Menopause was once something most women didn’t talk about. It was rarely referred to as anything other than “the change”. Now, menopause is becoming a hot topic. Since it’s something women are just getting comfortable speaking about openly, there are a lot of misconceptions. Let’s explore the top menopause myths, including how hormone replacement therapy may help you manage your symptoms.
Myth #1 When Menopause Begins
Let’s begin with the basics, including exactly when menopause begins. What most of us refer to as “menopause” is actually 3 distinct Phases. Phase 1 can begin as early as the age of 45 (sometimes earlier) with the average age being 51. Few women begin Phase 1 past the age of 55, and even fewer women begin the transition closer to the age of 60. Menopause lasts an average of 7 years from Phase 1 to Phase 3.
Cleaveland Clinic outlines these 3 Phases as:
- Perimenopause—Phase 1 often begins a few years before your menstrual cycle stops. It’s typically when menstrual cycles become irregular, and you begin experiencing at least a handful of other symptoms. We dive into the symptoms in Myth #3. There are quite a few, and many that are easily explained away due to day-to-day stressors.
- Menopause—during perimenopause, you may go several months in a row without a period. You enter the Phase 2 when you’ve gone a full 12 months without a period. You might go 6 or 7 months and think you’ve stopped menstruating, only to be surprised with a flash period. Flash periods can occur without typical period symptoms. So, continue to carry your preferred menstrual products with you until it’s been at least 12 months. Your symptoms will likely be the strongest in this phase.
- Postmenopause—once you hit the 12-month mark without menstruation, you enter Phase 3 of this natural transition. Your symptoms may persist but are likely to gradually fade. In this lifelong phase, your body produces extremely low levels of estrogen and progesterone, putting you at greater risk for osteoporosis, cardiovascular disease, and as of the most recent research, cognitive decline. We discuss estrogen and brain health more in Myth #8.
Myth #2 You Can’t Get Pregnant
That you can’t get pregnant once your periods become irregular is one of the most common menopause myths. Although it’s more challenging for many women to get pregnant after the age of 40, it’s still possible. If you’re menstruating, you’re ovulating. If you’re ovulating, you can become pregnant.
Many physicians advise their patients to stop taking birth control pills between the ages of 35 and 50. What is right for you is for you and your physician to decide. If you stop taking birth control pills, explore your other options in contraception. Continue using contraception until you have gone a full 12 months with no period.
Myth #3 What The Symptoms Are
Hot flashes and mood swings aren’t the only symptoms of menopause. Most importantly, the range of symptoms is different for every woman. For example, not all women experience hot flashes. For others, hot flashes are severe. You may experience a few of the symptoms below, or several of the symptoms below. Some symptoms may be more apparent in one or two phases and not in others.
Another challenge, with the symptoms below, is that most can be written off in times of high stress. So, if you’re consistently experiencing more than 1 of the symptoms below don’t blow them off.
Menopause symptoms include any combination of:
- A harder time losing weight
- Anxiety and depression
- Brain fog aka. menopause brain
- Decreased immunity
- Decreased libido
- Decreased muscle strength
- Dry skin
- Hot flashes
- Increased irritability
- Insomnia
- Insulin resistance
- Low energy
- Muscle and joint pain
- Nights sweats
- Thinning hair
- Vaginal dryness
- Weight gain around the stomach
Myth #4 Your Sex Life Is Over
Yes, decreased libido is on the list of symptoms above. However, your sex life doesn’t have to end once perimenopause or post-menopause begins. Yes, your libido is likely to fluctuate, and vaginal dryness makes sex less comfortable. This is one of many reasons to seek a physician who specializes in menopause.
- Vaginal dryness is easy to treat with over-the-counter lubricants.
- Bioidentical hormone replacement therapy can help regulate your libido.
- For libido, you may be prescribed one of the options in “women’s Viagra”.
Myth #5 Every Doctor Can Treat Menopause
Until very recently, menopause research was widely underfunded. Without funding, there isn’t a lot of data. Without data, medical professionals weren’t able to diagnose and treat menopause effectively. This meant that patients weren’t the only ones navigating menopause myths, but also some in the medical field.
Oprah Winfrey’s first-hand experience with misdiagnosed heart palpitations led her to shine a light on menopause and HRT. She was incorrectly prescribed heart medication for perimenopause! In the end, Oprah was properly diagnosed, and prescribed HRT.
