What Is The Best Hormone Therapy For Menopause

Protection For Your Bones And Colon

After menopause, many people experience bone loss. This can lead to osteoporosis, a condition where your bones become weak and brittle. People with osteoporosis are more likely to have bone fractures, which can lead to other problems.

Body-wide estrogen can help protect you against osteoporosis. Though there are other types of medications that can also help to protect your bones, HRT can be a good option if your osteoporosis medication isnt working or if theres a reason that you cant take this type of medication. Its also a great choice for bone protection if you have other symptoms of menopause, like hot flashes, night sweats, or mood changes.

Theres also some evidence that combination HRT may reduce your risk for colon cancer.

Trying Hypnotherapy For Menopause

Looking to avoid hormones and the potential side effects of HRT? The most effective, drug-free natural management tool for hot flashes, is hypnotherapy.

According to a recent study published in the journal Menopause, clinical hypnosis can significantly reduce hot flashes. Through the suggestions of coolness, relaxation, and deeper sleep, participants saw around an 80% mean reduction in their hot flashes. The same study also found that sleep quality improved, which is good news for anyone suffering from menopause-induced insomnia.

While finding a licensed hypnotist may seem harder than applying an HRT patch, it is possible to practice hypnotherapy in the comfort of your home through an app such as Evia, developed with world leading hypnotherapy clinicians.

Bioidentical Or Natural Hormones

Bioidentical hormones are hormone preparations made from plant sources that are promoted as being similar or identical to human hormones.

Practitioners claim these hormones are a “natural” and safer alternative to standard HRT medicines.

However, bioidentical preparations are not recommended because:

• they are not regulated and it’s not clear how safe they are there’s no good evidence to suggest they’re safer than standard HRT
• it’s not known how effective they are in reducing menopausal symptoms
• the balance of hormones used in bioidentical preparations is usually based on the hormone levels in your saliva, but there’s no evidence that these levels are related to your symptoms

Bioidentical hormones are not the same as body identical hormones. A body identical hormone, or micronised progesterone, can be prescribed to treat menopausal symptoms.

Many standard HRT hormones are made from natural sources, but unlike bioidentical hormones, they’re closely regulated and have been well researched to ensure they’re as effective and safe as possible.

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Does It Cause Weight Gain

Some people worry that hormone treatment might lead to weight gain, but there is no evidence to support this.

Eating a healthful diet and getting plenty of exercise can help manage the weight gain that commonly affects both females and males in midlife.

There are various ways of delivering hormone therapy, and the different types provide different combinations and amounts of hormones.Common types include:

Estrogen-only HRT: A doctor may recommend this if a person has had their uterus and ovaries removed, in which case progesterone is not necessary.

Cyclical, or sequential, HRT: This may be a good option if symptoms occur before menopause the dosage can align with the menstrual cycle.

Continuous HRT: After menopause, a doctor may prescribe a continuous combination of estrogen and progesterone.

Local estrogen: Vaginal tablets, creams, or rings can help with urogenital symptoms, including vaginal dryness and irritation.

The doctor will prescribe the lowest possible dosage that addresses the persons symptoms, and arriving at this dosage may take some trial and error.

Ways of delivering HRT include:

• tablets
• vaginal rings
• skin patches

When a person no longer needs the treatment, the doctor will describe how to stop it gradually.

Various lifestyle adjustments can help manage the symptoms of menopause.

They include:

Also, it is a good idea to ask the doctor about nonhormonal treatment options.

Always speak to a doctor before using any supplements.

Menopausal Hormone Therapy And Womens Health: An Umbrella Review

• Contributed equally to this work with: Jin-Liang Chen, Ying Luo, Maya B. Mathur

  Roles Data curation, Formal analysis, Investigation, Validation, Writing review & editing

  Affiliation Department of Geriatrics, First Affiliated Hospital of Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing, China

• Contributed equally to this work with: Jin-Liang Chen, Ying Luo, Maya B. Mathur

  Roles Data curation, Formal analysis, Investigation, Validation, Writing review & editing

  Affiliation Department of Gastroenterology, Childrens Hospital of Chongqing Medical University, National Clinical Research Center for Child Health and Disorders, Ministry of Education Key Laboratory of Child Development and Disorders, China International Science and Technology Cooperation Base of Child Development and Critical Disorders, Chongqing, China

• Contributed equally to this work with: Jin-Liang Chen, Ying Luo, Maya B. Mathur

  Roles Formal analysis, Investigation, Methodology, Software, Validation, Visualization, Writing review & editing

  Affiliation Quantitative Sciences Unit, Stanford University, Palo Alto, California, United States of America

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Can I Use Alternative Treatments For Symptoms Of Menopause

While supplements such as soy, black cohosh and others have been used to provide relief from menopausal symptoms, these products are not regulated. Therefore, there are no safeguards to ensure that all products have safe ingredients and effective dosages. In addition, its important to realize that these herbal treatments may interact with other medications youre taking. If you are considering using natural alternative treatments, we encourage you to speak with us first.

