Hormone Therapy & Menopause Care
Milwaukie, OR

What Is Menopause?

Menopause is a natural and normal transition for all women. It’s essentially the opposite of puberty – where hormones begin to decline. This decline in hormones can affect almost every area of your body, including your brain, bones, digestion, metabolism, skin, immune system, nervous system, heart, and joints – not to mention, your libido and sex life. There are estrogen receptors all over your body that are no longer being stimulated. Testosterone and progesterone levels also drop, adding to the plethora of symptoms.

This ultimately is what causes the symptoms so commonly experienced in perimenopause and menopause. For those who enter menopause suddenly due to a surgical or medical procedure, symptoms can be even more intense and disruptive. Despite menopause being a normal transition, it can be exceptionally debilitating. For instance:

• Stress increases in menopause. There is more sympathetic (flight or fight) nervous system stimulation, which can disrupt your sleep, increase or cause anxiety, decrease gut function, and weaken your immune system.
• Inflammation increases in menopause. Estrogen has an anti-inflammatory effect, as it drops. The same applies for the anti-inflammatory benefits.
• Estrogen keeps tissues and joints lubricated and elastic. Estrogen sensitive tissue gets thin and loses its elasticity. This can lead to discomfort, inflammation, micro-damage/tears, increased susceptibility to urinary tract infections, and pain.
• Joints can become sore, stiff, and painful. Again, with the loss of lubrication and increased inflammation, joint pain can occur.
• Estrogen, testosterone and progesterone all contribute to bone health (density, strength). As these hormones all decline, your bones can become less dense, more brittle, and prone to fractures. 
• Your gut microbiome shifts in menopause. Increased stress inherent in menopause can also disrupt gut function, contributing to bloating, constipation or diarrhea, and more food sensitivities. 
• Anxiety and depression are quite common. There are extensive estrogen receptors in the brain, and estrogen influences the neurotransmitter serotonin in the brain. The fluctuations in perimenopause can feel dramatic and contribute to major mood swings, whereas the flatline in menopause can lead to a lack of motivation, depression and/or anxiety.
• Libido can drop precipitously in perimenopause, much due to the drop in testosterone as well as estrogen. Not only can your sex drive crash, but intimacy can also become painful or unresponsive. Female sexual dysfunction (FSD) affects 1/3 of women in menopause. FSD includes lack of libido, pain, inability to orgasm, and inability to feel aroused. This can be a major contributor to depression in peri and postmenopausal states.
• Estrogen is anabolic, meaning it “builds things up.” As you lose estrogen, it’s harder to build and keep muscle. You not only lose actual muscle, but you also lose strength. Women often see a drop in strength and power in their workouts and daily life during menopause. 
• You could be at a greater risk of weight gain. One response your body has to the change in hormones is to put on more fat. That, combined with changes in your glucose regulation, makes you more insulin resistant (and increases your risk of developing diabetes/metabolic syndrome) with the increase in stress (rise in cortisol) and inflammation. All of this contributes to putting on fat, especially belly fat, all without changing anything in your diet or lifestyle.
• You may experience insomnia. The changes in your nervous system and stress can impact your sleep. Hot flashes and night sweats can also affect your sleep.

Why Work With Dr. Marsha

• Get guidance from a women’s health and menopause expert with years of experience.
• Feel heard and acknowledged.
• Receive support in making educated decisions.
• Get access to multiple menopause services, including personalized one-on-one visits in a traditional naturopathic model or do a deep dive into your physiological uniqueness with the Wild Pursuits Method, a 6-month, high-touch, fully comprehensive functional lab program.