04 May Common pitfalls to feeling your best in menopause
Menopause is a really confusing time for many women.
There is a huge amount of information online and it all seems to conflict.
A lot of the women who contact us are lost, confused and feel awful.
There are some common pitfalls that women fall into, if you are trying everything and are still struggling consider the following:
- Synthetic progesterone isn’t your friend. If you’ve been prescribed the mirena coil, a combined patch or pill consider Natural progesterone if medically viable for you (and if you are told it isn’t, seek a second opinion) check out this blog to see why.
- Taking too much oestrogen too early in menopause. At the onset of peri menopause our progesterone levels drop off radically but oestrogen remains quite consistent. If you are still bleeding but have been given HRT by the GP and they keep telling you to increase your oestrogen, question it. Too much oestrogen too early on can make us feel AWFUL (and if we are on synthetic progesterone it can be a double whammy!)
- Not having good gut health – gut health is needed to help process the hormones we are taking. If you’ve had a history of IBS or bloating or if you eat wheat or eat a lot of sugar, alcohol or a carb dominant diet you could have an issue with absorbing your hormones. Clean up your diet – ditch the wheat, dairy, sugar and booze and see if that helps.
- Stress reduces our ability to make the levels of progesterone we should be making during peri to post menopause. Try a good adaptogen or work with a practitioner to find the right one.
So in summary try the following:
- Eat protein! Not carbs that have some protein in them (yes chick peas and quinoa I’m looking at you) but an actual protein source AT EVERY MEAL – a protein source would be meat, fish, eggs, tofu or protein powders.
- Speak to your GP. Get off the synthetic progesterone and question if you are on a high dose of oestrogen, especially if you are still bleeding, have sore boobs or are struggling with weight. It’s likely you have too much oestrogen so ask your GP to reduce the dose for a while and see if it helps but I repeat GET OFF THE SYNTHETIC PROGESTERONE. In the UK the only natural progesterone available on the NHS Is called Utrogestan, accept no substitutes!
Try all of that first and if you are still struggling speak to a practitioner… or try our free symptom assessor.