How Do I know If I'm In Menopause?

Hello again from sunny Southern California,

I have just received an email from Marilyn in England asking how she can tell if she’s in Menopause:

"Where’s your menopause book??? I’m told I’m not menopausal, it’s just that we’re on the dark side of the moon (!) but I choose to hope it’s menopause! Anyway, no periods for 2 and a half months has got to be menopause, right?!! And yes, I’m taking the Female Balance! But seriously, what happened to your book – I haven’t heard anything about it for a long time. I had a book by a chap called John Lee (American doctor) but stupidly lent it to someone and never got it back. My osteopath tells me his mother is still having periods at the age of 58, but that’s because she’s got a wonderful therapist (him!). I’m thinking I don’t actually WANT periods till the age of 58 (or even 51, if I can possibly manage it!), but I guess we’ll see!"

The reason that I am answering Marilyn’s email online is because her questions touch on many different important issues that occur during the Peri menopausal period, and I have many women ask me similar questions.

How do you know if you are in Menopause? Please click on the next page to find out why.

The obvious answer is when the gap between your periods extends longer and longer, and then your periods stop altogether. In retrospect you know that you have entered into Menopause. You may want to visit your gynaecologist and have a blood test to check your hormone levels. If they are particularly low, she will conclude that you are in Menopause

Usually however, for many women in our Western society it is not so simple. Menopause can start in your early forties to late fifties. These days there are women who begin their menopause much too early.

When you are healthy menopause is not a big deal. I know that this goes against all the media and medical hype about menopause, but in Chinese Medicine we can tell the true state of a woman’s health by how she handles menopause.

Western teaching is that Menopause is a disease which of course could not be further from the truth. However, if it is made out to be a disease then it needs treating. What does it get treated with? Hormone therapy propagated by drug companies.

Synthetic hormones used to be prescribed and now with the scare about those, "bio-identical hormones" have become all the rage, in America

John Lee’s book was ground breaking in its day. He still advocated using hormones, in this case progesterone, which means that he was still thinking of menopause as a disease.

Did you know that taking hormones, whether synthetic or "natural" to fix menopause symptoms, is a form of band aid treatment? You are not dealing with the underlying causes. You are just treating the symptoms, and there are often repercussions.

So how do you go through Menopause without repercussions?

What I am about to write is very important.:

Menopause in itself is not a disease. The state of Menopause brings out any latent issues that you might already have and have not dealt with. Any tendencies such as weight issues or insomnia, fatigue or irritability, or burn-out will be exacerbated in menopause.

You asked me about my book on Menopause, and seriously it is on the way. I will be releasing it in instalments on this Menopause Blog so look out for the chapters as they are released. I will be going into the different body types that we have as women, and will help you identify which type you are. Depending on which body type you are will give you clues on how to prepare for and manage your menopause better.

The book is not just for you if you are going through menopause now, but also if you are younger and would like to have a healthier menopause without the need for medication.

Marilyn, I think that if you have been taking the Female Balance, and you are not having the typical symptoms of hot flashes along with the lack of periods, that your menopause should go nice and smoothly.

I would however want to know a little more about the periods that you used to have. I will go more into my reasons for this in the next instalment and will also give you some tips on how to enhance your transition. Keep taking the Female Balance. It will support your body as it goes through its natural changes.

Western medicine and western alternative medicine only seem to offer solutions such as hormone therapy, nutritional supplements and diet. Chinese medicine and Acupuncture,on the other hand, have a great deal to offer women going through the menopause, because the underlying causes are dealt with. These concepts aren’t too well known yet. Again keep watching this blog and we will go into some of the options on future posts.

You may also want to check out the earlier article by Phylipa Delglyn titled "A Woman’s Gift of Creation"