Many women assume that the hot flashes, mood swings, and weight gain they experience as they approach middle age are normal signs of perimenopause, or pending menopause, that they just have to accept. Although these are typical symptoms that most women experience, they are typically related to a general hormone imbalance that can be easily treated with Bioidentical Hormones Replacement Therapy. St. Louis Menopause Doctor Bryan Warner, M.D. of Health by Design MD has successfully treated the symptoms of perimenopause and menopause in women from the St. Louis and surrounding St. Louis County, St. Charles County, Jefferson County, Madison County IL, and St. Clair County IL.

Bryan Warner, M.D. focuses his knowledge and expertise in Bioidentical Hormone Replacement Therapy with extensive training from the Fellowship in Anti-Aging and Regenerative Medicine to treat women in the St. Louis Missouri area. As a highly trained St. Louis Menopause Doctor, Bryan Warner, M.D. is recognized as a leading specialist in his field of expertise and as an active member of the American Academy for Anti-Aging medicine he is continually staying at the cutting edge of Bioidentical Hormone Replacement Therapy programs.

Are You Dealing with a Hormone Imbalance?

There are six primary hormones in a woman’s body that work together to support reproductive health, stabilize mood, provide energy, and several other essential functions. These hormones include cortisol, estrogen, pregnenolone, progesterone, testosterone, and thyroid. As you get older, your body naturally begins to slow the production of some of these hormones, while other’s cease to be made at all. The effects of hormone imbalance in women range from feeling mildly uncomfortable to being totally disabled by the symptoms. Most women fall somewhere in between. If you are in your mid 30s to early 50s, you probably have already started seeing some fo the symptoms associated with hormone decline or imbalance.

Common Symptoms of Hormone Imbalance in Women

  • Sexual dysfunction
  • Mood instability
  • Painful intercourse
  • Lack of energy
  • Difficulty losing weight
  • Insomnia
  • Chronic fatigue
  • Feeling overwhelmed by everyday life

How Bioidentical Hormone Replacement Helps Restore Balance

St. Louis Menopause Doctor, Bryan Warner, M.D. believes that optimal hormone balance is essential for women to achieve long-term good health and feel a deep sense of satisfaction with life. Dr. Warner uses Bioidentical Hormones, offering his patients a safe and natural alternative to hormone replacement therapy. The term bioidentical means that the hormones used as part of your Bioidentical Hormone Replacement Therapy replicate exactly what your body produces naturally on its own. Due to the identical cell structure of the replacement hormones, most women experience safe and effective symptom relief without the risk of undesirable side effects.

The Role of Women’s Hormones

Each of the six primary hormones in your body has an essential role in maintaining your overall health and quality of life. These include the following:

In early menopause, symptoms of estrogen deficiency include breast tenderness and hot flashes. As menopause progresses, you are likely to experience sleep disturbances, problems with memory, and low bone density that can put you at risk for osteoporosis. Not having enough natural estrogen also disrupts intimacy with your partner because your libido is lower. You may also not be in the mood for sex due to physical symptoms such as vaginal dryness.

This hormone controls the function of many others, including estrogen and progesterone. During the natural course of aging, you may lose up to 60 percent of the pregnenolone your body needs to sustain energy. It is also responsible for memory and alertness. An unbalanced level of pregnenolone contributes to depression, fatigue, and stress.

This hormone is necessary to balance estrogen levels and to avoid the many problems associated with estrogen dominance. Common causes of progesterone deficiency include poor nutrition, lack of exercise, chronic stress, and insulin resistance. Symptoms associated with an imbalance of progesterone include insomnia, headaches, weight gain, anxiety, and breast tenderness.

Also called the stress hormone, cortisol creates chemicals in your body that react to stress. Cortisol is manufactured by your adrenal glands, which are located directly on top of your kidneys. When women feel stress from juggling so many different roles, it can cause an imbalance in the level of cortisol. You may experience cortisol imbalance as anxiety, fatigue, depression, irritability, and difficulty concentrating.
Testosterone, which is a hormone typically associated with men, is also present in women. Your body produces testosterone in the ovaries and adrenal glands. Testosterone in women is responsible for producing lean muscle mass, maintaining bone strength, providing energy, and contributing to an overall feeling of well-being.
The thyroid is a tiny gland in your neck that controls all of the functions of your adrenal system. When your body produces too much or too little thyroid hormone, you may experience weight gain, depression, fatigue, cold sensations, hot flashes, among many other symptoms.

Hormonal imbalance can have a huge impact on your quality of life, whether you have just started perimenopause, have completed menopause, or are a woman still in her childbearing years. Dr. Warner and his staff at Health By Design MD have helped numerous women in from the St. Louis and surrounding St. Louis County, St. Charles County, Jefferson County, Madison County IL, and St. Clair County IL overcome hormone imbalance and feel like themselves again.

Bioidentical Hormone Replacement Therapy, offered by St. Louis Menopause Doctor, Bryan Warner, M.D., can help you enjoy life again, not just endure it.