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Management of Menopause Type® Seminar

Module A: Redefining Menopause

 

 

Menopause Redefined

A New Definition | The 12 Menopause Types |  Clinical Significance

 

 

A New Definition

The inherent dangers and therapeutic failure of a one-size-fits-all model for menopause is evident. When we take into account biochemical individuality, the subtle uniqueness of biochemical and metabolic processes in each individual, we are forced to reject any hope of finding a "magic bullet" or singular therapy that is for all women. In truth, some women do quite well on the heavily marketed estrogen tablets, or the heavily marketed progesterone creams. Yet equally as true is that fact that many woman are harmed when they are subjected to an "estrogen pills for all women" or a "progesterone cream for all women" practitioner.

 

Looking back, we are troubled to find that women taking estrogen tablets years ago who reported abnormal vaginal bleeding were told to increase the dose. The ability of estrogens to induce endometrial hyperplasia was largely ignored years ago - and cancer was the consequence.

 

Today I am troubled when I hear women tell me "I told my doctor the progesterone cream was making me fatigued and depressed and was just told to take more of it." The ability of progesterone to induce insulin resistance, or depress the nervous system is largely ignored today. What will the consequences be?

 

The "one hormone for all women" did not work when we tried estrogen. What makes us think that progesterone is the "one hormone for all women"? To hold to such an idea calls to mind an old saying:

 

"One definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over, and expecting a different result."

 

Sane, compassionate health care mandates that any one-size-fits-all model be rejected. By rejecting a one-size-fits-all model of menopause we are left with a new definition of menopause and a new therapeutic model. In recognizing variant patterns of senescence1, we redefine menopause as follows:

 

"Menopause is a transition that may show up in many different ways.
There are actually 12 different Menopause Types®."

 

Our therapeutic model is more inclusive:

 

"Treat each woman according to her own Menopause Type®.

Treatment choices must include lifestyle, nutrition, herbs, hormone precursors and natural hormones."

 

How much can menopause vary from woman to woman?

In menopause we now recognize that some women may have low estradiol, while others continue to always have adequate amounts of estradiol. We also recognize that while some women truly are deficient in progesterone, other women continue to always have adequate amounts of progesterone. We also realize that while some women have testosterone deficiency, and others have adequate amounts of testosterone, there are some women who have excessive testosterone levels. These variant patterns can persist into the seventh decade of life and beyond.

 

The 12 Menopause Types®

Therefore, in menopause there are a number of possibilities:

 

Estradiol & progesterone are both adequate.

 

Estradiol is deficient.

 

Progesterone is deficient.

 

Estradiol & progesterone are both deficient.

 

Add to those four possibilities the fact that Testosterone may be normal, low, or high and we can understand why there are twelve types of menopause 1.

 

 

Normal Testosterone

Low Testosterone

High Testosterone

Adequate

Estradiol,

Adequate Progesterone

Type 1
Adequate Estradiol, Adequate Progesterone,
Normal Testosterone

Type 2
Adequate Estradiol, Adequate Progesterone, Low Testosterone

Type 3
Adequate Estradiol, Adequate Progesterone,
High Testosterone

Estradiol Deficiency

Type 4
Estradiol Deficiency, Normal Testosterone

Type 5
Estradiol Deficiency,
Low Testosterone

Type 6
Estradiol Deficiency,
High Testosterone

Progesterone Deficiency

Type 7
Progesterone Deficiency, Normal Testosterone

Type 8
Progesterone Deficiency, Low Testosterone

Type 9
Progesterone Deficiency,
High Testosterone

Estradiol Deficiency, Progesterone Deficiency

Type 10
Dual Deficiency,
Normal Testosterone

Type 11
Dual Deficiency,
Low Testosterone

Type 12
Dual Deficiency,
High Testosterone

 

Clinical Significance

Each of these Menopause Types® has it's own unique clinical presentation, and it's own unique risk factors, based on the deficiency of estradiol, progesterone or testosterone, or excess of testosterone. In physiological menopause, a deficiency of any of these hormones may be contributory to osteoporosis or heart disease. A physiological excess of testosterone may be contributory to heart disease, diabetes and some forms of cancer. Physiological imbalances may also be responsible for hot flashes (flushes), insomnia, fatigue or other symptoms.

 

 

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References

 

 

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