Basic Facts

Oh, holy smokes, menopause. Let’s dive in.

First of all, I am not a doctor. You should talk to yours about all the things menopause. But if your doctor is like my doctor you have not had meaningful conversations about menopause. Not until I found an OBGYN doctor. I had never had an OBGYN doctor until I sought relief from what I thought was menopause. And If you’re like me you still have questions and a lot to learn. Let’s talk about it.

I did not learn about menopause (or perimenopause) until I started feeling its effects. I did not know the most basic facts, such as when to expect it or what to expect its effects would be on my body and mind. Not a whisper from my mom or grandmothers, nothing from my friends. If that’s you, too, feeling uninformed, here are some facts.

Perimenopause starts, on average, between 35 – 45 years of age and results in fluctuating and decreasing levels of estrogen that can last 10 years. That’s the average age so it could start earlier than age 35.

If you are over the age of 45 and haven’t had a period in a year you are in menopause. The average age of starting menopause is 51, and could occur anytime between the ages of 45 and 55.

Did you know some of the symptoms of menopause (and peri-menopause) include:

• Hot flashes
• Fatigue
• Thinning hair and hair loss
• Night sweats
• Dry mouth
• Tinnitus and hearing loss
• Insomnia
• Bloating
• Weight gain around abdomen
• Chest pain with exertion
• Joint pain
• Vaginal dryness
• Pain with intercourse
• Mood swings
• Brain fog
• Muscle pain
• Dry eyes
• Palpitations
• Vaginal discharge
• Urinary tract infections
• Swelling of the hands and feet
• Depression
• Difficulty concentrating
• Breast tenderness
• Dry skin
• Lower level of sexual desire 
• Urinary incontinence
• Anxiety
• Vertigo
• Frozen shoulder
• Increase risk of heart disease
• Increased risk of autoimmune disease
• Increased inflammation

This list of symptoms is gathered from the Instagram account of Dr. Mary Claire Haver, MD FACOG CCMS, who is a board-certified OBGYN specializing in the care of peri-menopausal and menopausal women. She is passionate about the symptoms and fixes and I have learned so much from her. 

Here is a partial list of things she thinks will lessen some symptoms from her website:

1. Nutrition sources should be anti-inflammatory, whole foods with an emphasis on meeting daily minimum requirements for Vitamin D, Fiber, Omega-3 fatty acids and Magnesium
2. Make sure you’re getting the cardiovascular and strength training exercise you need for the feel-good hormone release and anti-inflammatory benefits
3. Ease into experimenting and eating in an 8 hour window of your day, fasting for 16 hours per day for the disease-fighting results that also fight inflammation and disease, according to your personal needs and responses. Some people do 12 hours each, instead. Baby steps are best and the number of hours vary for each woman.
4. Get better and longer sleep using serious sleep hygiene practices: expose yourself to morning sun upon waking, set nightly bedtime and wake time for 7 – 9+ hours, dim lights before bed, practice a calming bedtime routine with soothing self-care habits and no screens, keep temperature low 65 degrees F, use blackout covers for windows, use sound machines to help with noise
5. Consider hormone replacement therapy (HRT) with your doctor

I did use HRT for a while when I was going through peri-menopause and menopause in my mid-50s. I had to find an experienced OBGYN willing to help me. And it did help with my symptoms of night sweats and hot flashes. At the time I was not educated about the long list of symptoms and the ways, besides HRT, that I could benefit from changes to my diet and exercise habits.  We have come far with experts available to us online! I’m so grateful. And I am thinking about going back to HRT after I find another doctor to work with.

I recently ordered her book and I’m eager to learn more!

Do you have a story about menopause? Did your mother or grandmothers ever tell you about it? Does your doctor help? I’d love to hear from you.

LINKS:
Dr. Mary Claire Haver