Perimenopause

During perimenopause—the transition from reproductive years to menopause—women can experience irregularities in their menses, as well as hormonal fluctuations that may cause a variety of physical and psychological disturbances.

You can think of perimenopause as the mirror image of adolescence, which is the beginning of the reproductive years, whereas perimenopause is the end of the reproductive years. Women can begin to have menstrual irregularities such as shorter cycles, longer cycles, heavier or lighter menses. If a bleeding pattern is abnormal, then a woman should consult with her gynecologist for an evaluation. She may be in perimenopause. The average time frame of perimenopause is 2 to 8 years.

The occurrence of tremendous fluctuations in estrogen, progesterone and testosterone (sex hormones) lead to a multitude of physical and psychological symptoms such as hot flashes, flushes, night sweats (vasomotor symptoms), breast tenderness, mood swings, headaches, difficulty with concentration, sexual function issues and sleep disturbances.

This a perfect time for a woman to seek guidance with her internist or Zen Medical Care to honestly evaluate her life style (diet, nutrition, exercise, and over all self-care) in order to prevent chronic disease and to enter midlife in the best state of health she can achieve. If a woman is still having her menses and has significant symptoms, she may want to consider using bioidentical hormones (estradiol and progesterone). Contact us to see if this is a good option for you. No woman should suffer during this transition.

Glowing Testimonials

“I recommended Dr. Enzenbacher to one of my clients who is in her late forties and in perimenopause. Dr. Enzenbacher has helped her tremendously with her peri-menopausal symptoms. She had been experiencing mood swings and a reduced libido prior to starting the hormones Dr. Enzenbacher prescribed. Her symptoms have subsided significantly over the last year of taking hormones. She does not have mood swings and sleeps well, her sex drive is back to normal and cramping and other pre- menstrual symptoms are much more manageable.”

Michelle W., Patient | Read More →