The Side Effects of Progesterone Loss

You have probably heard something about the side effects of progesterone loss if you are a woman. Unfortunately many doctors and medical health care professionals are often vague about what this means really. Some women think it is only a issues for menopausal women while others walk around oblivious to the condition till it starts to affect them.

There are certain times in a woman's life as a progesterone cream or other menopause treatment may be necessary. The truth is hormone imbalances don't just affect women who experience menopause, it also happens throughout a woman's life. Menopause, pregnancy and birth control mishaps are all times when a woman may have her hormones out of whack. This imbalance affects different people in many different ways and below is a few of the side effects of progesterone loss.

Night sweats and trouble sleeping

There is a serious risk involved in not getting the sleep and rest you need. Your immune system and concentration levels reduce when this symptom is allowed to get out of control. Many women prefer to use all natural estrogen creams to help with this problem.

If you aren't in the age of menopause, many doctors are unwilling to do something to correct your imbalance. As a result you may having a loss of energy and drive to do much of anything. Even if you are experiencing menopause, progesterone creams are an excellent alternative treatment for menopause.

Lack of libido

Another nasty symptom which affects women with a hormone imbalance is a lack of sex drive. The lack of progesterone in the system can lead to vaginal dryness and cause intercourse to be painful and your libido severely decreases. However there is no need to live with this risk to your relationship and feeling of well being. In spite of what you may be told, no woman of any age should just live with discomfort and pain, she should have every opportunity to enjoy every part of her life. So natural estrogen creams can help you regain that special part of your life.

Skin problems

Another common complaint with progesterone loss will be skin problems. Acne is often a troublesome that caused by hormone imbalance. Since you left those years behind you when you graduated from high school, then there's no hurry to go back.

The potential side effects of progesterone loss are too numerous to mention here however you can find relief with menopause treatment which mention in our website. A progesterone cream USP is a prefect way to avoid harmful medications and feel better naturally.

Can Acupuncture Help Control Menopause Symptoms

The treatment for migraines and other menopause symptoms is not the same in every part of the world. Different cultures have different medicine practices and beliefs. However, it is interesting to note that the Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM), acupuncture, is becoming a popular therapeutic method in Western culture to treat a variety of psychological and physical conditions including menopause.

TCM views menopause as the time in a woman's life when her body shuts down her natural monthly reproductive cycle because she can no longer reproduce. However, it is believed that her body stops menses to conserve her qi (body life energy), so as she ages she can retain all of her resources.

Unlike women in western culture, for most women in the East, menopause is rather uneventful. It is thought the reasons for this is because Western women lead a more fast-paced, stress-ridden lifestyle, and tend to consume poorer diets. Thus, as a result, women in Western culture tend to experience far more intense menopausal symptoms than their sisters in the East.

Despite the real causes of menopausal symptoms, the fact remains that Traditional Chinese Medicine does not consider menopause to be a syndrome. The thought is that women suffering through menopause have a variety of qi problems such as constrained liver qi and kidney yin deficiency. In other words, their qi is imbalanced and is wreaking havoc on their mind and body.

Thus, the goal of TCM is to uniquely treat each woman based on her specific symptoms. This means that different techniques aside from acupuncture may also be suggested, such as Chinese herbs, lifestyle or dietary changes and exercises - all of which are used to help restore balance to the body.

How does acupuncture work? Acupuncture is based on the belief that there are approximately 2000 acupuncture points (trigger points) throughout the body. These trigger points are linked to one another via a group of 20 different meridians (pathways). Meridians are responsible for conducting qi between the surface of the body and the internal organs. Qi has a specific affect on each point it passes through. When qi properly flows throughout the meridians and all its points, it maintains a healthy balance in the mind and body.

During an acupuncture treatment for menopause, an acupuncture therapist will help a woman bring balance back to her body by focusing treatment on the trigger points related to her symptoms. Only some trigger points are used, and will vary depending on the symptoms. Thus, every menopausal woman is treated individually based on her problem.

