Doctor’s Notes
Dr. Lindsay Jones, ND
Ayurvedic Medicine for Menopause
ment – is a normal and natural transition. In general, menopause begins around age 50 and in the United States women will live ap- proximately 30 years beyond this phase. This is an important time for women to focus on their health, as estrogen deficiency is linked to many symptoms and diseases. Using a combination of Ayurveda and naturopathic medicine to support a woman’s body through this phase is a powerful way to promote hormonal balance and ease meno- pausal concerns.
M
The Physiology of Menopause The age of menopause is unaffected
by race, socioeconomic status, age of your first menses, or number of prior ovulations, and appears to be genetically determined. Women who experience early menopause
enopause – the time in a woman’s life when her ovaries cease produc- tion of estrogen and go into retire-
have had a history of smoking, hysterectomy, toxic exposure, chromosomal abnormal- ity, autoimmune disorder, chemotherapy, or radiation. At the level of the ovary, there is a depletion of ovarian follicles that becomes more resistant to stimulation from the follicle stimulating hormone (FSH). Ovulation be- comes irregular, and finally ceases altogeth- er. Once the ovary no longer responds like it has previously, progesterone also ceases. Fortunately, not all sex hormones are completely gone at this point. Fifty percent of testosterone comes from ovaries and ad- renal glands and the other 50% comes from the liver, the skin, and the brain. The adrenal glands also produce, androstenedione, which converts to estrogen in the body fat and other tissues in the body. For some women, this may be enough estrogen to help with an easier transition. Since the adrenal glands are a primary source of sex hormones after menopause, those who have poor adre- nal function caused by chronic stress, lack of exercise, poor sleep and excess caffeine may experience more severe symptoms.
Principle Health Concerns Changes with menopause can be
mild, moderate or severe. The most com- mon symptoms women experience are hot flashes, night sweats, sleep disturbances and vaginal dryness; these are also the primary reasons most women visit the doctor. Other symptoms include weight gain, fatigue, headaches, muscle or joint pain, urinary incontinence, bladder infections, depres- sion, and/or anxiety, memory changes and changes in sexual function. Other major health concerns include osteoporosis, cardiovascular disease, breast cancer, and Alzheimer’s disease. These conditions can dramatically change one’s life and are an important reason to seek the help from a naturopathic physician to help in the preven- tion or slowing down of progression.
40 Natural Nutmeg February 2012 Testing for Menopause There is no test for menopause, which
may seem surprising with all of the medical advances that have taken place. The main basis for diagnosis is based on a patient’s medical history and clinical presentation. Testing to differentiate and rule out other possible hormonal imbalances may occur, but for menopause there is no actual test. Although, testing FSH can help infer that menopause has been established if it is above 30 mIU/mL, this test is not that ac- curate because FSH can fluctuate and is dif- ficult to measure in women using hormonal contraceptives or hormonal replacement therapy (HRT).
The HRT and BHRT (Bio-identical hormone replacement therapy) Debate
The Women’s Health Initiative (WHI)
was a long-term national health study that focused on strategies to prevent heart disease, breast and colorectal cancer and fracture in postmenopausal women. The WHI was a 15-year project that resulted in some of the most definitive and far-reaching research for women’s health ever done in the U.S. Women who participated in one of the trials were put on a hormone replacement therapy (HRT) called Prempro or were given a placebo. The trial ended early because researchers found that subjects on Prempro had a greater incidence of coronary heart disease, breast cancer, stroke, pulmonary embolism compared to those receiving a placebo. Due to the results of this trial, HRT is no longer the recommended therapy for menopausal symptoms. There is still concern over the use of bioidentical hormones, which include progesterone, estradiol and estriol. Special concern is with the safety of bioidenti-
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