Sex, Sanity and Sleep!

Nadu A. Tuakli MD

Description

“Dr. Tuakli is a wonderful physician, always considering the range of treatment options for her patients. In women’s health she has been particularly open to new advances in care. She was one of the first primary care physicians in our region to recognize the benefits of uterine embolization as an alternative to hysterectomy for women with fibroids. She brings the insights of years in practice as well as the latest research advances to every patient’s care.”
Her podcast is called Wellness and Wisdom with Dr. Nadu Tuakli
James B. Spies MD, MPH
Professor and Chairman, Georgetown University Hospital
Department of Radiology

Sujets

• Santé et bien-être
• Santé du quotidien
• Santé au quotidien
• Santé au quotidien
• Sex
• Sleep
• Health
• Psychology
• Sanity

Informations

• Publié par: Xlibris US
• Date de parution: 27 avril 2023
• Nombre de lectures: 1
• EAN13: 9781669873648
• Langue: English
• Poids de l'ouvrage: 1 Mo

Extrait

Sex, Sanity and Sleep!
 
 
EVERYTHING ABOUT PERIMENOPAUSE AND MENOPAUSE
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Nadu A. Tuakli MD
 
Copyright © 2023 by Nadu A. Tuakli MD.
 
ISBN:
Softcover
978-1-6698-7363-1

eBook
978-1-6698-7364-8
 
All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the copyright owner.
 
Any people depicted in stock imagery provided by Getty Images are models, and such images are being used for illustrative purposes only.
Certain stock imagery © Getty Images.
 
 
 
 
 
Rev. date: 04/27/2023
 
 
 
 
Xlibris
844-714-8691
www.Xlibris.com
852549
Contents
Abbreviations
Acknowledgements
 
Chapter 1       Sex, Sanity and Sleep
Chapter 2       Don’t let fear make your decisions for you
Chapter 3       Meet the “Pauses”: Menopause, Perimenopause, and Postmenopause
Chapter 4       The Role of Hormones in Women
Chapter 5       Symptoms of Hormonal Imbalance
Chapter 6       Sexual Intimacy
Chapter 7       Sanity
Chapter 8       Sleep
Chapter 9       Treatment of Menopause
Chapter 10     Scientific Research On Hormone Replacement Therapy
Chapter 11     Are Hormones Right for Me?
Chapter 12     Interesting Facts
Chapter 13     Male menopause aka Andropause
Chapter 14     Parting words: looking to the future
 
Contact information
References
Abbreviations
HRT
hormone-replacement therapy
BHRT
bioidentical or body identical hormone therapy
WHO
World Health Organization
GYN
gynecology or gynecologist
BRCA
A gene that is found in families with a high incidence of ovarian and breast cancer
NIH
National Institutes of Health in Bethesda. A government research institution
BPPV
benign paroxysmal vertigo, a condition of unknown cause that causes dizziness and lightheadedness
NHLBI
A branch of the NIH
WHI
Women’s Health Initiative, a study done by the NHI to see the effects of hormone therapy
OCP
Oral Contraceptive Pill
FSH
Follicle Stimulating Hormone
LH
Luteinizing Hormone
PMS
Premenstrual Syndrome
BMI
Body Mass Index a weight to height ratio used as an indicator of obesity
TAHBSO
A hysterectomy where the uterus, tubes and ovaries are removed
FDA
Food and Drug Administration
DHEA
Dehydroepiandrosterone a steroid hormone
SSRI
Class of antidepressant medications that increase serotonin in the brain
MS
Multiple Sclerosis
ED
Erectile Dysfunction
RCOG
Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (UK)
E1
Estrone
E2
Estradiol
E3
Estriol
P/E
Ratio between Progesterone and Estrogen
Acknowledgements
T O MY HUSBAND and soul mate, Roberto Sanchez PhD, who quietly puts up with my unending projects which can range from a burning need to write a book to spontaneous volunteer trips to disaster areas and so much more in between. He is my stabilizing rock, more loving and supportive than I could ever dream of. Thank you for taking the cover photograph (autumn in Pompeii).
 
