Taking Natural Approach at Menopause in Dublin

Last year Anne contacted me from the Irish Society of Homeopaths to see if I would visit Dublin to give a seminar on menopause. I have been specialising in menopause for over 16 years. That combined with my tendency to gather information means I have a great deal on file. So I decided to collate as I updated, and created a new presentation for our day in Dublin.

Arriving in Dublin

Anne met me at the airport and made sure I was happily settled in at the Dublin Hilton. It was lovely to have such a warm welcome – thank you. I can recommend the tea and the chocolate brownies!

As I have some Irish ancestry I was delighted to be visiting Dublin. It was somewhat tantalising to look out of the window and know it was all there and perhaps another time I will spend longer so I can explore more of Dublin and other parts of this very engaging and beautiful country.

A Full Day!

It was great to meet so many colleagues there, lovely to speak to a full room of happy and interested homeopaths. We covered a lot of ground too. Taking a natural approach at menopause is about supporting our health. Smoothing out some of the peaks and troughs that can make it so challenging. But doing so in a way that aims to support our long-term health and happiness. And honouring the positives of menopause. Recognising its value.

I shared some of my favourite information about how we have our own back-up sources of oestrogen. And pathways for hormonal alchemy that in good health allow us to make what we need. We have an inbuilt flexibility and responsiveness compared to the one-size fits all set dose of pharmaceutical hormones.

We looked at the potential side effects and risks of taking HRT. And also considered the limitations of Bio-identical HRT. Women are often, in my experience, not told about what happens when you stop taking HRT. The symptoms of oestrogen withdrawal will feel like menopause. So one way or another, menopause is coming and needs to be addressed. A lot of women I talk to, on realising this, decide to just deal with their symptoms naturally and aim to improve their overall health in the process.

How Homeopaths Can Support Women at Menopause

We spent some time looking at how differently women can experience menopause. How their symptoms can vary. If you don’t believe me, try asking a group of women who have hot flushes and night sweats to describe them. There will be similarities but also lots of differences. And we individually tailor our homeopathic remedies to suit each and every woman. Considering how best to use them to offer support.

You can read more about why Homeopathy can be an alternative to HRT, including some interesting trials and studies that show it can offer help.

Although I had provided an extensive handout, there is always more. And homeopaths always love finding out all they can about remedies and other support measures such as herbs, supplements, dietary and lifestyle information that we can offer our patients.

An Early Menopause

We considered reasons why a women may experience an early menopause. This is when she experiences menopausal symptoms before the age of around 40 to 45. This may be brought about by surgery or a medical treatment such as chemo or radiotherapy. For some women it may run in the family. And there may also be times when there is no obvious reason.

There is also the chance that this ‘premature menopause’ might not be a woman’s actual menopause. I believe there may be a variety of triggers for a ‘pseudo-menopause’, including:

• Shock or stress
• Thyroid imbalances
• Adrenal exhaustion
• Reproductive hormone imbalances

Supporting these areas may offer help for a patient. If it is her actual menopause there may still be some positives to be gained from an early menopause.

Allied Female Health Issues

During the last part of the afternoon we covered information about Fibroids and how we can offer help to women who have them. Finishing with an overview of issues and the support we can offer concerning hysterectomies, and prolapse, as a result of hysterectomy or having arisen for other reasons.

Thank You Everyone!

I managed to take a few photos but once in full swing Eileen and friends became our in-house photographers. And thank you for your kind words when sending through the photos Eileen – much appreciated.

“Lynne thanks so much for a fabulous seminar, so much information and I can imagine you gave life blood and soul to that …! Truly appreciated and truly enjoyed. You’re such a great speaker and impart your knowledge so amazingly well – such a skill . Thanks again and hope to see you on our path again soon.” Eileen

 

It was a delight to meet so many colleagues and find out more about homeopathy in Ireland. And thank you too to Anne who works so hard to co-ordinate these days. I know from events I run here, there is a huge amount of work behind the scenes. Also to Dianne and all at the Society’s office for their help and support too. Thank you all for making me feel so welcome, and for such an enjoyable visit.

You can find more about Menopause on my website. For information you can visit the Menopause Blog Category which has an extensive range of blogs on many menopause topics. If you need help my Menopause Support page gives details. Please do contact me with any queries you might have and I will be pleased to hear from you – thank you.