As quoted in Self magazine:
“I went from doctor to doctor, literally five different doctors. At one point, a female doctor had given me, first of all, an angiogram and put me on heart medication and never once mentioned that this could be menopause or perimenopause.”
Myth #6 That Nothing Can Be Done
With little research or data to turn to, many physicians prescribed generic lifestyle changes for menopause. This often included improved nutrition, hydration, adequate sleep, reduced stress, and exercise. While these lifestyle changes are certainly part of menopause treatment plans, they’re prescribed for almost every health condition.
There is so much more that can be done, with the new generation of bioidentical hormone replacement therapy being a leading advancement.
Myth #7 That Hormone Therapy is Dangerous
You aren’t alone if you’ve heard that estrogen therapy has risks, but this is one of many menopause myths. It’s based on a 1993 study that failed. Dr. Lisa Mosconi, a leading current-day researcher on estrogen and brain health, discusses the dated study in this podcast.
She was quoted as stating:
“The Women’s Health Initiative just did not have all the information that they needed to design the study in a way that was conducive to success.”
The dated study many doctors reference today used a different type of estrogen in very high doses. It’s not the same estrogen (or dose) as prescribed today. Today’s HRT is proven to be highly effective in a variety of current studies.
Who Isn’t Eligible for HRT?
You may not be eligible for hormone therapy if you have, have had, or are at risk for the conditions below. Your physician will advise you on your options.
- Stroke
- Blood clots
- Heart disease
- Cardiovascular disease
- Breast cancer
- Liver disease
- Gallbladder disease
- Low blood pressure
- High triglyceride levels
What Is Designer Estrogen?
Research is underway for the next generation of HRT, known as designer estrogen. This emerging medicine is expected to be safe for those who aren’t eligible for traditional HRT or bioidentical hormone replacement therapy. This is achieved by targeting bone, heart, and brain health without targeting breast tissues and endometrial tissues.
Myth #7 Estrogen Is Only a Sex Hormone
That estrogen is only a sex hormone is one of the top menopause myths. While estrogen plays a vital role in reproductive health, like all hormones, estrogen plays a variety of roles in the body.
As we mentioned in Myth #1:
- Your risk for osteoporosis increases during menopause because estrogen is essential to bone health.
- Your risk for cardiovascular disease increases during menopause because estrogen plays a role in heart health.
We also know that women are 2 times more likely to develop Alzheimer’s than men. Without adequate menopause research, most in the medical community concluded that this is because women live longer than men. However, Dr. Lisa Mosconi’s recent work shakes up this theory.
Although the connection between estrogen in the brain was discovered in 1996, it had never been properly researched. This is because there was no way to measure estrogen levels in the brain until Dr. Mosconi’s research. Dr. Mosconi’s findings show that estrogen helps regulate the brain plaques that increase the risk of Alzheimer’s disease. This may be why women are at greater risk for Alzheimer’s. Yet another reason to consider hormone therapy.
What Is Menopause Brain Fog?
Many women explain perimenopause symptoms as being in an all-day fog. They have a difficult time concentrating and don’t feel like themselves. For many women, HRT therapy lifts the fog!
What Is Bioidentical Hormone Therapy?
Now that you understand the top menopause myths, and how HRT may help—you might be wondering just what HRT is. There are two primary types of hormone therapy, traditional and bioidentical. Both are designed to restore your hormones to their ideal levels. We hope to see FDA approval of designer estrogen in the next 3 to 5 years.
Traditional—these are lab-made pills, patches, and creams formulated from synthetic ingredients. This includes contraceptives, but it also includes replacement hormones.
Bioidentical—these are plant-derived pellets and creams that are chemically identical to those in your body. Creams are applied topically, and pellets are inserted in the hip region under the skin.
*While widely accepted, the FDA has not approved the use of bioidentical hormones and they have not been scientifically proven to be more effective than traditional hormones. The reasoning behind choosing bioidentical options is that your body may respond better (more naturally) to hormones derived from a plant-based source.
Want to Have Your Hormone Levels Tested?
Now that you understand the top menopause myths, you may want to have your hormone levels tested. This will help you understand what phase of menopause you’re in. If your lab results identify that your estrogen levels have decreased, we can discuss HRT therapy. And yes, we offer hormone therapy for men too!
Schedule your hormone level test today at Valley Medical Weight Loss and Med Spa’s Phoenix, Tempe, or Glendale office.
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