Perimenopause Symptoms and Treatment in Richmond, KY

Perimenopause is the four to ten years on average that lead up to menopause for a woman. And this can start anywhere in a woman's mid-30s to anywhere in her 40s. One of the first things that we hear is, I just don't feel like myself. That's because perimenopause starts in the brain. We do hear women having problems with anxiety, depression, memory changes, fatigue, mood swings, sleep changes, weight gain, and an increase in belly fat, menstrual changes, hot flashes, as well as joint pain, palpitations, vaginal and bladder changes.

I would like women to realize that there are treatments out there, that they do not have to be suffering through perimenopause. I will meet with women and we will discuss their past medical history, their risk factors, and their goals of treatment. Often we do start with menopause hormone therapy. This does include estrogen in the form of estradiol, sometimes progesterone, and sometimes testosterone.

I understand how you're feeling. I am in perimenopause myself. I am on hormone replacement myself. There is a light at the end of the tunnel and I'm seeing women daily in discussing these therapies and these treatments and it does give me such joy when they come back in to say, Hey doc, I'm feeling a lot better.