Menopause Doctor Changes Perspective of 10,000 Facebook Fans

Shira Miller, M.D. educates her baby boomer Facebook fans about aging, menopause, and bioidentical hormones – and debunks the idea that women ‘go through’ menopause.

Los Angeles, CA – February 28, 2012

Anti-aging doctor, Shira Miller, M.D., now reaches over 10,000 fans on Facebook, confirming that baby boomers are looking for an alternative solution when their doctor says, "There’s nothing we can do. You're just getting older.”

"I view menopause as a chronic disease," says Dr. Miller.  "To me, it's just like any other permanent hormone deficiency.  In type 1 diabetes, when the body can no longer produce insulin, we prescribe insulin.  In situations when the body can't produce thyroid, we prescribe thyroid.  But when faced with menopause—a time when women’s bodies stop producing both estrogen and progesterone—most doctors are prescribing antidepressants, sleeping pills, anti-anxiety agents, non-bioidentical hormones, and other drugs that don't (or barely) address the primary problem."

Dr. Miller recommends bioidentical hormone replacement therapy (BHRT) for women in menopause, whether they are severely suffering or think they have no symptoms at all.  In order to achieve optimal health, she believes BHRT should be prescribed in a way that mimics how estrogen and progesterone are produced in healthy reproductive women.  “Estrogen and progesterone are usually only associated with reproduction, but there are estrogen and progesterone receptors all over the entire body and their functions extend far beyond pregnancy,” explains Dr. Shira Miller.

Dr. Miller runs a concierge medical practice and doesn’t take insurance.  This allows her to provide highly personalized, convenient, and comprehensive care to her patients (initial consultations can last as long as four hours).  She also makes time to keep up with current medical research and educate the public at large through her "How to Have a Luxurious Menopause" workshops and social media.

That women ‘go through' menopause is one myth that Dr. Miller debunks.  "No woman goes through menopause," she says, "—rather, it is a condition a woman goes into. More specifically, menopause is a state of estrogen (estradiol) and progesterone deficiency.  It's permanent.  Contrary to conventional wisdom, menopause is not a phase that a woman ‘passes,’ 'gets over' or 'goes through,’ whether she suffers from hot flashes or not."  Dr. Miller teaches that, "There’s really no such thing as 'postmenopause.'  When women gain this knowledge, their menopause paradigm changes, treatment options unfold, and they feel empowered instead of helpless."

In both men and women, signs and symptoms of sex hormone deficiency may include weight gain, depression, anxiety, insomnia, muscle atrophy and weakness, joint aches, fatigue, low libido, reduced sexual function, osteoporosis, hot flashes, lack of vitality or motivation, brain fog, reduced efficiency or productivity at work, and relationship strain.

By using an integrative approach that includes optimizing nutrition, lifestyle, supplements, and bio-identical hormone replacement therapy, Dr. Miller is able to optimize her patients’ health and educate her fans.  "One of the most important things to remember is that one's actual long-term health and happiness is the goal; not just hiding symptoms," she says.  "There's a difference between not having a disease and being in optimal health.”

Those interested in learning more from Dr. Shira Miller can "like" her on Facebook at www.facebook.com/menopausedoctor or visit her website at www.shiramillermd.com.

Dr. Shira Miller is available for interviews.

ABOUT SHIRA MILLER, M.D.

Dr. Shira Miller is board-certified in internal medicine and is an expert in bioidentical hormone replacement therapy for men and women.  She has been practicing integrative, functional, and anti-aging medicine since 2006.  Prior to opening her own private practice in Los Angeles, Dr. Miller worked as a clinical research consultant at Children's Hospital Oakland Research Institute, as an urgent care physician at the VA Oakland Outpatient Clinic, and as an integrative doctor at San Francisco Preventive Medical Group, Cenegenics, and The Hall Center.  She has been a member of the American College for Advancement in Medicine (ACAM) since 2005, and on its board since 2009.

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