Since I’m the oldest woman here (as opposed to the oldest guy), I think I should add some (what I hope is wiserly) advice here, particularly because some of the girls here are eventually going to hit peri-menopause sooner than they think and because some of the guys are going to face this with their significant others.
I was one of the women who hit this phase with some very serious symptoms, and I’m not quite as unique as many healthy professionals might have the typical woman believe when this begins. Menopause CAN cause marital difficulties guys and even with women who seem to not have serious problems so it’s really imperative that you not belittle the woman in your life. Think of this area of time as being AS difficult as hitting puberty and all the exasperating trauma of a teenager, only this time there’s a partner involved as well. But I also believe that if women know before hand, they can also take steps to smooth the transition without fear and her partner can help….remember, she doesn’t have to go through this alone.
SOME women, not all, will really and truly need hormone therapy for awhile. It’s NOT typical that women lose ‘estrogen’ completely….that’s a myth. They just FINALLY don’t need as much to be healthy. They will though, need other vitamins and minerals to boost other areas that also fall down during and then afterwards, but nearly everyone alive needs these supplements if they don’t get enough in their diets (hmmmmmmmm that pretty much includes everyone!)
Having too much estrogen when you don’t need it (no longer in childbearing years) can be a hazard to a woman though. The amounts Ms. Somers is promoting can cause or hasten heart attacks, stroke, breast cancer and this list just goes on and on.
I can also tell you with firmness AND from experience that sex does NOT dry up either! It IS true that if a woman’s estrogen is fluctuating too much, her sense and sensibilities are so chaotic that she’s not ‘here or there’ and this activity can become painful THAT’s when you make sure you get to the doctor (this does also become an area of disarray for the partnership if it’s not addressed).
Once this phase passes, women suddenly start skipping and dancing and making sense again (except I never did so that never changed). With grand certainty I can also tell you that the sky IS bluer….and I certainly had an active and very healthy and FUN dating life and then married again at age 59. I believe I probably have sex more often than many (male and female) half my age.
