Menopause Treatment: Talking With Your Doctor
Talking to Your Doctor
Since we're always learning more about menopause treatment options and
hormone therapy, it can be confusing to figure out how to treat or manage
menopausal symptoms. It is important for you to have a doctor that you trust, so
you can have an open talk about your concerns and your treatment options. Then
you can make informed decisions about your health that you feel good about. If
you feel that you have talked openly with your doctor and still don't feel
satisfied, you should think about getting a second opinion.
Knowing how to talk to your doctor or other members of your healthcare team
can help you get the information you need about menopause. Your doctor will tell
you, as you near menopause, that you may have symptoms from the changes your
body is making. For some women, their menopause symptoms will go away over time
without treatment. Other women will choose treatment for their symptoms.
Talk to your doctor about how to best manage menopause. Talk about your
symptoms and whether they bother you. Make sure the doctor knows your medical
history and your family medical history. This includes whether you are at risk
for heart disease, osteoporosis, and breast cancer. Remember that your decision
is never final. You can, and should review it with your doctor during a checkup.
Your needs may change, and so might what we know about menopause.
Menopausal Hormone Therapy (MHT)
To help control the symptoms of menopause, some women can take hormones,
called menopausal hormone therapy (MHT). MHT used to be called hormone
replacement therapy or HRT. The use of MHT has been debated a great deal since
the Women's Health Initiative (WHI) Hormone Study findings were released in
2002. Before this study, it was thought that MHT could ward off heart disease,
osteoporosis, and cancer, while improving women's quality of life. Findings
emerged from clinical trials that showed this was not so.
In fact, long-term use
of MHT poses some serious risks. New results from the WHI confirmed that using
MHT does not protect against coronary heart disease (CHD, called heart disease
here). There is good news, however: The results also suggest that short-term use
of MHT does not increase heart disease risk in women who begin MHT within 10
years of onset of menopause. But, it appears that the longer a woman waits to
begin MHT after the onset of menopause, the greater her risk of developing heart
disease. More research is needed to fully understand this issue. Still, a woman
has options when it comes to managing the symptoms of menopause.
During perimenopause, some doctors suggest
birth control pills to help with
very heavy, frequent, or unpredictable menstrual periods. These pills might also
help with symptoms like hot flashes, as well as prevent pregnancy. As you get
closer to menopause, you might be bothered more by symptoms like hot flashes,
night sweats, or vaginal dryness. Your doctor might then suggest starting MHT.
A
woman whose uterus has been removed can use estrogen alone to control her
symptoms. But a woman who still has a uterus must take progesterone or a
progestin (a man-made progesterone) along with the estrogen. These hormones will
probably help with menopause symptoms and prevent the bone loss that can happen
at menopause. However, there is a chance your symptoms will come back when you
stop MHT.
Once a woman reaches menopause, MHT currently is recommended only as a
short-term treatment of moderate to severe symptoms such as hot flashes or night
sweats. Women who have problems with vaginal dryness can try lower dose estrogen
products, such as vaginal creams, rings, and tablets. Long-term use of MHT is no
longer advised, and doctors very rarely prescribe MHT to prevent certain chronic
diseases, like osteoporosis. Postmenopausal women should not take MHT as they
grow older to prevent problems like heart disease. A woman should talk about the
benefits and risks of using MHT with her doctor to decide if MHT is right for
her.
MHT can help with menopause by:
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