April 05, 2024

Why Won’t My Doctor Check My Hormones?

31 minutes

What will hormone tests tell me and why is my doctor so resistant to ordering them? Dr. Polly Watson explores the complexities and controversies surrounding hormone assessment in midlife women. She addresses the frustrations many women experience when their symptoms are dismissed or when they are denied hormone testing by healthcare providers.

Dr. Polly discusses the critical role hormones like FSH, estradiol, progesterone, and testosterone play, particularly through perimenopause. She explains why a single hormone test might not provide a comprehensive overview, whereas a series of tests can guide you toward understanding and managing symptoms related to menopause. From exploring the benefits of bioidentical micronized progesterone for mood and sleep improvements to investigating the neuroprotective potential of estrogen, Dr. Polly covers ground that's often overlooked in mainstream healthcare.

This episode of Menopause Rescue shines a light on the challenges faced by women with irregular menstrual cycles, including those with PCOS or those who have undergone specific procedures. While hormone testing isn't a “crystal ball” for predicting the timing of menopause or the resolution of symptoms, a comprehensive and thoughtful approach can serve as a fundamental support for women navigating these hormonal transitions.

Quotes

"Oftentimes women leave healthcare interactions feeling dismissed and unheard." (02:02 | Dr. Polly Watson)

“It is appalling to me that the message many women are getting from the healthcare system is that we only are going to feel good prior to having children. And then after that, it's just downhill. And that's not acceptable.” (03:46 | Dr. Polly Watson)

“Many of us in perimenopause kind of feel like we're stuck in PMS. Our fuse can feel really short. Again, the world is also feeling really polarized and triggered, and so sometimes it's hard to figure out if this is hormonal or if it's just being a modern human. So hormone testing can bring a little bit of clarity if it's done correctly within some context.” (14:33 | Dr. Polly Watson)

“Rather than just saying ‘hormones change, we don't check them,’ this is an opportunity to give some bandwidth back in a woman's life. This is an opportunity to perhaps help her sleep. This is an opportunity to give her a little bit of grace, a little bit of cushion, if you will, if she's feeling irritable and maybe she also has kids and teens who are also feeling irritable. So in my mind, not checking the progesterone or addressing the progesterone deficiency is really a missed opportunity to offer a relatively simple solution that can make a huge impact in this transition period.” (17:46 | Dr. Polly Watson)

"Hormone testing can be unpredictable. It may be helpful to get several measurements in conjunction with comprehensive labs and clinical symptoms to make an assessment. I would say that hormone testing can be insightful in women who don't have regular periods due to an IUD, an ablation, or a hysterectomy. We don't have a test that will predict when menopause will occur or when symptoms are going to start or stop." (30:02 | Dr. Polly Watson)

Links

Connect with Dr. Polly Watson:

Website: https://hormonewellnessmd.com/podcast

Resources: https://hormonewellnessmd.com/podcast-resources

Disclaimer: https://hormonewellnessmd.com/podcast#Disclaimer

Podcast production and show notes provided by HiveCast.fm

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