Menopause

Anything But Mid is hosted by Amy Edwards and Whitney Stropp. Neither host is a doctor and nothing here is medical advice. Lightly cleaned for readability.

Whitney: I'm Whitney.

Amy: And I'm Amy and this is Midlife.

Whitney: But you're anything but mid. We are cue. It's like we're professionals or something.

Amy: Hello.

Whitney: Hi.

Amy: Hello, how are you?

Whitney: I am fine.

Amy: Uh-oh, um I mean I feel like if everybody can see my face I feel like I look really tired. I'm not sleeping well. It's tough.

Whitney: That is so crazy that you say that because I was thinking about like, what's my mid moment going to be? And I was having the same feelings. I actually had gone to Houston. A friend's mom passed away and I was there to support him and then just so happened that I had a concert in Houston later on that night. And so I rushed out of there like on Wednesday morning or whatever day it was, I don't know, on the morning I had to be in Houston. My alarm didn't go off, so I was frazzled from the beginning. Trying to rush, grab things and get out the door. And then on the way to Houston I'm like, I don't really like the outfit that I'm going to be wearing to the concert. So I'm going to go to Galleria after and try to find an outfit. I got into the store, like the department store, and was trying on stuff. And those lights are so brutal. And I'm looking at myself in the mirror in this department store and I was like, I'm old, I'm ugly, my hair, like my brain just went

Amy: Why do they do that to us?

Whitney: overload negativity. And I had to really like, you know, step back and be like, get your shit under control. Like you looked just like this yesterday and you thought you were fine. And now you're spiraling into this feeling of self-loathing or whatever. But I was like I look tired, my skin looks old, my hair. And then Then I go to the hotel and because I was so frazzled that morning, I didn't get all of the things that I wanted to bring. I didn't have a chance to wash my hair before I left. That was one of the plans. And so I went to this funeral with greasy hair. But anyway,

Amy: You didn't have all your products.

Whitney: I didn't have all my stuff. But I had to shower and wash my hair before the concert. The blow dryer that they had did not have the little tip, the concentrator tip.

Amy: Oh, that was like old school. Was it old school?

Whitney: Yes, and then the light in the hotel is just one light spot-lighting down on my head. I'm watching all the little fly aways. Like I felt like I I cannot get away from this mentality of I'm old, I'm hideous. Like everything that was happening that day was just feeding that narrative. I had to really like step back and

Amy: Well, I'm glad you said that all because I've been thinking about, you know, that's totally normal. If anybody's listening like that's normal. And it's I think it's I posted something about this the other day, like it's how quickly you can right

Whitney: Bounce back.

Amy: and bounce back, you know? And at least you had the awareness around it to be like, I was fine yesterday, and, you know, I can get it together, and this is just a moment. That will pass, you know. It's just like, this too shall pass is good is for the good and the bad.

Whitney: Yeah, it's

Amy: You know, cuz like, when you're feeling good, you're like, "Oh my God, I" You know, that's going to pass, too. You're going to have the moments where you're like

Whitney: And it can

Amy: What is happening?

Whitney: change on a dime. Like Like, yeah. I mean, day before, you're like, "I'm so cute. I look really cute today." And then the next day, for whatever reason, you feel like you've aged 20 years. That's not true.

Amy: No.

Whitney: You know, the fact is you probably look exactly the same as you did yesterday to everyone else. You just noticed, you know, I got a I got a random pimple on my nose.

Amy: I have one.

Whitney: On my nose.

Amy: I can't even see it.

Whitney: The worst possible place. And I'm like I mean, literally, I feel like my thoughts were creating Like, if I kept feeding those thoughts, then by the end of the day, I was literally an ogre. You know, I get it. I get, "Oh, I feel like I manifested this fucking pimple on my nose from all the negative self-talk that I told myself." But yeah, the whole time I'm doing it, I'm completely aware that you got to stop doing this. It's not true.

Amy: I know, but it's hard when the mirror's staring you in the face.

Whitney: Yeah. And your hair's greasy. You know that is a fact.

Amy: Yeah. Yeah.

Whitney: Well, yeah. Even Even Even Taylor Swift, even Elizabeth Taylor, even the most beautiful women in the world has those moments.

Amy: Oh, for sure. Well, along those lines, I guess I have a positive

Whitney: Oh good.

Amy: mid moment to share. I can't remember if I told you this, but I consulted for a facelift recently.

Whitney: Yes. You I don't We haven't talked about it, but I knew you had it.

Amy: I did it on the schedule. It was $400 to consult, which is outrageous, right?

Whitney: Uh-huh.

