Many women believe that if they just power through menopause, that there will be a light at the end of the tunnel. Contrary to popular belief, however, menopause is not a temporary phase, and postmenopause is a misnomer. There is no spontaneous resolution which comes "after" menopause, only more menopause.
Menopause is the time during a woman's life when her ovaries completely run out of eggs and she effectively ceases to produce two of her most potent hormones: estradiol (an estrogen) and progesterone. Whether you are 45 or 55 when it happens to you, the result is official infertility, loss of your monthly cycle, and a severe case of estrogen and progesterone deficiency. These hormone deficiencies are permanent and are a force to be reckoned with whether right away... or eventually.
Some common problems caused by menopause are depression, anxiety, insomnia, irritability, lack of energy, low motivation, weight gain, hot flashes, night sweats, accelerated skin wrinkling, brain fog, vaginal dryness, painful intercourse, loss of libido, loss of femininity, urinary incontinence, heart disease, and/or osteoporosis. A woman may get "used to" her first particular symptoms, but just as is the case with any other hormone shortage, there are no long-term gains from a dearth of estrogen and progesterone, only further needless losses and an endless reduction in her body's standard of living.
Yes, I'm saying that just because a woman's hot flashes have subsided doesn't mean she is past menopause.
The necessary treatment for any permanent hormone deficiency is hormone replacement. The safest and most effective hormone replacement therapy (HRT) available for menopause is bio-identical hormone replacement therapy (BHRT). Bio-identical hormones are man-made hormones which have a molecular structure which is identical to hormones naturally produced by the human body. For example, as menopause causes an estradiol (estrogen) and progesterone deficiency, BHRT is a type of HRT which contains the exact ingredients "estradiol" and "progesterone."
Premarin, Provera, Prempro, and Ortho Tri Cyclen are hormones commonly given as HRT, but they are not bioidentical hormones. Similarly, Prozac, Ambien, Detrol, and Fosamax are frequently prescribed for menopausal symptoms, but they do not address the primary problem and create a false sense of security, not to mention their side-effects. Bioidentical estrogen and progesterone, like a key in a lock, fit precisely in women's hormone receptors and are therefore the optimal treatment for menopause.
That being said, not all BHRT is the same and the best methods mimic reproductive hormone cycles as much as possible.
Copyright Shira Miller, M.D. Inc.
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