CLINICAL DISCUSSIONS AND SOLUTIONS
The following discussion between Dr. Townsend and Amy Tupper addresses the issues of our cycle of life from both a clinical perspective as well as from a more personal, woman to woman, perspective.
Dr. Townsend has treated thousands of women over his 40 year medical career with special concern for their comfort and happiness. He also provides treatment alternatives that are safe and effective – and outside of the “standard box” of treatments most gynecologist use.
Amy Tupper hosts a television health segment aired in the northern California market focusing on women’s health and educating women on how to take charge of their health care. She feels strongly that women have alternatives to the standard protocols which don’t work!
Please read along with their conversation to learn about how YOU can “Challenge the Change.”
PMS:
Amy: Premenstrual Syndrome or PMS is not in our heads, am I right ladies??? In fact, PMS is a way of life for most women as they face their monthly period. We crave chocolate and salt - carbs are our thing, gain water weight and get bloated, are moody and crabby, our breasts are tender, our periods can be heavy and we can get cramps. Sound familiar?? Boy do I remember those days in my teens and early 20’s that I felt just like this before and during my periods. I would have LOVED to have any solution to help minimize my PMS experience every month. Are there are any?
Dr. Townsend: Well Amy, I can’t tell you how many times I have heard the same comments and the good news is – YES, there is a solution. That is the very reason we are having this discussion.
Lets first talk about what causes PMS. PMS is usually due to an imbalance of Estrogen and progesterone, which leads to a decline in Serotonin, the happy hormone and a change in Cortisol that leads to weight gain. So you are right, the symptoms of PMS are not in your head.
And now, lets discuss the safe and effect “Out of the Box” treatments. The perfect solution that I suggest is what I refer to as the “The Dynamic Duo” - a natural approach to correct hormonal imbalances.
The first component of this dual approach is the isoflavone (a natural direative of soy beans) found in BioGenistein® Ultra competes with the excess Estrogen that reduces the stimulation of hormone sensitive tissue (i.e. breast, uterus).
Then the second component is the Progesterone in FemRite® that raises the level of progesterone to help raise the level of Serotonin and change the Cortisol levels to help decease bloating and weight gain. In teenagers FemRite alone is often effective in helping reduce these symptoms for these young women.
Amy: What is the typical combination of products one should use to help relieve PMS symtoms?
Dr. Townsend: To help relieve the PMS symptoms, the typical dose is 2 BioGenistein® Ultra a day throughout the cycle no interruption and FemRite applied every day via the wrist and then rubbed onto the breast just prior to going to bed.
Perimenopause
Amy: Menopause doesn't happen overnight. Women can experience symptoms or begin to note a pattern in the changes of their natural cycle prior to the clinically-defined period called menopause. This time of change is called "perimenopause." Perimenopause is most common in women at or near the age of 51, but can occur in your early 40's.
Perimenopause typically occurs two to eight years before menopause and lasts until a year after your last menstrual period. During this time, your ovarian production of estrogen (progesterone) gradually decreases, and you may experience a number of physical changes. Your potential for pregnancy diminishes as hormonal changes occur. Your periods often become more irregular and likely to be heavy with major clots and cramping. Hot flashes and night sweats start to appear, along with insomnia and waking up in the middle of the night. Severe mood swings, anxiety, bloating, breast tenderness, and carbohydrate cravings are a few symptoms you may experience. Uterine fibroids (growths or tumors that develop in the muscular wall of the uterus) are also commonly seen during this phase. Many women lose interest in sex as the libido is affected. For the fortunate few, there are women who sail through this perimenopausal phase with NO symptoms at all.
Ugh! What is a woman to do? How can women "Challenge the Change?"
Dr. Townsend: How can you challenge the change? In 1999, Dr. Sentoro Brown studied a number of perimenopausal women and found that those with many of the perimenopausal problems had excess estrogen compared to progesterone. The condition is often referred to as estrogen excess. This condition leads to a reduction of serotonin which, in turn, leads to depression, anxiety, insomnia, overeating, and more. This is further complicated as the cortisol levels change, leading to weight gain. With an increase in body fat, estrogen levels further increase due to the fact that fat also produces estrogen. This is really an unfortunate chain of related changes.
Furthermore, an increase in estrogen levels may lead to irregular bleeding and growth of fibroids. Irregular bleeding is not only due to the increase in estrogen, but can also occur at times when the ovaries fail to ovulate. Likewise, heavy periods are due to the stimulation of the excess estrogen.
The "Dynamic Duo--BioGenistein® andFemRite® --lessen the impact of estrogen by competing with the estrogen receptor sites, and correcting the metabolism of serotonin and cortisol. Of course, an diet low in carbohydrates, along with addition of an exercise program, will only enhance the benefits of the "Dynamic Duo"
When using the"Dynamic Duo," a more natural approach for correcting this hormonal imbalance, many women experience a return to a more normal state.
Amy: What is the typical combination of products one should use during perimenopause?
Dr. Townsend: To help relieve perimenopausal symptoms, the typical dose is two BioGenistein Ultra each day, and FemRite applied every day on the wrist and then rubbed onto the breast just before going to bed. You can read more about this in my book titled,
"A Maverick of Medicine Speaks to Women" (Buy the book here>>)
Menopause
Amy: Menopause occurs on average around the age of 51, though it can be a lot sooner in some women. Menopause can even occur in younger women if they have their ovaries removed for any reason, as the ovaries are our bodies' hormone factories. During menopause, your ovaries produce so little estrogen that your menstrual periods stop all together.
If you have experienced 12 consecutive months without a period--Congratulations. You have officially arrived at the passageway to a new phase of life--menopause. Menopause is a time of life where many women report feeling more confident, empowered, involved, and energized. But for others, this is a time when they are reminded they are aging which may cause distress in a society that values youth and fertility.