Amy: Anyway, it's expensive. So, but they were like, "We'll put that towards your surgery," or whatever. So I went and it was a really good consult and everything. It was with someone here in town and I enjoyed it and everything and I felt empowered. I really enjoyed I mean it was it was good overall. She was really like, "You don't need much," you know. And and then the other day I saw someone I know fly to another country and get a full face lift and all this. And

Whitney: What country? Just out of curiosity.

Amy: Turkey.

Whitney: Oh, yeah.

Amy: And absolutely no judgment on her. She ends up looking gorgeous, I think. I couldn't quite tell the end result. But I was watching and I thought she just didn't need it. She was beautiful without it. And for some reason my whole attitude shifted and I've decided not to get surgery.

Whitney: Oh my gosh, that

Amy: And I don't I don't even understand exactly what happened in me. But I just realized she didn't and I was like do I or can I just embrace my aging, right, some lasers, which I've done, and and I I don't know. I just feel differently. At least right now I do. And so I don't know, and I think my algo has finally got the picture of

Whitney: What's that, short for algorithm?

Amy: Yeah, it's what all the cool kids are saying.

Whitney: Algo.

Amy: And and my algorithm has finally understood what I'm putting out there, my my message. And it's feeding me a lot of content from older women creators who just are embracing aging and I think that it's working. So, you know, go like that stuff on your social feeds and instead of liking the plastic surgery. And it'll start to feed you that and you're going It's going to have a positive impact. So it is a

Whitney: I think it's so crazy that you're talking about that, because I was just having that conversation with a friend yesterday, because it used to be that a facelift was just for the, you know, the super wealthy or the super celebrity type, where their moneymaker was their face and all of that. And over time, it has become something that at least in my circles, everyone is just assuming that they're going to get a facelift at some point.

Amy: You think so?

Whitney: Yes. I was It's way more mainstream. Yeah. It's Everyone I feel like in my circles, even people who aren't in the industry, who they're their face isn't making them their money, you know. There is this It It's just more mainstream. It's just like, "Oh, yeah. Well, when I get my face lift."

Amy: It's part of like

Whitney: It's just part of it. And I thought, "How crazy. You're literally going to"

Amy: "Cut your"

Whitney: "cut your face and pull everything." And everyone's just like, "Yeah, well, when I get my face in the" You know, and part of it is that it's not It's still very expensive, but it It is more reasonably priced than it was 10 years ago. And But yeah. It It It's this mentality of like, why aren't we embracing the We're buying into all of the Well, we've talked about this before. We're buying into all of the the money the business of making money by making us feel bad about ourselves.

Amy: Absolutely. And it's Justin and I were talking about this last night. And he kind of was like, "It's a choice." And I was like, "You don't understand how deeply ingrained it is."

Whitney: It is.

Amy: "in in me, at least." I mean, I grew up knowing my mother had had a face lift at 50. And I mean, I thought that's what you do. And so I mean, like it goes way back. I mean, it's not like we just are making that choice, you know? You're seeing all your friends so get It's It's deep in there. And

Whitney: And the people, the women that we're seeing, you know, on screen and the Nicole Kidmans and everything, I don't know if she has or not, but

Amy: I mean she's done a lot. And and then I think doesn't talk about it, so you're just kind of left like, "Oh, that's how I'm supposed to look."

Whitney: Well, that's the thing. Nobody knows what a 50-year-old really looks like anymore. At least in, you know, urban like the the areas with like high socioeconomic status,

Amy: LA, New York.

Whitney: even Austin. I mean, you know, now back probably in the small towns, you know, in Texas, people aren't getting work done, so you

Amy: There's a lot of botox out there though, you know.

Whitney: Yeah, fit the

Amy: People are like, "Woah." Yeah, I mean

Whitney: I know people have been talking about Claire Danes, I guess cuz she has, you know, really done much to her face. And and so it's like a I saw something about a return to natural faces and And but she probably does do stuff, you know. Well like you said, there are things that you can do. And in a in a in another episode we're going to talk about this talk about going way way back. People since the beginning of time have tried to make themselves look better, prettier, younger, wealthier.

Amy: So it's like in our nature?

Whitney: It's It's in our nature from you know, a 100,000 years ago.

Amy: Damn.

Whitney: It's crazy.

Amy: That's wild.

Whitney: But also, But why don't we just I just saw something Diane von Furstenberg

Amy: I shared it.

Whitney: Oh, you did?

Amy: I think that's why I shared that Diane von Furstenberg talking about the lines on her face and it was really cool.

