Managing Menopause & Navigating Hormone Replenishment with Dr. Liz Lyster

That is the transcript of an interview hosted on Ruth’s Really feel Higher. Reside Free. podcast.

Ruth Soukup: Do you know that perimenopause lasts on common 10 years for most ladies? And when you think about that girls make up 50 % of the inhabitants, it is a vital period of time for a subject that will get largely ignored. So why is that? And as ladies, what can we do to take extra management of this piece of our life that has such a big impact on our high quality of life, even when nobody’s actually speaking about it?

That’s precisely what we’re going to be speaking about at this time as we dive in with greatest promoting writer and menopause skilled Dr. Liz Lister. There are such a lot of gold nuggets and takeaways on this interview that you just’re in all probability going to need to take notes. So let’s get began.

Dr. Liz Lyster: Actual.

Ruth Soukup: As we speak we’re going to be chatting with Dr. Liz Lister, who’s an OBGYN medical physician, a bestselling writer and speaker, and an skilled in perimenopause and menopause. And at this time she’s shedding some severe mild on a subject that’s nonetheless for essentially the most half largely underneath ignored and misunderstood by the medical neighborhood. Paramenopause, menopause, and hormonal replenishment remedy.

It’s undoubtedly a should hear for any girl in your 40s or past. So with out additional ado, I’m so excited to have the ability to introduce you to at this time’s interview visitor, Dr. Liz Lister. Dr. Liz, thanks a lot for being right here at this time. I’m so excited to speak to you. 

Dr. Liz Lyster: Completely. My pleasure, Ruth. Glad to be right here with you.

Ruth Soukup: Yay. So let’s speak about menopause as a result of it’s an enormous factor. It’s a massive, massive factor. And I feel that Earlier than we do this, although, I want to only ask you about your self, however I completely flaked out on my first query. Like, so excited to leap into this subject. Can’t even wait. However first, inform us just a little bit about your background, as a result of I feel that’s really actually, actually essential.

So inform us about who you might be, what you do. How you bought to be doing what you’re doing now. 

Dr. Liz Lyster: Completely. You wager. So to start with, I’ve Dr. Liz Lister, and I need to simply make it easier to out by saying that I went into menopause once I was 43 and I’m 59 now. So all the pieces that we’re going to speak about, all of the questions you might ask and all the pieces that we go over, I’ve personally skilled, requested myself these questions, seemed along with the analysis in addition to my very own expertise.

I’m an OBGYN, board licensed, I ended delivering infants a very long time in the past as a result of I favor to sleep at night time. Then I saved narrowing my follow, so I ended doing the main surgical procedures, I’ve my little children, they’re each of their 20s now. And I simply saved narrowing issues down. So it acquired to the purpose the place I used to be solely doing workplace gynecology.

After which I had the chance to essentially develop into a specialist, an skilled within the hormone steadiness piece. I had written my first e book by that time limit, and I actually beloved it. And in order that’s the place I’ve been now for developing on it. Nicely, virtually 20 years of the concentrate on the hormone piece however actually very narrowly taking a look at that.

And I simply love serving to principally ladies, males as effectively, actually of all ages, however primarily ladies of their forties and fifties steadiness their hormones and really feel nice. I feel it’s our birthright to really feel nice, to really feel attractive and to essentially fulfill on our potential. In order that’s what I’m right here for. It’s my task.

I really like that. 

Ruth Soukup: I really like that. In order that’s fascinating. Did you, you began with hormones actually focusing in on hormones about 20 years in the past. So that may have been earlier than you really skilled menopause. Did that, did something change for you when you began going via it your self? Or is it like, Oh, I do know precisely what’s going to occur.

Or did all of it, did it like sort of throw you off just a little bit? 

Dr. Liz Lyster: Okay. Nice query. It didn’t throw me off too badly for a number of essential causes. One is my household background is from Argentina. My mother’s retired from being a health care provider, my grandma, these ladies had been unimaginable fashions for me of getting older and getting stronger and staying vibrant.

In order that was essential. The opposite is that I don’t actually know why, however I used to be at all times tuned in to studying about hormones particularly. That actually has been a theme now that you just make me give it some thought. I keep in mind, that is approach, I used to be nonetheless delivering infants and I used to be at a lecture and it was speaking about sure hormones and animal research and the event of breast most cancers.

That is earlier than the Girls’s Well being Initiative. And I simply keep in mind, I keep in mind the place I used to be once I heard that info. So I suppose I’ve at all times had a specific draw to that. Form of distinction that angle and once I was in medical college I adopted the chief resident into an examination room as a result of that’s what you do while you’re a pupil you comply with different folks round quite a bit And we went and there was this girl having lots of menopausal signs and actually Ruth I don’t keep in mind precisely what we did for her I don’t keep in mind if the physician I used to be following wrote a prescription or not However I do keep in mind how a lot better the lady felt after we listened to her You And talked together with her that left an enormous impression on me.