What Are The Risks Of Taking Hormone Therapy

While hormone therapy helps many women get through menopause, the treatment is not risk-free. Known health risks include:

• An increased risk of endometrial cancer .
• Increased risk of blood clots and stroke.
• Increased chance of gallbladder/gallstone problems.
• Increased risk of dementia if hormone therapy is started after midlife. HT started during midlife is associated with a reduced risk of Alzheimers disease and dementia.
• Increased risk of breast cancer with long-term use.

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What Is Menopause Hormonal Therapy

During menopause, the amount of oestrogen produced by a woman’s body drops and this can cause symptoms associated with menopause such as hot flushes, night sweats, sleep problems, muscle and joint pains, mood changes, vaginal dryness and discomfort with sex. Read more about menopause.Menopause hormonal therapy is the use of hormone therapy to replace the oestrogen that your ovaries no longer make during and after menopause. It can help relieve some of the symptoms of menopause. Hormone therapy may have either oestrogen alone or oestrogen plus progestogen, depending on what is best for you. Menopause hormonal therapy is not recommended in certain situations, such as for women who have a history of breast cancer, are at risk of heart disease, or have had a blood clot or are high risk of having a blood clot. Ask your doctor whether menopause hormonal therapy is right for you there are also other non-hormone options that can help with menopausal symptoms.

• For women who still have their uterus, MRT will have both oestrogen and progestogen. This is because oestrogen alone can overstimulate the cells lining your uterus, causing an increased risk of endometrial cancer . To counter this risk, women who have a uterus are advised to take progestogen together with oestrogen.
• In women who have had their uterus removed surgically , MRT will have oestrogen alone.

Image credit: MHT Australasian Menopause Society

What Are The Benefits Of Mrt

Without treatment, menopausal symptoms such as hot flushes, night sweats, sleep problems and headaches may last for a few years. Most women manage their menopause symptoms themselves, but some may need help from their doctor. MRT has been found to:

• reduce the number and severity of hot flashes and night sweats
• improve symptoms of vaginal dryness and soreness
• help to reduce recurrent urine infections
• lower the risk of osteoporosis, because oestrogen slows bone thinning and helps increase bone thickness
• slightly reduce the risk of diabetes.

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What Are 2020 Safer Analogs To Hormone Replacement Therapy And Weight Loss

The well-composed plan of HRT helps to prevent osteoporosis, controls body temperature, returns active sexual life, and works as a dietician. Hormone replacement therapy and weight loss reduce a patients food cravings and convert fat into energy. What are 2020 safer alternatives to hormone replacement therapy and weight loss for menopausal women?

How To Choose Top Menopause Supplement

The main problem with menopause supplements is that there are hundreds of products to choose from. Each product has a unique formulation commonly composed of herbs and natural substances that help normalize the production of certain hormones in the body .

You have to make sure that the menopause supplement you purchase is both effective and free from side effects. It would be time-consuming to examine each of the products being sold on the market.

For this reason, we have evaluated the top menopause supplements on the market and even ranked them for you. All you need to do is to choose between these products.

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Who Shouldn’t Take Hormone Therapy

Hormone therapy is not usually recommended if you:

• Have or had breast cancer or endometrial cancer.
• Have abnormal vaginal bleeding.

Less common side effects of hormone therapy include:

• Fluid retention.
• Skin discoloration .
• Increased breast density making mammogram interpretation more difficult.
• Skin irritation under estrogen patch.

What Are The Most Common Herbs Used To Treat Menopause

1) Ginseng. Ginseng is a Chinese medicinal herb that has positive effects on physical as well as mental health. 2) Black Cohosh Root. Black Cohosh Root is a native herb of North America and is used for treating various conditions, including menstrual cramps. 3) Red Raspberry Leaf. 4) Chasteberry Tree. 5) Dong Quai. 6) Red Clover. 7) Licorice. 8) Valerian. 9) Ginkgo Biloba. 10) Green Tea.

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Therapy For Osteoporosis And Bone Loss Related To Menopause

Due to the fact that these hormonal changes can lead to bone loss n the first two years after menopause, many providers in the healthcare space will order a bone density test. This is a specific type of x-ray scan called dual-energy x-ray absorptiometry scan . One of the benefits of working with a clinician who specializes in integrative medicine is their depth of knowledge about topics such as supplementation , nutrition and exercise .

A few of the commonly used therapies for menopause induced osteoporosis include:

Bisphosphonates Parathyroid hormone Raloxifene

There are many other things you can do to support healthy bones as you age and the best bet is to speak directly with a licensed practitioner who can guide you. However, some of lifestyle changes could include:

How To Get Started On Hrt

Speak to a GP if you’re interested in starting HRT.

You can usually begin HRT as soon as you start experiencing menopausal symptoms and will not usually need to have any tests first.