Acupuncture is administered through the use of tiny, solid needles that are inserted into the targeted trigger points. The purpose of the needles is to help stimulate the meridians to encourage qi production. This might mean needles could be inserted into the shoulders, arms, legs or even the feet. If inserted properly, needles shouldn't cause pain or bleeding; however, their may be slight discomfort or a tingling or numbing sensation which fades fast. Treatment is often very relaxing, and sessions usually last for 30 minutes.

Does acupuncture benefit menopause? Yes. Research has found that most women who participated in different acupuncture studies found relief from menopausal symptoms including:

o Hot flashes

o Insomnia

o Stress

o Anxiety

o Vaginal dryness

If you are interested in using acupuncture for alternative or complimentary treatment to ease menopause symptoms, it is imperative that you visit a qualified and experienced acupuncture therapist, in order to realistically determine if this method is an effective treatment option for you.

Remember, no two women are treated the same, and acupuncture therapy is often long term, ongoing treatment.

When Natural Hormone Replacement Therapy Can Be Misleading

Natural hormone replacement therapy uses what are called bioidentical hormones. These natural hormones may or may not be made from plants. They could be made in a lab from a plant extract, or they could be made from other chemicals. The reason they are called natural hormones is because they are identical to the hormones that are in your own body. This means when they are metabolized, the breakdown products are also similar to what your body knows from metabolizing its own hormones.

It can be confusing looking at the source of a supplemental hormone. This is because synthetic hormones can actually be made from 'natural' substances. A good example of this is Premarin, which is made from the urine of pregnant mares. This may seem like it makes it a good candidate to be considered natural. However, Premarin, and other synthetic hormones, are structurally quite different to our own hormones. This is true of their breakdown products as well.

Because the breakdown products are also structurally different, synthetic hormones expose women to foreign chemicals that can cause side effects and potentially other harm over a period of time. Some synthetic hormones are even made from plants. So don't assume a plant derived hormone is 'natural' (and hence safe), unless it is also a bioidentical hormone.

Bioidentical natural hormones include:

Estrogen:

* dermestril septem

* elleste-solo MX40 & MX80

* estraderm MX

* evorel

* femseven

* oestrogel

* aerodiol

* hormonin

* ovestin

* climaval elleste-solo progynova

* estring

* vagifem

* ovestin

* ortho-gynest

Progesterone:

* crinone

* cyclogest

* gestone

Natural hormone replacement therapy medication is available as pills, creams, gels, patches and sprays. They have much fewer side effects than synthetic HRT, although some women may not respond to them. In that case, synthetic hormones may be the best option.

Before taking any form of hormone replacement therapy, even a natural hormone, it is worth making dietary changes, and exploring the use of herbs and phytoestrogens. Vitamins may help as well.

There are three types of phytoestrogens - isoflavones, lignans, and coumestans. Isoflavones are relatively well known. They are found in soy products and things like chick peas, lentils, and red clover (a herb). Try eating more tofu, and drinking more soy milk. These are often supplemented with calcium as well. It's better to consume isoflavone rich food rather than taking isoflavone supplements, as the protein in the foods are needed to make the isoflavones active in the body. If you do decide to take an isoflavone supplement, make sure it has soy protein in it, or take it with a glass of soy milk.

Lignans can be found in flaxseed, as well as many fruits, vegetables, and cereals. Coumestans are found in alfalfa and bean sprouts.

References: Dr L E Corio and L G Kahn, The Change Before The Change

Natural Remedies For Night Sweats That May Surprise You

Do you suffer from night sweats or hot flashes? If so, then you know just how miserable they can be! But, instead of talking about what causes night sweats--and the frustrations of excessive sweating--I'm going to offer you some natural remedies. Some may surprise you!

I myself suffer from night sweats and hot flashes, and, to me, the most annoying part of them is waking up in the middle of the night drenched in sweat and having to scoot over to a "dry spot" because my sheets are soaked. The next morning is no fun either, because, quite frankly, I don't always have time to do laundry on a daily basis--nor do I have a week's worth of linens!