So I feel that’s in all probability simply being heard. Sure. 

Ruth Soukup: Wow. Wow. So let’s speak about that. A number of the emotional challenges that you just see that for girls that occurred throughout sort of this time of life, proper? Perimenopause menopause. And what’s the distinction? Do you assume between the bodily and the emotional stuff?

Dr. Liz Lyster: Nicely, to start with, there’s no separation. You already know about this, you’ve talked about hormones because the chemistry of our feelings. That’s how I check with hormones. So there’s actually no separation. The entire, the entire phrase, thoughts, physique, it’s just a little bit deceptive, proper? As a result of our thoughts is totally not separate from the physique.

It’s very built-in. They’re built-in. And so once we take that built-in method we do quite a bit higher. We get quite a bit additional. I feel that there’s an enormous connection and never a coincidence. I keep in mind once I turned 40, I used to be not very pleased about it main as much as it. And I didn’t need to have a celebration.

After which a buddy of mine who was in her early forties persuaded me. So I had a celebration. It was lots of enjoyable. And as quickly as I turned 40, I used to be like, Oh, Hey, this feels good. That is good. You already know, you come into your individual, proper? Versus like while you’re in your twenties, I feel lots of people of their twenties.

And In all probability even 30s pondering again for myself may be very externally motivated What are folks pondering like actually acquired centered on that and while you enter your 40s? It’s such an exquisite fabulous alternative in 50s. It simply will get higher Simply that’s what I hear. 

Ruth Soukup: Like, I feel the 40’s have been my greatest decade up to now.

Like, I’m like, that is nice. If the 50 is even higher than this, then carry it on. I’m going to have the largest celebration ever. 

Dr. Liz Lyster: Precisely. Precisely. After I turned 50, that’s once I went and climbed Kilimanjaro. That was 

Ruth Soukup: wonderful. 

Dr. Liz Lyster: That’s wonderful. Anyone listening who likes mountain climbing. You possibly can climb Mount Kilimanjaro. I imply, it’s important to put together, it’s important to do issues to prepare, nevertheless it’s not, , my mom was very afraid that I used to be going to have ice picks and clamps on my sneakers and stuff.

She was like picturing…It’s a protracted, lovely hike. And so I set myself that problem. Then I discovered from certainly one of my sufferers, she goes, Oh, that’s fascinating. After I turned 50, I went to Italy and did a cooking class for per week. And I believed, huh, I by no means, I’m 

Ruth Soukup: getting all of the concepts now.

I adore it. I adore it. So what are the, let’s take it again to. Parabenopause menopause. Like what are, are there totally different phases that you just undergo and the way have you learnt what, which part you’re in? 

Dr. Liz Lyster: Okay, nice query. I wish to reply this query going backwards. So menopause is one entire yr with out your interval, then you definately’re in menopause.

That’s the roughly official definition. Common age is 51. Okay. Then there’s years earlier than that the place all the pieces’s marching alongside, common month-to-month interval, feeling good, sleeping effectively, managing your weight, that issues are doing fairly effectively, that’s good hormone steadiness and that’s pre. Then there’s this massive house in between which is perimenopause and that may embrace all types of disruptions.

Progesterone goes down first, then estrogen begins to say no or go up and it begins to get erratic. In the meantime, testosterone and DHEA are declining, lots of modifications happening on high of the menstrual cycle modifications which can be like everyday modifications. You’ve acquired these, that, that’s the perimenopause part.

Ruth Soukup: And the way, how lengthy does that part final 

Dr. Liz Lyster: or extra years, 10 

Ruth Soukup: or extra years? 

Dr. Liz Lyster: Sure. That lengthy. Not for everyone, not everybody, however what’s most essential for girls listening is that if something appears off that to not take the physician’s phrase. Sadly, lots of my sufferers that come to me as a result of their physician mentioned, effectively, you’re nonetheless having your interval.

So it will possibly’t be your hormones. And that’s completely flawed. Mm-Hmm. That’s not true. . 

Ruth Soukup: So it sounds prefer it’s virtually like that is nonetheless sort of an ignored Oh, it’s only a girl factor sort of factor. Yeah. In drugs, trendy drugs. 

Dr. Liz Lyster: Is that true? You’ve got that downside in trendy drugs. We’ve it in medical analysis.

