Perimenopause and Menopause
Our mothers or grandmothers used to call this time “the change of life.” In some indigenous cultures, this is seen a sacred time of life when women step into their wisdom years and their roles as sages, guides, or mentors. Regardless of your point of view, this is a time that is every bit as significant to a women’s health as puberty had been.
Perimenopause refers to the hormonal changes in a woman’s body as she transitions into menopause, which is identified by a lack of menstruation for one full year. Perimenopause
generally begins in the fourth decade of life but some women notice symptoms as early as mid-thirties. 
Many women experience some difficulty during this transition as estrogen levels shift unevenly during perimenopause. Menstrual cycles can lengthen or shorten due to changes in ovulation. Women can experience a wide variety of peri-menopausal and menopausal symptoms because of hormonal decline and hormone fluctuations.
Symptoms may include:
- Heavy periods
- Insomnia or sleep problems
- Mood changes
- Low libido
- Hot Flashes
- Night sweats
- Joint pain
- Decreased bone density
- Fatigue
- Brain Fog
Our goal with perimenopause and menopause is to support and balance a woman’s hormones using natural therapeutics so that the transition is balanced and the symptoms are minimal. Depending on the person, hormone testing is available. We consider both blood hormone testing and specialty hormone testing such as the DUTCH Complete Hormone Test.
Bio-identical hormone replacement therapy is not the best solution for everyone. It is acts more like a band-aid covering up symptoms instead of resolving them and our feeling is that these should be applied only minimally.
We support women through perimenopause and menopause with a whole-person, natural approach. This includes dietary and lifestyle recommendations, herbal, and nutrient supplementation all aimed at balancing the hormones as naturally as possible. In addition, bone health and body composition are addressed as part of lifelong health.
Dr. Holly's Approach to Perimenopause and Menopause
Dr. Holly Castle a naturopathic doctor with almost three decades of experience. During her long career she has helped many women improve their wellness outcomes for a variety of health complaints. More recently, because she has been seeing an increasing need for this kind of support, she is more focused on the safe, effective, natural, and non-suppressive treatment of women’s hormone complaints including menstrual irregularities, infertility, postpartum rebalancing, perimenopause, and menopause.
She seeks to identifying the underlying root cause or causes of a woman’s health complaints by assessing the individual’s symptoms and by utilizing and interpreting conventional blood work and functional medicine tests as indicated. Her goal is to provide safe, supportive, natural wellness solutions for every stage of a women’s life.
Dr. Castle offers convenient and personalized healthcare in the comfort of your own home with Zoom appointments.