Regain Your Zest For Life With Hormone Therapy

If you’re not feeling quite like yourself lately and you’re struggling to pinpoint why, it could be the result of fluctuating hormones. As women approach their late 30s and early 40s, the rollercoaster that is perimenopause begins. Most women don’t know that these symptoms can start 10-15 years before menopause (on average, age 51), and their seemingly unrelated symptoms go undiagnosed. Fortunately, at North Laurel Family Medicine, we are equipped to diagnose and treat hormonal issues with individualized hormone therapy.

The Impact Of Changing Hormones

Unfortunately, our society as a whole doesn’t do a great job at education women about hormonal changes later in life. Most people rely on stories from their mother or grandmother, and maybe trade experiences with close friends. But what we notice most is that many women in their late 30s just aren’t aware that these changes are already starting. And that their insomnia, fatigue, unexplained weight gain, or mood changes could all be related. Sometimes confused with being in the throes of motherhood, these debilitating symptoms are often seen as isolated issues and not connected with the early stages of perimenopause. Everyone’s experiences are unique, but some of the most common signs are:

• Changes in your cycle (both longer and shorter)
• New onset or worsening of mood disorders (anxiety, depression)
• Sleep issues
• Hot flashes
• Fatigue/low motivation
• Weight gain (especially around the middle) without a noticeable change in diet or exercise
• Genitourinary symptoms (dryness, urgency)

Because of the nature of perimenopause as a time of changing hormones, lab work will often show levels as normal. It is very typical to have a string of a few months with less or no symptoms followed by weeks or months with more noticeable issues. This is a direct result of the hormonal swings that happen over the course of months to years, therefore lab results aren’t always a reliable method of diagnosis.

Hormone Therapy Can Help

The good news is that we have very effective, bioidentical hormone treatment options that can get your hormones back into a normal range, alleviating most if not all of your symptoms. Once we find the right dosage (this can take some experimentation), many patients report that they feel remarkably better and more like themselves. You don’t have to suffer through perimenopause! Schedule an appointment with us today to learn more about hormone therapy and if you could be a candidate.