Women’s health

Women’s Health Issues

Women's health is complicated by the fact that hormones affect nearly every system in the body, and that most standard appointments simply don't have time to look at the full picture. A ten-minute GP consultation can address a symptom. It rarely has time to explore why that symptom is there, how your cycle, your gut health, your thyroid, your stress load, and your nutritional status all interact with each other.

Mark Webster offers extended integrative consultations specifically for women's health. He takes a whole-body view, asking questions that most consultations skip, and building a plan that addresses the underlying drivers rather than managing surface symptoms.

Consultations are available in-person at the Stay Well Clinic in Hornby, Christchurch, or via Zoom anywhere in New Zealand. Evening appointments are available every Thursday.

PCOS, treating the cause rather than the symptom

PCOS is one of the most common hormonal conditions affecting women in New Zealand, and one of the most under-managed. It is often diagnosed on the basis of a scan and a blood test, and treated with the pill. But the pill manages the hormonal expression of PCOS without addressing the underlying metabolic and inflammatory drivers that are causing it.

PCOS is fundamentally a metabolic condition as much as a hormonal one. Insulin resistance is present in the majority of women with PCOS and drives the elevated androgen levels that cause irregular cycles, excess hair growth, acne, and weight gain. Chronic low-grade inflammation is also a consistent feature. Both of these are addressable through dietary, nutritional, and lifestyle intervention.

Mark will assess your full hormonal and metabolic picture, including insulin sensitivity, inflammation markers, thyroid function, and nutritional status. He will build a plan targeting the specific drivers of your PCOS, which is different for each person, rather than applying a generic hormonal management approach.

PCOS consultations are particularly relevant if you:

• Have been diagnosed with PCOS but feel your treatment isn't addressing the underlying cause

• Are experiencing irregular or absent periods, excess hair growth, acne, or unexplained weight gain

• Want to understand the fertility implications of PCOS and how to optimise your chances of conception

• Have been told to lose weight but haven't been given a plan that accounts for the metabolic challenges PCOS creates

Endometriosis, pain management and quality of life

Endometriosis affects approximately one in ten women of reproductive age. The average time from symptom onset to diagnosis in New Zealand is several years. During that time, many women are told their pain is normal, or that the only options are hormonal medication or surgery.

Integrative medicine does not replace surgery or hormonal treatment for endometriosis where these are clinically appropriate. What it does is address the inflammatory and immune environment that drives endometriosis activity, support the body's ability to manage pain, and improve quality of life in ways that conventional treatment alone often does not.

Mark will look at your dietary inflammatory load, nutritional deficiencies that affect pain signalling and immune function, gut health (which has a direct relationship with oestrogen metabolism and systemic inflammation), and stress and cortisol patterns. He can also advise on supplements with evidence for reducing endometriosis-related pain and inflammation.

He works alongside your gynaecologist and GP and will not ask you to change or stop existing medical treatment without appropriate medical discussion.

PMS and PMDD, when your cycle affects everything

Premenstrual Syndrome (PMS) and Premenstrual Dysphoric Disorder (PMDD) are among the most under-recognised conditions in women's health. Mood changes, irritability, anxiety, depression, bloating, breast tenderness, fatigue, and disrupted sleep in the second half of the cycle are commonly dismissed as 'just hormones' or treated with antidepressants without investigation of the underlying hormonal and nutritional picture.

PMS and PMDD are driven by the interaction between sex hormones and neurotransmitter function in the second half of the cycle. Nutritional deficiencies in magnesium, B6, and zinc directly affect this interaction. Oestrogen dominance relative to progesterone is a frequent driver. Thyroid function affects the severity of symptoms. Gut health affects oestrogen clearance.

Mark will assess the full hormonal picture across your cycle, not just a single blood test, alongside nutritional status and lifestyle factors. His approach can produce significant improvement in PMS and PMDD symptoms without, or alongside, conventional treatment.

