Perimenopause Prep 101: Balance Hormones Before Menopause Hits 

August 18, 2025

Many women in their late 30s and 40s start experiencing troubling symptoms they do not associate with hormones until it all starts to make sense. Some women never understand them at all, and when they go to their conventional doctors and get bloodwork done on annual visits, they are told, “Everything is Normal!” but you don’t feel “Normal” at all. These women may take their word for it and never dig deeper. That is unfortunate, as they may be living with unnecessary symptoms that can easily be resolved. You might feel tired despite sleeping well. Your cycles may become irregular, your moods more volatile, and you may start experiencing brain fog that was never there before. These changes can feel frustrating and even scary. But you are not broken. You are likely in perimenopause, and there is a better way to prepare for what is ahead. 

At Hotze Health & Wellness Center, we specialize in helping women get to the root of their symptoms – even the subtle ones that start to creep up before the storm. Often, guests come to us after visiting several conventional doctors who offer little more than prescriptions for birth control, antidepressants, sleeping pills, or even worse, telling you your clinical symptoms are “all in your head” or “you need to just accept these because you are getting older”. What if the real issue lies in your hormones and the solution is to support your body’s natural design?  Simply replenish what is being lost! 

Let’s explore how perimenopause preparation can help you avoid unnecessary suffering and take charge of your health before menopause hits. 

What Is Perimenopause? 

Perimenopause refers to the transitional period leading up to menopause, which is defined as, typically, 12 consecutive months without a menstrual cycle. This stage can begin as early as your mid-30s and may last 8 to 10 years. During this time, your body begins to produce less estrogen, progesterone, and testosterone, but not in a steady decline. Instead, your hormones fluctuate wildly. This creates imbalances that lead to many of the symptoms women face in this stage. 

Common signs of perimenopause include: 

• Irregular or heavier periods 
• Worsening PMS or mood swings 
• Increased anxiety or depression 
• Insomnia or poor sleep 
• Weight gain, especially around the midsection 
• Brain fog or memory lapses 
• Low libido 
• Fatigue 
• Hot flashes or night sweats 

These symptoms are real, and they are rooted in hormonal changes, not a deficiency of pharmaceutical drugs. 

Signs You Are Not Just Getting Older 

Too many women are told their symptoms are just a normal part of aging. While perimenopause is a natural phase, extreme symptoms are not inevitable. Symptoms like chronic fatigue, painful periods, or emotional instability deserve investigation. They are signs that your hormones are out of balance, not that you are falling apart. 

Take a closer look. The table below can help you recognize common patterns and connect them to specific hormone imbalances. This is not about labeling or diagnosing (as this cannot be done without the proper work and partnership with an experienced medical provider). It is about helping you understand that what you are experiencing has a real, physiological cause (not “all in your head”) — and that those causes can be identified and supported. 

Is It Aging or a Hormone Imbalance? 

Symptom Category	Normal Aging?	Hormonal Imbalance?	Likely Hormones Involved
Cognitive & Mood	Mild forgetfulness, occasional moodiness	Daily brain fog, mood swings, anxiety, irritability	Estrogen, Progesterone, Thyroid, Cortisol
Sleep	Occasional trouble falling asleep	Waking between 2–4 a.m., unrestful sleep, night sweats	Progesterone, Cortisol, Estrogen
Weight & Energy	Slow metabolism, minor weight gain	Sudden belly weight gain, daily exhaustion	Cortisol, Insulin, Thyroid, Testosterone
Skin & Hair	Gradual skin texture changes	Dry skin, thinning hair, loss of elasticity	Estrogen, Thyroid, Testosterone
Menstrual & PMS	Shorter cycles over time	Heavier periods, worsening PMS or PMDD	Progesterone, Estrogen
Sexual Health	Lower libido with age	No libido, vaginal dryness, painful intimacy	Estrogen, Testosterone
Temperature Changes	Flushing in heat or after wine	Hot flashes, chills, frequent night sweats	Estrogen
Headaches	Occasional tension headaches	Migraines or headaches tied to cycles or sleep changes	Estrogen

If you see yourself in more than one row of this chart, it is worth exploring the possibility of hormonal imbalance. These are not minor inconveniences or random complaints. They are signals from your body and they are unnecessary symptoms. When identified early, they can lead to meaningful insight, targeted support, and a much smoother perimenopausal transition. 

The Role of Hormones in Perimenopause 

Understanding which hormones are declining and how they affect you is essential for proper perimenopause prep. These three play a central role: 

Progesterone: Your Calming Hormone or the “Happy” Hormone 

Progesterone is the first hormone to decline during perimenopause. It helps regulate cycles, supports sleep, and eases anxiety. A drop in progesterone can result in estrogen dominance, which contributes to mood swings, weight gain, and heavy periods⁴. 

Estrogen: The Protector 

Estrogen levels may fluctuate before eventually declining. It plays a role in over 400 functions in the body, including skin elasticity, cognitive health, and cholesterol regulation. Imbalances may lead to hot flashes, vaginal dryness, and mood disturbances⁵. 

Testosterone: Energy and Drive 

Though often overlooked in women, testosterone influences muscle mass, motivation, and libido. Low testosterone levels can cause fatigue, weight gain, and decreased confidence⁶. 

