01/09/2026
Unfortunately, navigating perimenopause and menopause wasn't covered during my naturopathic training...
So, when I began experiencing frequent headaches in my mid-forties, I attributed it to food sensitivities. Looking back, those headaches were likely due to low progesterone. Around age 48, my sleep quality declined significantly, and I was awake for hours every night β this started to affect me mentally, worrying about not getting enough sleep and finding it hard to concentrate the next day and putting up with brain fog.
Then the hot flushes started. These just took over my body whenever they liked, and I felt embarrassed and I tried to ignore them. But they were happening every hour or two, day and night and I was started to wonder if this was my new life and it sucked, big time. I really was surprised that I was having these symptoms since I live a pretty healthy lifestyle and I was surprised that they started at my mid-forties! I also felt down like no one understood me and I tried not to make a big deal of it (living in a houseful of males I felt a little alone).
I started to wonder if my mother had silently endured a similar experience. as I never knew this as a teenager if she did.
Meanwhile I was taking every supplement under the sun to try and stop or reduce these symptoms, but nothing seemed to make a difference. And thatβs when I then decided my quality of life was being affected too much and after much research into the dreaded HRT (which in previous years has had such a bad rap) I made an appointment with a holistic doctor.
The appointment was so positive. We discussed HRT options, associated risks, and benefits, leading to the initiation of estrogen cream and progesterone. The transformation was remarkable: improved sleep, elimination of hot flushes, enhanced mood, and heightened concentration.
I personally chose to get bioidentical hormones, the estrogen, progesterone and testosterone that are derived from a herb called wild yam so I pay for these each month however many women get the estrogen patches and progesterone capsules that are funded through their doctor.
Perimenopause and menopause are a very unique experience for each woman, if you need support please reach out to us at The Naturopathic Clinic for an appointment 022 017 6033 or book online at https://www.thenaturopathicclinic.co.nz