[00:00:00] Kylie: Welcome back to episode of the Hormone Hub Podcast, where we talk all things perimenopause, menopause, and have the conversations no one else is having. Sit back, relax, and enjoy this episode. 

 Hello, ladies, and welcome back to the Hormone Hub. I’m your host, Kylie Pinwill. And today we’re doing part two of our Q& A session. So last week, I started off answering some questions that came up in a Facebook group and realised that we had way too many to cover in just one episode, or it would have been a mega episode.

So I thought I would split it into two. So today is part two of that. So let’s jump in. So lots of questions in no particular order. How do you know when your last period is your last period? Now, I love this question. We don’t. That’s the thing. So menopause is [00:01:00] when we officially haven’t had a period for a year.

What happens quite often is you might get down to eight months, nine months, 10 months, 11 months, and then you might have a hum dinger of a period. It can be, yeah, I joke about it with my clients is it’s the last hurrah. So it’s your body just saying, yeah, no, not quite yet. I had one more in me. And the downside of that is yeah, your count starts again.

So sorry to be the bearer of bad news. But yeah, we’ve got no way of predicting it. We know we’re getting close. We’re now periods are getting further apart when, it’s been close to a year, the closer we get to that 12 months, the more likely we are to sort of. tick off that menopause, that 12 months and that menopause block.

But yeah, there’s no way of predicting that, unfortunately. Okay, question number two is how to get better sleep. Now I will put my hand up. Sleep is my [00:02:00] biggest nemesis. you know, when it comes to perimenopause for sure. Now, definitely there’s a few things we can do, like make sure you’ve got a good sleep practice.

So by that, I mean, a good bedtime routine. So no phones in the bedroom. Ever. So, yep, don’t sleep with your phone in your room. I have ladies will try and justify it and say, Oh yeah, but when I scroll through, it just relaxes me and I go back to sleep. But what’s actually happening is your, every time you scroll, you’re sending your brain a million messages.

So your brain is still active and that is definitely not conducive to sleep. As well as all the blue light that you are, you know, your brain’s taking in. So that’s telling your body. It’s not bedtime. It’s not sleep time because it interferes with that melatonin production. So what we can do is start a routine make sure we’re not smacking too close to bed or having dinner too late.

Making sure that you [00:03:00] are incorporating some protein and also some carbs in with your dinner as well, because what happens during the night our blood sugar can dip quite low and that can wake us up. Not drinking too much fluid. So try and get most of our liquid in, in the first half of the day.

So come, bedtime, we might have a cup of tea and that’s it. So we’re not getting up to go to the loo. Making sure the bedroom’s nice and cool is another one as well. So we sleep best in, the temperature five degrees or thereabouts like cooler and, weighted blankets can help.

Had a client tell me the other day about cooling blankets on her bed for those ladies who are getting hot flushes or night sweats is a good one as well. So, yeah, so just getting into a practice and creating good habits, but definitely your phone is not a good one to have in the bedroom at all.

How to get rid of fluid retention. Okay. So what happens there? So fluid retention [00:04:00] can be, linked to a few different things, but when it’s certainly that drop in estrogen can lead us to holding onto fluid. So it might sound counterintuitive, but definitely drink enough water, but water will flush through or help flush through that excess fluid that your body’s holding onto making sure if you live in a warmer climate, if it’s more humid.

Definitely having, plenty like of salt in your water making sure that maybe your electrolyte imbalances out. So magnesium, potassium, sodium in your water can help. And then also moving your, lymphatic system. So dry skin brushing can help there as well. So, that happens when we move our body and dry skin brushing can help move that through.

And also have a look at, there’s a video and there’s also a podcast episode we did on the lymphatic system with Chelsea James. So check that one out as well. Okay. Next question. Why am I putting on weight [00:05:00] now? I do hear this a lot. So even if we haven’t changed anything in our diet, we can feel that our body is just doing its own thing.

Now what is happening is our hormones are responsible for telling our body what to do with our excess body weight. So some hormones will tell our body to pack it down like there’s no tomorrow and other hormones will tell our body to use it for fuel. So what happens is our insulin is one of our big fat storage hormones.