Proper, I used to be studying one thing the opposite day about situations that have an effect on lower than 1 % of the inhabitants get a whole lot of thousands and thousands of {dollars}, after which situations that have an effect on ladies, which is half of the inhabitants, will get Below 5, 000, 000 {dollars} funding, or some large discrepancy like that. And that, in fact, is said to the pharmaceutical trade as we at present have that.

So it’s a problem. It’s a, it’s undoubtedly difficult. 

Ruth Soukup: And why do you. I imply, even from a pharmaceutical standpoint, like pure revenue looks as if it will be larger when you’re coping with half of the inhabitants. So why is, why are ladies so ignored? 

Dr. Liz Lyster: Nicely, to start with, once we speak about something hormonal and hormone balancing, we need to persist with bioidentical and bioidentical implies that it happens in nature.

Which additionally then implies that you can not take a patent out One thing so 

Ruth Soukup: they will’t earn a living on it. So that they’re not . 

Dr. Liz Lyster: Yeah sure methods sure issues I imply if we had been centered on well being and wellness and stopping sickness That will be a tremendous shift. And I feel that girls are taking that upon ourselves to, to carry that shift.

Girls need to, we need to stop sickness. We’re 80 % of healthcare customers anyway. So we love the lads and we wish them to be effectively as effectively. And lots of, and males acknowledge this. Lots of the lads that I see in my follow is as a result of a lady of their life despatched them. So we actually, we actually are, ladies may be the tail that wags the canine at a societal stage and for certain we’ve got to try this at a person stage.

You must advocate for your self. 

Ruth Soukup: For certain. How do you assume having a way of neighborhood helps ladies throughout this stage of life? Do you assume that makes an enormous distinction? Do you see that along with your shoppers? 

Dr. Liz Lyster: I do. I undoubtedly assume it makes a distinction. I feel it’s essential. I really like the subject of the blue zones and there’s a specific blue zone the place ladies type little teams of 4, little teams of 4, and they’re simply there for one another via thick and skinny ups and downs.

So I feel neighborhood is important. I feel that it will get just a little bit tough. In the USA, our tradition may be very individualistic. It’s all about, I can robust this out, I’m gonna push via. So lots of the ladies, , I maintain busy ladies. Lots of them are professionals very A number of challenges that they’re coping with as they’re rising older and going via these modifications And it’s simply that it’s so essential to recollect That we we want one another.

We’d like neighborhood I feel that’s occurring. I feel that’s why Podcasts are rising. On-line teams are rising. So long as it doesn’t develop into a spot of complaining that that may be an issue with on-line info, it may be just a little bit restricted. 

Ruth Soukup: Yeah, yeah, no, I agree. And, however I additionally see the, the, the wonderful aspect of that, like in our, in our program, for example, we’ve got essentially the most amazingly supportive neighborhood.

And I feel, , I’ve been doing on-line enterprise for a very long time. I’ve grown plenty of totally different manufacturers and communities and issues. And the one factor that I see with this demographic, proper, that we’re on this forties and fifties is sort of for girls. And I don’t know when you’ve too, proper. Whenever you’re Targeted on your loved ones and elevating your children.

Most of your social community tends to be the mother and father of your folks, children, proper? You’re in sport, you’re going to sporting occasions. And so your folks with all of the, the sporting although, to your mother and father or the, whoever, after which all the sudden your children. Become older and so they go away the home or they’re not doing these actions anymore.

And that entire community sort of falls aside. And I see that so usually from ladies type of hitting this stage of life the place unexpectedly your children are older. So it’s not simply, you’re coping with all of the hormonal modifications which can be occurring. You’re coping with unexpectedly, I really feel like I’ve misplaced my sense of self.

I don’t know who I’m. As a result of my children are grown and that was my entire life. And I, now I don’t actually have buddies as a result of these folks I used to speak to you on a regular basis about our children. We don’t actually have that in frequent anymore. And so now we’re not, you’re not doing like, it’s a, it may be a really like weirdly isolating, discombobulating sort of part of life, I feel for extra causes than simply the hormonal stuff that’s happening, do you see that too?

Dr. Liz Lyster: Yeah, completely. I undoubtedly see that. That’s why I’m so captivated with getting the hormones balanced as a result of in any other case you could possibly actually find yourself in a darkish place. 

Ruth Soukup: Yeah. Due to 

Dr. Liz Lyster: all these modifications occurring round us, I feel it’s so essential. I imply, we’ve got to work our brains. We’ve to maintain up our pursuits.

And so I really like encouraging youthful ladies in that space as effectively. What are your pursuits? It’s at all times that the, the one film, it’s a Julia Roberts film the place, how does she like her eggs? The place it takes her quite a bit, she goes via quite a bit personally, and by the tip of it, she has to face the query, effectively, what do I like?

