Treatment FAQ

which medication would most likely be included for the treatment of menopause?

by Lea Funk MD Published 3 years ago Updated 2 years ago
image

Medication

Drugs for Menopause 1 Chlorotrianisene. Chlorotrianisene is a synthetic estrogen, prescribed for treating the symptoms... 2 Dehydroepiandrosterone. Dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA) is also known as androstenolone. 3 Eicosapentaenoic acid. Eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) is an omega-3-fatty acid. 4 Estrogen. Estrogen is a female sex hormone,...

Therapy

Brisdelle: The First Non-Hormone Treatment for Menopause Symptoms. Brisdelle ( paroxetine 7.5mg) was just approved by the FDA as the first non-hormonal treatment for hot flashes associated with menopause. It is a low dose formulation of the antidepressant Paxil ( paroxetine ).

Self-care

Follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH) and estrogen (estradiol), because your FSH levels increase and estradiol levels decrease as menopause occurs Thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH), because an underactive thyroid (hypothyroidism) can cause symptoms similar to those of menopause

Nutrition

What is menopause? a)A condition that usually requires psychiatric care. b)The natural or artificially induced end of a woman's menstrual cycle. c)A condition that is often avoidable with modern medical treatment. d)All of these are correct

What drugs are used to treat menopause?

What is the best non hormonal treatment for menopause symptoms?

What hormones are affected by menopause?

What is menopause?

image

What medications are used for menopause?

Treatments may include:Hormone therapy. Estrogen therapy is the most effective treatment option for relieving menopausal hot flashes. ... Vaginal estrogen. ... Low-dose antidepressants. ... Gabapentin (Gralise, Horizant, Neurontin). ... Clonidine (Catapres, Kapvay). ... Medications to prevent or treat osteoporosis.

Which of the following drug is used for the treatment of menopausal hormone therapy?

There are two main types of hormone therapy (HT): Estrogen Therapy: Estrogen is taken alone. Doctors most often prescribe a low dose of estrogen to be taken as a pill or patch every day. Estrogen may also be prescribed as a cream, vaginal ring, gel or spray.

What is the safest treatment for menopause?

Hormone replacement therapy (HRT) HRT is a safe and effective treatment for most going through menopause and perimenopause.

What is first line treatment for menopause?

HT is an FDA-approved first- line therapy for relief of vasomotor symptoms in appropriate patients. HT is also approved for prevention of bone loss, hypoestrogenism caused by hypogonadism, castration, and premature ovarian insufficiency and genitourinary symptoms.

What is the most common HRT prescribed?

Tablets. Tablets are 1 of the most common forms of HRT. They are usually taken once a day. Both oestrogen-only and combined HRT are available as tablets.

What is the best antidepressant for menopause?

SSRIs – The selective serotonin receptor inhibitors (SSRIs) are the class of antidepressants used most commonly for treating hot flashes. A form of paroxetine (sample brand name: Brisdelle) is an SSRI and is the only nonhormonal therapy that is specifically approved for hot flashes in the United States.

What can you do for menopause?

Prescription medications such as estrogen therapy (estrogen in a cream, gel or pill), birth control pills and antidepressants (SSRIs and SNRIs) can help manage symptoms of menopause like mood swings and hot flashes. Prescription vaginal creams can help relieve vaginal dryness.

Do antidepressants help with menopause?

Patient-specific treatment with selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs), especially paroxetine, citalopram and escitalopram, and serotonin and norepinephrine reuptake inhibitors (SNRIs), especially venlafaxine and desvenlafaxine, may be effective in reducing menopause-related hot flushes [10].

Why is estrogen given for menopause?

Estrogen can ease vaginal symptoms of menopause, such as dryness, itching, burning and discomfort with intercourse. Need to prevent bone loss or fractures. Systemic estrogen helps protect against the bone-thinning disease called osteoporosis.

What is estrogen prescribed for?

Estrogen is used to treat hot flushes ('hot flashes'; sudden strong feelings of heat and sweating) in women who are experiencing menopause ('change of life', the end of monthly menstrual periods).

When do you start HRT for menopause?

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.

What is the best treatment for menopause?

Treatments may include: Hormone therapy . Estrogen therapy is the most effective treatment option for relieving menopausal hot flashes.

How to help menopause symptoms?

Practice relaxation techniques. Techniques such as deep breathing, paced breathing, guided imagery, massage and progressive muscle relaxation may help with menopausal symptoms. You can find a number of books and online offerings that show different relaxation exercises. Strengthen your pelvic floor.

