How to Find Optimal Hormone Balance
Being in your forties can feel like a time of career advancement, blossoming relationships, and a newfound confidence. Yet, for many women, this vibrant decade can also usher in a period of confusing physical and emotional changes.
Understanding Your Symptoms: More Than Just Menopause
- Are you experiencing irregular cycles or heavy bleeding?
- Do insomnia, hot flashes, and night sweats disrupt your sleep?
- Have you been having unexplained bloating, mood swings, and brain fog?
- Is there a dip in libido or a lack of motivation and focus?
You may have visited your OB-GYN, hoping for answers and relief. But maybe all you’ve heard is, “It’s just perimenopause/ menopause,” followed by a prescription for birth control or antidepressants to manage your symptoms. You leave feeling dismissed and unheard. Here at Neighborhood Naturopathic, we understand your frustration.
Why Normal Bloodwork Doesn’t Always Mean ‘Normal’
Many women are told their bloodwork is “normal” despite experiencing a barrage of uncomfortable symptoms. The truth is, “normal” bloodwork ranges can be vast, and optimal hormone levels for YOU might fall outside those ranges. Traditional medicine often focuses on disease diagnosis, while naturopathic medicine focuses on optimizing your well-being and addressing the root cause of your discomfort.
Exploring DUTCH Testing for Deeper Insights
While bloodwork can be a valuable tool in understanding hormonal balance, it only tells part of the story. To better understand your unique hormonal picture, we may recommend a DUTCH test (Dried Urine Test for Comprehensive Hormones). This test analyzes various hormone metabolites, revealing how your body processes and utilizes hormones.
Perimenopause/ menopause is a time when your body’s production of estrogen and progesterone begins to decline. These hormonal shifts can mimic teenage puberty, but in fast-forward – hot flashes one minute, emotional outbursts the next. Unlike puberty, however, this time often comes without the support system of understanding parents and readily available resources. The perception is that you should power through it like all the women before you.
You deserve to feel like your vibrant, energetic self again. At Neighborhood Naturopathic, we believe there’s a better way to manage perimenopause/ menopause symptoms than simply masking them with medication. We offer a personalized approach to healthcare.
Benefits of Bioidentical Hormone Replacement Therapy (BHRT)
Going deeper than bloodwork, we can more specifically pinpoint and address hormonal imbalances with functional tests like DUTCH. We can recommend integrative treatments like Bioidentical Hormone Replacement Therapy (BHRT) using that information. BHRT uses bioidentical hormones that are structurally identical to those naturally produced by your body. This personalized approach allows us to tailor a treatment plan that addresses your specific hormone imbalances. BHRT can help alleviate a wide range of perimenopause symptoms, including:
- Hot flashes and night sweats
- Vaginal dryness and discomfort
- Mood swings, anxiety, and depression
- Sleep disturbances
- Decreased libido
- Brain fog and difficulty concentrating
Customized Care Beyond Conventional Treatments
At Neighborhood Naturopathic, we are committed to helping you find your way to optimal health. We collaborate so that you can voice your concerns and feel truly heard. Together, we can explore the best options for managing your perimenopausal/ menopausal symptoms, including dietary modifications, stress management techniques, targeted supplements, and BHRT.
Birth control and antidepressants are not designed to balance hormones in perimenopausal/ menopausal women. Times have changed, and there are new pathways to living a life where you truly thrive in your forties and beyond. We are here to help. Please schedule a consultation with us to learn about Neighborhood Naturopathic’s functional and integrative tools.
Neighborhood Naturopathic is located in Edina, MN within the greater Minneapolis/ St. Paul area.