I'm saving the best for last, so let's start with several herbal (plant) remedies that can cool your system and increase oxygen, while replacing vitamin B, vitamin C, magnesium and potassium (which can be depleted by hot flashes). Some of these nutrients can also be found in food or by taking supplements. You might try:

• Dong Quai: An emmenagogue that has been reported to help relieve menopausal problems such as hot flashes, as well as mental and emotional upset.


• Black Cohosh: Used for the treatment of dysmenorrheal and menopause. Clinical studies have shown it to relieve hot flashes and depression.


• Licorice Root: Believed to reduce estrogen while increasing progesterone. This root is very powerful and useful in treating a number of conditions such as female hormonal problems, abdominal pains, insomnia, infection, peptic ulcers and malaria.


• Motherwort: Relieves many symptoms such as frequency and duration of hot flashes, stressed nerves and insomnia and anxiety.Sage & Alfalfa: A 2005 study at the School of Public Health, Queensland University of Technology, Brisbane, found that in a controlled trial, sage and alfalfa reduced severe hot flashes by 60% compared with a placebo.


• Evamist Spray: Developed by Dr. John Buster, a reproductive endocrinologist at Women and Infants Hospital, Buster's spray is made naturally and is an alternative to estrogen patches, pills and gels. You simply hold the spray to your skin, the hormone absorbs in the body, and the hot flashes will likely fade.

(Editor's note: If you have a nutritionist or herbalist, discuss your options before testing herbal remedies. As with any medicine, herbs are quite powerful and a particular one may be more suited for you than another.)

And, now for the most exciting remedy of all! Bamboo Sheets! I know it probably sounds a little crazy, but if you understand the properties of bamboo sheets, then you'll realize why they'll make all of the difference in the world when you're suffering from night sweats.

As I mentioned above, my frustration comes when waking up in the middle of the night covered in sweat, but bamboo sheets have brought me great comfort and peaceful sleep. Why? Even though I still have night sweats, my sweat is absorbed and wicked away so quickly that I don't wake up in a puddle. Instead, I wake up with a damp coating of sweat and the sheets above and below me are about 10% damp compared to 100% drenched. I simply roll over to the other side of the bed and within an hour the sweat is literally gone--evaporated into thin air!

You might think, "But you still have to wash your sheets since they're damp. They'll smell like sweat!" You'd be wrong. Another wonderful trait of bamboo sheets is that they are odor resistant! (We've done case studies on bamboo socks, t-shirts and sheets and found this fabric to resist odors under the worst of circumstances.) They also:

o Absorb sweat and wick it away. Bamboo fabric is made from viscose from bamboo. The individual fibers have cross sections filled with micro-holes and micro-gaps, which gives bamboo fabric the ability to absorb 3-4 times the moisture of cotton. The same characteristic gives it its amazing wicking abilities.

o Thermal regulate. Bamboo fabric stays 2-3 degrees cooler in warmer temperatures and 2-3 degrees warmer when it's cold.

These qualities alone make bamboo sheets the best natural remedy for night sweats, but you'll also find bamboo sheets to be the softest sheets you have ever slept on, and they are antimicrobial and hypoallergenic! Give them a try!

Menopause Hot Flashes - The Bane Of Every Menopausal Woman's Existence

Menopause and the HOT FLASH. It has happened to virtually every woman who is sliding into menopause - you feel this sudden flush of warmth or heat traveling up your torso into your face and you think the temperature has just risen. Nope, chances are that you just experienced menopause hot flashes and while these episodes can occur on their own, there are some triggers that can set the events in motion for a stereotypical hot flash.

Defining Causes Of This "Heat"

One of the most agreed upon reasons for menopause hot flashes is the decrease in estrogen levels in the body. When a hot flash occurs, a fluctuation in these hormonal balances occurs in the part of the brain that controls body temperature. The results are menopause hot flashes that can feel like a pulsating wave of heat that starts from the upper torso area to your face. Sometimes, you may even sweat and can also be the cause of any night sweats that may occur.

Some things can trigger these menopausal hot flashes like hot or humid weather or even spicy or hot foods. Caffeine can raise body temperature to cause the hot flashes and alcohol can contribute to them as well. Taking hot baths or showers will exacerbate these flashes as well as stressful situations.

