What Is Menopause and the Menopausal Transition? Symptoms, Causes, Diagnosis, and Treatment

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By Staff
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Treatment and Medication Options for Menopause Symptoms

Many menopause symptoms are treatable, or at least manageable, through medications, complementary and alternative medicine, or lifestyle changes. Your doctor can tailor treatments specifically for you.

If you want to try any supplements or vitamins, check with your physician first. Certain supplements may interfere with your current medications, and some may have serious side effects.

Medication Options

  • antidepressants
  • clonidine (Catapres)
  • elinzanetant (Lynkuet)
  • fezolinetant (Veozah)
  • gabapentin (Gralise, Neurontin)
  • hormone therapy, including bioidentical hormones and low-dose estradiol vaginal inserts
  • ospemifene (Osphena)

Complementary and Integrative Health Therapies

Hormone Therapy

There has been a complicated relationship between breast cancer and hormone treatments for menopause.

Early results from the Women’s Health Initiative’s Hormone Therapy Trials suggested that women who took estrogen plus progestin had a slightly higher risk of developing breast cancer. Women who didn’t have a uterus had a slightly lower risk, which may be because their treatment only included estrogen, rather than estrogen plus progestin.

More than 10 years and many more comprehensive studies later, the nuances are better understood. For most women, hormone therapy is okay to use to help control moderate to severe symptoms such as hot flashes, as long as treatment is started within 10 years of menopause or before age 60, according to the Menopause Society. The general advice about menopause hormone therapy from the Menopause Society is to use the lowest dose for the shortest amount of time.

The U.S. Preventive Services Task Force recommends against using menopause hormone therapy in postmenopausal people to help prevent chronic diseases like heart disease and cancer.

Everyone’s risk profile is unique, so it’s best to discuss the right option for you with your healthcare practitioner.

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