Why do you need a blood test for estrogen and folicle?

But under certain circumstances, your doctor may recommend blood tests to check your level of: Follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH) and estrogen (estradiol), because your FSH levels increase and estradiol levels decrease as menopause occurs.

How to stop hot flashes during menopause?

Hormone therapy. Estrogen therapy is the most effective treatment option for relieving menopausal hot flashes. Depending on your personal and family medical history, your doctor may recommend estrogen in the lowest dose and the shortest time frame needed to provide symptom relief for you. If you still have your uterus, you'll need progestin in addition to estrogen. Estrogen also helps prevent bone loss. Long-term use of hormone therapy may have some cardiovascular and breast cancer risks, but starting hormones around the time of menopause has shown benefits for some women. Talk to your doctor about the benefits and risks of hormone therapy and whether it's a safe choice for you.

How to get rid of hot flashes?

Get enough sleep. Avoid caffeine, which can make it hard to get to sleep, and avoid drinking too much alcohol, which can interrupt sleep. Exercise during the day, although not right before bedtime. If hot flashes disturb your sleep, you may need to find a way to manage them before you can get adequate rest.

What causes hot flashes in women?

Try to pinpoint what triggers your hot flashes. For many women, triggers may include hot beverages, caffeine, spicy foods, alcohol, stress, hot weather and even a warm room.

How to decide on a treatment plan?

Before deciding on any form of treatment, talk with your doctor about your options and the risks and benefits involved with each. Review your options yearly, as your needs and treatment options may change.

What is the best medicine for menopause?

Drug class: Estrogens. ESTRADIOL contains the female hormone estrogen. It is used for symptoms of menopause like hot flashes, night sweats, and mood changes. This medicine may also help relieve other symptoms like vaginal dryness, itching and increased or painful urination.

What is the drug class for a combination of estrogen and progestin?

Drug class: Estrogen / Progestin Combinations. Combipatch ( Estradiol/Norethindrone) is an expensive drug that contains a mixture of female hormones. This medicine helps to relieve the symptoms of menopause like hot flashes, night sweats, mood changes, and vaginal dryness and irritation.

What is Estrace used for?

Estrace (estradiol) Estradiol (Estrace, Vivelle-Dot, Climara) is a moderately priced drug used to treat hot flashes and osteoporosis. It is also used to treat women with low estrogen levels or those who have had their ovaries removed. This drug is more popular than comparable drugs.

What is the drug class for prempro?

Prempro. Drug class: Estrogen / Progestin Combinations. Prempro (conjugated estrogens; medroxyprogesterone) is used as hormone replacement in menopausal women who still have their uterus, treat hot flashes and prevent osteoporosis. This drug is slightly more popular than other estrogen/progestin combinations.

What is estrogen and progestin?

Drug class: Estrogen / Progestin Combinations. ESTRADIOL; LEVONORGESTREL is used as hormone replacement in menopausal women who still have their uterus. This medicine is used to relieve the symptoms of menopause. It also helps to prevent osteoporosis in postmenopausal women.

Is premphase a generic?

This drug is slightly less popular than other estrogen/progestin combinations. There are currently no generic alternatives to Premphase.

Is estrogel a generic?

It is slightly more popular than comparable drugs. There are currently no generic alternatives to Estrogel.

What hormone is used to replace menopause?

Progesterone is a hormone, prescribed for replacement therapy in women who have passed menopause.

What is estropipate used for?

Estropipate is a crystalline form of estrogen, prescribed for symptoms of menopause, osteoporosis, excessive and painful vaginal bleeding.

How long does amenorrhea last after menstruation?

12 months of amenorrhea after the final menstrual period. If reflects ovarian follicle depletion and absence of ovarian estrogen production

Is postmenopausal bleeding common?

Postmenopausal bleeding is very common problem (11%). The largest concern is excluding uterine cancer. Early diagnosis and management can lead to survival rates of up to 95%. Diagnostic modalities include ultrasound, endometrial biopsy and dilation and curettage. Remember biopsy, biopsy, biopsy as tissue sampling is the gold standard.

What are the symptoms of menopause?

In addition, during menopause, women may develop depressive symptoms and cognitive difficulties, which are more subtly and inconsistently linked to hormones. Depression and cognitive impairment can be burdensome for women and also compound the burden of medical illness for the aging female population.

What is the transition period between menopause and amenorrhea?

