It seems like every other day there’s a new study touting the benefits of hormone replacement therapy (HRT) for women in perimenopause. If you’re suffering from hot flashes, night sweats, and other symptoms of hormonal imbalance, HRT may seem like the answer. But before you run to your doctor and ask for a prescription, make sure you’re aware of the risks associated with HRT. In this post, we’ll dispel some of the myths about HRT and tell you what you need to know before deciding whether or not to take it.
Replacing hormones? 🤔
Many symptoms come up at this time in a woman’s life. I know this for sure because I’m in this age group personally. I can feel some of these changes happening. Also, I work with women all the time and I see them suffering from hormone imbalance symptoms.
I find one of the most common things that women try using some form of hormone replacement therapy. These women may or may not be in the transitional time into menopause yet. But regardless of that, many women will try using them still. Most of them will either try HRT or some other way that alters their hormones to help them feel better.
Very commonly, women are having these symptoms
- Brain fog
- Low energy
- Weight gain
- Insomnia
- Hot flashes
- Low or changing libido
Some, if not all, of these things, are not going to be fixed by just working on your hormone balance. You might need to do something else to fix these problems.
It’s not all about just the hormones
Having dealt with this on a day-to-day basis in my over 20 years of practice as a functional health practitioner, I don’t typically recommend that hormones are the first thing you do to help your body get back into balance and to start resolving some of those symptoms.
When I get on a call with women, they relay that these hormone replacement options are often brought to the table. They have been told. “Let’s look at your hormone levels to see what is out of balance. Then maybe we can top up what’s low and from there, we may see if we can get you feeling better.” It is somehow described as “the magic” way to get you feeling restored.
Working with women who have tried this as well as having tried it myself before being a functional practitioner, eventually, I understood that you really can’t get the balance back in your hormones by just using hormones alone. It’s because hormones are never just the reasons why you have imbalance symptoms.
This is a time in your life when your hormones are changing a lot. It’s important to do things, such as basic lifestyle techniques, that will help you keep your hormone levels in balance. You should do this not only now, but for the years to come. Many women think that their symptoms will have gone away by the time they reach menopause. The truth is, often if the symptoms have not been managed correctly, they might get worse during menopause.
Mind your gut and immune system
The symptoms don’t just magically go away by the time you transition into menopause. Therefore, we need to start figuring out what the solution is for you both now and in the long term. Time and time again, I figured that the most common imbalances are the ones found in our gut and our immune system.
Many things can affect your health. You may feel like you have a healthy lifestyle, eat fairly well, and exercise when you can. But if your symptoms are still getting worse, it might be something else that is causing them. As you get older, your hormones change and that means you need to do more than what you have been doing to stay healthy. It’s not something we can avoid, unfortunately.
What’s fortunate is, that there is always someone who knows that we need to study the problem more deeply. We can’t just fix the surface. We need to figure out why the hormones aren’t working right. This will require doing lab tests so we can understand better what is happening. Your hormones might be changing, but that doesn’t mean you have to be very symptomatic. You might only feel this way if the systems that allow your hormones to stay balanced and working are not working right.
Almost 80% of our immune system lives in our gut. This is why we need to do tests to figure out what is happening in our gut. We can use this information to create a plan customized for you to restore balance. This takes some detailed analysis, so you will need to work with a practitioner who specializes in functional medicine to see the bigger picture.
Some people on my Facebook group are talking about using DHEA or progesterone replacement supplements. They are looking for a solution to their problems. However, I have seen that in most cases, these supplements don’t work. They might give you some relief for a short time, but the symptoms will come back.
Sometimes most women do not feel as bad when they have hormone problems, but they still feel the symptoms because the real problem has not been fixed. Adding hormones, if they are not being processed properly in the gut, will not make you feel better. You need to fix the immune system as well so that it can help process the hormones correctly. If we do not do this, you will never feel well again.
HRT may not be the end solution after all.
Hormone-replacement therapy (HRT) is commonly prescribed to alleviate the symptoms of menopause, but it may not be the panacea it is cracked up toon the be. While HRT can provide relief from hot flashes and night sweats, it also comes with a host of potential side effects, including an increased risk of heart disease, stroke, and breast cancer. Hormonal balance, on the other hand, is crucial for overall health and well-being. When our hormones are in harmony, we feel more balanced emotionally and physically. We have more energy and focus, and our moods are more stable. Our sex drive is also better when our hormones are balanced. Plus, maintaining a healthy weight becomes easier when our hormones are balanced.
If you are having trouble with your hormones, you might want to try hormone replacement therapy. But know that this might not be the best solution for you. I help women get their hormones back in balance without using hormone replacement therapy all the time. Most of the time, this works better and they don’t need to use hormone replacement therapy later on.
So, while hormone replacement therapy might seem like the answer to all your problems, it’s not that simple. You have to think about all of the different hormones in your body and how they work together to keep you healthy. If you want to try HRT, make sure you work with a doctor who understands all of these things and can help you find the best solution for your unique situation. Don’t forget to also focus on your gut health and immune system; both are essential for keeping you feeling your best. Are you ready to start feeling better? Schedule a free discovery call with us today! We can help get you started on the path to better health.
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DISCLAIMER: The information in this email is not intended nor implied to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. All content is for general informational purposes only and does not replace a consultation with your own doctor/health professional