Challenge It, Conquer It, and Celebrate It!
The most well-known symptom of menopause is the dreaded hot flash. I remember my mother talking to me about the intensity of her hot flashes that came on without a moment's notice. Now, as I see my close friends and family having hot flashes, I am truly amazed. Wow! They are flushed, drenched in perspiration, and just miserable. Not to mention the ordeal of waking up at night with soaked pajamas, even with the air conditioning or fan on in the middle of winter.
So, this is what I'm supposed to celebrate? Waking in the middle of the night, lack of sex drive, vaginal dryness, painful sex, forgetting things, and being depressed at times? Oh, and don't forget about the "oopsies" every time I laugh or cough.
We hear about Hormone Replacement Therapies (HRTs), synthetic estrogen replacement therapies, as a standard "In the Box" treatment for these symptoms, but we also hear about all the frightening side effects.
Please, Dr. Townsend, tell me how we can conquer the menopausal blues without the risks of HRT. There has to be a solution.
Dr. Townsend:The good news, Amy, is that there is a natural solution, or more correctly, a series of building blocks that, when used together, can restore a woman's body to its natural state.
The dangers of estrogen have been so blown out of proportion that women are reluctant to take them. Yes, they do have side effects, but the side effects can be dramatically lessened by the first two building blocks of our program: the"Dynamic Duo", a natural approach to making estrogen safe.
The symptoms of menopause are primarily due to a lack of a sufficient amount of estrogen. It usually hastens the aging process. Restoration of estrogen will often dramatically reduce these symptoms, if not eliminate them completely. Estrogen is really a great hormone that has four major effects in women:
- Anti-aging;
- Prevention of osteoporosis;
- Helping with pelvic floor health; and
- Helping to control hot flashes permitting women to resume a more normal life.
When used properly, it also helps reduce problems with heart disease.
In lieu of HRT, the isoflavones in BioGenistein® compete with estrogen for estrogen binding sites. Since BioGenistein® is a very weak plant estrogen it has virtually no stimulatory power in the estrogen-sensitive tissue in the breasts or uterus. When natural progesterone is added, further neutralization of the effects of estrogen occurs. Moreover, progesterone may even help restore bones to a more healthy state. The control of hot flashes and the benefits of estrogen are realized, but its negative effects are reduced.
Pelvic tissue deterioration can also be a problem during menopause. The lack of estrogen can lead to vaginal dryness making sexual relations very painful. The pain results in diminished desire. Moreover, the tissues supporting the urinary bladder begin to atrophy, gradually leading to urinary incontinence. The use of topical estrogen (FemRite® is crucial to prevent these problems. However, many times the changes have already begun and a return to a more normal state requires vigorous pelvic floor exercise--the next important building block. Kegel Exercises or Electrical Muscular Stimulation of the pelvic floor, as well as the use of stimulants, restore a woman's confidence and revive her libido.
One of the other basic building blocks of our program includes RiteStart® for Women. It has also been well-established that we all need supplements of vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants as we get older . This becomes extremely crucial for menopausal women. RiteStart® for Women contains all of the vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants women need. Additionally, it contains "Transfer Factor"--the most powerful immune booster ever discovered. We all know the importance of a strong immune system in fighting diseases, and now we have a natural and effective way of strengthening it.
Amy: What is the typical combination of products one should use during menopause?
Dr. Townsend: For menopause without hot flashes, the typical dose is two BioGenistein Ultra each day,nd FemRite® applied every day on the wrist and then rubbed onto the breast just before going to bed. If a woman is experiencing hot flashes, I would recommend the addition of Estradiol 0.5 mgm to start. If relief is still not achieved, then I would recommend increasing the Estradiol to 1 mgm daily. You can read more about this in my book titled,
"A Maverick of Medicine Speaks to Women" (Buy the book here>>) . I am available for consultation via E-mail and phone, and can discuss the need for prescription Estradiol, if required. Please refer to the consultation section of this website.
Amy: So, Dr. Townsend, to summarize our discussion today, you have briefly introduced us to a source of building blocks that, when combined, can help women Challenge the Change safely and effectively, and allow us to experience this new phase of life with confidence, empowerment, and renewed energy.
I am also grateful to have learned how beneficial any form of pelvic floor exercise is to increase blood flow and prevent muscular atrophy of the pelvic region. While we have only touched on this topic in our discussion, pelvic floor muscles also need to be exercised in order to prevent incontinence, vaginal dryness, and pelvic floor prolapse. If you don't know how to do proper Kegel Exercises, the Athena Pelvic Floor Exerciser is the first of its kind to offer wireless electrical vaginal wall stimulation that automatically stimulates and exercises the pelvic floor muscles. Regular pelvic floor exercise and stimulation can greatly reduce the "Oops, I did it again" incontinence problem, as well as reduce vaginal dryness.
Additional information regarding this topic and many others can be found in our "Additional Resource" section.
As you suggested for me, I have started my program of rebuilding my body with the foundation of good vitamins with the RiteStart® for Women daily supplements. I also use the FemRite® topical cream before I go to bed (which is helpful in inducing a good night's sleep), along with theBioGenistein® daily. Wow! What a difference you have made in my life. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you.
Doctor, I have also shared this program with many other women through my TV health segment and have had a tremendous response. You are truly a gift to women!
Dr. Townsend: Well, thank you, Amy. This is the part I enjoy the most about my job--getting the positive feedback and acknowledgment that, with the few small changes I suggest, women can regain their womanhood again.
You can read more about this in my book titled,
"A Maverick of Medicine Speaks to Women" (Buy the book here>>) |