Whitney: But anyway, we're also going to do what we want and that is We're not going to spend a shit ton of money on lasers and heels and you know, I'm going to try to grow old gracefully, but also do some shit.

Amy: Oh, for for sure, me too. I told Justin that. I was like, "Listen, I'm off the surgery train right now, but I'm still going to do lasers and shit." And he goes, "Uh-huh." And I was like, "Okay, good. We're on the same page."

Whitney: Yeah, and like you said, Justin doesn't understand and and I think you said this he does. You said this in an

Amy: He tries.

Whitney: a previous episode. I think it's like he thinks he doesn't want you to do anything, but when he met you, you had already been doing things.

Amy: I've done so much.

Whitney: And and So don't tell me you want me all natural. Guess what? Haven't been all natural since I was 15, you know, or whatever. As soon as you start wearing make up.

Amy: Yes. You're

Whitney: Things start to change. I mean my lip color is different because of the years and years and years of wearing lipstick.

Amy: Wow, I never really thought about that. It fades out your natural look?

Whitney: Yeah, yeah.

Amy: What?

Whitney: Yeah, we don't know what's in these lipsticks and lip glosses. And then you're yeah.

Amy: Yeah. I'm going to do an episode actually on Teflon, because I was so jarred by Teflon, but it's been in lipsticks, it's been

Whitney: It's everywhere.

Amy: We'll We'll talk about that later, but

Whitney: So much to talk about.

Amy: so upsetting. It's so upsetting. Well, you know, okay, let's talk about today's episode. Yeah, today we are talking about I was struck by a recent episode when you were like talking about menopause and you were like, "Do I still have a cycle?" And I was like, "We don't know fucking anything about menopause." So

Whitney: Right, yeah.

Amy: Today we are doing a menopause Q&A.

Whitney: Yay.

Amy: Here are your questions. Okay, and you are going to read me the questions, and I am going to answer.

Whitney: I love it!

Amy: Now if you go off-book, I can probably tell you some, I will I beg of you not to go. But you might have more questions. No follow-ups. I will do my best. I have been reading a lot about menopause, so I will do my best to answer your questions.

Whitney: Okay, and just as a side note before we start, I love this because I'm actually going next week to my annual exam and my mammogram and all that. And I sent them a little note, and I'm like, "I would like to get my blood work done before I come in." They said no.

Amy: What the hell!

Whitney: They sent a whole long thing that I haven't read completely because I got the response on the way here. But it was basically like, "Studies show that we don't need to do the testing all the time, because it's really about how you feel," which I I understand a little bit. It is about how you feel versus what the numbers say, because everyone is different. But, if we've got a baseline for me, that that's important.

Amy: Yes, it's important. That kind of made me mad. I'm mad for you. I'm horrified, actually.

Whitney: Yeah, they said no.

Amy: Fuck them. New doctor.

Amy: You do your blood work anyway, though.

Whitney: I do. I do it through Function Health.

Whitney: Yeah, but I wanted I wanted you know, I wanted I'm going in.

Amy: Right! Take my money!

Whitney: It's just It's just Yeah, it's upsetting because this is my body, and I'm paying you to tell me about it, but you don't want to get in more information. You just want to throw And

Amy: Throw medication.

Whitney: things don't happen instantly. What if you have a decline in something that you're not feeling yet?

Whitney: They were saying, and again, this was all on the way over here and I'm driving, so I can't really read it. But there was something about the levels change on a day-to-day basis, so it's not really always a great indicator of what's actually going on. The way that you feel over time is a better indication?

Amy: Well,

Amy: And yes, during the 12-month period and during perimenopause, but once you hit menopause, things start to level out, and you could get a good read. We're going to talk about that. You could get a good read on what you need to you need It's just

Whitney: It just made me It just It was a good reminder to me that, oh yeah, in in in modern medicine with right you know, not Function Health, not pay out of pocket by yourself, but insurance you know, combined doctors or whatever, but you know normal doctors, they can't really do what is best for you necessarily. They have limitations because of insurance companies. That's really why they said no. It's because insurance doesn't want to pay for it.

Amy: All right.

Whitney: Here we go. Menopause, Amy Menopause. What is menopause?

Amy: So glad you asked! You know what, there's been so much confusion, I feel like. So, menopause is the natural permanent cessation, stopping, of menstruation. It's diagnosed after 12 consecutive months without a period. It occurs on average around age 51 or 52. Different different studies. And it results from your ovaries stopping producing estrogen and progesterone, and it marks the end of reproductive years. Symptoms often begin during the preceding transitional phase known as perimenopause.

Whitney: And remind me, how long does perimenopause

Amy: We're going to get to that, okay?

