that take place in the second half of the menstrual cycle. This makes it much easier to see how PMS might fit in with some women’s perimenopausal experience.
Some doctors may argue that the most successful treatments for PMS include those that effectively switch off the ovaries, blocking the menstrual cycle, but that’s not what Mother Nature intended. Estrogen implants work amazingly well. But sadly, the benefit may not last, since the body adjusts to a new hormonal balance and the natural cycle re-imposes itself.
Our experience at the NHAS and evidence from other research show that PMS symptoms are often related to nutritional deficiencies, which can literally change the lenses through which we see the world. Billions of women around the world suffer nutritional deficiencies, even in wealthy regions. Symptoms can be reduced by improvements in diet, the use of certain nutritional supplements, and exercise. These changes can all influence female hormone function, the chemistry of the nervous system, general well-being, and physical fitness in a more gentle and effective way than hormonal treatment.
A study carried out by the NHAS looked at the relationship between previous PMS symptoms and current menopausal symptoms. We found some continuity between cognitive and emotional symptoms — such as anxiety, depression, confusion, and insomnia. However, there was little or no continuity of physical symptoms, such as hot flashes and night sweats. This lack of correlation suggests that menopause symptoms caused mainly by estrogen withdrawal are not greatly influenced by a history of PMS. Diet and lifestyle seem to make a big difference to many women’s PMS symptoms, which is good news if you are going through mood changes at the time of menopause.
Early Menopause
About 1 percent of women experience menopause before the age of forty. This is known as premature menopause or premature ovarian failure (POF). You are more likely to have a premature menopause if
• Your ovaries are removed by surgery (oophorectomy), which sometimes happens with a hysterectomy if your ovaries are abnormal, or may be done to prevent the spread of endometriosis or ovarian or endometrial cancer.
• You have radiotherapy or chemotherapy for treatment of leukemia or cancer.
• You have a family history of early menopause or a chromosomal defect.
• You smoke. (Research shows that heavy smokers tend to reach menopause up to two years earlier than nonsmokers.)
• You had your last child before you were twenty-eight.
• You have never had children.
• You are short or underweight.
• Your diet is poor.
Have You Reached Menopause? Testing Your Hormone Levels
If your periods start to become erratic, or you haven’t had a period for several months, you could be at the start of menopause. One way to find out is by measuring your level of follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH).
Before menopause, the normal range for FSH levels is up to eight units per liter (or mIU/mL, milliunits per milliliter). As you go into menopause, your levels of FSH may go as high as 100 units per liter. According to the North American Menopause Society, if a woman’s FSH blood level is consistently 30 units per liter or higher and she has not had a period for a year, it’s a sign that she has reached menopause. It usually remains at a high level for two years, or until your brain gets the message that your ovaries are no longer producing estrogen. At this point, FSH drops back to premenopausal levels.
Home kits for testing FSH levels in urine are available and can be ordered online. However, if you are still getting periods, your FSH levels will vary at different points in your cycle. For this reason, you will need to do the menopause home test twice, one week apart. If your FSH levels are high on only one of the tests, then it’s likely that you haven’t reached menopause. If both tests show a high reading, they confirm that you have arrived!
Midlife Switch
Fluctuating hormone levels may not be the only trigger of menopausal symptoms. Cumulative dietary and lifestyle factors can also play a significant part. Pregnancy and breastfeeding, as well as nutritional imbalances resulting from years of dieting, poor eating habits, or malabsorption, often leave us in a nutritionally depleted state as we reach midlife.
Menopause also tends to hit most of us at a psychological turning point, when natural fears about aging and the future start weighing on our minds. In addition, it’s a time of life that often brings other challenges, such as the ups and downs of life with teenage children, caring for elderly relatives, relationship changes, trying to keep your career on track, or perhaps working outside the home for the first time in years. If, on top of all this, you have menopause to deal with, it’s not surprising if you feel below par. The recent COVID-19 pandemic has placed even greater stresses and strains upon us.
Despite all the changes, it’s important to keep things in perspective. Menopause needn’t be the end of life as you once knew it; rather it marks the beginning of a new phase that can be just as exciting and rewarding as your earlier years. There’s a lot you can do to make this transition smoother.
The Symptoms
Menopausal symptoms can be divided into three main groups:
1.Estrogen withdrawal symptoms
• Hot flashes
• Night sweats
• Urinary incontinence
• Recurring urinary tract infections
• Loss of libido
• Vaginal dryness
• Painful sexual intercourse
2.Other physical symptoms
• Aches and pains
• Migraines and headaches
• Fatigue
• Constipation
• Irritable bowel syndrome
3.Mental symptoms
• Anxiety and panic attacks
• Irritability
• Mood swings
• Depression
• Confusion
• Memory problems
What You Can Do
In recent years, by far the most popular treatment for menopausal symptoms has been hormone replacement therapy. However, studies connecting HRT with an increased risk of breast cancer and heart disease have seen this therapy fall from grace. Many women have tried to come off HRT and find an alternative for controlling their symptoms. Fortunately, you can overcome menopausal symptoms, as well as protect yourself against heart disease and osteoporosis in the longer term, without taking hormones.
I really never thought I would find the old me again, but I am so relieved and grateful that I have. I can think clearly now, work in my usual efficient way, and be there for my family with energy and enthusiasm rather than hiding my overwhelmed self away.
— Gail Torr
Our latest audit of one hundred women on the 5-month NHAS Natural Menopause Program found that over 91 percent weaned themselves off HRT without any significant adverse effects. In addition, 66 percent of these women were completely or almost completely free of menopause symptoms within five and a half months of starting the program. A further 22 percent experienced some improvement in symptoms. The non-HRT users in particular experienced a dramatic reduction in the severity of their symptoms, with most going from severe to only mild symptoms. More than half the women also said their home life had improved and they were more productive at work.
A wealth of published research shows that natural approaches, including using isoflavones (Mother Nature’s estrogen), taking herbs like maca and St. John’s