Women's Hormones

Women of any age can experience hormone imbalance symptoms. With aging, however, many women experience symptoms due to declining estrogen, progesterone, and testosterone production. Perimenopause refers to the time of fluctuating hormone levels before menstruation stops, and can last anywhere from one to ten or more years before menopause. Menopause technically starts one year after a woman stops having menstrual periods.

Symptoms of hormone imbalance in women include:

  • Heavy, irregular, or painful periods
  • Hot flashes or night sweats
  • Mood swings
  • Anxiety or depression
  • Foggy thinking
  • Memory problems
  • Breast tenderness
  • Water retention or bloating
  • Weight gain
  • Low libido
  • Vaginal dryness
  • Acne or oily skin
  • Increased facial hair
  • Thinning skin or wrinkles
  • Hair loss
  • Headaches
  • Insomnia
  • Cold body temperature
  • Urinary incontinence
  • Infertility
  • Bone loss
  • Ovarian cysts or uterine fibroids

Treatment

The first step in balancing hormones is to treat the cause when possible. Besides aging, unmanaged stress, poor diet and lifestyle habits, nutritional deficiencies and environmental toxicity can contribute to hormone imbalance symptoms.

Not all women choose to replace hormones after menopause. Often times, however, a woman suffers from such significant symptoms that bioidentical hormone replacement therapy (BHRT) may be necessary. After symptoms resolve, some women choose to discontinue one or more hormones they take. Some women do decide to use BHRT long-term, to maintain energy and vitality of youth, as well as promote optimal aging. Dr. Retzler believes it is your choice whether or not to replace deficient hormones, and supports you in becoming informed about risks, benefits, and treatment options. Yearly lab tests and office visits will enable you to review your current health, BHRT prescription, and new research that may impact your treatment.