Menopause and Perimenopause
Although some women have few or no menopause symptoms, most women do. Similarly, while some women have mild symptoms, others find that their sleep, daily life, and sense of well-being are severely affected. Menopause symptoms eventually subside when hormone levels even out. Postmenopause changes are normal signs of low estrogen and typically continue over time.
Signs that you are in perimenopause include:
- Irregular menstrual periods
- Less frequent, light menstrual periods
- Heavier menstrual periods than you are used to having
Symptoms of menopause
Symptoms related to menopause are caused by changing or dropping hormone levels and usually end 1 or 2 years after menopause. Some women continue to have symptoms for 5 or more years afterward. Menopause symptoms include:
- Hot flashes
- Sleep disturbances (insomnia)
- Emotional changes, such as mood swings or irritability
- A change in sexual interest or response
- Problems with concentration and memory that are linked to sleep loss and fluctuating hormones (not a permanent sign of aging)
- Rapid, irregular heartbeats (heart palpitations)
- Generalized itching
- Headaches
Menopause caused by surgery, chemotherapy, or radiation therapy can cause more severe symptoms than usual. Pre-existing conditions such as depression, anxiety, sleep problems, and irritability can get worse during the perimenopausal transition.
Call our offices today to find out how we can help alleviate your symptoms!
Bioidentical hormone replacement therapy is used to help treat the symptoms of menopause, perimenopause, and post-menopause. Treatment with bioidentical hormones usually includes creating a unique cocktail of hormones for the individual patient, based on hormone deficiencies identified via saliva samples. These are often referred to as “custom-compounded” hormone products.
The major benefit of this type of treatment is that doses are individualized, and the mixture of products may not be commercially available.