Oh, I don’t assume I’ve seen that film. It’s nice, I’ll consider the title, I’ll point out it. Is it 

Ruth Soukup: the? Eat, pray, love. Is that the one? 

Dr. Liz Lyster: It’s not that one. I need to say Runaway Bride. Oh, I need to say that one. I’ll, I’ll double verify on that. However we’ll put it within the present notes. That’s what that’s was my takeaway from that film.

Yeah. And she or he spent a lot time and that is what we’re speaking about is we as ladies. We spend a lot time taking good care of all people else. One of many phrases I like isn’t any airplane captain ever mentioned, be sure you assist everybody else earlier than you place your oxygen masks on. 

Ruth Soukup: Yeah. 

Dr. Liz Lyster: No person, no person ever mentioned that, and no person ever will.

Proper. And I feel that that’s, That’s the chance, that’s the, the silver lining of all of these distractions and busy that we do when the youngsters are youthful or when we’ve got different, earlier in our careers, that sort of factor. After which we get to paramenopause and even menopause and, and it, it’s like an entire new world.

Alternative to see what it’s that we like. What are we fascinated with? What will we need to spend the following few a long time doing? 

Ruth Soukup: And the way do you need to, and the way do you need to really feel good throughout that? 

Dr. Liz Lyster: Sure. Thanks for saying that. Trigger for me, it goes with out saying. So thanks for highlighting that. And I need to additionally, I at all times discuss in regards to the trendy downside that we’ve got as a result of Ruth, solely like 100 years in the past, most ladies didn’t attain age 50.

Actually? Sure. Like 5 % of ladies made it to age 50. 

Ruth Soukup: Wow. 

Dr. Liz Lyster: Yeah. Take into consideration earlier than all the fashionable drugs that we’ve got in hospital care and childbirth and that type of factor. Oh yeah. And now half, at the least half of us can anticipate to dwell into our 80s or much more. And scientific research present that individuals who envision themselves residing longer really dwell longer.

Yeah. 

Ruth Soukup: Is that true? Yep. That’s fascinating. You already know, however, however then it comes proper again to what do you do proper now to maintain your self? As a result of I used to be, I simply interviewed someone for this podcast final week and he or she was a geriatric bodily therapist. I feel that’s what, what her profession was. And, and he or she took an interest.

And after she went on, on maternity go away, she turned fascinated with serving to ladies get wholesome as a result of she sees the tip end result, proper? She spends, she was spending each single day working with individuals who have zero high quality of life, proper? They’re alive. They’ve made it to 80, however they’re not residing. And while you see that, and while you see folks attending to that part the place it’s, it’s virtually on the level the place it’s too late, it’s too little, too late, even you attempt to assist them, however there’s not quite a bit you are able to do.

Then you definitely go, the place will we again as much as? And it’s proper now it’s proper on the stage of life the place now you’ve gotten this. And I beloved the best way that you just phrased that you just mentioned, it’s a possibility. It is a chance to resolve what do I would like the following 30 years of my life to appear like, and the way do I need to really feel throughout that, that point?

I prefer it. It like sort of provides me chills once I give it some thought. 

Dr. Liz Lyster: I do know me too. Yeah, precisely. So, okay. Proper. 

Ruth Soukup: So let’s return. How, like, how do you differentiate between you’re having these hormonal points, proper? You’re in perimenopause, which is 10 years for, for most individuals. Then there’s all this different stuff happening too, proper?

All of those different signs that we’re experiencing. So how do ladies differentiate between perimenopause and signs and different well being points that they’re experiencing and the way do you. Deal with them. Do you deal with them individually? Do you deal with them collectively? What’s what does that appear like? 

Dr. Liz Lyster: Okay? I’ll reply these sort of in reverse order Undoubtedly treating all the pieces collectively as a result of the purpose is the quote is her high quality of life for every of my sufferers My function is her high quality of life However step one is taking a look at each single factor that’s happening the circumstances and the way they’re altering, what’s she feeling?

Is she having sleep points, temper points, sexual perform points, menstrual points, weight and metabolism points? Any of these are normally going to at the least have a hormonal part. Okay, so there’s that. Then in fact, there’s all the essential life-style decisions. As I say to my sufferers, I can’t out hormone your life-style.

I can’t provide you with a recipe meaning that you would be able to, like for me, return to once I was 20s and youthful and I might simply go to Baskin Robbins each time I wished. As quickly as I discover that magic capsule, I’ll let all people know. However proper now, what we’ve got are the essential decisions that we’ve got to make in addition to the hormone steadiness.

Let’s see, the place else did we need to go along with that? 

