Mood Swings and Perimenopause

Mood swings in women have mostly been attributed to PMS. Sometimes we will hear comments like, “She must be PMSing.” Although mood swings can be a result of PMS there is a time in a woman’s life when it’s actually related to perimenopause. As women approach age 40 they may begin to experience intense mood swings not realizing they are due to perimenopause. Our family has been going through a difficult time with a failing marriage. When we got together for Easter we were without one particular family member and were discussing the marriage problems. It was brought up how … Continue reading →

Why Don’t We Talk About Perimenopause?

Why don’t we talk about perimenopause? Women talk a great deal about menopause. Menopause has been the butt of jokes for years. We associate hot flashes and mood swings with menopause, however, little is said about the stage preceding menopause which is perimenopause. Some of the same symptoms that are experienced in menopause can also occur in perimenopause. Perimenopause is the transition stage before menopause hits. It can last anywhere from two to ten years before menopause takes full effect and the menstrual period ceases. The average duration of perimenopause is six years so it’s obviously an important stage in … Continue reading →

What is Estrogen Replacement Therapy?

Since I’ve been on a roll with hormone replacement therapy information lately, I thought I’d add one more. Hormone replacement therapy often means a combination of estrogen and progestin — estrogen replacement therapy only means one kind of hormone. Estrogen replacement therapy is used to increase estrogen levels in postmenopausal women who have no uterus. Women who do have a uterus usually need a combination therapy to prevent the estrogen hormone from causing the uterine lining to over-grow (which can lead to uterine cancer). Candidates for estrogen replacement therapy include: Women who experience early menopause after having their ovaries removed … Continue reading →

Hormone Replacement Therapy: Risks and Precautions

Considering hormone replacement therapy? Here are some things to think about. The FDA recommends that certain women do not use hormone replacement therapy: Women who might be pregnant Women with a personal history of breast or ovarian cancer Women with a personal history of certain forms of endometrial cancer Women with a personal history of pulmonary embolism, deep vein thrombosis, heart attack, or stroke Women who have active liver disease. (Though women with liver disease may be able to use hormone replacement therapy in patch form.) If you fall into those categories, talk to your doctors about alternative, non-hormonal treatments … Continue reading →

Hormone Replacement Therapy: Side Effects

If you are considering hormone replacement therapy to relieve menopause symptoms, you might want to know a little bit about the possible side effects. Not all side effects occur in all women, but the following side effects have been reported. In general, side effects are more frequent when taking oral forms of estrogen therapy. With any form of estrogen therapy, you could experience: Irregular vaginal bleeding and other discharge. Headache. Nausea. Fluid retention and weight gain. Breast tenderness. Darkening skin or spotting on the skin, especially on the face. Asthma — newly diagnosed asthma seems to be more common in … Continue reading →

What is Hormone Replacement Therapy?

Hormone replacement therapy is helpful for easing symptoms of menopause and preventing osteoporosis in some women. You may also hear hormone replacement therapy called “opposed estrogen therapy”. The name basically describes how it works. Hormone replacement therapy increases estrogen and/or progestin levels in a woman’s body. There are several different forms of hormone replacement therapy, including: Estrogen and progestin combination pills (brand name Premphase, Prempro, Activella) Estrogen and progestin patches that continuously release hormones over time (brand name CombiPatch) Oral progestin used with an estrogen-only pill or patch (brand name Provera, Prometrium, Micronor, Norlutin, Aygestin) Progestin intra-uterine device (IUD) used … Continue reading →

Walking and Menopause

Researchers from Temple University took a look at stress and physical activity in women before, during, and after menopause. You probably won’t be surprised to find out that an active, healthy lifestyle can lower your stress levels. You might be surprised to know that an active, healthy lifestyle can also help ease the transition into menopause! A team from Temple University studied nearly four hundred women for a period of eight years. The study began when the women were premenopausal; the average age of participants was forty-two. Participants were asked to report physical and emotional symptoms of menopause, including hot … Continue reading →

Menopause and Lack of Sleep

A lot of women in the early stages of menopause are finding that their worst problem is the lack of sleep. A recent survey of women between the ages of forty-three and fifty-five in the early stages of menopause looked at the severity of symptoms, including hot flashes, day and night sweats, mood issues, forgetfulness, sleep difficulties, and vaginal dryness. What constitutes “early stages” of menopause? Three years or less from your last menstrual period. Of the more than one hundred highly symptomatic women who responded to the study, the majority said difficulty sleeping was the worst. More than ninety-four … Continue reading →

Ease Hot Flashes with Flaxseed

You can never have enough remedies for those hot flashes! Researchers at the Mayo Clinic took a good look at flaxseed in a recent study. A quick look at the study participants: Twenty-one post-menopausal women None using hormone therapy All of them experiencing fourteen or more hot flashes per week The study participants were asked to take four tablespoons of crushed flaxseed daily. They could eat it pretty much any way they wanted to. Some sprinkled it on yogurt or cereal. Some mixed it into juice or water. I’ve never tasted flaxseed myself, so I’m not sure what kind of … Continue reading →

Does Dong Quai Help With Hot Flashes?

Seems like I’ve heard a lot of talk about dong quai lately. This traditional Chinese herb is popular for treating menstrual and menopause problems… but does it work? Doctors suspect that hot flashes are related to changes in circulation. Blood vessels near the skin’s surface dilate in an attempt to cool the body — that can create a flushed look in the face. Your body may turn on the sweat to help you cool down. Hot flashes may be triggered by caffeine, cigarettes, alcohol, and spicy foods. Stress can also be a trigger for hot flashes. A recent study in … Continue reading →