Episode 250
Title: Top Causes for Brutal Menopause Symptoms
Host: Dr. Nicole Rivera
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Transcription:
Dr. Nicole Rivera (00:01.326)
Hello, everyone! Welcome back to another episode of Integrative You. Dr. Nicole here, rolling solo today, and we're talking about menopause. Menopause is a topic that so many women approach me about, saying, "I'm in menopause," or "I think I'm in menopause or perimenopause." We dig in, do the diagnostics, and often realize their hormones aren't the root of the issue; their hormones are an effect of other deeper problems, which we’ll discuss today.
We start their healing programs, and some women are surprised—they get their period back, even in their late 40s, 50s, and even late 50s. So, I want to dive deeper into the concept of menopause.
There are so many different stories about menopause. Some women have extreme symptoms, while others just stop getting their period with no other signs. It's hard to predict how any woman will experience menopause. How do some women have intense symptoms, while others have none at all? If menopause were the same for everyone, we'd all have similar experiences, but that's not the case.
Many factors come into play—medications, chemotherapy, and more can contribute to menopausal symptoms. However, let's take a step back and zoom out. In many cases, whether it's medication-induced or chemotherapy-induced menopause, there’s a recurring theme. This theme didn’t start with the loss of the period. It’s an ongoing issue that often goes undiagnosed. Unfortunately, this is something that is overlooked by most conventional medicine. However, more than 90% of the population is affected by what we’re about to discuss: blood sugar dysregulation and liver health.
These two areas are where we begin. I also want to shed light on how reproductive, uterine, and vaginal issues are connected to gut health. But right now, the focus is on your liver and pancreas—two key organs that will determine your menopausal experience. If you have diabetes, insulin resistance, or even Type 1 diabetes (autoimmune), pancreatitis, fatty liver, or autoimmune liver disease, or if you've had elevated liver enzymes or your gallbladder removed (since it’s connected to the liver), you are more likely to experience significant menopausal symptoms. Here’s why.
Dr. Nicole Rivera (02:24.462)
Insulin, produced by the pancreas, regulates your blood sugar. It also works in tandem with sex hormones like estrogen, progesterone, and testosterone. Your liver, on the other hand, metabolizes excess hormones—specifically estrogen. If your liver can't do that efficiently, you’ll have excess estrogen, leading to hormonal imbalances. Everything in the body is about balance—if one hormone goes up, another will counterbalance it. This is a domino effect.
If your insulin is spiking and crashing, eventually leading to insulin resistance, you'll experience symptoms such as inflammation, weight gain, and more. Excess blood sugar increases estrogen, and estrogen promotes fat storage, which produces even more estrogen. I don’t expect you to follow every biochemical pathway here, but the takeaway is this: if your liver and pancreas are not functioning optimally, you will have hormonal issues.
These dysfunctions could also be the root of pre-menopausal symptoms like painful periods, endometriosis, irregular periods, migraines, or digestive issues. As menopause sets in, these imbalances create severe symptoms like hot flashes, night sweats, hair loss, and skin changes.
Let's break down what pancreatic and liver dysfunction looks like in the average person. Pancreatic dysfunction often goes unnoticed. A common sign is waking up with no appetite, drinking coffee (which suppresses appetite further), and not eating until late in the day. By the time you do eat, you’re starving, craving carbs—whether healthy (smoothie bowl, sushi) or unhealthy (pizza, fries). Your blood sugar spikes, crashes, and the cycle repeats. Over time, this leads to brain fog, low energy, weight gain, and prediabetes.
Dr. Nicole Rivera (07:04.096)
Most people don’t get diagnosed with diabetes right away, as it develops over time. Regular glucose tests might show you're fine, but markers like insulin, amylase, lipase, glucose, and hemoglobin A1C can give a better picture of pancreatic health.
Now, let’s talk about the liver. This organ often goes undiagnosed for chronic issues, as liver function tests (AST, ALT) only detect acute inflammation. Chronic liver dysfunction is common, even in children. Studies show almost 200 chemicals in amniotic fluid, meaning children are born with stressed livers. Your liver metabolizes chemicals, toxins, caffeine, medications, and more. Many factors, such as chemicals in food, personal care products, and environmental toxins, stress the liver daily.
Dr. Nicole Rivera (09:24.492)
If you can’t handle caffeine, alcohol, or if you’re experiencing weight issues or skin problems, your liver could be struggling. Over 95% of the people I’ve tested with an autoimmune liver panel had a positive result. I’ve also started testing for heavy metals in urine, and many clients, especially golfers, show high arsenic levels due to pesticide exposure.
To wrap up, if you're experiencing severe menopausal symptoms, you need to look at your liver and pancreas. Additionally, many women walk around with undiagnosed urinary tract or vaginal infections. Bacteria like ureaplasma and mycoplasma can contribute to reproductive issues, including bad periods, endometriosis, and fibroids. These are often linked to gut health issues, which can transfer bacteria into the pelvic area and cause further complications.
Dr. Nicole Rivera (16:32.0)
Bioidentical hormone replacement therapy can help some women feel better, but the body is smart. It adapts. Adding hormones externally can disrupt natural hormone production, leading to new issues. No one is discussing the potential long-term effects of estrogen creams and suppositories, which could contribute to weight gain, cancer, and neurological degeneration.
The key takeaway is that your body doesn’t fail you; it adapts to the stress it faces. Symptoms like bad menopause or chronic diseases are adaptations to these stressors. Instead of masking the symptoms, it’s crucial to address the root cause.
Dr. Nicole Rivera (21:25.762)
Remember, your body is intelligent and resilient. It’s adapting to keep you alive. Finding the root cause of your issues is the solution—not relying on external medications that create side effects and new problems. There’s always a solution if you’re willing to dig deeper.