Ruth Soukup: So differentiating the signs between the pyramids, 

Dr. Liz Lyster: proper? So at all times a hormonal part in my opinion, that’s my bias. That’s my angle on issues. And so I at all times, at all times take a look at that. In order that’s the very first thing is the signs. The second may be very, I do very detailed lab work.

Okay. And my sufferers normally, by the point they get to me, they, They’ve tried to advocate for themselves. They’ve tried to request some testing. Lots of medical doctors, if she’s nonetheless having her interval, she’s in her 40s and even into her 50s, if she nonetheless has her cycle, the physician gained’t even run any checks. And in the event that they’re prepared to, they’ll do like two or three checks.

Proper. Actually, actually only a few. So for me, the second step may be very detailed Workup normally blood work and generally urine testing as effectively afterward perhaps saliva testing However I like to begin with what folks can get finished on their insurance coverage I don’t work with insurance coverage as a result of it’s too constricting. I spend approach an excessive amount of time with my sufferers. I did that previously.

I attempted to invoice insurance coverage and I couldn’t make ends meet with my workplace as a result of I simply wasn’t cramming in sufficient folks. You weren’t quick sufficient. I simply was taking too lengthy with every of my sufferers and that was for normal gynecology. With perimenopause and menopause, there’s quite a bit to speak about. So differentiating.

In order that’s, that’s the second step. The third is decoding to optimum, not simply. Are you within the regular vary? And I’m saying air quotes as a result of plenty of my sufferers, once more, by the point they get to me, they’d this or that examined and so they had been informed it was regular as a result of it was within the vary, like barely, like squeaked into the naked backside of the vary.

Yeah. And once I discuss with them, like, no, that’s, that’s within the vary, nevertheless it’s not optimum. In order that’s the third. After which the fourth is what I do by way of. Utilizing pure approaches, bioidentical hormones, dietary supplements, life-style decisions, all the pieces I can do. After which the fifth is the long run adjusting, following up.

In order that’s actually essential, is the being conscious that there’s a hormonal piece to these signs. And second is the detailed testing. I might say to reply the query, that’s actually the 2 most important. These are my entire 5 steps, however the first two are the principle, yeah, it’s essential, I 

Ruth Soukup: assume what stands out to me and simply listening to you speak about this and the method that you just’re taking, proper.

Couple of issues. Primary, the truth that to be able to get what you’re speaking about in our Trendy crappy system that we’ve got with insurance coverage firms and the, like, get them in, get them out, prescribe the meds, prescribe the meds as rapidly as doable and go to the following one. Like it’s important to pay for that privately, mainly is what you’re saying.

Like, and that’s not, everybody can do this. Proper. That’s proper. So how unhappy is that? And what a tragic commentary on the place we’re with drugs when there’s. Primary, so many issues that you are able to do from a way of life perspective and a pure perspective to be treating what the basis causes of all the points that your expertise are, fairly than simply placing a bandaid on it and, and, and taking one other prescription.

And. And but, so what does someone do in the event that they’re like, I can’t afford to spend hundreds of {dollars} to go to a non-public place. I’ve insurance coverage. I must undergo the correct channels. How do you discover, how do you discover a health care provider that’s going to be prepared to truly take a look at the entire image? Trigger that’s the second factor that stood out to me is that you just’re wanting on the entire image.

You’re doing a full panel. You’re taking a look at all of the items. Whereas most drugs at this time is. piecemeal, piecemeal, piecemeal, piecemeal, piecemeal. And it’s so fragmented that it doesn’t actually, it by no means actually will get to the basis of the matter. 

Dr. Liz Lyster: Certainly. That’s a very essential and difficult query. To start with, it’s being true to 1’s personal expertise.

So if I’m going to search for a health care provider, I must honor my expertise. I could hear nice issues in regards to the physician, but when the employees Don’t return my calls, they’re not taking good care of me, then I could must preserve wanting. In order that’s essential. One other is that sadly the generations of medical doctors are an issue proper now.

We’ve an entire technology of medical doctors skilled in replenishment remedy into massive. Deep bother. And it seems that they studied the flawed ladies, used the flawed hormones and gave them the flawed, these flawed hormones, the flawed approach. So there’s issues that we’ve discovered and there are medical doctors on the market who sustain with the literature American menopause society, which now’s.

menopause society. They do fairly an excellent job holding medical doctors updated. They’re, they’re virtually there. However they do an enormous overview of the literature each 5 years. So the latest one was in 2022. They usually made a number of issues very, very clear. What’s good is that it’s, I imply, it’s a protracted paper. It’s like 20 pages of very detailed, condensed overview of literature, and so forth.

