Menopause
By Vic Shayne, PhD

Menopause is a normal part of life, just like puberty. It is the time of a woman’s last period, but symptoms can begin several years before that. And these symptoms can last for months or years after. Some time around 40, a woman may notice that her period is different—how long it lasts, how much she bleeds, or how often it happens may not be the same. Or, without warning, she might find herself feeling very warm during the day or in the middle of the night. Changing levels of estrogen and progesterone, which are two female hormones made in the ovaries, might lead to these symptoms.

Adjunctive Nutritional Schedule
FemPlex: 4 tablets a day
GreenNutrients: 6 tablets per day
Evening Primrose Oil: 4 per day

For a more COMPLETE schedule, add:
BFood Complex: 6 tablets per day
Wheat Germ Oil: 2 capsules a day

With concern about osteoporosis, add
ProMin Complex: 6 tablets per day

With concern about heart problems, add
VasCor Complex: 3 per day

Perimenopause often begins several years before a woman’s last menstrual period. It lasts for 1 year after the last period, the point in time known as menopause. A full year without a period is needed before you can say you have been “through menopause.”
Postmenopause follows menopause and lasts the rest of a woman’s life.

Menopause happens any time from a woman’s 30s to her mid 50s or later. The average age is 51. Smoking and some types of surgery can bring on menopause. For example, removing the uterus (hysterectomy) before menopause will make periods stop, but the ovaries will still make hormones. That means you could still have symptoms of menopause like hot flashes when your ovaries start to make less estrogen. But, when both ovaries are also removed (oophorectomy), menopause symptoms can start right away, no matter what your age is, because your body has lost its main supply of estrogen.

Menopausal Symptoms
Women may have different signs or symptoms at menopause. That’s because estrogen is used by many parts of the body. So, changes in how much estrogen a woman has can cause assorted symptoms. But, that doesn’t mean an individual will have all, or even most, of them. In fact, some of the signs that happen around the time of menopause may really be a result of growing older, not changes in estrogen.
• Changes in your period (longer, shorter, amount of bleeding, etc.)
• Hot flashes may last a few years after menopause. Most hot flashes last between 30 seconds and 10 minutes.
• Problems with the vagina and bladder. Changing estrogen levels can cause your genital area to get drier and thinner. This could make sexual intercourse uncomfortable.
• Sex drive may increase or decrease.
• Sleep problems (insomnia, change in sleep patterns, etc.)
• Mood changes (moody, irritable, or depressed)
• Changes in your body (weight gain, muscle loss, thinning skin, joint problems, etc.)

Two common concerns for menopausal women are heart conditions and osteoporosis.

Sources: National Institutes of Health Menopausal Hormone Therapy Information
National Institute on Aging


Disclaimer
Always coordinate your health program with a qualified health care practitioner. The nutrients in each Adjunctive Nutritional Schedule are not meant to treat or cure disease, but rather to support health. The FDA has not evaluated any statements made herein. All products have been formulated based on sound scientific and medical research. No artificial ingredients are used.