Cortisol is another big fat storage hormone because it wants to keep our body safe. When, you know, certainly the, the balance between estrogen and progesterone can influence our weight. But I find for women in perimenopause and menopause, the two biggest hormones we need to pay attention to blood sugar, and I’ve got a whole podcast episode on that, and actually I might do another episode on that just because it’s been a while.

So we’ll refresh that. So why insulin causes us to put on weight and cortisol. So yeah, look [00:06:00] after that stress. Next question. Why aren’t GPs properly educated on perimenopause and menopause? Great question. Why aren’t they properly educated on most women’s health issues? That’s the thing. So perimenopause and menopause, like if we reframe it, it’s not a medical condition.

We aren’t sick. It’s a natural phase of life that we transition through. Okay. So if we’re all old enough and live long enough to go through it we will go through it. So As with, when we’re looking at it with medical, a medical lens, so generally we have a condition that can be diagnosed and nine times out of 10, there’s a matching pharmaceutical for that condition.

Now, perimenopause and menopause is a spectrum of. Conditions, a spectrum of symptoms. So there is some crossover there in perimenopause with [00:07:00] our thyroid conditions, with chronic fatigue, with autoimmune conditions. So it’s not like they can isolate out perimenopause. Unfortunately, the conversation around perimenopause is like, it’s getting better, but it’s never really been a recognized medical condition.

They are starting to recognize that those changes are real and the physiology that happens or the changes in the physiology that happens to women is real. It is getting better, but traditionally, menopause was this whispered thing. Oh, you’re just going through the change. Now there are some great doctors out there, a hundred percent.

So if you are being dismissed by your doctor, that you’re too young, that it’s just your lot in life, that you just have to suck it up, you just have to push through it, find yourself a new doctor, like seriously, because there are a lot of dinosaurs out there but there are a lot of great doctors as [00:08:00] well.

So you want to make sure that your GP is aware of what perimenopause is. You want to make sure that they are up to date with the latest bioidentical hormones. You know, that is something that your GP can prescribe for you. You do not need an endocrinologist to diagnose you with menopause.

You do not need a no, no, no. I’ve heard all sorts of things. A gynecologist tell you that you’re in menopause. Certainly if you are under 40 and you are experiencing, definite menopause symptoms, then a hundred percent, that’s where you would see a specialist. But for most of us, we do not need to see a specialist to tell us that we are going through perimenopause and menopause.

Okay, so this sort of links into the next question. How can you confirm you’re in perimenopause? What are the best treatments and lifestyle adaptions? Now, definitely. So this is where download my signs and symptoms of perimenopause and menopause. Like I said, there’s no medical [00:09:00] definition for it. So it’s not like you take extra amounts of boxes and therefore you are in perimenopause what will you do instead is have a look at that spectrum, that timeline.

Are you experiencing, and generally how we know that our hormones production starts to decline in our mid thirties. So if you are in your late thirties, if you’re in your forties and you’re experiencing just not feeling yourself, for me, that’s enough confirmation that you’re in perimenopause.

And remember, it’s a, it’s a process. It doesn’t just happen overnight. So the best treatments and lifestyle adaptions. I think this is a great question. Thank you for not asking about what medication should I take? Looking after yourself now and making yourself a priority is a must. And we’re not teenagers anymore.

So the better you can take care of your nutrition in terms of eating a whole food diet, the better you can learn to manage your stress. So making [00:10:00] sure you’re getting plenty of downtime, making sure you’re spending time out in nature, making sure that you are doing something for yourself. You know, now self care isn’t a luxury.

Self care is a necessity through this time of life. The better you take care of yourself, the better you can show up for your family, the better you can show up at work, the better you can show up, in life generally. So definitely move your body, eat well, manage your stress, and find self care practices that, work for you.

And it’s got to be something that you resonate with. And it’s important to know that, it’s not just a one and done thing. This is how we treat ourselves for the rest of our lives. So yeah, we’re not looking for a diet. Okay, so what age is usual and how to know if you’re too young for peri? If you are, like if you are under 35, I would say potentially you’re too young.