KEY POINTS. The late menopause transition (when women begin to experience 60 or more days of amenorrhea) is the point in time when hot flashes, adverse mood, vaginal dryness, and sleep complaints accelerate in prevalence.

Why do women have sleep problems?

Over time, reports of sleep difficulties increase in women such that by the postmenopause more than 50% of women report sleep disturbance.2Women seem to experience more detrimental effects on sleep in association with aging, when compared with men.24

How to treat sleep apnea?

For insomnia, the reader is referred to the practical clinical review by Buysse.27Sleep apnea is often treated with continuous positive airway pressure devices. Restless leg syndrome can be treated with dopamine agonists, gabapentin, and opioids.28Hormone therapy can be considered for women with difficulty maintaining sleep because of vasomotor symptoms but seems to be effective mostly in postmenopausal women with surgically induced menopause.

What is the most sensitive tissue to estrogen?

Vulvovaginal atrophy. Urogenital tissues are exquisitely sensitive to estrogen, and the fluctuations in estrogen that occur during the menopausal transition, followed by sustained low levels after menopause, can render these tissues fragile and cause distressing symptoms.

How long do hot flashes last?

A meta-analysis of 35,445 women taken from 10 different studies confirmed a 4-year duration of hot flashes, with the most bothersome symptoms beginning about 1 year before the final menstrual period and declining thereafter.10.

Is depression more common during menopause?

One-fifth of the US population will have an episode of depression in their lifetime, and women are twice as likely to be affected.29Although depression is more likely to occur in young adults, with peak onset in the fourth decade of life, there is evidence that the perimenopause represents another period of vulnerability for women. Several large prospective cohort studies have shown an increased risk of depressed mood during the menopause transition and an approximately 3-fold risk for the development of a major depressive episode during perimenopause compared with premenopause.3,5,30,31Although a previous episode of depression has been shown to confer an increased risk, women with no previous episode of depression are still 2 to 4 times more likely to experience a depressive episode during the menopause transition compared with the premenopause. Anxiety symptoms have been found to precede depression in some instances, and anxiety may also be viewed as increasing a woman’s vulnerability to a midlife depressive episode.32

What is the best treatment for menopause?

The primary menopause treatments that are approved by the FDA are hormone therapy treatments. There are many studies proving that these treatments work to alleviate many of the symptoms of menopause. In particular, hormone replacement therapy eliminates vaginal dryness and vasomotor symptoms and decreases the risk of osteoporosis and Alzheimer's.

How to treat menopause symptoms?

One of the best things you can do to treat your menopause symptoms is to eat the right foods and avoid other foods that may be inflammatory to your symptoms .

What are the best foods to eat to help with hormone imbalance?

Some of the best foods you can eat are fruits and vegetables. The dietary fiber is good for your body in general, and they contain phytosterols that can help with hormone imbalances. High fiber foods will help alleviate symptoms of weight gain and digestive issues.

How often do you need to replace estrogen patches?

They usually only have to be replaced about once or twice a week, depending on your doctor's instructions and the severity of your symptoms.

What is osphena used for?

It is used for the treatment of extremely painful burning sensations occurring during or after sexual activity.

What are some exercises to help with menopause?

Many women find that mind and body exercises like yoga and tai chi are good for managing their symptoms of menopause. Six primary yoga poses are good for managing symptoms.

What herbs are used to treat menopause?

The most common herbs used for the treatment of menopausal symptoms are black cohosh, red clover, and American Ginseng.

How to treat menopausal symptoms?

Minimize the amount of medication you take. Use the lowest effective dose for the shortest amount of time needed to treat your symptoms. If you're younger than age 45, you need enough estrogen to provide protection against the long-term health effects of estrogen deficiency. If you have lasting menopausal symptoms that significantly impair your quality of life, your doctor may recommend longer term treatment.

How to manage hot flashes during menopause?

You may be able to manage menopausal hot flashes with healthy-lifestyle approaches such as keeping cool, limiting caffeinated beverages and alcohol, and practicing paced relaxed breathing or other relaxation techniques. There are also several nonhormone prescription medications that may help relieve hot flashes.

What is hormone replacement therapy?

By Mayo Clinic Staff. Hormone replacement therapy is medication that contains female hormones. You take the medication to replace the estrogen that your body stops making during menopause. Hormone therapy is most often used to treat common menopausal symptoms, including hot flashes and vaginal discomfort.

What are the factors that determine whether hormone replacement therapy is appropriate for you?

Health history. Your family history and your personal medical history and risk of cancer, heart disease, stroke, blood clots, liver disease and osteoporosis are important factors in determining whether hormone replacement therapy is appropriate for you.

