The Menopause Transition- Hormones and Beyond

Easing the transition

Menopause occurs between the ages of 45-55 in 95% of women and can come along with an assortment of symptoms. Hot flashes, night sweats, insomnia, low libido, vaginal dryness, mood changes and recurrent infections. Unfortunately, symptoms continue for an average of 7.4 years and can start before periods stop.

Therapy options:

Non-Hormonal Options: Over the counter medications such as black cohash and evening primrose oil have been used with some success, but as they are not FDA regulated products, reliability is difficult to ensure. Venlafaxine, Clonidine, Gabapentin, and Paroxetine have been used to control hot flashes and night sweats. Vaginal moisturizers with Glycerin or Hyaluronic acid can work well for many women.

Hormonal Options: Therapy with estrogen, progesterone and testosterone are standard therapies. Estrogen is helpful for almost all symptoms of menopause, while progesterone can improve sleep and protect the uterus from the effects of estrogen alone. Compounded testosterone is used commonly for improvement of libido. When used in a thoughtful manner, hormone therapy is safe and can be more effective than any other medications. When vaginal dryness or recurrent infections are the only symptoms, vaginal estrogen is a low risk treatment.

Talk to your doctor or plan a consultation with Dr. de Winter through our concierge practice to make sure menopause doesn’t control your life.