Whitney: Yeah, it's going to be your next. Oh okay, did you already read your next question? No.

Amy: Look at me, right on this flow. Surgical menopause can occur also if you have your ovaries removed and that would trigger a sudden end. So what I have found fascinating Well actually, we're going to get to it. I'll come back to that. So your next question?

Whitney: Well I I get confused on when is perimenopause, how long does it last, give me the rundown on on that.

Amy: Yeah, it's pretty nebulous. So perimenopause means around menopause. It's not I don't know why it's not called premenopausal, but it's peri, around. It's a transitional period that occurs when estrogen production in the ovaries gradually begins to decline, and that's like your natural progression toward menopause. Perimenopause is characterized by fluctuating hormone levels and irregular cycles, which we can identify with, right? During this time, your body undergoes various changes as it adapts to all of these hormone levels. Most women notice perimenopausal symptoms as early as 3 to 7 years before their last period, before their menopause 12-month period begins. The average age of a woman's last menstrual cycle is around 51. Sorry, I'm repeating myself there. You might start experiencing perimenopause in your 40s, but some women have it in their mid-30s. I've definitely had friends who

Whitney: Yeah, which is crazy. I always thought it had something to do with the amount, the number of eggs you had left. I don't know if that's true, I don't know. But it definitely ends when there's no more I'm guessing that's why you stop having your period is that there're no more eggs to come.

Amy: I think your eggs just get older, and they're things just they decline producing the estrogen that's needed.

Whitney: Well, and as you lose eggs, there's I don't know. I don't know all the thing.

Amy: We're not doctors. Let me make a note. Maybe we'll look up this egg thing. Let me just write it down. Egg thing, okay.

Whitney: Egg thing. So, I'll read that at the end. Maybe we can look it up. Okay. How do I know if I'm in it? What are the symptoms of of menopause?

Amy: Perfectly. Symptoms run the gamut. Everything is a symptom. I did an episode for my, The Amy Edwards Show, with Natalie Ledbetter, the owner of Upgrade Labs, and basically everything is a symptom. So that's why it's hard to discern. I would say if your periods become irregular, that's what made these are the main symptoms. Let's just Let's just list them off real quick. Decreased libido, pain with intercourse, incontinence, sleep disruption, anxiety, insomnia, difficulty with memory or concentration, brain fog, vaginal dryness, facial hair, thinning hair, weight change, skin changes, higher blood pressure, loss of breast fullness. It goes on. Every person's journey is unique and it is influenced by genetic factors, lifestyle, overall health. And you can do blood testing to rule out conditions that sometimes present as perimenopause. But like, how do you know? You know, your thyroid can be something that you can It's affecting

Whitney: It's affecting every single thing. And I I've shared that story like when I woke up all of a sudden and both my hands, they just they just felt weak, and and the joints weren't working properly, and and that was fucking menopause.

Amy: Yeah. Yeah.

Whitney: How would you know? You just think, oh, I

Amy: You don't know, because so much of it is like PMS, too. There's irritability, anxiety, mood swings. So if it feels like PMS, it it can feel like PMS, and that affects about four in 10 women with some also reporting feelings of depression.

Whitney: Weight gain,

Amy: Particularly around your midsection.

Whitney: Yeah, times good times.

Amy: And then, of course, the hair, the breasts, whatever. Also, you know, as we approach this, we have increased risk for Alzheimer's and cardiovascular disease.

Whitney: It just seems cruel. It seems cruel. It's like it's a design flaw, if you ask me. I have to say, God, like I know you know what you're doing, but also, you know.

Amy: Also, really?

Whitney: Yeah, like it's just brutal. Well, how long do these symptoms last? Because I feel like I'm in menopause and still having these symptoms.

Amy: I'm going to cover that for you. The duration of perimenopause varies significantly among women. Like there's no one answer. On average, this transition lasts about 4 years, but can be as short as a few months. I'm envious if you have a few months. And as long as 10 years. That's I'm around 10 years, I'm pretty sure. You've officially reached menopause when you've gone a whole year without a menstrual period. Okay. So,

Whitney: All right. And do you still have a cycle? Even if you're not bleeding.

Amy: That was the original So, kinda. Okay? It's hard to find real conclusive evidence here, but here's what I can discern. People seem to still get variations of PMS as your ovaries are still producing some estrogen, even post-menopause. It's just very small amounts. So, shortly after reaching post-menopause, our bodies still cycle, but the difference is our hormones are not all over the map. So we can still feel like we have some PMS-like symptoms at certain times, only without the period. As we move further from that 12-month mark, the cycling feeling happens less and less and should get milder and milder.

