Review: “What Your Doctor May Not Tell You About Menopause”
When studying to become a SymptoPro instructor, What Your Doctor May Not Tell You About Menopause by John R. Lee was recommended as further reading. While I personally am not close to being in menopause, I wanted to read this book to help my perimenopause clients, and because this book wasn’t just about menopause—it was about hormones.
It took me about five months to finish this book (at times it could read like a textbook), as there was so much content to digest. It is common knowledge that women approaching menopause may experience hot flashes, mood swings, vaginal dryness, low libido, hair loss, and more. The book not only touched on those symptoms but provided greater depth into how women’s bodies change during this life transition.
Moral of the story: many women experience undesired symptoms as they approach menopause, and natural progesterone is likely the answer.
The book explained how hormones work together and affect processes in the body. There was also a large section on osteoporosis and how to prevent or treat it in menopausal women.
Here are the facts I found most interesting:
Synthetic progestins are not the same as progesterone. Progestins are found in many contraceptives. Progestins are derived from progesterone, but they are not the same. Natural progesterone, especially in the form of a cream, is more effective and safer than progestins. Drug companies focus on progestins because they can be patented and profitable; you can’t patent a natural hormone. That’s why it can be more difficult to obtain natural progesterone.
Many doctors push estrogen, but excess estrogen can cause health issues and other symptoms. It can also be linked to cancer. (Women who have had breast cancer are advised against taking estrogen.) This push for estrogen is also from faulty studies and pharmaceutical companies. This book was first written over 20 years ago, and has been updated, but I know of doctors who still swear by estrogen.
Sometimes estrogen can help, but when it’s unopposed by a lack of progesterone, that’s especially when it can become a problem. When women enter menopause, estrogen does decrease, but progesterone decreases by a greater amount. This is because ovulation does not occur. Progesterone is the dominant hormone in the luteal phase once ovulation has occurred. Since menopausal women are not cycling, they may experience the effects of a lack of progesterone.
This book provided so much context on the interplay of hormones and potential treatments for health issues many women experience during premenopause and menopause. I think it’s worth the read for most women! I do think that parts could be skimmed if the topics aren’t relevant to the reader. Regardless, it is very clear that while progesterone isn’t a silver bullet, it has helped countless women navigate menopause.
Disclaimer: I am not a doctor and this is not medical advice. This is for informational purposes only.