However they do an excellent job spelling issues out. So, for instance, in the latest one, they realized one thing that I and others like me have identified for a very long time. So, Which was that the Girls’s Well being Initiative was flawed a couple of cutoff by when you might want to use hormones, in any other case you’ll find yourself in bother.

So that they removed that cutoff begin date. Additionally they acknowledged, once more, one thing that many people have identified for a very very long time, that there actually isn’t a required age to cease if somebody chooses, if a lady chooses to replenish some hormones. There’s no exhausting age the place she has to cease. That’s actually essential.

After which additionally they did just a little extra discussing of high quality of life which for instance, vaginal dryness, ache with intercourse, recurrent bladder infections, that’s all simply remedied by very low doses of vaginal estrogen, which doesn’t get into the system. So happily, these sorts of efforts assist common medical doctors do higher.

For serving to their sufferers. So I’m seeing that I’m seeing ladies who graduate from their care with me. What we get all the pieces dialed in, we get them feeling nice. After which by that point, perhaps I’ve had the chance to at the least do e-mail speaking with their physician or ship them the menopause society place assertion.

I don’t know in the event that they learn it, however at the least they’re, , do some, 

Ruth Soukup: little schooling. I really like that. 

Dr. Liz Lyster: Sure. Yeah. However I, I’m listening to that. So it’s, it’s essential to just remember to resonate along with your physician, that they’re listening to you, that they’re not gaslighting you, telling you that you’re simply getting older and also you simply must dwell with it.

I name that the J phrase, simply, 

Ruth Soukup: yeah, no, we completely don’t. However let’s discuss just a little bit extra in regards to the hormone alternative remedy. So while you’re speaking about HRT, are there a number of totally different sorts, proper? Is there. Pharmaceutical and pure variations of this, and since you had been speaking about bioidentical hormones, is that the identical factor?

Is that various things? Clarify, clarify how this works to me. 

Dr. Liz Lyster: All proper. I really like this subject. It’s certainly one of, certainly one of my favourite subjects. And I at all times wish to admit straight out the gate that I’m undoubtedly biased in favor of hormones. There are such a lot of research, hundreds and hundreds of ladies studied, Within the U S in Europe, in different places that verify that the correct sorts of hormones administered the correct approach may be extraordinarily useful.

Okay. So I wish to say my bias proper out of the gate. Okay. I like famous. Yeah. I like to make use of the phrase bioidentical fairly than the phrase pure. That is the place medical doctors get just a little prickly when, once we speak about pure as a result of There are issues that happen in nature that may be very harmful for our well being.

So we need to watch out with that. The phrase pure is utilized in a advertising setting to suggest that it’s routinely secure. Sure. It’s essential to watch out round that. So I really like the phrase bioidentical as a result of what it means is that the hormone that you just’re replenishing with that you just’re placing into your physique is both Nearly or precisely the identical as what our feminine human our bodies used to make loads of.

Ruth Soukup: All proper. Okay. 

Dr. Liz Lyster: So our hormone ranges begin to decline at the least in our thirties for lots of stuff in our world and toxins and whatnot. Some folks undergo it even youthful, however at the least by our thirties, even underneath completely wholesome situations, our hormone ranges naturally begin to decline, particularly as effectively males as effectively, however ladies for certain.

After which issues additional change after which if we’re fortunate and we dwell lengthy sufficient, our ovaries will go into full retirement. Transcribed After which we’re in menopause. Sure. And so replenishing a few of these hormones, once more, to not the, to not excessive excessive ranges, however simply sufficient to have a terrific high quality of life.

That’s my angle, my method. Bioidentical is especially essential with progesterone. Oh, and Lysate. Progesterone. The ladies’s well being initiative that acquired the hormones in bother as a result of It really issued the press launch earlier than the research was printed and the place we medical doctors might learn it and see what was occurring and so the headlines had been immediate of an elevated pattern in the direction of extra instances of breast most cancers 

Ruth Soukup: Nevertheless 

Dr. Liz Lyster: These ladies, I keep in mind I mentioned flawed ladies, flawed hormones, flawed route of administration.

So that they got a non bioidentical progestin. Not, they weren’t given progesterone. We now know, we’ve got many, many research, massive research, an enormous research in France that was performed that confirms what I’m speaking about, that bioidentical progesterone doesn’t have that elevated tendency. 

Ruth Soukup: Huh. How do you get one and never get, not get caught with the opposite?

Dr. Liz Lyster: Fortunately, it’s very straightforward. And there’s at the least one bioidentical progesterone that’s pharmaceutically obtainable, normally coated on folks’s insurance coverage. And in order that’s a simple one. It is a straightforward one for our listeners. Okay. In the event that they’re feeling progesterone calms, the mind helps with nervousness, plenty of nervousness in our world at this time.