Whitney: Okay, so you'll start to even out. But I am confused on what post-menopause is.

Amy: You see the next question? Yeah.

Whitney: What the hell Sorry, I didn't realize it had more emphasis. And when you said don't go off-book, you meant you fucking What the hell is post-menopause, Amy?

Amy: Right!

Whitney: What the hell is it? I have no fucking idea. Cuz I feel like it never Menopause never ends.

Amy: That's That's so confusing, right?

Whitney: Yeah, like why do they call it post-menopause, but everything does?

Amy: I had the same question. Well, that that's why I wrote it like that.

Whitney: Sorry.

Amy: You can You can go off-book. It just When it's When it's strong, like, okay, well now I've got I wanna Uh, okay. Post-menopause is apparently after that 12-month consecutive, no-period cycle. Menopause is a single point in time defined as a 12 consecutive months without a menstrual period, typically occurring, right, around 51, 52, so on and so forth.

Whitney: So menopause is only that 12 month when you're not bleeding?

Amy: Right. Right. Post-menopause is the phase immediately following this, lasting for the rest of a woman's life, where symptoms like hot flashes often subside, though long-term risks for osteoporosis and heart disease do increase. So menopause is more of the milestone. Like, the day after the 12 months without a period, like you're going through it to get to that milestone, and post-menopause is the period of life after that milestone. Isn't menopause Oh, I know.

Whitney: Okay, so after that, I'm good?

Amy: Way to stay on. That's what I wrote, "Okay, we're good?" During menopause, symptoms like hot flashes and night sweats often peak, and in post-menopause, these symptoms will diminish or disappear. You will start to even out. However, roughly 90% of women may still experience lingering symptoms for 2 to 5 years.

Whitney: Swear!

Whitney: Here's what's crazy, and I'm going to go off-book and so you don't have to answer it, but

Amy: It's okay.

Whitney: but what's what's confusing even more is now everyone's doing hormone replacement therapy, so are you You you're not like for me, I feel like I'm not getting to the baseline because I'm still feeding my body the hormones, but I don't think I'm giving it enough cuz I am I've started getting hot flashes again. They're not super intense where like I'm waking up in a pool of sweat, but it is to the point

Whitney: like, my boyfriend will be like, damn, you're hot. You know, not in a good way.

Amy: You're not like, damn.

Whitney: I need to turn on the AC.

Amy: Oh, everyone right now.

Whitney: Oh, yeah. All right, well, will my vag dry up, Amy?

Amy: Excellent question, and it's on everyone's minds. Bad news, it can. Okay, vaginal changes due to diminished estrogen production during menopause are chronic and progressive over time if left untreated. Right? There we go, if left untreated. The signs of vaginal atrophy during menopause include an unpleasant and constant awareness of your vagina.

Whitney: Woah.

Amy: Women typically suffer with gradual and worsening symptoms, including dryness, irritation, itching, pain, bleeding during sex as where as well as proneness to infection and urinary complaints. So, the medical term for these uncomfortable symptoms is genitourinary syndrome of menopause, GSM, which includes vaginal atrophy, vaginal dryness, and anybody in menopause is at risk, but it's it's worse for people that have the sudden onset. Yeah, had their ovaries removed. So, it's also worse in women who smoke. Don't smoke.

Whitney: Oh, interesting. Is vape is vape considering the smoking?

Amy: You have just smoke anything, right? And in those who with who've had breast cancer or undergoing chemotherapy or taking anti-estrogen medications, that makes sense, right? Or anybody who had their ovaries removed. So, vaginal atrophy can be chronic and progressive, but there are options and availability to heal. That's the good news. Hydrate and you can hydrate and renew thinning vaginal tissue, restoring comfort and tissue elasticity. I know that there's treatments that you can get.

Whitney: There's like light treatments, or something like laser treatments, or

Amy: I have a red light

Whitney: Oh, that's right.

Amy: vibrator, too. It's not really a vibrator. It's more just like a almost like a dildo, but a red light.

Whitney: And has it ever helped?

Amy: I have to, I really should use it more. I just

Whitney: But also, vaginal estrogen

Amy: That's right, is something topical. There's topical estrogen and hormone replacement therapy too, just in your body, hyaluronic supplements, and the best news though, is just to get more blood flow down there. So, you try to incorporate more sexual activity because sexual arousal and orgasm, whether partnered or solo, can enhance blood flow to the genitals and aid in maintaining that health.

Whitney: The problem though is if you're if it's hurting to have sex,

Amy: Yeah, so

Whitney: then have more sex so that it doesn't hurt?

