Let your Menopause be a MenoSTART!
Many women find that perimenopause is a time to reevaluate your goals and practices and make meaningful changes to thrive and live your best life. We guide you towards longevity and healthy aging.
In short what I offer:
Comprehensive, integrative, up to date menopause bioidentical hormone therapy, nutrition, exercise, supplement guidance from a Menopause Specialist Physician MD.
Welcome!
I'm so glad you're here.
I’m a board-certified family medicine physician and a certified menopause expert with The Menopause Society. My approach to women’s health is integrative and holistic, focusing on the whole person. I specialize in helping women navigate menopause, transitioning from feeling like life has come off the rails to becoming confident, informed, and prepared.
In addition to menopause care, I have expertise in managing conditions often associated with this stage, including PMDD, PCOS, endometriosis, and other hormonal illnesses. After completing my medical degree and family medicine residency, I pursued certification through The Menopause Society to deepen my knowledge and skills in menopausal hormone therapy, osteoporosis, thyroid health, abnormal uterine bleeding, breast health, hypoactive sexual desire disorder, endocrinology, preventive cardiology, metabolic health, and general gynecology.
I look forward to partnering with you on your journey through menopause and beyond!
What you can expect:
To be HEARD and HELD
Whether you choose an in person or telemedicine visit. Our journey begins with an extensive review of your history and current lifestyle and symptoms. Dr. Swanson will take the time to review any prior studies, lab work, medical history, and symptom history to understand your individual journey and provide support.
Frequently Asked Questions
Will you test my hormones and help me determine where I am in the menopause transition?
Yes, we offer comprehensive hormonal, metabolic, and other longevity labwork. While symptoms (not lab hormone levels) are diagnostic of perimenopause, bloodwork can add valuable information as we discover root causes for your symptoms. You can run these labs through your insurance or use wholesale cash prices to affordably pay for lab work.
How do I know if I am in perimenopause?
We explore your history and current symptoms and lifestyle extensively to discover how perimenopause may be affecting your current well-being. Part of working with us will involve a journey of self-awareness—exploring what you are truly experiencing and discovering how we can work together to optimize your health and well-being, enabling you to thrive. You will leave knowing about hormonal and nonhormonal options for perimenopause symptom treatment and with an assessment of your stage in the journey.
Do you only support menopausal patients?
I work with women throughout all stages of life, except for prenatal care. I support women of all ages in addressing various health and wellness challenges, with a primary focus on preventative healthcare and optimizing their health and well-being. In addition to perimenopause and postmenopause, I treat conditions such as PCOS, PMDD, endometriosis, and other hormonal imbalances.
How long do menopause symptoms last?
Typically between 4 and 10 years. You do not have to suffer. There are wonderful options to alleviate these symptoms. While hot flashes, mood lability and insomnia may improve after perimenopause the hormone deficiency remains. This state of low estrogen, progesterone and testosterone directly and significantly increases the risk of heart disease, osteoporosis and diabetes.
What is Menopause?
Menopause is not a single event, but rather a process that unfolds over time in three distinct stages:
Perimenopause
Perimenopause is the transitional phase leading up to menopause, typically beginning in the late 30s to 40s, marked by hormonal fluctuations that can cause changes in menstrual cycles, hot flashes, night sweats, headaches, anxiety, sleep disturbances, low libido, brain fog, muscle loss, and weight gain, among other symptoms.
Menopause
Menopause is defined as the point in time when you have gone 12 consecutive months without a menstrual cycle—an experience that can feel both ambiguous and retrospective. Let us support and guide you through this transition, so you can feel empowered and in control. Estrogen, testosterone and progesterone have reached critical lows leading to symptoms and new disease.
Postmenopause
Postmenopause is the phase of life that follows menopause, when hormone levels are almost nonexistent. Hormonal deficiency increases the risk of conditions such as metabolic diseases like insulin resistance, diabetes, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, heart attack and stroke.
At my practice, I am fully dedicated to the health and well-being of women, with a focus on menopause and the unique challenges that come with aging. As a certified menopause specialist, I offer a level of expertise that most doctors simply don’t have, as menopause care is often overlooked or misunderstood in traditional medicine. I’m passionate about helping women age gracefully, staying strong and healthy throughout their lifespan, with a comprehensive approach that includes hormone therapy, sexual health, fitness, and nutrition.
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