Progesterone can actually assist. It calms the mind to assist with sleep. So ladies who’re being given a band assist sleeping capsule? Generally progesterone is the basis trigger, is decrease progesterone. As you talked about, the basis trigger, that’s the place we need to function. And so it’s very, essential to have it’s bioidentical.

And fortuitously that’s, it’s on the market and obtainable. Lotions can be found over-the-counter. The progesterone oral capsules for some ladies do even higher by way of how they’re damaged down and the way they calm the mind and assist with sleep. 

Ruth Soukup: Huh. Attention-grabbing. 

Dr. Liz Lyster: What do 

Ruth Soukup: you usually advocate on your sufferers?

Like what’s the most typical, the commonest method that you just take while you say, okay, I feel you might want to go on bioidentical hormones. Right here’s what I like to recommend. What does that appear like? 

Dr. Liz Lyster: All proper. So to start with, it appears to be like just like the measuring ranges, which is to get a baseline. Okay. There’s lots of controversy.

Is blood testing one of the best ways? We might argue about that, nevertheless it’s a baseline. It tells us the place we’re beginning. It additionally reveals if issues are very low as a result of then ladies assume, okay, I’m not imagining issues. 

Ruth Soukup: I 

Dr. Liz Lyster: even have 

Ruth Soukup: no, it’s good to have that affirmation, 

Dr. Liz Lyster: proper? Precisely. Precisely. Precisely. So I at all times begin with sleep.

Sleep is critically essential for hormone steadiness. If a lady isn’t sleeping, we take a look at why is she waking up with sizzling flashes or night time sweats. So progesterone might be very useful and is a very simple beginning place. One other step may be estrogen. With all the pieces I do, beginning very low dose and dealing up from there.

That’s my methodology. I feel it’s an effective way for girls to not find yourself with unwanted effects from an excessive amount of of something. Estrogen, we’ve got now additionally discovered the opposite second out of the 2 most essential factors about hormone alternative or replenishment remedy, as I wish to name it, is progesterone being bioidentical and estrogen being via the pores and skin.

Ruth Soukup: Oh. 

Dr. Liz Lyster: Within the Girls’s Well being Initiative research, they got oral estrogen, and that goes into the abdomen over to the liver, and the liver then is stimulated to make clotting elements. So while you use estrogen via the pores and skin, and that is one thing that’s occurred in the previous few years, is that girls can now get this stuff on-line, which I feel that’s okay.

However finally generally a few of the individuals who find yourself coming to me and like, okay, I’ve been doing this on my own for some time. I get ordered my very own blood work and I ordered my very own hormones and I would like somebody to look over all of this. Yeah. So I actually would like that medical doctors get with this system and study and, and rise up to hurry on the literature to allow them to assist their sufferers.

So there might be a patch pharmaceutically obtainable. It may be a gel pharmaceutically obtainable. I undoubtedly use compounding pharmacies. They’re effectively regulated, opposite to common perception. It’s totally different than how the pharmaceutical trade is regulated. So as a result of medical doctors are solely taught in that paradigm, they have a tendency to dismiss compounded hormone preparations.

However for instance, for girls to have the ability to get any testosterone, At the very least in the USA requires utilizing a compounding pharmacy and testosterone will help all types of points mind sharpness So it helps clear up mind fog helps with metabolism helps with temper It may be a really it will possibly assist with libido It’s not the one factor that impacts libido for us as ladies, we’re very complicated creatures.

Lots of issues contribute to motivation and intercourse drive, proper? Libido’s not solely about intercourse. So all of that’s to say that utilizing the correct, that, that’s my method, utilizing the correct safer options, estrogen via the pores and skin and bioidentical progesterone. These are sometimes going to be a very nice begin.

Ruth Soukup: Find it irresistible. So I really feel like I might ask a billion questions on this. 

Dr. Liz Lyster: The 

Ruth Soukup: part of life I’m in. However is there any approach, so is there any solution to not do hormones, proper? Like, and that is only a query for myself of like, okay, at what level do I want to begin fascinated about this? You already know, I’m consuming a wholesome life-style.

I’m advocating a wholesome life-style. I’m speaking about hormonal steadiness. I’m speaking On a regular basis via making the correct life-style decisions and meals decisions, as a result of what you’re consuming, it makes an enormous, has a big impact on all these hormones. However is there a degree that none of that can work and that it’s important to be on hormones or do some folks just do positive with out the hormones?

Dr. Liz Lyster: All proper. I’m once more saying my bias in favor of hormones. What I’ll say is that each, all these good decisions are so essential for therefore many causes. 

