Menopause is the transition out of your childbearing years. It technically begins after you’ve gone 12 months without having a period, but many women start to experience symptoms years before that point. The most common age for menopause to begin is between 45-55. The process usually lasts around seven years, but for some women, menopause symptoms linger far longer. The years leading up to full menopause are called perimenopause, and could also present symptoms.

Menopause is different for every woman, and your experience will be unique. There are many different signs and symptoms that menopause is underway. Some things to keep an eye out for include:

• Hot flashes Night sweats
• Sleep disruptions
• Mood swings
• Racing heartbeat
• Depression or anxiety
• Headaches Joint aches or muscle pain
• Irregular bleeding
• Vaginal dryness
• Bladder control problems

This is a simple question with a complex answer. Some women move through menopause with relative ease and don’t find their symptoms to be especially disruptive. However, if symptoms begin to disrupt your normal daily activities, it may be time to seek treatment at The Miami Institute for Women’s Health. There is no need to live with the discomfort or inconvenience of menopause symptoms when there are safe and effective treatments that can help. What are some treatments for menopause?

The primary treatment for menopause is hormone replacement therapy (HRT). This approach involves adding supplemental hormones to help you achieve optimal hormonal balance by replenishing estrogen your body is no longer producing. At The Miami Institute for Women’s Health, Dr. Aldabbagh uses bioidentical hormones for hormone replacement therapy. These hormones, while synthetic, are from plant sources. Certain non-bioidentical synthetic hormones are from the urine of pregnant horses. Bioidentical hormones share the same molecular structure as your natural hormones, and your body cannot distinguish between the hormones you produce and those that are supplemental. In some cases, you can treat specific symptoms of menopause without hormone replacement therapy. For example, if your primary complaint is anxiety or depression, some medications can help you during the menopause process.

Bioidentical hormone replacement therapy (HRT) is a safe, effective way to restore your natural hormone levels. Bioidentical hormones share the same structure as the hormones your body produces, which means you get the health benefits with little risk of side effects.
By comparison, synthetic hormones are similar to your body’s hormones, but they’re different enough to potentially cause serious side effects in some women.

You may need bioidentical hormone replacement therapy when any problem lowers your body’s production of estrogen and/or testosterone. Women need a small but steady amount of testosterone to support healthy bones and muscles and regulate their menstrual periods.
In addition to supporting your reproductive health, estrogen regulates many body systems. For example, it strengthens bones and keeps your skin strong and resilient.
These hormones naturally decline as you age. Their levels also drop as a result of eating disorders, genetic conditions, autoimmune diseases, pituitary gland disease, and cancer treatments.
However, most women seek bioidentical HRT during menopause.

In the years before menopause (perimenopause), levels of both hormones fluctuate. Menopause begins when your ovaries stop producing hormones, leading to problems such as:

• Hot flashes and night sweats
• Mood swings
• Vaginal dryness
• Loss of sex drive
• Pain during intercourse
• Urinary incontinence
• Memory problems
• Dry skin
• Hair loss
• Insomnia
• Weight gain
• Depression

Bioidentical HRT eliminates these symptoms and helps prevent problems like dry skin and osteoporosis.

The curriculum in medical school traditionally has been limited to Western medicine with a focus on treating disease.
Regenerative or integrative medicine focuses on supporting the body’s natural healing ability using natural or bioidentical supplements in an effort to prevent disease BEFORE rather than treat disease AFTER it has affected the body. Natural or bioidentical supplements are used rather than artificial pharmaceutical medications for this purpose. This is a new topic for doctors, and many do not even know it exists because they did not learn about it in medical school.

At Trusted Women’s Health Center, Dr. Aldabbagh offers bioidentical hormone replacement therapy. Bioidentical testesterone customizes your hormone therapy to meet your individual needs and then places the hormones in a small, rice-size pellet.
Dr. Aldabbagh implants the pellet under your skin, where it continuously releases the hormones needed to restore balance to your body. The steady supply may support your health better than the fluctuating hormone levels delivered by pills, injections, and other forms.
Pellet therapy is incredibly convenient because it lasts 3-6 months. Then, you only need to have another pellet implanted.
Dr. Aldabbagh also practices holistic care, supporting your hormone health with supplements such as DIM (diindolylmethane), ADK (vitamins A, D, and K), vitamin B12, and omega-3 fatty acids.

The scary reports you hear are related to SYNTHETIC, ARTIFICIALLY produced hormones that suppress symptoms and do not replenish the deficient endocrine organs. Bioidentical estrogen supplements DO NOT CAUSE BREAST CANCER, but they also do not PREVENT BREAST CANCER.
When Trusted Women’s Health Center balances their patients, they minimize the estrogen dosing to respect the health and vitality of the breasts. Many patients choose to receive testosterone pellets and self-administer bioidentical estrogen via a pill, patch, or cream. It is still important to continue your scheduled mammograms and physical exams and perform your monthly breast self-examinations.

This is THE METHOD of supplementation you should seek to help you manage the hot flashes, night sweats, and other menopausal symptoms of estrogen deficiency. Since Trusted Women’s Health Center treats each patient individually, they consider your family history as they balance you.

Trusted Women’s Health Center has patients who cannot or choose not to take estrogen for many reasons. These patients can safely receive testosterone pellets, which really alleviate most symptoms. Estrogen, if or when desired, can be administered in a more controlled bioidentical form like a patch, cream, vaginal ring, or pill.

Testosterone is primarily a male hormone, yet ladies do need ONE-TENTH of what a man requires to feel optimal. This one-tenth is the SECRET SAUCE that you have been missing. With this small dose, you will receive all the magic without the masculine appearance.
Call Trusted Women’s Health Center or request an appointment online today if you’re ready to eliminate menopause symptoms and restore your vitality and health.