And I wouldn’t even say you’re too young. [00:11:00] I would say, you’re probably borderline. Usual age is, I guess, where women start to really notice things is sort of mid to late 40s. That’s where things start to ramp up and get fun. But there is, look, there’s no normal, just like, girls start their periods, anything from seven or eight years old through to, you know, 15, 16, 17 year old, so just like there’s a spectrum.

When we get our periods, there’s also a spectrum for when it finishes as well. So but do not ever be dismissed by a doctor by saying that you’re too young because you’re not. And there is a such thing as primary Ovarian insufficiency. And there is a whole podcast episode on that as well. If you want to go looking for it and we talk about, what happens when your ovaries shut up shop, before the age of 40, what happens when they shut up shop before the age of 45, what happens if you’re in surgical menopause, for instance. So [00:12:00] there’s lots of different reasons why you would go into perimenopause and menopause early. 

Hormone Hub episode is sponsored by our free hormone help call book in your call today with one of our experienced advisors, and we’ll give you some clarity around what’s causing your symptoms and some simple steps you can use straight away to improve your menopause experience. If you’re ready to take the next step book in a call and find out more about how we can help you have a smoother transition through perimenopause and menopause, let us help you balance out your hormones, reset your metabolism, and get your confidence back so you can live the life you’re meant to.

The link with all the details is in our show notes or over at kyliepinwill.com / hormone help call. 

Okay, next question is, how can we get GPs to not dismiss women’s symptoms and [00:13:00] stop saying it’s depression? Again, find yourself a new GP. If you are, and this is the thing, like, women aren’t feeling themselves.

They go, they have the blood test done, the blood tests come back normal. And the reason our blood tests come back normal is because it’s on a, it’s on a bell curve. And if we’re on the outside of normal, we’re a long way from optimal, where we feel well and we feel great. We’re on that outs, outserts of, of normal.

But medically, we’re technically normal, but we can feel like rubbish. And I see a lot of women just sort of get dished out with antidepressants because, they’re actually speaking up for themselves and they’re going, I don’t feel great. I know it came back normal, but I don’t feel great.

And then there is a train of thought amongst some GPs to treat some menopause symptoms with antidepressants. This isn’t something that I would recommend in the slightest. So, when you take antidepressants or in you take anti [00:14:00] anxieties, these are 100 percent okay. If you actually have severe anxiety or you actually are depressed, there’s, there’s a place for them.

100%. But when you are given antidepressants just to kind of shut you up or just to kind of like band aid over the top of everything or, numb you down it’s not, it’s not okay in my book because you can’t, unlike HRT or unlike other medications, you can’t just stop taking antidepressants.

There’s quite a big weaning process that you have to go through. So you have to be really careful. When you start and the amount of women I’ve spoken to who have got scripts and they’re like, Oh, my doctor gave me this script. But I don’t think I’m depressed and like it’s not my call whether they take the medication or not.

But definitely think long and hard before you jump onto something like that because it is hard to get off. And it comes with [00:15:00] other side effects as well. So don’t discount the knock on impacts to other areas of your body as well. Okey dokes, so next one. Can I take HRT if I have a heart condition?

And if not, what can I do to help with symptoms like weight gain and sweats? So generally there is a concern with HRT and blood clots. So just like there is with the pill and blood clots as well. So generally, and this is a conversation that you need to have with your doctor and you know, certainly go on their advice, but the general.

Line of thinking is that it’s not appropriate for you. So what we need to do is, you know, how, how do we deal with hot flushes and things like that? So definitely maintaining a healthy weight, avoiding known triggers of hot flushes. So caffeine, alcohol, spicy foods you can, you know, by managing your stress, So quite [00:16:00] often, women will report that, you know, they’ve had an increase in hot flushes, during stressful times usually at the worst point in time.

So when you’re about to chair a meeting or when you’re sitting in a boardroom or, something like that is when I hear it comes up a lot. So definitely exercising, moving your body, lots of meditation, lots of yoga to get that cortisol response down from a practical point of view, wearing, light sort of breathable fabrics, layering, so you can layer things off, layer things, take things off as well.

Okay, next question. Is low level antidepressants a good idea for mood and anxiety? Again, yeah, going back to my question that I just answered, I, I would try other things first. So I would try improving your diet, making sure that your blood sugar is balanced and you’re not having sort of big sugar highs and big crashes.