Ruth Soukup: Yeah. 

Dr. Liz Lyster: And. There, if we’re blessed to dwell lengthy sufficient, there comes a degree the place the ovaries go into full retirement. 

Ruth Soukup: Sure. And might’t cease that regardless of how good you eat.

Dr. Liz Lyster: Yeah. I imply, there’s, there’s folks researching how one can cease that, how one can, I imply, in fact they’re taking a look at it from a fertility standpoint, how, I imply, I’m 59, how one can let ladies my age have infants, which I’m not in opposition to that. Nevertheless, do I feel that we have to not have menopause? I undoubtedly don’t assume that I’ve already mentioned, I feel it’s an enormous alternative and never having a interval anymore is a okay with me.

All proper. So there’s, there’s massive upsides to all of this. There’s an upside. Like the graceful, plenty of issues easy out. So for instance, our bones, our bones, our bones, the perfect factor we will do for our bones. After we go into menopause for the long run preservation of bone density goes to be a low dose of estrogen.

Ruth Soukup: That’s large. 

Dr. Liz Lyster: It’s actually, actually vital. You already know, my mother had breast most cancers when she was in her late sixties. Now she’s in her late eighties and so she’s doing superior. She was mainly cured. I do know we don’t use that phrase with breast most cancers, however that’s what occurred. It’s so. She acquired taken off of her hormones and he or she I’ve simply watched her over time.

She’s misplaced in all probability like 5 inches in top as her vertebrae compress in her backbone and he or she, , identical to journeys and falls and hits the hand on a desk or a counter and breaks one thing. So that is Actually, some of the essential elements that hormone replenishment may be useful with. 

Ruth Soukup: So it goes again to that high quality of life while you’re 80s.

Dr. Liz Lyster: Precisely. Precisely. And that is reminding me to say one thing that I at all times say to sufferers is tremendous essential is that if a lady needs to make use of some hormone replenishment, it doesn’t imply she’s caught utilizing it perpetually. Lots of ladies, particularly who’re actually centered on making nice decisions and being in nice well being, are involved that, effectively, I’m having such unhealthy sizzling flashes that I can’t sleep via the night time, but when I take estrogen to assist that, I’ll be caught taking it perpetually and that’s not true.

Put it into these phases proper now in a part of actually feeling horrible. My vaginal dryness is so unhealthy. I cannot be intimate with my husband or my companion, , like no high quality of life. So treating, addressing these points, I can really feel comfy that I can maintain these points and I’m not dedicated perpetually.

I can take it a number of years at a time. 

Ruth Soukup: I really like that. I feel that that additionally like feels very comforting of not having to decide to one thing for perpetually. And I additionally really feel like I might preserve speaking about this for a really very long time, however I need to be aware of time. Inform us just a little bit extra about what it’s that you just do and the way we will discover you.

Like, how can folks discover you? You’ve written a number of books and you’ve got another stuff happening. So inform us about that. 

Dr. Liz Lyster: Completely. I’ve all kinds of issues happening. At all times. My web site is at all times one of the best ways for folks to achieve me: https://drlizmd.com/ Folks can write to me, ask me questions, join my e-newsletter that I ship now and again.

I might love to offer your listeners a free copy digital copy of my most up-to-date e book, which is Go For Nice: Dr. Liz’s Information to Thrive at Each Age. Find it irresistible. GATE is an acronym, achieve data, which your listeners do, notice the reality about hormones, which we talked about, discover your expectations. No magic bullets.

Sorry. Spoiler alert. Advocate for your self and T is for thrive. 

Ruth Soukup: I adore it. 

Dr. Liz Lyster: Deal with feeling nice at all ages. I actually think about menopause for me. Once more, I went in once I was 43. So it was a very long time in the past. So I walked the stroll of lots of what I speak about and do with my sufferers. So I actually think about it to be an enormous alternative.

So I’m making a neighborhood referred to as the Miracle of Menopause. And trigger, trigger that’s how I take a look at it. It’s actually a miraculous time of life. We get to redefine ourselves, perhaps outline ourselves if we had been being outlined by others to this point. So I feel it’s only a fantastic alternative as a result of when ladies, once we’re doing effectively, Everybody round us does higher.

Ruth Soukup: That’s so true. So true. Oh, Dr. Liz, it was so wonderful to speak to you and all the pieces that you just simply talked about and your e book that you’re giving to all people, which is so extremely beneficiant.

So get that and undoubtedly seize the e book. Try the Miracle Menopause Community. If that is an space of your life, you’re on the lookout for extra help. And simply thanks a lot for being with us at this time.