Perimenopause & Menopause

Welcome to Papillon Menopause Center

Led by Dr. Stella Jansen van Rensburg, our menopause and perimenopause clinic provides a compassionate and integrative approach to this pivotal stage of life. With over 15 years of experience in menopause care, Dr. Stella combines Integrative Medicine and Traditional Western medicine to help women achieve balance, vitality, and optimal health. She is also a certified provider through the Menopause society.

What is Perimenopause and Menopause?

A healing-oriented clinic that takes account of the whole person, including all aspects of lifestyle. It emphasizes the therapeutic relationship between practitioner and patient, is informed by evidence, and makes use of all appropriate therapies.

Functional Medicine

Perimenopause refers to the transitional phase before menopause, where hormone levels, especially estrogen and progesterone, begin to fluctuate. This phase can start years before menopause and is characterized by irregular menstrual cycles, mood swings, hot flashes, sleep disturbances,  to mention only a few symptoms.

Menopause marks the official end of menstrual cycles and occurs when a woman has gone 12 consecutive months without a period. It typically happens between the ages of 45 and 55, but the timing varies. Menopause results from a natural decline in ovarian follicles which leads to a decline in reproductive hormones. accompanied by symptoms such as night sweats, vaginal dryness, weight gain, and emotional changes.

Symptoms of Hormonal Imbalance: 

  • Brain fog
  • Hot flashes
  • Night sweats
  • Muscle aches
  • Insomnia or disrupted sleep
  • Low libido
  • Weight gain
  • Mood swings
  • Memory difficulties

Postmenopause is the phase following menopause, where hormone levels stabilize at lower levels. While symptoms like hot flashes may lessen, long-term health considerations become more significant. These include maintaining bone density to prevent osteoporosis, heart health, and overall vitality.

There is a critical window in perimenopause and during the first 10 years of menopause where we can drastically improve your future health with early intervention.

Both perimenopause and menopause are natural life stages, but their symptoms can significantly impact daily life. With the right care, including hormone therapy when deemed necessary, and certain lifestyle changes, women can navigate these changes and maintain their health and well-being. Our goal is to empower women through this extensive but rewarding journey.

A risk for diabetes, heart disease and stroke significantly increase after menopause. By having a proactive and thoughtful approach these risks can be significantly decreased with a combination treatment plan. Women spend at least a third of their life in menopause, we should make every effort to start healthy, active, and continue to live exuberantly during this stage of life.

How Are You Feeling?

  • Stressed?
  • Do you feel overwhelmed?
  • Have you lost you lust for life?
  • Are you uncertain about where to start to improve your health, energy levels and appearance?
  • Are you feeling wired and tired?
  • Experiencing a lack of energy and ambition?
  • Struggle with memory loss?
  • Do you sometimes not identify with the person you see in the mirror?
  • A decreased sex drive/ libido?
  • Are you not always in control of your emotions?
  • Nervous or uncertain about menopause?
  • Have trouble controlling your bladder after childbirth or since menopause?
  • Are you worried or curious about your testosterone levels?
  • Is it difficult for you to lose weight even with your best efforts?
  • Feeling anxious or depressed?
  • Do you feel unwell, but all your test results keep coming back normal?
  • Are you tired, but can’t sleep?
  • Feel as if you are not functioning at your full potential?
  • Do you have ongoing stomach or gut issues, like feeling bloated, stomach aches or troubles bowel habits?
  • Have you become increasingly sensitive to foods or other environmental factors?

Comprehensive Care

What to expect at Papillon Menopause Center

At the Papillon Menopause Center, we emphasize the importance of diet, lifestyle, and overall well-being as part of an overall comprehensive care plan. Our goal is true restorative care—providing knowledge  and resources to give women the tools to live healthier, more vibrant lives.

We recognize the body as a collection of interconnected systems in a dynamic relationship with its environment. Addressing imbalances holistically can lead to profound, long-term improvements in health and vitality.

Individualized Treatment Plans:

Our approach is centered on the unique needs of each woman. Treatment plans are carefully tailored to address individual symptoms and goals, ensuring the best possible outcomes. Active participation is vital, as we work together to create achievable and sustainable wellness plans.

Comprehensive Care:

To support women through menopause and perimenopause, we employ advanced diagnostic tools and testing to identify subtle imbalances. From there, we offer personalized strategies to restore proper function and balance. These may include:

  • Nutritional Therapy: Customized diet plans that support hormone health and overall wellness.
  • Nutritional Supplements: Targeted solutions to address deficiencies and support optimal function.
  • Stress Management Techniques: Helping you navigate emotional challenges with mindfulness and resilience-building strategies.
  • Detoxification Support: Assisting the body in managing environmental and metabolic stressors.
  • Lifestyle Modifications: Encouraging habits that improve energy, sleep, and overall health.
  • Prescription Medications (if needed): Only when necessary, to provide symptom relief and improve quality of life.