When any of these hormones are out of sync, symptoms will follow. Balancing them before menopause can help you regain your vitality and joy. It can assist in improving relationships as well.  

Our Perimenopause Prep Protocol 

At Hotze Health & Wellness Center, we do not guess. We test and LISTEN! While we include comprehensive blood testing as an integral part of our initial visit with any guest (we call our patients guests) onboarding to our alternative medical practice, and this blood testing is repeated, particularly within the first year of your health journey, we differentiate ourselves from other medical practices by LISTENING. What does that mean? We listen to your clinical symptoms because we know your personal experience is real. In our 35 years of practicing alternative medicine and building our expertise, we know that bloodwork often comes back as normal when you feel nothing close to normal. That matters!  We diagnose and treat our guests utilizing a combination of symptom-based evaluation and objective lab data.  This allows us to create a personalized wellness plan tailored to your unique needs. Our guests, over the last 35 years, have advised us that we have transformed their lives.  

Our natural approach may include: 

• Bioidentical hormone replacement therapy (BHRT), when indicated 
• Natural thyroid hormone supplementation, when indicated 
• Detoxification through vitamin and mineral supplementation 
• Nutritionally balanced eating and exercise program 
• Treatment of adrenal fatigue 

We recognize that no two women are the same. Your care should be as individualized as your symptoms. 

Why Conventional Medicine Often Falls Short 

Many conventional doctors treat perimenopausal symptoms with birth control pills, antidepressants, or sleeping aids. While these may offer temporary relief, they do not address the root issue, which is often a hormonal imbalance. First, we do not believe in treating with synthetic hormones (what we call counterfeit hormones). We utilize bioidentical hormones, which we believe are safer as they mirror what our body produces.  Second, pharmaceutical drugs only mask symptoms, and they also come with a host of side effects – some that are worse than the original symptoms occurring. They do not get to the root cause of symptoms. Our goal is to get to the root cause of symptoms and utilize natural solutions, as much as possible.  

Instead of investigating the underlying causes, conventional medicine tends to manage symptoms. That is not how we work at Hotze Health & Wellness Center. 

We believe the body was designed to heal when supported properly. Our goal is to help you get back to the woman you were created to be, energized, clear-minded, and emotionally balanced. 

Simple Lifestyle Shifts to Support Hormonal Health 

Even small changes can have a meaningful impact on your hormone levels. Here are a few steps you can take today: 

• Limit sugar and processed foods. These disrupt insulin and cortisol, which in turn affect estrogen and progesterone. 
• Support your gut. Your gut microbiome influences how your body processes hormones. Consider a probiotic and a clean, yeast-free diet. 
• Prioritize sleep. Aim for 7 to 9 hours each night to support adrenal recovery and hormone production. 
• Manage stress. Chronic stress depletes progesterone and increases cortisol. Try deep breathing, prayer, or journaling. 
• Exercise wisely. Moderate strength training and walking can reduce inflammation and support detoxification. 

Do Not Wait. Prepare Now 

You do not have to suffer through perimenopause. By preparing your body now, you can avoid unnecessary discomfort, support your long-term health, and enter menopause with strength and clarity and without unnecessary symptoms. Just because your mother or grandmother went through these symptoms doesn’t mean you have to! 

Thousands of women have walked this journey before you. Many of them found relief after years of being dismissed. You deserve to be heard, tested, and cared for as a whole person, not just a collection of symptoms. 

If you are struggling with symptoms and have not found answers, it may be time to take a different path. 

We invite you to schedule a complimentary 30-minute consultation with one of our Wellness Consultants. There is no pressure. Just a conversation focused on you. 

Schedule online HERE or call us at 281-698-8698. It would be our privilege to serve you.  

References 

1. Freeman, Ellen W., et al. “Symptoms Associated with Hormonal Transitions.” Menopause, vol. 14, no. 5, 2007, pp. 843–850. 
2. Brinton, Roberta Diaz. “Estrogen-Induced Plasticity from Cells to Circuits: Predictions for Cognitive Function.” Trends in Pharmacological Sciences, vol. 30, no. 4, 2009, pp. 212–222. 
3. Davis, Susan R., and Alfred O. Mueck. “Testosterone in Women: The Clinical Significance.” The Lancet Diabetes & Endocrinology, vol. 2, no. 8, 2014, pp. 660–674. 
4. Prior, Jerilynn C. “Perimenopause: The Complex End of the Reproductive Years.” Endocrine Reviews, vol. 40, no. 5, 2019, pp. 1377–1401. 
5. Maki, Pauline M., and C. Neill Epperson. “Menopause and Cognitive Decline: Insights into Neurological Aging.” Nature Reviews Endocrinology, vol. 15, no. 3, 2019, pp. 149–162. 
6. Davis, Susan R., et al. “Effects of Testosterone Treatment on Body Composition and Physical Function in Women.” Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism, vol. 104, no. 2, 2019, pp. 370–382. 

Categories: Estrogen, Hypothyroidism, Menopause, perimenopause, Progesterone, Testosterone

Tags: adrenal fatigue, bioidentical hormones, estrogen, hormone imbalance, hotze health, Menopause Symptoms, Natural Hormone Therapy, perimenopause prep, progesterone, Testosterone, thyroid support

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