Hormone Replacement and Menopause

Menopause does not have to promise years of discomfort, mood swings or inevitable aging…

By Dr. Hennie Palm Integrative Health Specialist

I see many women who have symptoms of hormone deficiency, especially after menopause. The most common symptoms are recurring hot flushes especially at night. There are many more symptoms of hormone disturbance such as restless sleep, vaginal dryness, fatigue, brittle hair and nails… Let me not get ahead of myself.

Often when I suggest hormone balancing my female patients will respond by saying they do not want to supplement their hormones either because it is dangerous or that they have had a hysterectomy and therefore do not require progesterone.

While there is a significant amount of research that clearly indicates that supplementation with synthetic hormones carry some risk, there simply is not a single good quality study that indicates that hormone balancing with bio-identical hormones are associated with risks.

Bio-identical hormones simply mean that the molecular structure of the hormones that are being supplemented has the same structure as the hormones that your body naturally produces. Unfortunately synthetic chemicals that are used for hormone replacement have hormonal effects, but the molecules differ from those that your body produces naturally. The safer option is therefore to choose the bio-identical route.

So do women who have undergone a hysterectomy need progesterone replacement if they are deficient? It helps to understand what effects progesterone plays in the body: Here are a few

It balances estrogen
Has a positive effect on sleep
Helps to build bone
Helps prevent anxiety, irritability and mood swings
Helps with bladder function
Relaxes the smooth muscles in the gut so that your body can break down food into nutrients
Helps to prevent constipation

So clearly while progesterone has the function of triggering the development of a blood-rich lining in the uterus of younger women after ovulation; to prepare for a fertilized egg to adhere to the uterus and develop, the benefits go beyond the uterus.

What about estrogen? Does it only reduce hot flushes? No, estrogen has approximately four hundred functions in the body of which arguably the most important one is that it protects a woman’s brain. The following are some of its other functions

Acts as a natural calcium blocker to keep your arteries open and to improve circulation and protect you against heart disease
Aids in the formation of “brain hormones” such as serotonin, which decreases irritability, anxiety and pain sensitivity
Decreases (LDL) “bad” cholesterol
Decreases skin wrinkles
Decreases your risk of developing colon cancer
Helps maintain your memory and increases concentration
Increases metabolic rate and helps with fat loss
Maintains bone density

If you experience a decrease in any of the above, even before menopause; have your hormone checked and balanced the natural way.

Contact Dr. Hennie Palm for more information: Telephone: 076 891 3429