This case study highlights the results of bioidentical hormone replacement therapy (BHRT) for my patient, who is a 49-year-old woman. She was experiencing early menopause after a hysterectomy with ovary removal. Despite being told her hormone levels were “normal,” she struggled with brain fog, poor sleep, joint pain, and other classic menopausal symptoms. Through advanced functional testing and a personalized hormone plan, we helped her feel like herself again, restoring energy, clarity, and overall well-being.
Patient Information and Symptoms
My patient is a 49-year-old female. She had a hysterectomy with removal of both ovaries at age 47 due to endometriosis, and no hormones were given.
My patient developed menopause symptoms of:
· brain fog
· lost her train of thought
· low sex drive
· mild hot flashes usually involving an emotional component or stress
· impatience
· joint pain
· poor sleep
Symptoms were complicated by high stress.
What The Test Revealed
We did a hormone evaluation using blood work and functional salivary tests. While blood work was normal for a menopausal woman, the functional salivary test showed low estrogen and progesterone. It’s important to note this difference in the laboratory because blood work shows what the body is making, and the reference range is based on the general population of what people average. It doesn’t necessarily describe what is healthy for the individual. Functional salivary tests show what would be optimal for a healthy range for what the target tissues are actually experiencing, i.e., breasts, brain, heart, lungs, skin, digestion, and bones. For this individual, her body was functioning normally, but not optimally, and she was experiencing menopausal symptoms. Her stress hormones, cortisol and DHEA, were also suboptimal.
How I Treated Her Early Menopause Symptoms
We began her on a low-dose estrogen cream with progesterone as well as DHEA and ginseng. Conventionally, when a woman doesn’t have a uterus, progesterone is deemed unnecessary and isn’t typically used. I will generally use progesterone along with estrogen because we have progesterone receptors throughout the body. It is useful to help with sleep, anxiety, and depression, and can help protect the breasts and support the cardiovascular system.
My Patient’s Results From Treatment
Within two weeks, her brain fog and energy were much improved, hot flashes were gone, she was feeling much less irritable, joint pain and libido were also improved.
After three months of being on the hormones and stress support, we retested the functional salivary test and found that her progesterone, DHEA, and cortisol were normal, but she needed a little more estrogen. We adjusted accordingly, and now she feels like her old self!
Contact Us Today
Does this sound like your story? If so, contact me today and I will be happy to speak with you about how I can help. You can schedule a free 15-minute call with me here or you can call the office at 202-407-8888 to schedule.
