Home > Media > Books > Steven R. Goldstein and Laurie Ashner - Could It Be ... Perimenopause?: How Women 35 - 50 Can Overcome Forgetfulness, Mood Swings, Insomnia, Weight Gain, Sexual Dysfunction, and Other Tell-Tale Signs of Hormonal Imbalance
Steven R. Goldstein and Laurie Ashner - Could It Be ... Perimenopause?: How Women 35 - 50 Can Overcome Forgetfulness, Mood Swings, Insomnia, Weight Gain, Sexual Dysfunction, and Other Tell-Tale Signs of Hormonal Imbalance
Pros: Complex medical information is presented in simple, easy-to-understand terms
Cons: No substitute for talking to your doctor
The Bottom Line: I strongly recommend this book for all women who care about their health and are past their 30th birthday. Perimenopause doesn't have to make you miserable.
KateTPZ's Full Review: Steven R. Goldstein and Laurie Ashner - Could It B...
I’ll start with a warning to male readers: The subject of this review, the book "Could It Be … Perimenopause?" is a book for women. Thus the topics in this review will be "female stuff" that you might not care to read. Of course if there’s a woman in your life who is 35-50 years old, or will be someday, you just might find it useful. If you decide to continue, don’t say I didn’t warn you!
It Could Be Perimenopause was written by Steven R. Godstein, M.D. and Laurie Ashner. Dr. Goldstein's credentials are impressive, including posts as Director of Gynecologic Ultrasound, past chairman of the American College of Obstetrics and Gynecology. Laurie Ashner is an author with no medical background; all medical information delivered in this book comes from Dr. Goldstein; Ms. Ashner’s contribution was to make it readable. (And she’s done a fine job.)
Some definitions
Menopause is "the cessation of menses for at last six months due to a depletion of ovarian follicles." It is easy to diagnose and the average age is 51.4 years. Although there are changes associated with menopause that women may need medical assistance for, menopause itself isn’t very mysterious.
Perimenopause, on the other hand, is the transition phase that can occur any time prior to menopause, with symptoms ranging from a few months prior to menopause to a decade before menopause. It is this phase, this transition, that wreaks havoc with the bodies and minds of some women. And unlike menopause, which can be easily confirmed with lab work, perimenopause offers no easy-to-read lab results.
Could It Be … Perminenopause?
For me, this book answered the question with a resounding "Yes!" For most women between the ages of thirty-five and fifty, some amount of perimenopausal activity will take place. For some it will go unnoticed while others will feel worse than at any other time of their life, physically, emotionally, or both. I am, unfortunately, in the latter group.
Dr. Goldstein discusses the common symptoms and, more importantly for me, explains how and why these things are happening. My own physician had mentioned perimenopause but provided no information to help me understand it. I’m a strong believer that knowledge is power; when applied to my own health, I’m for all the knowledge I can accumulate.
Other Useful Information
Dr. Goldstein has filled this book with information that goes well beyond the diagnosis of perimenopause. The chapters are:
It’s Not All in Your Head: What Those Subtle Symptoms Mean and What You Can Do About Them
A Closer Look at Your Symptoms
You Don't Have to Feel This Way
Should You Treat Your Symptoms Naturally?
Will You Gain Ten Pounds During Perimenopause?: The Secret to Weight Control During Transition
Rx for Black Moods and Other Symptoms
How to Stay Out of the O.R.
How to Get the Most from Medical Science - While Avoiding the Worst
Sex, Sexuality, and Fertility
Menopause: How Will You Know It When You Get There?
Plain Talk About Estrogen
Getting Support Twenty-four Hours a Day
Your Emotions: Mind-sets That Matter
Each chapter presents careful, helpful information that is easy to understand -- even if you're a non-medical person, like me. The concept of "unopposed estrogen," which appears to be the root of the symptoms of perimenopause, is explained repeatedly and from various perspectives, leaving no questions for the reader.
Chapters on avoiding surgery, getting the most from medical science, and natural therapies are particularly useful; I would consider the three of them together as a woman's survival guide. Dr. Goldstein is a practicing and teaching gynocologist who isn't afraid to criticize some of his lesser enlightened peers. It is evident that his view is that women should educate themselves so that they can get the best medical care possible.
This Book Will Not Dramatically Change Your Life, BUT ...
Reading Could It Be ... Perimenopause is not likely to dramatically change your life. It is, however, likely to help you (if you're a woman) understand your body and the changes that are inevitable as you grow older. It is also likely to educate you enough that you'll know what questions to ask your physician, what symptoms are attributable to perimenopause, and most importantly what you can do to get your symptoms under control. It has been a powerful resource for me these past few months.
I strongly recommend this book for any woman who is approaching a birthday in the 35-50 year range who has not experienced menonpause. There's powerful information here that can help you make better decisions about your own health care.
Aimed at women between the ages of 35 and 50, this comprehensive book addresses the perimenopausal years, a period in which fluctuating levels of estr...More at Alibris
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