Menopausal Symptoms

The menopause can be a difficult time. Being beset by hot flushes any time of the day or night or be transformed from a confident person to someone crippled by anxiety. The symptoms can take many forms but the most common include hot flushes; psychological symptoms such as indecision and mood swings to anxiety and depression and genital symptoms such vaginal dryness or difficulties with intercourse.

There are lots of different treatments which can be given for symptoms of the menopause: it is not HRT or nothing. Whilst HRT is an option which might treat several of the symptoms of the menopause at the same time, before going on HRT the risks and benefits of such a treatment should be thoroughly evaluated by an endocrinologist and explained to you. HRT is not recommended in patients who have a history of blood clots in the leg or lung or who have a past history of breast cancer. There are lots of other treatments for hot flushes including SSRI drugs (drugs similar to Prozac), gabapentin and clonidine.

Osteoporosis or thin bones often follows the menopause. It is important that we review you bone health if you going through the menopause to ensure that your bones remain strong in later life.