Menopausal Transition – the right time for prevention

Perimenopause, also referred to as the “menopausal transition”, is a natural stage in a woman’s life during which the ovaries gradually lose their function over several years and produce decreasing amounts of female hormones. During this hormonal transition, symptoms such as hot flushes, sleep disturbances, mood swings, fatigue, reduced libido or vaginal dryness may occur and can significantly affect quality of life. These symptoms should be taken seriously and, if they are bothersome, treated on an individual basis.

Less attention, however, is paid to the health changes that develop gradually over many years and may only lead to disease decades later. As the body’s own hormone levels decline, bone metabolism, muscle mass, body composition, as well as fat and glucose metabolism, change. The risk of osteoporosis, cardiovascular disease and other chronic conditions increases – often long before the first symptoms are noticed.

Surprisingly, the importance of prevention during the menopausal transition is neither sufficiently discussed in the media nor adequately supported by the healthcare system. Under the mandatory health insurance system (OKP), symptomatic perimenopause is classified as a “disease” rather than being recognized as a natural – even if sometimes unwanted – consequence of declining hormone levels.

Prevention

To be clear: A woman going through menopausal transition is not ill – she needs information and guidance!

Prevention therefore means not only addressing the symptoms of today, but also preventing the diseases of tomorrow. Accordingly, the most important question is not: “How can my symptoms be treated today?”, but rather: “What can I do today to remain healthy in ten, twenty or thirty years?” Because if you want to remain healthy at 80, you need to start taking care of your health and preserving it from the age of 40 onwards.

Menopause as a turning point for health

This is exactly why Menopausal Consultation focuses on prevention. The aim is to support women in maintaining their long-term health and identifying health risks at an early stage.

The main topics include:

• Cardiovascular health
• Bone health and osteoporosis prevention
• Prevention or reduction of hair loss
• Muscle mass and physical performance
• Metabolism and weight
• Appropriate use of micronutrients
• Psychological well-being and burnout prevention
• Sexuality as well as vaginal and urogenital health
• Options for individual menopausal hormone therapy, including bioidentical hormones

Every woman is different

The menopausal transition is highly individual. Some women experience hardly any symptoms, while others are significantly affected several years before their final menstrual period. Regular menstrual bleeding does not necessarily mean that hormone production is still functioning unchanged. Every consultation therefore takes into account your personal situation, your individual health profile and your personal goals.

Depending on your individual circumstances, different measures may be appropriate. Together, we discuss the various options and develop an individual treatment concept tailored to your needs and health goals.

Prevention takes time

Prevention means understanding the connections between different aspects of health, assessing individual risks and developing personalised strategies for healthy ageing. This takes time – time for your questions, time for careful counselling and time for shared decision-making. If appropriate, additional laboratory tests or further investigations can be arranged.

The Menopause Consultation is a preventive medicine consultation. Since preventive medicine is outside of the scope of the mandatory health insurance system (OKP), the consultation, as well as any blood tests carried out as part of the consultation, are charged as self-pay services. I look forward to supporting you during this important stage of life.

The doctor-patient conversation is an essential part of the physician´s daily work and the corner-stone of every doctor-patient relationship. All diagnostic procedures and therapies are driven by the information acquired during the doctor-patient dialogue. Unfortunately, in the present system of the re-imbursement of medical services, TARMED, the doctor-patient conversation is devaluated and timely restricted. Through this constellation, doctors are forced to perform examinations to be able to justify their time spent with a patient. TARMED forces doctors “to do” something and not “to chat”.

Working against these unsatisfactory conditions, I am offering you a free, patient-centered conversation which you can pay directly and not via insurance (300 CHF for 50 minutes, and 200 CHF for 30 Minutes). During this time, we can focus on your questions, worries and doubts without pressure of medical examinations. Depending on the information gathered in our conversation, I can advise you what examinations and procedures you would need, and whether you need the examinations at all.

The Rimkus®-method (named after its founder, Dr. Volker Rimkus) is based on the administration of bioidentical estradiol and progesterone in individually compounded capsules. These hormones are structurally identical to the body's own hormones and are used to treat menopausal symptoms as well as other hormone-related conditions such as endometriosis, polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS), and painful menstrual periods. In selected patients, the therapy may also be beneficial as part of an individualized hormonal fine-tuning for women trying to conceive.

Before treatment begins, a comprehensive consultation is carried out, including a detailed medical history and blood tests to assess your hormone levels. Based on these results, your Rimkus® capsules are individually formulated. Each patient receives a personalized dose of estradiol and progesterone tailored to her specific hormonal needs.

At the beginning of treatment, hormone levels are usually monitored every three months so that the dosage can be adjusted if necessary. Once stable hormone levels have been achieved, follow-up assessments are generally required only every six months. As each prescription is individually compounded, these follow-up appointments should be scheduled well before your current medication supply runs out.

