Menopause — When Your Whole Body Starts Talking Back

(And why you shouldn’t ignore the conversation)

Picture this: Dr Rachel Rubin, a urologist who teaches wherever she goes, is in the make-up chair before an interview. The artist sighs,

“I feel ancient—my joints creak, I’m not sleeping, wine hates me, and I’m no fun anymore.”
Rachel smiles: “Welcome to hormone land.”

For decades, we were told menopause was just hot flashes and mood swings. Reality? Oestrogen and androgen receptors are everywhere—brain, eyes, skin, joints, even the meibomian glands that keep your eyes moist. When hormones nosedive, the echoes travel head-to-toe.

The Symptom Checklist Nobody Gave You

Orthopaedic surgeon Dr Vonda Wright calls this the “Musculoskeletal Syndrome of Menopause.” With oestrogen gone, natural lubrication dries up—think brake fluid leaking from a car. Add rising inflammation, and everything feels rusty.

Your Brain on Empty

Cornell neuroscientist Lisa Mosconi finally developed a scan to count oestrogen receptors in living brains (Nature, 2024). Shock twist: receptor density increases after menopause. Your brain is begging for every micro-dose of oestrogen left—no wonder fog and low mood hit hard.

Why Weight Creeps Up (It’s Not Just Cake)

Longevity physician Peter Attia suggests mid-life weight gain is an evolutionary hack: fat converts to estrone, drip-feeding the brain. Your body protects your mind first, waistline second.

The Roller-Coaster of Perimenopause

Before the tank runs dry, hormone levels spike and crash. Receptors swing from overflowing to empty overnight—cue ADHD-like symptoms, irritability, and wild cycle timing in your 40s. When you reach true menopause, the volatility eases—but you’re still idling on fumes.

What You Can Do Now

1. Track—don’t guess. Chart symptoms and cycle shifts, then work with a practitioner who actually understands menopause. We’ll order targeted labs and imaging rather than rely on one-size-fits-all textbooks.
2. Refuel the right way

   * Reset digestion so your gut enzymes break down excess hormones and absorb the ones you need.
   *Decongest the liver so it can conjugate oestrogens properly.
   *Use evidence-based herbs (Āyurvedic rasāyana, adaptogens) to balance imbalances.
   *If medication is required, we add it after root causes are addressed—no more “throw-a-drug-and-hope”.
   

3. Move to lube. Swap “train harder” for smarter mobility—resistance bands, gentle yoga, brisk walks. These pumps synovial fluid into creaky joints and clear brain fog.  Don’t just exercise more, as this can drain you and you get worse.
4. Cool the sparks. Fill your plate with anti-inflammatory colour—leafy greens, berries, omega-3s, turmeric—to calm hot-flash storms.
5. Protect the powerhouse. Deep sleep is when your glymphatic system clears brain waste. Tech-curfew, blackout curtains, and nixing late-night alcohol keep the clean-up crew on duty.

The Bottom Line

Menopause isn’t one nuisance symptom; it’s a whole-body negotiation between shrinking hormones and organs that still depend on them. If you’re told “that’s normal” without a roadmap, keep asking. Your joints, brain and libido deserve more than a shrug.

Ready to refill the tank?
> Book a Consult and receive a personalised game-plan that puts you back in the driver’s seat—well-lubricated joints, clear mind, and rekindled spark included.

Health Dynamics Clinic, West End | Tele-health is also available
> 07 3255 06 71 | [email protected]

Because when you thrive, your life shines

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