I would also like to thank my patients. For over 30 years they have trusted me to help them and their families. It has been wonderful to watch children, young couples and mature adults alike, grow and thrive as they have equally enriched my life. My patients have shared their stories and challenged me to keep them in optimal health as I have shown them how to age in the healthiest way possible.
 
Chapter 1
Sex, Sanity and Sleep
Nadu A. Tuakli MD, MPH
“Once you stop learning, you start d ying.”
-Albert Einstein
 
S O HERE IT is: the book that I wanted to write for years! I would vow to write this book every time a woman walked into my office suffering needlessly with menopausal symptoms. I vowed to write this book so women could educate themselves and not have to suffer in this way. It took me a while but I finally got it done.
I originally published the book under the title “Lifting the Veil of Menopause”. When I convinced women to read it I would get tons of positive feedback. Patients thanked me for writing the book and for insisting that they read it. One lady told me she saw herself on every page. The ‘problem’, if there was one, was partly the title. Women do not think menopause is exciting and so they were hesitant to pick it up or even admit that they needed to read it.
 
This book is about the symptoms of hormone imbalance and how to manage them. ‘Sex, sanity and sleep’ encapsulates some of the major symptoms in terms of extent and severity but as you will discover when you read this book there are many others. Even though this book focuses on the symptoms that you feel, do not lose sight of the absolute health benefits of BHRT including prevention of heart disease, less risk of dementia and prevention of osteoporosis. Remember to always weigh the benefits against the perceived risks which may not even exist.
 
So, let’s just say it right at the beginning: none of us necessarily want to discuss sex, mental issues, or menopause with our doctors.
Sometimes it is because these topics, quite frankly, can be just a little embarrassing and many times women are in denial about needing help in these areas. It doesn’t help when doctors don’t listen to these women or blow off their concerns as “a natural course of events”.
An organizer of a women’s conference told me last year, “No one wants to hear about menopause.” So I did not find it too surprising when I mentioned my previous book, Lifting the Veil of Menopause , and women would say “Oh, how in-ter-rest-ing!” as they stared blankly over my shoulder into the distance, a polite way of saying “Really, do we have to talk about it?.”
 
The original book was specifically conceived to bring light to the issues of menopause that many women feel uncomfortable mentioning to their healthcare providers. I will discuss this reluctance later in the book and the possible causes. Suffice to say many times women find it easier to read about these issues than to talk about them. Be that as it may, these topics must be discussed one way or the other, if women are to improve their quality of life, and reach their full potential.
 
So I have taken a new approach: To talk about specific issues while also discussing menopause and perimenopause. Unlike the bored response to ‘menopause’, most women react to the topics of sex, sanity, and sleep with a nod and a knowing smile. These subjects are important to so many of us, and we know we must find balance, something that’s not easy to accomplish with our busy schedules and various daily life crises.
 
If I told people that I still think of practicing medicine as an art and that I constantly enjoy polishing my craft, they may laugh at me in disbelief. But actually it is true, the hands on wisdom I have acquired during the last thirty years of practicing medicine has fueled my desire to continue making a difference in my patients’ lives, particularly in the area of women’s health and longevity.
 
So, why did I have to write this book? The answer can be found in the old saying “knowledge is power.” Never is that more true than for a patient. Often, I find that, even though I am an experienced physician, many of my colleagues are unwilling to engage in a meaningful debate about hormones with me, much less with an inquisitive patient. To put it very simply, I love to teach, and I believe providing my patients with the knowledge I have gained through my experience will only make them more powerful in their own lives. Who couldn’t use a little bit more power in their daily lives?
In addition to my clinical practice, I have always enjoyed teaching. I taught as an assistant professor at Georgetown Medical School as well as under less official hats like preceptor for nurse-practitioner students from Duke, Catholic, Maryland, and Marymount Universities or just as a mentor for high school seniors. Most importantly, I teach my patients. I truly believe that my most essential role as a doctor is to provide