Lara Briden - Hormone Repair Manual

The book my patients have been waiting for. Dr Peta Wright, gynaecologist and womens health advocate

The Hormone Repair Manual is a must-have guide to understanding and overcoming the symptoms of perimenopause and menopause.

Naturopath Lara Briden, author of the international bestseller Period Repair Manual, has more than 20 years experience in womens health. Her fresh approach aims to overturn the stigma of perimenopause and menopause and show women that:

many symptoms are temporary and manageable

emotional challenges can present an opportunity to thrive

a focus on health during this period can bring benefits for years to come.

Addressing common symptoms such as hot flushes, insomnia, mood changes, migraines, weight gain, low libido and heavy periods, Lara offers practical solutions of diet, lifestyle, nutritional supplements and tips for how to speak to your doctor about hormone therapy.

The Hormone Repair Manual is backed by evidence-based research and case studies and is a reassuring guide to soothing, nourishing and strengthening your body, mind and spirit during this time of change.

To my patients

Welcome to Hormone Repair Manual, your guide to healthy hormones after 40.

If you read my first book Period Repair Manual, you know how passionate I am about womens hormones and periods. In fact, you could say Im a cheerleader for womens hormones and all the benefits that come from natural menstrual cycles.

With this book, Im equally passionate about the final few years of periods called perimenopause, and the years after periods called menopause. I didnt include the word perimenopause or menopause in the title because I didnt want you to think, Oh, this book doesnt apply to me, when in fact, if youre 40 (or even close to 40), then it very much does apply to you.

Why am I so passionate about perimenopause and menopause?

First, because its happening to me. Im 50 at the time of writing and have started having long gaps between periods and forgetting where I parked my car. Im also discovering a new feeling of cheeky independence, which Ill explain more in I had heard about from patients but never really understood until it happened to me.

The second reason Im passionate about perimenopause and menopause is that Im eager to shine a light on how normal and okay it is. Im doing so in response to an unofficial survey I conducted on my social media pages where I asked, Are you afraid of menopause? and 64 per cent of women responded, Yes. In the comments, they described being frightened of symptoms, which is understandable, but also of being frightened of the stigma of menopause, which is also understandable, but sad. How can society still attach such stigma to a normal natural process that happens to 51 per cent of the population?

Well tackle stigma in and Ill present the argument that, from an evolutionary perspective, menopause may actually have evolved as a beneficial adaptation to give rise to a longer human lifespan. Viewing menopause as a beneficial adaptation is just one of several ways to find meaning in the process and see beyond the common narrative that menopause is just an accident of living too long.

The first four chapters are all about understanding the process of perimenopause, both emotionally and biologically, including a discussion of the importance of regular ovulation. If it seems strange to learn about ovulation just as youre about to stop ovulating forever, consider that stopping ovulation is the cause of most symptoms that might arise. To understand symptoms and how to treat them, you need to start by understanding ovulation.

The final six chapters of the book are all about treatment. Drawing on the latest research and my own twenty-five years working with patients, Ill provide nutritional and hormonal treatment strategies for symptoms ranging from heavy periods to weight gain to anxiety and night sweats. Well begin with a General maintenance chapter about the nervous system and diet and then move into a full discussion of hormone therapy before surveying each symptom individually and how to treat them with both conventional and natural treatment options.

Start by reading the book from cover to cover, because there are essential topics nestled within each chapter. For example, is where well discuss long-term concerns such as vaginal dryness, cognition and bone health.

Throughout this book, youll encounter definitions, tips, patient stories and special topics.

DEFINITION

Definition boxes provide simple explanations for any technical words. You can also find these explanations in the Glossary at the end of the book.

TIP

Tips are extra bits of information you may find helpful.

PATIENT STORIES

Patient stories are fictionalised stories based on my real patients, with names and some details changed.

SPECIAL TOPIC: EXPLORE IN MORE DETAIL

Special topics to provide you with extra, in-depth information.

How to speak with your doctor sections

At times, youll need your doctors help, either for diagnosis or treatment, and I want your doctorpatient conversations to be as productive as possible. Towards that goal, I have provided short How to speak with your doctor sections, which are lists of statements and questions to assist in communication about topics such as How to speak with your doctor about progesterone for heavy bleeding.

For all the diet, lifestyle and supplement recommendations, I have provided a reference to a scientific study whenever possible. That amounts to more than 350 studies to support many of my recommendations. When I have not provided a reference, its because research was not yet published on that topic, such as for some of the herbal medicines, as well as for concepts like the role of mast cell activation and histamine in perimenopausal mood symptoms. I hope that scientists will one day study those treatments and concepts, but in the meantime, I want you to have the benefit of them. If that means being ahead of the curve of scientific inquiry, then so be it.

More importantly, my recommendations are based on the success of thousands of my patients. Most are simple and safe to try, and when there are precautions, I list them. I also ask that you speak with your doctor or pharmacist about possible interactions with your medical conditions or medications, or if you are pregnant or breastfeeding. Always cross-check the labels or packaging for precautions and dosage instructions. To assist you, Ive provided a list of Suggested supplements brands on , but I have not been paid to mention any product or brand name. At the end of the day, you should choose the supplement that is available to you and is not too expensive.