Facts And Statistics

The fact of the matter is that menopausal flashes are fairly common in as many as eighty percent of the women who are peri-menopausal or even full blown menopausal. These hot episodes can last as short a time as a few seconds or linger on for twenty to thirty minutes or longer. Typically, these menopausal hot flashes start several years before other symptoms of "the change" manifest themselves.

While many women may experience frequent menopausal hot flashes for a couple of years, some unlucky women suffer through them for five or more years. The norm is typically that women will see a decline in both intensity as well as frequency of these flashes of heat as they age.

Self Treatment

Because menopause hot flashes are a result in dropping levels of estrogen, you need to take herbal remedies that can somewhat substitute some of what you are missing with a plant-based estrogen. Black cohosh, evening primrose oil and even red clover have been known to help with supplementing and substituting in some of the lower estrogen levels in your body.

Additional Vitamin E will help as well as the consumption of soy products either through supplementation or through your diet more naturally. Yoga, acupuncture and exercise have also been known to alleviate menopausal hot flashes. Hormone replacement therapy (HRT) should not be an option unless your symptoms are so severe that it requires a drastic treatment as HRT. Other hints to help cool your jets is to take a cool shower and dress in layers so that you have the option of taking layers off one at a time for comfort. Wear breathable cotton clothing and put all cotton sheets on your bed too. There are a number of little ways to make those menopause hot flashes more bearable.

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Get Relief From Menopause Symptoms

Whenever you're feeling uncomfortableness from the menopause symptoms, there are a lot of therapies and home remedies that can help you. Fortunately, many women only feel mild symptoms and don't need treatment to deal with their menopausal signs. However, this isn't the case for the other women who experience moderate to severe symptoms and require some form of menopause treatment.

Symptoms of Menopause

Menopause can be an embarrassed stage in a woman's life. While dealing with menopausal symptoms such as night sweats, hot flash and depression, women are always tried to look for a new way to treat it. Although these symptoms went through by each woman are as unique as the women themselves, there are some symptoms of menopause, which are more basic than other people.

There is some number of possible physiological and psychological symptoms, which can be happened during menopause. The most common physical symptoms are hot flashes, night sweats, decreased libido, vaginal dryness and some even facing mood swings, insomnia and anxiety. Luckily, there are some therapy choices, including natural remedies and medical treatments to help relief both the physical and mental menopause symptoms.

Medicinal Treatments for Menopause Symptoms

For those who are dealing with the symptoms of menopause, medical intervention may can help. There are various of medication and over-the-counter medicines that you could apply depend on the menopausal symptoms that you are trying to relieve. Birth control pills could be useful for symptoms during perimenopause because they can help control moodiness, irregular periods, hot flashes and vaginal dryness. In addition menopausal hormone therapy (MHT) can be good for severe symptoms of menopause. Besides medications which used to cure depression, epilepsy and high blood pressure can also relieve hot flashes and moodiness successfully.

It is important that you talk with your personal doctor about your menopause symptoms and the best treatments available. There are numerous possible side effects, which can accompany MRT as well as other medical treatments. Therefore, discuss with your doctor and weigh the risks versus the benefits of any treatments you are going to apply. You might get that you would prefer to try some alternative treatment for your symptoms before trying medications or MHT.

Natural Remedies for Menopause Symptoms

Besides attempting any medication to treat your menopausal symptoms, there are a lot of natural menopause remedies which you can try. Some possibilities that can relieve menopause like herbs, natural progesterone and dietary changes, which can help to relieve the symptoms of menopause such as hot flashes and night sweats. However, keep in mind that many of these treatments are unproven, and you need to do research and consider the risk before applied.

Sex For Women Over 60!

One of my patients came to me last week complaining about his wife. He said she just wasn't interested in sex anymore. He added, "After she turned 60, her desire for sex disappeared. Is there such a thing as a female Viagra?"