A GP can explain the different types of HRT available and help you choose one that’s suitable for you.

You’ll usually start with a low dose, which may be increased at a later stage. It may take a few weeks to feel the effects of treatment and there may be some side effects at first.

A GP will usually recommend trying treatment for 3 months to see if it helps. If it does not, they may suggest changing your dose, or changing the type of HRT you’re taking.

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Relieving Menopausal Symptoms Without Hormone Therapy

If you are having trouble with menopause symptoms, such as hot flashes, talk to your doctor about other ways besides PHT to help with specific symptoms. Some women might want to try taking other, non-hormonal medicines to help with their symptoms. Others might want to try other methods first to see if they help.

Losing weight: Some women find that losing weight helps with menopausal symptoms such as hot flashes.

Diet and dietary supplements: Some women find that changing the way they eat, such as eating smaller meals and avoiding triggers is helpful for them.

The effects of specific foods and dietary supplements on menopausal symptoms are not clear. This doesnt mean they wont help, but its important to understand that the evidence supporting their use is limited.

Phytoestrogens: These are estrogen-like substances found in certain plants, such as soy, red clover, and black cohosh. Some women take supplements containing these substances to try to help with symptoms of menopause.

Eating soy foods seems to be safe for breast cancer survivors, although its not clear if it can help relieve menopause symptoms. Women can get higher doses of phytoestrogens in some dietary supplements . However, not enough is known about these supplements to know for sure if they are safe and if they work. If you are considering taking one of these supplements, be sure to talk with your doctor.

Cardiovascular Disease And Hrt

Women over 60 have a small increased risk of developing heart disease or stroke on combined oral HRT. Although the increase in risk is small, it needs to be considered when starting HRT, as the risk occurs early in treatment and persists with time.

Oestrogen used on its own increases the risk of stroke further if taken in tablet form, but not if using a skin patch. Similarly, tibolone increases the risk of stroke in women from their mid-60s.

Women who commence HRT around the typical time of menopause have lower risks of cardiovascular disease than women aged 60 or more.

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Menopause Supplements Vs Hormone Replacement Therapy

Hormone Replacement Therapy is still the gold standard when it comes to treating the different symptoms of menopause. It is still the most effective and provides the fastest relief to different symptoms. However, it comes with several substantial risks thus it is not for many women.

Also, most women choose not to have HRT because of the various dangers related to the treatment option. For instance, HRT increases risk of breast cancer so it is not a viable option for high risk women. It also increases risk of stroke, heart disease and ovarian cancer. This is the main reason many women choose alternative treatments like the use of menopause supplements.

Relief From Menopause Symptoms

HRT is the most effective treatment for menopause symptoms. Body-wide HRT can help with many symptoms, including:

• Hot flashes

• Irritability

• Brain fog

Vaginal estrogen is especially good at helping with vaginal dryness and pain during sex. Vaginal estrogen may also help with urinary tract symptoms, like an overactive bladder and recurrent UTIs.

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Added Benefits Of Hrt

HRT reduces the risk of various chronic conditions that can affect postmenopausal women, including:

• diabetes taking HRT around the time of menopause reduces a womans risk of developing diabetes
• osteoporosis HRT prevents further bone density loss, preserving bone integrity and reducing the risk of fractures, but it is not usually recommended as the first choice of treatment for osteoporosis, except in younger postmenopausal women
• bowel cancer HRT slightly reduces the risk of colorectal cancer
• cardiovascular disease HRT has been shown to reduce cardiovascular disease markers when used around the time of menopause.

Venous Thrombosis And Hrt

Venous thromboses are blood clots that form inside veins. Women under 50 years of age, and women aged 50 to 60, face an increased risk of venous thrombosis if they take oral HRT. The increase in risk seems to be highest in the first year or two of therapy and in women who already have a high risk of blood clots. This especially applies to women who have a genetic predisposition to developing thrombosis, who would normally not be advised to use HRT.

Limited research to date suggests the increased risk of clots is mainly related to combined oestrogen and progestogen in oral form, and also depends on the type of progestogen used. Some studies suggest a lower risk with non-oral therapy or tibolone.

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Ams Guide To Equivalent Mht/hrt Doses

This information has been developed as a guideline only to approximately equivalent doses of the different HRT products available. The intention is to help physicians change their patients to higher or lower approximate doses of MHT/HRT if needing to tailor therapy, or remain within the same approximate dose if needing to change brands of MHT/HRT.

Frequently Asked Questions Expand All

When progestin is added, it can come in different forms, including pills you take by mouth, or tablets and gels you place in the vagina. The intrauterine device , which releases progestin, also may be an option. Progestin also can be combined with estrogen in the same pill or patch.

You and your obstetriciangynecologist can talk about what form may work best for you. You can decide based on your symptoms, medical history, and lifestyle.

You and your ob-gyn can discuss the approach that works best for you.

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