Menopause Medication
Menopause is a natural condition among women. It does not need any medical treatment; however, its symptoms do. The focus of menopausal treatment is to relieve the signs and symptoms and prevent or manage the increased risk of chronic health conditions that occur due to aging. It is important to understand menopause and its common symptoms to select the most suitable menopausal treatment.
Understanding Menopause
Menopause occurs in a woman’s life when her menstruation stops, and she can’t conceive naturally. It is a part of the aging process and generally happens in the late 40s and 50s with the decline in women’s hormone levels (estrogen). Most women experience menopausal signs and symptoms, that can be mild to severe and can have a significant impact on everyday life.
Menopausal Symptoms
Some common menopausal symptoms which negatively affects women’s health include the following:
- Hot Flashes
- Vaginal dryness
- low mood or anxiety or depression
- sleeping difficulties
- night sweats
- reduced libido or sex drive
- discomfort when having sex
If you have started experiencing any of these symptoms, you should talk to your doctor about your health and get medications to control these symptoms.
Menopause: Medicines to Help You
Your doctor may recommend menopausal therapy depending on your condition along with lifestyle changes. Here are some effective FDA-approved drugs that your doctor may suggest to treat your condition.
- Estrogen Only medications
- Progesterone only drugs
- Combination of estrogen and progestin drugs
- Combination of estrogen with other medicines
- Gabapentine for treating hot flashes
- Clonidine (Catapres, Kapvay) used for the treatment of blood pressure may give relief from hot flushes
- Estradiol is available in different forms such as pills, patches, vaginal tablets, and cream
Five Solutions for Menopause Symptom including Hormone Therapy
Five effective solutions for controlling and preventing symptoms of menopause include the following:
- Hormone therapy, which includes the administration of hormones estrogen, progesterone, or both in the form of pills, gels, skin patches, and vaginal estrogen administration for a smooth transition of the body through this critical stage
- CBT or cognitive behavioral therapy that helps with improving anxiety and low mode
- Lifestyle changes such as reducing caffeine intake and taking healthy foods
- Regular exercising
- low dose antidepressants
To treat your concerns, your physician may prescribe a single or combination of therapies that may help women in this critical period of life. Sometimes the causes of this condition are uterus surgery, breast cancer, radiotherapy, or chemotherapy. Or it may be a result of some underlying condition like Addison disease or Down Syndrome.
Hot Flashes: What Can I Do?
Do your research and find resources that can help you treat hot flashes and the health risks associated with them (blood clots). Talk with your doctor if your condition is interfering with your routine life. Hormone therapy is the most effective treatment for this symptom. Your doctor will also communicate the risks and side effects of taking HRT (hormone replacement therapy). If you have cancer, your physician may recommend alternative treatments such as antidepressant medicines.
What is the best prescription medicine for menopause?
To control menopause symptoms, there are a number of FDA-approved prescription medications available. The choice of the best medication depends on your particular condition, benefits, and risks. Please refer to our frequently asked questions or ask our pharmacist a specific question.
What new drugs are available for menopause?
Bijuva is a new drug approved by FDA for treating severe to moderate symptoms related to your condition. It is a combination of progesterone and estradiol.
Benefits of Compound Medication for Menopause
Compound medications offer customized prescription medications according to your particular condition. It may contain hormones including estrogen, progesterone, testosterone, and estradiol. These bioidentical hormonal treatments offer safe and natural alternatives to other drugs and help to ease your symptoms of menopause. We invite you to ask our pharmacists about any formulation or related questions you may have with menopause medication options.