This is a question I get frequently from men who are having sexual difficulties with their spouse. It appears that sex is one subject most women hate to discuss with their doctors. Women over 60 may come to me for treatment of a physical nature but when it comes to sex, it usually boils down to a "don't ask, don't tell" policy. Sexual problems fall into a "quality of life" category verses one that is life threatening so it is a subject that is rarely talked about.

It is natural to assume that women over 60 no longer have a desire for sex because their production of estrogen has been dramatically reduced during menopause. At the same time, their ovaries decrease the production of testosterone, the hormone connected to sexual drive or libido. Although some women experience a drop in sexual desire after menopause it does not mean that their sexual relationships have to be less fulfilling.

Although sexual problems are not considered an illness you shouldn't hesitate to get treatment if you are having symptoms. Even if there is no equivalent to Viagra for women, there are a number of natural remedies to help boost the female libido.

Increase Your Sex Drive Naturally

For many women over 60, vaginal dryness is a major problem that can cause discomfort during sexual intercourse. You may shy away from sex rather than find out what you can do to enjoy your body and your sexual desires. Don't be embarrassed to ask your doctor about some of the treatments that are available including lifestyle adjustments, hormone therapy, and natural remedies.

There are many alternative treatments being researched to counteract the effects of menopause and increase sexual desire. Herbs with estrogen like properties that work to restore hormonal balance in women may be helpful in improving sexual ability and satisfaction.

o Natural Estrogen - known as phytoestrogens that can be found in certain foods. There are two types of phytoestrogens; isoflavones found in soybeans, chickpeas, and other legumes and lignans found in flaxseed, whole grains and some fruits and vegetables.
o Black cohosh - has long been used for treating menopausal symptoms in particular for the relief of hot flashes.
o Dong Quai - believed to increase libido and help prevent vaginal dryness
o Wild Yam - touted as a natural source of progesterone to improve vaginal dryness
o Shunthi - helps with sexual arousal by pumping blood to the genital areas of a female system
o Avena Sativa - helps to lower anxiety and improve sensitivity of female sex organs
o Chasteberry - boosts the body's progesterone production and normalizes estrogen/progesterone ratio
o Other foods and spices - coffee, cola, and chocolate have reputations as libido-enhancers. Anise, fennel, sage and parsley are reputed to boost sex drive.

Overcoming a diminished sex drive is no different than dealing with most health problems. Following a healthy lifestyle by eating a diet rich in fruits, vegetables, and whole grains, exercising moderately, and cutting out saturated fats, will contribute to your overall feeling of well being. You may also find an increase in your libido as you gain the confidence to fully enjoy your own sexuality.

Low Libido Not True in All Women

Not all women over the age of 60 have unfulfilled sexual relationships. Since they no longer have to be concerned about having a monthly period or an unwanted pregnancy very late in life they can be more spontaneous. With the addition of herbal remedies and hormone therapy, women are learning to enjoy new found sexual freedom after menopause. Here are a few statistics that may surprise you.

o A study of 2,000 U.S. women ages 45-80 found 60 percent had been sexually active in the previous three months, researchers said.
o The study, published in the Journal of the American Geriatrics Society, also found 43 percent of the women reported at least moderate sexual desire, challenging conventional wisdom that women lose interest in sex due to their own physical problems.
o Researchers at the University of California-San Francisco said half of all sexually active participants described their overall sexual satisfaction as moderate to high. More than one-quarter of women age 65 years or older remained moderately or highly interested in sex, and more than one-third of women in this age group had been sexually active in the past three months.
o Among sexually inactive women in the entire group, 39 percent reported the most common reason was a lack of interest in sex, followed by 36 percent reporting lack of a partner, 23 percent citing physical problems of their partner and 11 percent saying there was a partner's lack of interest.

Just because you are over 60 doesn't mean you have to live with low sex drive. If you are suffering from vaginal dryness, hot flashes, or low libido, there are remedies out there that can help bring back enjoyment to your sex life. Join the ranks of the thousands of women over 60 who experience fulfilling sexual relationships. Remember to consult your doctor before taking herbal treatments as they may interfere or interact with other medications you may be taking.