Amy: Get out your lube.

Whitney: And I want to also say, well, that's I'm glad you brought that up because what a lot of people I know in my friend circles, they try to lube it up, but it's more than dryness. It's that elasticity that's making it hurt. You could be lubed up, you know,

Amy: 'Til the cows come home.

Whitney: Yeah, and and that's and it can still hurt because it's not as stretchy as it once was. It's atrophied.

Amy: You probably got to push through, you know, and just take it slow. I would say just take it slow. Maybe do solo practices, too, to like start to build up that skin still, as it it can recover and you can heal. So, I think it just takes time and sticking with it if you want to. Maybe you don't want to. I don't know. Of course, do what you want, but that's encouraging to know that it can improve over time and use. Like

Whitney: Use it or lose it maybe kind of?

Amy: Yeah.

Whitney: And I do think until recently, people were misinformed with they just thought, oh, I just keep you know, I'll just put a bunch of lube down there, and and then they get disheartened because it didn't make a difference. There are other things

Amy: Take it slow.

Whitney: that need to be done.

Amy: Take it slow, I would say, you know, just go slow. Go slow, have somebody go down on you, don't let them stick anything in until you're feeling completely ready, that kind of thing. Like there's a lot of autonomy that you can find there, you know, and really owning what you want, which is actually really cool thing to go with. Yeah, so sex will be fine. Glad you asked. Sex drive can actually increase. Isn't that great? Because you aren't worried about pregnancy

Whitney: Fuck, no.

Amy: and stuff like that. After these fluctuations of perimenopause, some women actually find a more consistent, but different level of desire. And, you know, there can be lifestyle changes too with improved sleep, increased exercise, or having more time for your relationships can actually boost your libido.

Whitney: I was at an event this weekend with a woman we I was talking with this woman, she's in her '60s, and she's in a new relationship, so she's sharing some information with me. But she said, and I have not looked this up or really know anything about it, but she said she takes DHEA about 20 minutes before she's going to be sexually active, and everything down there is like working perfectly. And I go, wait, you mean every day you take DHEA? And she goes, no, I just take it 15, 20 minutes before I have sex. So, I have no I haven't done any research on it, but I will, because I was like, interesting.

Amy: I When I was on my supplements last year, which we need to do a sub taste soon cuz I've I've nixed the algae, so that's a whole nother conversation. But they had me on DHEA, and now I'm I need to go back.

Whitney: I want to go back on it, too. And that was one of the things I wanted tested, that they're saying no. It's so frustrating.

Amy: Those bastards.

Whitney: Why Why are you just throwing pills at me, and not seeing what's actually

Amy: I'm going to end them. So, you mentioned pregnancy, can you get pregnant during No, you cannot. Only in perimenopause, you can. And you can if you do IVF after menopause. Trippy, right?

Whitney: Oh, yeah, yeah. All right, why did no one talk about this before now, Amy?

Amy: Damn right. You know what, cuz we actually have Halle Berry to thank. She was one of the front runners announcing this a few years back, and I feel like it's just taken off. Menopause begins for 6,000 women every day, or 1.3 million women annually in the US. I got that from the Mayo, Yale Medical Journal. And they said long-lasting misconceptions around menopause still linger. A simplistic view of menopause as this sudden binary change has shaped decades of inadequate care and research. We don't expect any of our other organs to shut down overnight as we age, and so why is it that we come to expect such an abrupt change for our

Whitney: I know why. Cuz women don't complain. We sit in and we handle it, cuz we're fucking strong. And then nobody thinks it's a big deal, and then as a society, women's issues aren't considered that big of a deal. And so we're finally speaking up. We do not need to be living in this torture.

Amy: In the dark.

Whitney: Yeah, the dark.

Amy: In the dark.

Whitney: What do I need to do differently, Amy?

Amy: Well, really, you know, there are some lifestyle changes that you can make, but I would

Whitney: Don't say not drinking.

Amy: Well, I mean, this kind of goes to the next question too about doing the natural thing. That's fine. What What you need to do differently is get blood work done, you know, and like yearly at least, even if you're on some HRT, just at least knowledge is power, you know, and you can start to understand, oh, if I incorporate DHEA, this what happens, that kind of thing.

Whitney: And ask questions, cuz I originally went in and just they just said, "Here, take all this." And I was just like, "Hey, okay." Not really understanding the reason for taking certain things, and and then since I didn't understand, I kind of just stopped taking some of it. Like the DHEA, I wasn't really remembering why am I taking this. So then I'm like, well, I'm not going to take that anymore. So, yeah, ask questions.

Amy: Yeah, ask questions.

