Early Menopause: Preparation and Management

As the prevalence of early Menopause (Perimenopause) rises, with some women beginning to notice changes as early as their mid to late thirties (1), it is important for women to understand early on what is happening to the body and how to look after ourselves during the transition into this new life phase.

Perimenopause is the season leading up to menopause it is during this time that both female sex hormones, oestrogen and progesterone, fluctuate the most. The arrival of your forties does not mean a decline in oestrogen. Perimenopause is a time of ‘oestrogen on a roller-coaster’ when you can, at times, have more oestrogen than ever before. It is during perimenopause, the 2 to 12 years before menopause, that you are most likely to experience “menopausal” symptoms due to those vast hormonal fluctuations.

Some more common perimenopausal symptoms include;

• Hot flushes
• Night sweats
• Mood changes
• Low energy
• Weight gain
• Insomnia
• Low libido
• Brain fog
• Vaginal dryness
• Headaches (3)

There are three areas that I will focus on when relieving perimenopausal and menopausal symptoms whilst providing support for this phase of life.

These are:

1. The destabilisation of the hypothalamus-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis
2. Hormonal imbalance
3. Impaired detoxification pathways

Your individualised treatment plan will focus on supporting these three key areas along with any other complaints or symptoms that that presented. HPA axis dysfunction or destabilisation means that there is impaired communication between your hypothalamus, pituitary and adrenal glands. HPA axis dysregulation is primarily caused by stress and the release of cortisol.

Therefore, it is highly likely that the more stressed you are, the more menopausal symptoms you will experience. Other factors that impair HPA axis function include sleep deprivation, undereating, nutrient deficiencies and illness. Both oestrogen and progesterone stabilise HPA axis function, which is why therapeutic support for hormone modulation is indicated (4). Magnesium, taurine, Withania and Rehmannia are powerful stress relievers that stabilise the HPA axis (5).

Metagenics O-Lift manages perimenopausal and menopausal symptoms, including hot flushes with perspiration, anxiety, and lower back pain. It contains herbs that modulate female hormone production whilst stabilising the function of the HPA axis.

Liver care and detoxification support are also indicated during perimenopause, as sex hormones are primarily metabolised via the liver. It is also important to note that a monthly period is a form of detoxification. The cessation of this period encourages your body to detox via other means, such as sweating and hot flushes.

This is why all of my treatment plans for perimenopause and menopause will place special emphasis on liver support and ensuring that the liver and its numerous detoxification pathways are functioning optimally (6). I often prescribe St Mary’s Thistle, Rosemary or vitamin C to support detoxification pathways and reduce perimenopausal and menopausal symptoms.

Naturopathy encourages the body’s innate healing power with the use of herbal medicine, nutritional supplements, mineral therapy, dietary changes, and education.

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