Why am I so angry? Why am I so sad? Why don’t I have any interest in sex anymore?
Why am I so tired all the time? Where has my waistline gone?
What’s happening; am I crazy?
If these are questions you’ve been asking yourself lately, you are not alone. Three of our Cincinnati Moms Blog contributors have told us their stories of hormone imbalance, so we chatted with our friend, Judy Couch, FNP-C, hormone replacement specialist at Your Wellness Center, in search of some answers to what exactly is going on inside our bodies. And what can we do about it?
Abby
Our first mom, Abby, 40, has two children and has struggled with hormone imbalance a few years before she had her first son. Doctors determined she had Polycystic Ovary Syndrome (PCOS), throwing her hormones out of whack and making it difficult to become pregnant. Abby went through various ordeals – miscarriages, taking progesterone to remain pregnant with her baby after the miscarriage, post-partum depression and underactive thyroid. Now, it’s 10 years later and despite medication to combat the hypothyroidism, a tubal ligation and finally a hysterectomy, Abby’s libido is low, her energy is missing, hot flashes are starting and her emotions are either out of control or non-existent. Yet her hormone levels are within normal ranges.
“Normal for one’s age is not necessarily optimal for that age.” Couch said.
During our conversation with Couch, this phrase really stood out. After all, when we go to the doctor for a check-up and get our bloodwork done, we hold our breath and hope that the results come back “within normal range.” If they do, well great! Everything must be fine.
Not so fast, Couch says.
In Abby’s case, she went through a variety of hormonal treatments while trying to become pregnant and then stay pregnant. After the pregnancies, the hormones were discontinued and her body reverted to dealing with PCOS without intervention. The result? Continued metabolic chaos and more struggles for Abby.
Couch tells us that PCOS is a metabolic disorder and requires a lifelong treatment plan. While we tend to focus on how PCOS effects a woman’s ability to become pregnant, PCOS is NOT just a gynecological issue. “It requires aggressive, appropriate treatment for a lifetime.” Couch said. “As Abby approaches menopause, it will double down on her.”
What can we do then? Plenty.
At Your Wellness Center, the first step for Abby would be a series of tests that might have been done by her MD – or might not have been. The difference is HOW the specialists at YWC will review and analyze the results. For example, while traditional blood tests check for one thyroid hormone – TSH – Your Wellness Center checks for THREE thyroid hormones. After a complete hormone profile, Judy and her colleagues would work with Abby to determine a plan for moving forward.
Zandria
Zandria is a mom of three children, one of whom is only seven months old. She reports a lack of libido that is very unusual for her. While she understands that this can be normal while breastfeeding, it’s not HER normal. Since she is at home with her third son and breastfeeding him full-time, she’s chalking this lack of libido up to hormonal changes.
Ah, breastfeeding. It’s lovely and wonderful (except when it’s painful and exhausting), but it can also wreak hormonal havoc on a woman’s body. After giving birth, a new mom’s oxytocin and prolactin levels go up. Those are the two hormones that – to put it really simply – make breastfeeding work. Prolactin helps produce milk, but it also creates that mama urge to see and hold our babies as much as possible. Oxytocin is that lovely hormone that gives us a feeling of contentment and well-being when nursing. These two hormones are super helpful for nursing, but can also lessen our desire to seek out our dear husbands when we can get those warm, fuzzy feelings from Baby. Add on the fact that nursing a baby multiple times a day just isn’t sexy, and you have a recipe for a sexual dry spell.
What are Zandria’s options?
While Couch mentions that a blood test to see what Zandria’s levels are might shed some light on the situation, she wouldn’t start any hormonal therapy until breastfeeding was finished.
Zandria, might we suggest a nap? And perhaps a massage from your beloved? The rest is up to you! 😉
Tara
Our next mom, Tara, 44, has three children, runs her own business and is busy taking care of life in general. She is tired. But, is she tired because life is busy or due to something else?
Tara said, “I have asked my OBGYN during the last five or more of our yearly visits, ‘Why am I so tired? Should we be having more sex?’ Her answer is always the same: ‘Oh, that’s the season of life you’re in. Everyone with three kids is exhausted. None of us has any time for sex.’ As depressing as that answer is, at least I can say I am pretty normal.'”
Depressing, for sure. And not an uncommon theme among women in their 40s.
So, let’s sum up Tara’s issues. She is tired all the time, has no libido (“Like, none,” she says.) and often feels worried, anxious and unable to make decisions, sometimes spiraling out of control imagining unlikely, but terrifying, situations. Top it all off with intense cravings and as Tara puts it “a belly that looks like a disgusting puddle of flab” (we’re sure it’s not that bad, Tara!) and she’s left wondering what the heck is going on.
“Our hormone levels start becoming depleted in our early to mid-30s. In the average female, one of the first ones that we see fall is our progesterone,” said Couch.
All right. But why does that matter? Progesterone, it turns out, is responsible for a myriad of things in a woman’s body and a lack of it can be a real problem.
According to Couch, progesterone is a calming hormone. It keeps us on an even keel and allows us to better manage our anxiety levels. Not only that, it helps us cope with stress. So, without progesterone, one might tend to be anxious, worried and more likely to stress about the small stuff. Sound familiar, Tara?
Know what else that magical progesterone does? It helps the body utilize stored fat for energy. Without enough progesterone, the body can’t utilize fat as well and stores it. Can you guess where the body is most likely to store fat in a middle-aged woman? Yup! The belly!
This lack of hormone balance can also lead to all kinds of other things we don’t want to think about – heart disease and breast cancer among them. With a higher level of estrogen in the body (another change that tends to occur as we age), one is at a higher risk for both of these diseases.
Says Couch, “We spiral into the diseases of aging.” These include epidemic levels of obesity, Type II diabetes and heart disease. “Despite our medical system, our country is obese and sick.” Couch said.
The good news is; it doesn’t have to be that way. And, we don’t have to think we’re unreasonable or “crazy” for not feeling our best as we age. Couch says that knowing how deeply a hormone imbalance can affect us is a large factor in solving it. Many people who visit Your Wellness Center feel vindicated just learning that there actually is something biological going on.
So, what would YWC do for Tara?
The first step is a full hormone profile to determine what her levels are and if the issues are caused by a hormone imbalance. If treatment is required, Your Wellness Center doesn’t use any synthetic hormones. They only use bio-identical hormones, which are designed to be molecularly identical to the hormones that you already have in your body.
In the meantime, Tara, we hope you can get some rest! And some peace.
You’re NOT crazy.
So, ladies, the bottom line is this. While we might FEEL crazy much of the time (and what mom doesn’t?), it just might be hormone-related! As we age, society tells us that the weight gain, moodiness and exhaustion many of us experience are just part of getting older. Don’t accept it. Our friends at Your Wellness Center tell us there is a better way to live!
Hear directly from Your Wellness Center in their video below.
If you’re interested in a consultation with our friends at Your Wellness Center, stop by their Web site and fill out the form. According to Couch, you can fill out your medical history online and then schedule a blood test, so Your Wellness Center will have your hormone profile before your first visit.
