If menopause symptoms are a problem, talk with your doctor. He or she can help you weigh the risks and benefits of various therapies that may help you. Some of these treatments include menopause hormone therapy, low-dose birth control pills if you’re perimenopausal; antidepressants, blood pressure drugs, or other medications to help with hot flashes; and vaginal estrogen cream.
Your doctor may also have lifestyle tips about adjusting your diet, exercise, sleep, and stress management.
Here’s a list of solutions that may be available to you:
Hormone Replacement Therapy
Hormone replacement therapy can ease menopausal symptoms. Various prescription products are available to treat hot flashes and vaginal symptoms.
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The FDA recommends taking the lowest dose that helps, and only for the shortest time because studies have linked long-term use of hormone replacement therapy to a greater risk of heart attacks, strokes, blood clots, and breast cancer.
Bioidentical Hormone Therapy
“Bioidentical hormone therapy” for menopausal symptoms can refer to certain FDA-approved prescription drugs. Or it can refer to custom-compounded hormones derived from plants prepared at compounding pharmacies to match each unique patient.
Some doctors claim that compounded bioidentical hormones are safer, but the FDA isn’t convinced. The FDA’s advice — take the lowest dose for the shortest time — applies to bioidentical hormone therapy. Custom-compounded bioidentical hormones aren’t FDA-approved.
RELATED: Menopause Symptoms: What To Expect
Alternative Menopause Treatments
Interested in trying alternative or complementary treatments for menopause symptoms?
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According to the National Institutes of Health, there hasn’t been a lot of well-designed research on this topic, so the research isn’t firm enough to draw conclusions about treatments such as black cohosh, dong quai, red clover (shown here), and soy. Talk it over with your doctor, and be sure to tell them about any supplements you take, so they can check on drug interactions.
Menopause: Staying Healthy
Living a healthy lifestyle is important throughout a woman’s life. And, it’s not too late to start at menopause. Get a checkup that includes measuring your blood pressure, cholesterol, and blood sugar and make appointments for routine screenings such as mammograms.
Menopause is also a great time to upgrade your diet, physical activity, and stress management skills — your doctor can give you pointers as you work together to plan for a healthy menopause.
Active Menopause Is a Must
One of the smartest things a woman can do as she transitions to menopause and afterward is to get regular physical activity. That includes aerobic exercise for her heart and weight-bearing exercise for her bones — both of which may help ward off weight gain and provide a mood boost.
Even if a woman hasn’t been very active in her younger years, it’s never too late to start. Menopause is a new beginning and the perfect time to weave more activity into your life.
Menopause: A New Era Starts
Western culture has long been obsessed with youth. But today’s post-menopausal women are making the most of — and even celebrating — their new phase of life.
Instead of looking back mournfully, physician-author Christiane Northrup recommends using it as a time to redefine yourself with positive thoughts, love yourself, explore what brings you pleasure, and revive (not retire) your sex life.