So, you know, this is a really key part of, of what I work with in my, with my clients [00:17:00] in the hormone code, just to help them keep that blood sugar regulated. It helps keep your mood regulated as well. But also having the tools to deal with anxiety. So, you know, anxiety is usually things that we worry about that may or may not happen in the future.

So having the tools like, what’s the worst thing that could happen? Okay. You know, it might be if we say a financial worry, what’s the worst, worst, worst thing in the world that could happen? We lose our house. Okay, just, this is an example. Okay, what are the, is that really likely to happen?

Like, Oh no, but money is tight. Okay. So we’ve kind of gone from, Oh my God, we’re going to lose the house to probably won’t happen. But things are tight. And it’s sort of like, okay, well, what can you do now? because things are tight versus panicking because you might, have that very big thing [00:18:00] happen.

I hope that makes sense. I don’t know if that was the best way of explaining it. So, a lot of anxiety is tied into potential future things and we make it bigger and we stress over it. So it’s just sort of like, how can we shrink that thing down into actually something manageable? Okay, what treatment is available for loss of libido?

This did come up in the last lot of questions as well, but I will answer it again. So there’s a few things going on. So one definite drop of estrogen can impact things like lubrication, our, you know, ability to relax and, you know, enjoy the moment. So, there’s definitely a physical, potentially painful side there.

So definitely using a, a natural lubricant. We want to stay away from anything with petroleum jellies or anything like that. The yes brand in Australia is quite good. Then we want to have a look at we just, So freaking [00:19:00] exhausted right now that that tap on the shoulder is the last thing we feel like.

So how do we tap into, a bit of sexy time when our energy is high? Okay. So that’s when we, what we want to do. So if you are a typical you both roll into bed, your partner taps you on the shoulder at 10 o’clock at night, and you are done for the day, of course, you’re not going to, your libido is taking a road trip, whereas if you flipped it around, and, maybe the kids are out in the afternoon on the weekend, and, it could be two o’clock for a bit of afternoon delight.

Maybe that’s a better time. Where’s the connection? With your partner. So, when was the last time you went on a date? When was the last time you had a good conversation? When was the last time you put your phone down and really connected? So tap into other things and open the lines of communication to your partner.

Let them know what’s going on as well, because, I was going to say it takes two to tango, but okay. If you are alone on your own you can fly solo in this as well. So [00:20:00] again, tap into what makes you feel good as well. So it was really interesting. I did a poll not that long ago in our Facebook group, and I’ve got everyone to rank their libido out of 10.

It was so funny. The women who had new partners, the women who had younger partners, libidos were on fire. Those of us who’d been married for 20 plus years. Yeah, not so much. Now I’m not saying everyone needs to go out and get a new partner, but food for thought. And it was just interesting, you know, when you sort of.

at layering that excitement level. So what can you do to spark it up with your current partner? And the last question is lots of light bleeding in between the period that never arrives indicative of perimenopause. Absolutely it is. So With perimenopause, what can happen in early stages of perimenopause, we might get lots of really heavy bleeding closer together, like our cycles might get shorter lots of clots, lots [00:21:00] of, you know, funky stuff going on, and that’s because our estrogen levels are like through the roof.

Then later, stages of perimenopause. Our hormones aren’t, we’re producing progesterone. So those periods definitely become lighter and further apart in between. So yeah, light bleeding in between the period that never arrives, a hundred percent perimenopause. Okay, ladies, this was fun. I think I’ll do more of these because it yeah, it’s just lots of different topics, lots of different questions.

So I hope it was helpful. Let me know, shoot me an email, shoot me a message. If you’re listening and you’re on socials, shoot me a DM because I’d love to know, like, what are your questions, your burning questions that you’d love to find out more about. All right. Well, thanks for listening and I will see you in the next episode.

Thank you for taking the time to listen today. You can head on [00:22:00] over to the show notes at kyliepinwill.com/podcast where you’ll find all the links. Now, before we go, it would mean the world to me if you’d head on over to your favorite podcast channel, subscribe and leave a review. Don’t forget to share it with your friends.

Then stay tuned for next week’s episode and I can’t wait to see you then.