How to know if hormone therapy is a good treatment?

To determine if hormone therapy is a good treatment option for you, talk to your doctor about your individual symptoms and health risks. Be sure to keep the conversation going throughout your menopausal years.

How old do you have to be to start hormone therapy?

Age. Women who begin hormone therapy at age 60 or older or more than 10 years from the onset of menopause are at greater risk of the above conditions. But if hormone therapy is started before the age of 60 or within 10 years of menopause, the benefits appear to outweigh the risks. Type of hormone therapy.

What is systemic estrogen?

Systemic estrogen — which comes in pill, skin patch, ring, gel, cream or spray form — typically contains a higher dose of estrogen that is absorbed throughout the body. It can be used to treat any of the common symptoms of menopause. Low-dose vaginal products.

What are some ways to help menopause?

Relaxation and stress-reduction techniques, including deep-breathing exercises and massage, a healthy lifestyle (good nutrition and daily exercise ), and enjoyable, self-nurturing activities may all be helpful. Some women try to treat their menopause symptoms with over-the-counter products such as St. John’s wort or vitamin B6.

What are the effects of perimenopause?

Some women find that hormone fluctuations in perimenopause create a feeling of being out of control. Reports of increased irritability, anxiety, fatigue, and blue moods are not uncommon.

How does menopause affect sexual function?

Menopause contributes to sexual function changes through the decreases in ovarian hormone production and may lead to vaginal dryness and a decline in sexual function. To counteract these changes, try:

How to stop hot flashes at night?

To get relief from night sweats (hot flashes that occur during sleep), try different strategies to stay cool while you sleep: 1 Dress in light nightclothes. 2 Use layered bedding that can easily be removed during the night. 3 Or, try wicking materials for both. 4 Cool down with an electric fan. 5 Sip cool water throughout the night. 6 Keep a frozen cold pack under your pillow and turn over the pillow often so that your head is always resting on a cool surface, or put a cold pack on your feet.

How does regular sexual stimulation help women?

Regular sexual stimulation: Last but certainly not least, women can maintain vaginal health through regular painless sexual activity, which promotes blood flow to the genital area.

Can you use vaseline on your vagina?

Only water-soluble products should be used because oil-based products such as vaseline may actually increase irritation. Only products designed for the vagina should be used; avoid hand creams and lotions containing alcohol and perfumes as well as warming/tingling and flavored lubricants which may irritate tender tissue.

Can antidepressants help with depression?

For depression, prescription antidepressant medications may be indicated to correct a chemical imbalance. Although several weeks are usually needed to experience the full effect of one of these drugs, many women show a marked improvement with these medications with relatively few side effects. Some antidepressants have also been found to treat hot flashes. Antidepressant therapy is most effective when combined with counseling or psychotherapy.

image

Diagnosis

Treatment

Clinical Trials

Lifestyle and Home Remedies

Medically reviewed by
Dr. Khutaija Bano
Your provider will work with you to develop a care plan that may include one or more of these treatment options.
No specific medical treatment is necessary. Treatments are aimed at reducing the signs and symptoms.
Medication

Low dose antidepressants: Low-dose antidepressants are prescribed to control mood swings and hot flashes. Usually recommended if the symptoms interferes with daily life.

Fluoxetine . Paroxetine . Sertraline


Anticonvulsants: Helps to reduce extreme hot flashes. Given only if necessary.

Gabapentin

Therapy

Hormone therapy:Administration of estrogen and progesterone proved to be an effective therapy for relieving menopausal hot flashes.

Self-care

Always talk to your provider before starting anything.

  • Healthy diet and exercise may relieve the symptoms. Include more of calcium and protein rich diets in your food.
  • Practice yoga - helps in regulating your body rhythm.

Nutrition

Foods to eat:

  • A healthy diet can help ease the symptoms.
  • Calcium rich foods such as milk, fish, broccoli, and legumes
  • Red meat, poultry, eggs, leafy green vegetables, nuts, and enriched grain products
  • Fiber from whole-grain breads, cereals, pasta, rice, fresh fruits, and vegetables
  • Eat fruits and vegetables
  • Drink plenty of water

Foods to avoid:

  • High-fat foods found in fatty meats, whole milk, ice cream, and cheese
  • Limit sugar and salt intake
  • Avoid spicy foods, caffeine and alcohol

Specialist to consult

Gynecologist
Specializes in the health of the female reproductive systems and breasts.

Alternative Medicine

A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9