From the desk of Dr. Meagan
Let’s play a game.
✋🏽Raise your hand if you feel more sluggish than usual.
✋🏽Raise your hand if you feel more irritable or short-wicked.
✋🏽Raise your hand if you feel more bloated or squishy.
✋🏽Raise your hand if you’re running hot at night and not sleeping well.
✋🏽Raise your hand if you feel dead inside.
If you raised your hand more than twice, you could be in perimenopause. Although no definitive lab test will 100% confirm your state, your doctor can run a blood panel. Those results, in conjunction with your symptom frequency and intensity, determine if you’re in perimenopause.
How do I know if I’m in perimenopause is one of the top two questions I get asked (the other, ironically, is how do I get a doctor to help me).
There is no hard and fast answer, but knowing your symptoms and possibly doing a blood panel is enough to get the ball rolling on treating your symptoms and possibly cutting a few off at the pass.
When faced with a few of those nagging symptoms–plus another unique one–my patient, Tiff Carey, sought medical advice. You’ll hear from her below how it all worked out.
Let her story be the nudge you need to seek help when you’re ready.
Dr Meagan
Take it from me…women helping women
It was early 2020, pre-lockdown. I remember being in a yoga class, executing a perfect downward dog, and noticing the skin around my knees wrinkling and sagging. They didn’t look like my knees.
“Those aren’t my knees,” I told myself. But they were.
Soon, my elbows became wrinkly, my neck looked saggy, and the skin around my otherwise toned tummy became loose.
The changes in my skin were the first domino. Soon after, I started sweating at night so profusely that I had to change my clothes and lay a beach towel on my side of the bed. Anger followed; I’d suddenly be mad for no apparent reason.
A few months later, I moved to the couch to avoid waking my husband after my second change of clothes. I lay there and cried, feeling disconnected from my mind and body. I felt like a shell of a human. I felt dead inside.
Mid-lockdown, my regular gynecologist retired. Fortunately, my new doctor took mercy on me, ran a blood panel, and prescribed 0.025mg Estradiol. Within days, I felt better. The night sweats and bouts of rage subsided. My skin and sex life still struggled, but I was grateful to feel somewhat alive.
I had been taking the Estradiol when, about six months ago, my symptoms crept back. The sweats, unexplained anger, and a new lack of focus and motivation returned.
I lost another gynecologist to early retirement and got a new one. I told her my symptoms were returning and that maybe we should up my dosage.
“Oh no, Tiffany. The idea is to get off the hormones altogether—not increase the dosage.” And with that, she pretty much left the room.
I met Dr. Meagan through The Daily, a nutrition, exercise, and accountability community. Knowing she was focusing on midlife women’s healthcare, I approached her.
During our first meeting, she gave me a supplement plan, diet and exercise recommendations, and prescribed testosterone and a slight increase in my Estradiol (0.035mg).
It would be an understatement to say that I felt massive relief just talking with Dr. Meagan. I felt seen, heard, and comfortable with her, and I was excited to get what I needed to feel better.
Now, two months in, my symptoms are all but gone. My skin is even looking better.
The point is you don’t have to suffer. You don’t need to wait until you’re crying on your couch. You can get help and change the way you feel–right now.
I hope my story inspires you to do so.
Get moving
It’s simple, powerful, and FREE. Studies show that regular walking can help reduce hot flashes, improve mood, and support overall well-being.
If walking isn’t your jam YET, here’s a little tried-and-true advice on getting started:
- 🏃♀️Start slow: Begin with short walks and gradually increase the duration and intensity. Aim for at least 30 minutes a day.
- 🏃♀️Choose the right sneakers: Invest in comfortable walking shoes to support your feet and prevent injuries.
- 🏃♀️Set a schedule (and stick to it!): Incorporate walking into your daily routine. Consistency is key.
- 🏃♀️Find a walking buddy: Walking with a friend can make the activity more enjoyable and keep you motivated.
- 🏃♀️Stay hydrated: Drink plenty of water before and after your walk to stay hydrated.