Whitney: And what about the natural things?

Amy: Okay, well, diet, strength training. Strength training is a big one, right? That effect I am astonished at how much that affects literally everything in your middle life. So, start lifting weights. It's never too late. Just go to the gym, and lift something heavy, and work on your form.

Whitney: Get that weighted vest, which somebody We could make a ton of money getting fashionable weighted vest. I hate walking down the street and seeing 10 other people in the exact vest that I have. I'm like, we're all just sheep.

Amy: Oh, my god, yeah, somebody needs to come up with some stylish, affordable

Whitney: weighted

Amy: Put that on our list. All right, so you're you're aiming for 150 minutes of moderate activity every week and do lift something heavy. A Mediterranean diet says it's good, vegetables, whole grains, healthy fats, olive oil. Fiber maxing, baby. Manage your environment, use layered clothing, keep bedrooms cool. Not working for me, but

Whitney: Oh, lord.

Amy: Practice stress reduction: yoga, meditation, deep breathing. Those are all really good. Bone health: think about calcium-rich foods, vitamin D, limit alcohol and caffeine.

Whitney: No!

Amy: I know. I love caffeine, personally.

Whitney: I love alcohol.

Amy: That apparently can trigger hot flashes.

Whitney: Fuck off.

Amy: I know. Okay, and quit smoking to reduce symptoms of severity and health risks.

Whitney: I mean, that's just makes sense overall. That's a lot of that stuff is what you should be doing whether or not you're in menopause or not. Can we talk about brain fog?

Amy: Yes, we can. That can also even out over time as your hormone levels become more stable. Oh, yes, it's a thing.

Whitney: I'm still waiting.

Amy: Me too.

Whitney: Damn, it is just terrible. All right, why am I crying and emotional still if it's if it's supposed to be over?

Amy: I know, it's like that cycle thing that we talked about, right? As your hormone levels become more stable, you're still going to have some fluctuations, so you're still going to have some PMS-like symptoms. I mean, I still cry at commercials and all sorts of shit. Yeah.

Whitney: Well, Amy, I know you're sweating your ass off at night. What can you do about that?

Amy: Hot flashes and night sweats are experienced by approximately 3/4 of women as they go through perimenopause and menopause. So, if you're that extra 1/4, thank your lucky stars.

Whitney: No joke, it is it is brutal.

Amy: Yeah, around 30% of women experience severe symptoms. I I I don't know what's more severe. I mean like, uh mine are so bad right now, I wake up every night, I am tortured. Last night, I took some melatonin because I was like, maybe I can knock myself out a little bit. And now I just feel groggy from the melatonin, but I still woke up all night and I was still sweaty.

Whitney: Well, you're technically in menopause right now because you haven't gone 12 months without your period.

Amy: I think I am. I My last period I was super regular once I got my IUD out a few years back. And November, it just stopped. All of a sudden, and I remember just having this sort of intuitive feeling, and I was like, I think this is it.

Whitney: Your body was dialing you.

Amy: Yeah. Okay, so around 30% experience severe symptoms. They usually last, this made me cry. I was researching this last night, and I read it to Justin, and I got teary. Around 30% of women experience severe symptoms. They usually last around eight years. And he just stared at me, and I was just like, "Eight years, I I might"

Whitney: But I don't think we have to accept that. That's if it's untreated. That's if you're not doing the things, like hormone replacement therapy.

Amy: Doing blood work.

Whitney: Yeah, get your blood work done. Th- These are That That is a statistic for people that are not managing it. Like not to say that you wouldn't have those symptoms, but you're going you're going to be addressing them.

Amy: I'm so addressing. You're not going to catch me oozing in it. I just got my blood work done, so I'm looking forward to the report cards soon. So, all right, what about testosterone? Same as I've been talking about, right? Do that blood work, because it can decrease just like the estrogen and progesterone. So, just like the rest of hormones, it's crucial for you. So, we're discovering more and more Excuse me. We're discovering more and more about how important it is for women and for your libido. And I noticed the different using difference using a topical testosterone every day.

Whitney: Oh, I didn't know it was Oh, yeah. No, no, no. I knew it was topical. Okay, okay, okay.

Amy: Yeah. So, definitely very important. And I think you're really only going to get that through blood work, so do that.

Whitney: And is research being done? Are people still wanting to learn more and more and more to help us because we don't want to live this way?

Amy: I know. I know. Get this. The global menopause market is expected to expand from 17.6 billion in 2024 to 27 billion

Whitney: Oh, wow.

Amy: by 2033. So, it's like not quite going to double, but I bet it does.