Perimenopause and menopause, an integrative approach in a changing clinical landscape

Women's health changed significantly in November 2025 when the FDA formally removed the black box warning from menopausal hormone therapy medications. This warning had been attached to hormone therapy for over two decades following the 2002 Women's Health Initiative study, which enrolled older postmenopausal women and used formulations quite different from those in common use today. The removal was a formal acknowledgment that the fear-based messaging around hormone therapy had caused real harm, keeping women from treatments that could have improved their health and quality of life.

This does not mean hormone therapy is right for everyone. Individual health history, family history, and risk factors all matter, and that conversation should happen with a knowledgeable clinician. What it does mean is that the conversation is now more nuanced, and that women who have been told 'no' without discussion deserve a proper review of what is and isn't appropriate for them specifically.

Mark's integrative approach to perimenopause and menopause includes assessment of the full hormonal picture, nutritional support for the metabolic and bone health changes that accompany this life stage, dietary and lifestyle strategies for managing symptoms, and discussion of hormone therapy options where appropriate alongside your GP or specialist.

Common perimenopause and menopause symptoms Mark can help with:

• Hot flushes and night sweats

• Sleep disruption

• Mood changes, anxiety, and depression

• Brain fog and difficulty concentrating

• Weight gain, particularly around the abdomen

• Bone density loss and joint pain

• Vaginal dryness and urinary symptoms

• Low libido

• Fatigue and reduced energy

Fertility support, preconception health and cycle optimisation

Whether you are planning to conceive and want to optimise your health beforehand, have been trying for some time without success, or are undergoing assisted reproduction and want to support the process nutritionally and hormonally, Mark can provide a thorough preconception and fertility assessment.

Nutritional status has a direct and well-evidenced effect on fertility. Folate, zinc, selenium, vitamin D, omega-3 fatty acids, iron, and CoQ10 are among the nutrients most directly implicated in reproductive health. Thyroid function is critical for early pregnancy maintenance and is often the missing piece for women who have experienced early miscarriage. PCOS management significantly improves fertility outcomes. Gut health affects oestrogen metabolism and hormonal balance.

Mark works alongside fertility specialists and reproductive medicine teams where appropriate. He does not replace assisted reproduction services but can significantly improve the nutritional and hormonal environment in which those services are working.

Other conditions Mark works with:

• Irregular, painful, or heavy menstrual cycles

• Oestrogen dominance and progesterone deficiency

• Female hair thinning and hair loss with a hormonal component

• Hormonal acne and skin conditions

• Thyroid conditions, particularly Hashimoto's thyroiditis (more common in women)

• Autoimmune conditions with a hormonal component

• Bladder and urinary symptoms related to hormonal changes

• Mental health and fatigue with a hormonal or nutritional driver

• Weight management where hormonal or metabolic factors are involved

Why hormonal issues are often missed

Standard hormonal blood tests measure hormone levels at a single point in time, and the reference ranges used are broad. A result within the normal range does not mean hormones are optimally balanced, particularly when symptoms are significant.

Mark looks beyond single hormone measurements to assess hormonal ratios, the relationship between oestrogen, progesterone, testosterone, cortisol, insulin, and thyroid hormones, and the nutritional and lifestyle factors that drive hormonal production and clearance. He also considers the role of gut health in hormonal balance, as the gut microbiome directly affects oestrogen metabolism.

Mark's approach to hormonal health

Mark will take a detailed history of your hormonal symptoms, menstrual cycle (where applicable), stress levels, sleep, diet, and medication history, including any hormonal contraception, HRT, or other relevant medications.

He will assess your nutritional status, as deficiencies in key nutrients including magnesium, zinc, B6, and vitamin D are directly associated with hormonal dysfunction. He will consider the role of dietary factors in driving or reducing hormonal imbalance, and the role of the gut microbiome in oestrogen metabolism.

Where appropriate, he will recommend additional testing and will work alongside your GP or gynaecologist. He will not ask you to discontinue existing hormonal treatment without careful consideration and medical collaboration.