Hormones - What's the BIG Deal?

Did you know hormones are kind of like little Uber Drivers that send messages to your organs and tissues? These Uber Drivers carry instructions that tell your body literally how to function; like how to: grow, reproduce, metabolize and feel. Seriously, I did not realize HOW important hormones were. Now that I am in perimenopause I am paying more attention to the world that is discussing these amazing little messengers and wow... We take hormones for granted and we need to be talking more about these amazing powerhouses.

I recently had an appointment with my doctor to discuss all things hormones and potential hormone therapy. Right now on social media, especially Instagram, Dr. Mary Claire Haver, Dr. Vonda Wright, Dr. Kelly Casperson, Dr. Mindy Pelz, Dr. Mosconi, Dr. Mennobgyn, Dr. Rachel Rubin, Tamsden Fadal, Dr. Heather Quaile, Dr. Corinne Menn to name a few, are advocating strongly for women's research to be done and for women to take charge of their health and menopause experiences. We hear all sorts of advice from taking creatine, wearing weighted vests, jumping hard, lifting weights, eating loads of protein, to wearing an Estrogen patch. I asked my doctor if I was a good candidate for Estrogen and here are her thoughts:

• I am still in full period mode, regular cycle is still happening on schedule, albeit a much heavier first 2 or 3 days.

• I was recently on oral birth control pills and that did help the heaviness of my cycle, but it did not fix any of my other symptoms like running hot and joint pain.

• I do not have any of the main menopausal symptoms, yet.... no night sweats, no big hot flashes, I am sleeping well and moods are fairly stable.

• At this point she felt she could prescribe an estrogen gel, but felt it was a bit early and she would rather see me try a GLP-1 first to see if that helps with my joint pain. She doesn't want to start me on both at the same time.

• In the meantime she tested my hormones to get a baseline, I also asked her to test my testosterone, even though she can't prescribe that. I have very little hair on my body and very low energy, so I was curious. My overall testosterone tests normal, a little on the lower side, but in the range.

Here I am on a "FEEL GOOD" Day!

So where does this leave me? It leaves me still running my air conditioner a little higher than my boys would like - lol! And it leaves me with heavy periods; I think I am going to invest in some period underwear to wear at night to help with leakage. It also leaves me with joint pain. I will continue to take my turmeric, glucosamine, magnesium and collagen, but I am going to try the GLP-1. It isn't something I have wanted to do and I am going to write a whole other post about it, but I need to find out if my body tolerates it, as many people do have bowel issues when taking it. Monday is Day 1 of this journey, so stay tuned!

Have you had your hormones tested? Where are you at in this wild ride of chaos?

What is working for you?