insomnia.
Avoid eating large meals late at night to avoid night sweats.
4. Regulate Body Temperature
Avoid going in and out of extreme temperatures.
Take cool showers and warm-cold footbaths can help against hot flashes.
Keep a window open for fresh air and cool.
Learn breathing techniques that can cool you down.
5. Rest
I know you don’t want to hear this one as we are productivity queens, but as our body goes through this transition, it needs rest to do what it needs to do.
Just like teenagers sleep and nap constantly, as their body shifts and adapts to the hormones, we need time and space to do the same.
Our body is making less hormones from the ovaries and creating them in other places like our adrenal glands.
6. Stress Less
You have no idea how stress makes the menopause that much worse.
Take a morning off to identify what is stressing you and either how to reduce that stress or find healthy ways to cope.
How do insurance companies support me through the menopause in Switzerland?
One way to support yourself through the menopause is to purchase supplementary insurance as it allows more exploration in different types of healers, therapies, and other solutions beyond your normal general practitioner.
I belong to SWICA and appreciate getting support with mental health therapy, physiotherapy, and acupuncture to take care of my insomnia and anxiety as a part of my supplemental insurance. My basic insurance covers everything to do with gynecology and testing every year, though I have not tried HRT with pills just yet, I do not know what is covered there. Talk with your insurance to see what’s available to you.
Your next steps.
Take a deep breath and step away.
Go for a walk and then see what your next best step is forward.
If you have any questions, or thoughts about the Menopause, let me know here.
Cheers, Vanessa
