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If you can identify with these patient complaints and are even thinking, "That's me, how did you know this ? all of this"? Well, these are just some of the signs of peri-menopause ( which is the time just before the onset of menopause) and menopause. What's the difference between peri-menopause and menopause, you may ask? Menopause is a clinical definition technically based on the absence of your period for one year, and a significant decrease in some of you female hormones. Peri-menopause can start at an age as early as 35 years, and can last as long as the 28 years prior to full blown menopause. It is the time in a woman's life when she begins to produce less of the female sexual hormones. The bad news is, if you do nothing you will eventually reach menopause. The good news is that not only can you stop peri-menopause in its tracks, you can actually reverse it. If you have reached menopause, then we can work with you to improve and alleviate your symptoms.

With peri-menopause, and menopause, there is a drop in your normal levels of estrogen and progesterone. With decreased levels of estrogen, there is a resultant drop in some of the neurotransmitters in the brain which will cause insomnia. Also, the decreased levels of estrogen triggers hot flashes, and night sweats, which results in frequent awakenings. Progesterone is a calming hormone. Progesterone is produced right after ovulation. Most women find that during days 14 and 23, right after ovulation (also called the luteal phase) of their menstrual cycle, that they sleep better. During peri-menopause, with irregular periods, women eventually stop ovulating. Menopause is defined as the absence of ovulation. So, the natural calming effect of progesterone is no longer present, and the time spent in REM sleep and deep sleep is demised.

Fortunately, there is a way to resolve this problem. By using Bioidentical Hormone Replacement Therapy (BHRT), low levels of estrogen and progesterone can be restored to healthy levels. After a very thorough evaluation, our physicians are able to determine what your current levels of hormones are, including estrogen, progesterone, thyroid hormone, cortisol, and a few others. We also test your blood count, blood chemistry, and liver function. They are all interrelated, and keeping a healthy balance is the goal.

A customized treatment plan is then initiated. We recommend, and utilize Bioidentical Hormone Replacement Therapy. These Bioidentical forms of estrogen and progesterone are naturally occurring, and are obtained from soy and yams, and are identical to the estrogen and progesterone of humans. This avoids many of the problems that have been recently publicized in the press, from hormones derived from animal sources and are not the same as in humans. Over a relatively brief period, days to weeks, your sleep should begin to return to a more youthful pattern without the hot flashes and night sweats. Our patients often feel more rested in the morning and comment that they feel more vibrant and lively.