Please note: The Rimkus® Method is an individualized hormone therapy concept based on careful diagnostic assessment and the regular monitoring and adjustment of hormone levels.

As the Rimkus® Method is not covered by Switzerland's mandatory basic health insurance (KVG), medical consultations, laboratory tests required as part of the treatment, and the individually compounded medications are provided on a self-pay basis.

The capsules contain only bioidentical estradiol and progesterone. They are prepared using olive oil as the carrier and contain trace elements such as copper and zinc, as well as an individually adjusted dose of vitamin D3.

Hormonal changes in men usually develop gradually and often go unnoticed for many years. Many men attribute symptoms such as fatigue, exhaustion, reduced physical and mental performance, loss of libido, or sleep disturbances to stress or simply to aging. As a result, it may take years before a hormonal imbalance is even considered as a possible cause.

While women experiencing hormonal changes naturally consult their gynecologist, men often lack a comparable point of contact. Many initially turn to their general practitioner or seek medical advice only once their symptoms have become more pronounced. In addition, the topic of male hormones remains surrounded by misconceptions and is still frequently overlooked.

Dr. Volker Rimkus devoted many years to the study of hormonal changes in men and further developed the Rimkus^® Method for male patients. While testosterone is the predominant sex hormone in men, estradiol and progesterone also play important roles in metabolism, the nervous system, bone health, vascular function, and overall well-being. What matters is not only the level of each individual hormone, but also the balance between them.

Like the treatment approach for women, the Rimkus^® Method for men is based on an individually tailored therapy using bioidentical hormones. Before treatment begins, a comprehensive consultation is carried out, including detailed medical history and blood tests to assess the relevant hormone levels. Based on these results, an individual treatment plan is developed and regularly adjusted according to follow-up assessments. At the beginning of treatment, hormone levels are usually monitored every three months so that the dosage can be adjusted if necessary. Once stable hormone levels have been achieved, follow-up assessments are generally required only every six months. Depending on the findings, treatment may also be complemented by targeted micronutrient supplementation.

Please note: The Rimkus^® Method is an individualized hormone therapy concept based on careful diagnostic assessment and the regular monitoring and adjustment of hormone levels.

As the Rimkus^® Method is not covered by Switzerland's mandatory basic health insurance (OKP), medical consultations, laboratory tests required as part of the treatment, and the individually compounded medications are provided on a self-pay basis.

Orthomolecular Medicine – A Preventive and Integrative Approach to Women’s Health

Orthomolecular medicine focuses on the role of vitamins, minerals, trace elements, amino acids and other substances naturally present in the body in maintaining health and well-being.

It is based on the understanding that the human body depends on an adequate and balanced supply of these micronutrients. Among other functions, they are involved in numerous metabolic processes, energy production, the formation and maintenance of tissues, and the functioning of the immune system.

Orthomolecular medicine therefore takes an individualized approach to micronutrient requirements. Although nothing can replace healthy diet, taking care of vitamins and micronutrients depending on woman’s stage of life, lifestyle, individual needs, and specific situations associated with increased requirements, can improve health at present and can help avoid chronic disease in the future. The aim is not to achieve the highest possible intake of micronutrients, but to ensure an adequate supply in individual setting.

What Is Orthomolecular Medicine?

Modern, patient-centered medicine does not need to choose between different therapeutic approaches. Its value lies in combining established medical practices with complementary options in a meaningful way.

Orthomolecular medicine is therefore not intended as an alternative to or a replacement for conventional medicine, but as a complementary component of an integrative medical approach. Its guiding principle is “as well as” rather than “either-or”.

This integrative approach can be particularly valuable during stages of life when the body’s needs change – for example, when trying to conceive, during pregnancy and breastfeeding, throughout perimenopause and menopause, or during periods of increased physical demands.

Prevention and Chronic Diseases

Chronic diseases rarely develop as a result of a single cause. Diet, physical activity, sleep, stress, genetic factors, environmental influences and other lifestyle factors may all contribute to the development and progression of disease. Prevention therefore aims to begin as early as possible.

Within such a preventive approach, orthomolecular medicine can help assess an individual’s nutritional status and optimize micronutrient intake in a targeted manner.

It is important to distinguish between treating a confirmed or clinically relevant deficiency and taking micronutrients for general disease prevention. Supplementation should therefore be individualized, based on a clear indication, and undertaken with due consideration of potential risks and interactions.

Orthomolecular Medicine in Women’s Health

Women’s health encompasses numerous stages of life during which nutritional requirements, metabolism and health needs change. The focus is always on the woman as a whole, her individual circumstances and the specific medical question – not on routinely taking as many supplements as possible.

For me, orthomolecular medicine does not mean “more supplements”, but rather a targeted, medically justified and individually tailored assessment of micronutrient requirements as part of a holistic approach to prevention and treatment.

Consultations in orthomolecular medicine are offered as a self-pay service. Laboratory tests ordered as part of the consultation are also charged separately as self-pay services.