What You Should Know About Menopause Medications Now
To ease the discomfort of menopausal symptoms, many doctors prescribe medications that specifically address the problems women face. But just how effective are these menopausal medications and more importantly, how safe are they? We examine some of the most common medications and supplements along with their benefits and risks.
Estrogen therapy Menopause is the period in a woman's life when her body slows down its production of sex hormones. This is why many women experience the symptoms in the first place. Estrogen therapy is the most commonly prescribed medication to treat these symptoms.
The only problem is that estrogen therapy is also associated with some health risks, some of which are potentially dangerous. These include cardiovascular disease, strokes and blood clotting. The therapy can also increase the woman's risk of developing breast cancer ? albeit slightly ? when estrogen is combined with progesterone.
Always discuss the benefits and risks of hormone therapy with your doctor to determine whether or not it's the best treatment for you. If your symptoms are mild and easy to manage, you may choose not to use this option.
Anti-depressants If the risks of getting estrogen therapy far outweigh the benefits, anti-depressants may be prescribed instead. In low doses, there are anti-depressants that can help relieve or decrease the severity of hot flashes. These usually belong to a class called SSRIs or selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors that include fluoxetine, citalopram and paroxetine.
Anti-depressants can replace hormone therapy, although many women find they are not as effective and are better used by women with mild to moderate symptoms. There are also side effects that can be bothersome, including nausea, dizziness, drowsiness and swelling of the lower extremities.
If you find that your symptoms can be managed, you might want to go drug-free instead. Oftentimes, treatment is hardly necessary. But if you do decide to take medications, make sure you periodically evaluate your reasons and need for using them.
Dietary supplements Very often, dietary supplements are recommended to help ease menopausal symptoms such as hot flashes. While some of them, like vitamins and minerals, are beneficial and quite harmless, there are also some herbal treatments that are very popular with many women, especially in the U.S. and Europe. Black cohosh, for example is an herb that many women swear helps ease and treat menopausal symptoms. There are few studies that prove its efficacy and very little is known about its side effects with longer use.
There are also other herbal supplements that contain isoflavones, compounds that mimic the effects of estrogen. These are plant-derived substances that are usually obtained in herbs such as red clover and soy. Researchers have found that Asian women do not often experience menopausal symptoms such as hot flashes, presumably because of their soy-rich diet.
While the effects of isoflavones in the diet have been favorable for some women, there are also medical researchers who have observed only minimum decrease in symptoms in women who participated in clinical trials. Results have been unimpressive, although medical experts believe isoflavones are perfectly safe especially if moderately consumed.
Amanda researches natural remedies to help women cope with the symptoms of menopause. For practical tips that will help you through this challenging period take a look at this website that covers Menopause Medications .