Whitney: Well, we both have daughters, so that's That's great, because we know by the time they hit menopause, maybe it'll be a lot different.

Amy: My oldest, when she was like, I was telling her about her period, and everything, and she was like, I go, "So, you'll start, you know, having this monthly thing." And she goes, "Well, what if I don't?" And I go, "Well, I guess we go to the doctor if you don't." She goes, "No, but what if I don't?" Like, she just didn't want, and she couldn't accept, and maybe I just She was like, "I'm going to say no."

Whitney: Yeah. I wanted to just turn it off, and I was like and we went through that like five times, and I was like, that would be bad. You know, I was like,

Amy: "But what if I, but don't?" "What if I don't?" Anyway. Anyway, more than a billion women will be in menopause by 2030.

Whitney: Holy shit.

Amy: I know. It's being recognized now as a critical health stage rather than just this milestone that was just sort of like, "Okay, now you're old," you know, whatever. So, yes.

Whitney: I know, but, you know, I'm not sure I like critical health I I don't like that. It is a natural process. Let's remember that this is how our body was created. We might not like it, but it knows what it's doing. So, I don't really know that I appreciate that critical medical phase. Just help us get through it, man.

Amy: I know. I know. And I just looked up the Oh, the egg thing. Yes, the egg thing is, my notes said, "A woman's ovaries run out of functional eggs as the remaining follicles either ovulate or degenerate and die off through a process called atresia. The depletion causes a permanent stop to ovulation." So.

Whitney: Oh, there you go. I just imagined that your last egg is released and then your body's like, "Okay."

Amy: It's not quite like that. You're born with one to two million follicles.

Whitney: Crazy.

Amy: And by menopause, you have fewer than 10,000 left. So, wild, right? So, and those are not even good quality.

Whitney: Yeah, they're very

Amy: Those are like gone rancid at this point. So, yes. So, anyway, that kind of makes Your supply's pretty much gone, right? And the body no longer produces enough estrogen to even trigger ovulation. So, that's the end.

Whitney: So, basically, the wrap-up is everyone's All all women are going to go through menopause. The The The timeline varies a little bit, but I I did not realize that menopause was just that 12 months. I had no idea.

Amy: I didn't either.

Whitney: I was like telling people, "I'm still in menopause." "No, I'm not. I'm very much"

Amy: You're post.

Whitney: "post." And then, which is a good thing, because once you get there, you really can start to work towards your baseline and, you know, once you tweak those hormones like over the next couple of years probably, but you'll be able to tweak them and you're going to feel normal, and that that's really really encouraging, because I think I had this concept of like I don't know what. Like, it was just this unknown end of vibrancy or something.

Amy: Well, kind of

Whitney: It can be. I mean, like, you know, when you lose all those hormones, your body, you know, your skin gets dull, your hair falls out, all these horrible things. But it's it's correctible.

Amy: It is correctible.

Whitney: So, don't sit in your symptoms quietly. Tell your doctor, and and then don't accept, you know, I have had to go outside of my OB-GYN to get blood work or other things that I feel like are necessary. So, you know, it's great to have your OB, and and definitely speak with them, but if you don't feel like you're being heard, go somewhere else. Function Health Medicine, I think, is a is a good route.

Amy: Yeah, Ways2Well, and of Ways2Well, a friend of mine owns that, and it's getting more affordable all the time, too.

Whitney: You like getting tired of

Amy: $300 or something, and I get, you know, my blood work and a telehealth visit, and then I do have to pay something for compounded

Whitney: Yeah, the pharma

Amy: It's not a lot. It's not It's not a lot, and you can get peptides and all sorts of things.

Whitney: Yeah, that awesome.

Amy: Yeah, so there we are.

Whitney: There we are.

Amy: We did it. We talked menopause, and I'm so glad we did, because I needed the education.

Whitney: Yeah, I definitely learned some things.

Amy: You did? Do you feel like it was It was helpful?

Whitney: You're a great guide.

Amy: Great. I I, you know, just like hearing you say that, I was like, we don't know shit, and so Anyway,

Whitney: Well, yeah, it helped. It did. It helped a lot. So, thank you.

Amy: Yay!

Whitney: Yay. Now go out there and tackle that menopause.

Amy: Menopause won't win.

Whitney: Hack your way through.

Amy: All right. So, there we are. Follow the show, rate, review, subscribe. Please share it with a friend. We're working hard to grow it. Find us on Instagram @anythingbutmid, and email us if you have a mid moment that you want to share, anythingbutmidpodcast@gmail.

Whitney: Bye, guys.

Amy: We love you. Do what you want. Amen.