Women have been dealing with the effects of menopause since the beginning of time. While the end of the childbearing years does come with some blessings — no more monthly cycles — it also brings some unwelcome changes. Night sweats, mood swings, reduced sex drive, weight gain, and sleep disturbances are among the most common complaints.
Fortunately, you don’t have to live through all of this. In addition to lifestyle changes, pharmaceutical interventions are now safer and more precise at delivering the right amount of hormones.
Our providers at Novel OBGYN treat the unwanted effects of menopause regularly.
Here’s what we consider the top 5 most important interventions for managing menopause when it feels overwhelming.
Menopause can feel isolating, but now more than ever, we have tools to break through the isolation. Speaking to a mental health professional or joining a support group — whether online or in person—can provide you with practical tips and emotional encouragement.
With lower estrogen levels, your energy may dip, and weight gain may increase. A healthy diet and consistent exercise routine can mitigate many of the changes associated with shifting hormone levels. Building muscle increases the rate at which you burn calories, and nutritious food supports your energy levels and hormone balance.
The symptoms of menopause can cause a lot of stress and even anxiety, so it’s no easy feat to manage your stress during this time. However, with hormones changing, it’s not your fault if you feel exhausted or experience mood swings.
Acceptance-based practices such as meditation and yoga can help not only with menopause symptoms but also with overall health, giving you better coping mechanisms for all areas of your life.
Sometimes lifestyle changes help, but not quite enough. If that’s the case, nonhormonal medications can help manage symptoms without altering your hormone levels.
For example, low-dose antidepressants such as paroxetine work by blocking hot flash signals in the brain and can also improve mood. Gabapentin — typically prescribed for nerve pain — can reduce nighttime sweats when taken at bedtime.
Hormone replacement therapy (HRT) remains the gold standard for managing menopause and even reversing some negative changes, such as collagen loss in the skin or reduced libido.
Now more than ever, HRT has become safer, more personalized, and even more precise in hormone delivery. You can now choose from oral tablets, topical creams, vaginal rings or tablets, and bioidentical pellets — small hormone implants placed under the skin that release steady doses over several months.
Topical and vaginal preparations deliver estrogen directly to targeted tissues, minimizing systemic risks like blood clots. With regular lab monitoring, our providers adjust your therapy to keep symptoms under control without overcorrecting.
What if menopause isn’t as scary as you think? What if this is the time you get to reinvent yourself — and skip the night sweats and hot flashes altogether?
Our providers have extensive experience treating menopausal symptoms and offer personalized solutions that minimize risk while maximizing results. Beyond preventing uncomfortable symptoms, HRT can also delay many aging-related processes, including bone and collagen loss.
Curious about how we might help? Contact us to schedule an appointment at our office in Coral Gables, Florida, and get expert advice on managing your menopausal symptoms.
