MENOPAUSE AND PMS

A NATURAL AND INDIVIDUAL APPROACH TREATMENT NEEDS TO BE AS INDIVIDUAL AND UNIQUE AS EACH WOMAN
There is no one pill or one health plan for menopause or peri-menopause (pre-menopause) that will fit every woman. In addition, many women have other chronic health problems that are exacerbated by the onset of menopause that also need to be addressed in order to feel better. A plan that is developed after a comprehensive history and medical workup can provide an individual program with the best possibility to benefit each unique woman.

Symptoms of menopause or peri-menopause are:

• Hot Flashes & Night Sweats
• Mood Swings
• Headaches
• Insomnia
• Vaginal Dryness & Urinary Problems
• Weight Gain
• Depression
• Memory & Cognitive Changes
• Fatigue
• Decreased Libido

IMPORTANCE OF HORMONE BALANCE AND NATURAL TREATMENTS FOR HORMONE PROBLEMS
Hormones play a vital role in maintaining our health. Any imbalance can cause a host of problems and symptoms. Many times, women suffering with menopausal or peri-menopausal symptoms are treated with either high levels of non-compatible estrogens or with psychiatric drugs to try to control the symptoms. The problem with this approach is that both of these types of drugs expose the woman to serious and even life-threatening side effects and fail to address or help the underlying health problems. The approach at The Block Center is to treat the underlying problems. If hormone level tests indicate that hormones are needed, then the appropriate and individual amount can be prescribed. Dr. Block only prescribes those hormones that are bio-identical to the hormones made in the body. These bio-identical hormones are made for each individual woman by a compounding pharmacy. These are not the same hormones that have recently received negative publicity in the news.

"NATURAL" HORMONES ARE NOT ALWAYS BIO-IDENTICAL
One hormone that has been marketed as a natural is made from horse estrogen taken from the urine of pregnant mares. Although "natural," the horse estrogen is composed of molecules not found in the human body, so it is NOT a “natural” hormone for women. Hormones made in a laboratory, however, can be natural to your body if they are made to be exactly like the hormones your body actually makes. It does not matter if the body makes the hormone or if it is made from a plant extract. If it is the identical molecule, then it is the identical hormone.

WHY DR. BLOCK PREFERS BIO-IDENTICAL HORMONES
Bio-identical hormones are identical in chemical structure to the hormones that your body naturally produces. This means that the bio-identical hormones interact in the same way with your hormone receptors and produce the same results as your own hormones do. Premarin and synthetic hormones may have similar (but not identical) molecular structures but they can produce different responses. It is the different responses that can prevent a woman from feeling better while on these hormones as well as cause potential side effects. That is why Dr. Block prescribes only bio-identical hormones for her patients.

MENOPAUSE AND TOO MUCH ESTROGEN
Menopause is not just about reduced levels of estrogen in the body. There are other hormones that are also diminished with menopause. To simply prescribe only estrogen to a woman ignores the fact that there has been a loss of these other important hormones. Adding only one lost hormone and ignoring the loss of others only serves to further disrupt the body’s delicate balance. Estrogen is a potent and potentially dangerous hormone when not balanced by adequate progesterone. Too much estrogen can cause many serious health problems. Studies have shown that estrogen can cause cancer in the uterus and the breast.

You may be interested in the following:

Depression 

Weight Loss

Dr. Mary Ann Block treats many other chronic health problems such as, asthma, arthritis, gastrointestinal problems and others. He approach is to look for and treat, whenever possible, the underlying causes instead of covering the symptoms with drugs.