Body Identical Hormone Therapy

Hormone balance is essential for overall health, well-being, and healthy aging. At Papillon Menopause Center, we recognize that hormones impact more than just physical symptoms—they are integral to maintaining brain health, bone density, and sexual vitality.

Body-identical hormone therapy is a personalized approach to addressing the hormonal changes that occur with menopause, perimenopause.  Each treatment plan is tailored to the unique needs of our clients and designed to ensure hormone levels stay within safe, healthy physiological ranges.

The Role of Hormone Therapy

From as early as age 35, hormone levels naturally begin to decline. This process, combined with environmental factors, dietary habits, and modern stressors, can significantly impact physical and emotional health. Historically, hormone replacement therapy focused primarily on alleviating symptoms like hot flashes and night sweats. We now know that hormone therapy has significant other health benefits that include:

  • Brain Health: Supporting cognitive function and reducing the risk of neurodegenerative diseases.
  • Bone Health: Preventing osteoporosis by maintaining bone density.
  • Sexual Health: Enhancing libido, sexual satisfaction, and overall vitality.
  • Disease Prevention: Reducing the risk of chronic illnesses associated with aging and hormonal decline.

Monitoring and Safety

Although not required, we do offer specialized diagnostic testing that is available for patients that are interested. This allows us to provide precise treatment while avoiding levels that exceed normal physiological ranges. Our goal is to restore balance in a way that aligns with your body’s natural processes.

Comprehensive Care for Healthy Living

While body-identical hormones are an important tool, they are just one part of the equation for healthy aging. At Papillon, we take a holistic approach to care by incorporating:

  • Nutritional Optimization: Ensuring your body has the vitamins and minerals it needs to thrive.
  • Lifestyle Support: Focusing on exercise, stress management, and sleep hygiene to enhance overall well-being.
  • Personalized Plans: Creating treatment strategies that are specific to your individual health goals.

Our goal is to help you feel your best at every stage of life. By addressing hormone balance alongside nutrition and lifestyle, we empower our clients to embrace aging with confidence, energy, and vitality.

Lifestyle Support

Lifestyle support during menopause is essential for managing symptoms and promoting overall well-being. A nutrient-dense diet rich in whole foods supports hormonal balance, while regular physical activity helps maintain bone density and heart health. Prioritizing quality sleep and restorative activities, such as yoga or meditation, nurture the mind-body connection and reduce stress. Emotional well-being can be enhanced through mindfulness, supportive relationships, and self-care routines. Together, these habits create a foundation for a healthier, more balanced transition through menopause.

Weight Loss & Nutrition

Navigating weight management during menopause and perimenopause can feel challenging, but understanding the unique changes in your body can make a world of difference. At Papillon Menopause Center, we recognize that the traditional “calories in, calories out” approach is outdated. Hormonal shifts, lifestyle, and nutrient density all play crucial roles in maintaining a healthy weight and overall well-being during this stage of life.

Food is the essence of health. We don’t realize the value, in the words of Hippocrates when he said: ‘Let food be thy medicine, and medicine be thy food”.

Hormonal Balance and Nutrition

The hormonal changes during menopause and perimenopause can lead to shifts in metabolism, increased fat storage (especially around the abdomen), and challenges with maintaining muscle mass. The type of calories and the nutrient density of your food are now more important than ever. Certain foods can support hormone balance, reduce inflammation, and enhance metabolic health, making it easier to achieve and maintain your goals.

Avoiding chemicals like pesticides and opting for organic, whole foods can reduce the burden on your hormonal system. This, combined with tailored nutrition strategies, can support optimal health and weight management.

Thyroid & Adrenals

In order to obtain optimal health, we need to look at the entirety of hormone balance. That includes optimal thyroid function and adrenal function. Optimal thyroid and adrenal gland function is imperative for good health. The adrenal glands are best known for their production of adrenaline and managing our fight or flight response, but they are also an important part of the endocrine system. They produce hormones that impact our major metabolic processes, very much like the thyroid gland. The hormones produced by the adrenal glands help to regulate blood pressure, electrolyte balance, blood sugar, immune response and digestion to name but a few.

We need to consider all hormones and neurotransmitters, including those that are produced in the gut and brain, as well as how these hormones communicate and naturally regulate with complex feedback systems. In other words: To achieve true vitality and wellness, the endocrine system in its entirety needs to be contemplated. We need to consider the full picture, in which adrenal and thyroid function are extremely important for health right down to the cellular level.

We also need to remember the effects of stress, neurotransmitters and nutrients, and that all these factors come into play when we are talking about the picture of health.