As if menstrual cycles and giving birth weren’t difficult enough, menopause comes with a host of unpleasant side effects: hot flashes, mood swings, dry skin, difficulty concentrating, vaginal dryness – and that’s not even the half of it, honey!
Thankfully, Dr. Bola Oyeyipo, a family physician in San Antonio, Texas and co-founder of Healthgist.com was able to set aside a couple minutes out of her busy day to provide BlackDoctor.org’s readers some helpful tips on how to manage their most common menopause symptoms.
1. Hot flashes
“Regular exercise has been shown to help reduce hot flashes. Supplements and over-the-counter formulations of black cohosh or wild yams work well for some women. For more irritating hot flashes, the antidepressant paroxetine (brand name: Brisdelle) is FDA approved for the treatment of hot flashes. If all else fails and there is no contraindication for using hormones (history of breast or ovarian cancer or smoking), estrogen is still the most effective treatment for hot flashes. The current recommendation is to treat for 2-5 years and to wean off estrogen thereafter.”
2. Moodiness and irritability
“Exercise helps with reducing the moodiness and irritability of menopause. Antidepressants for six to 24 months also work well in this regard while also treating the hot flashes.”
How To Manage The Menopause Symptoms You Really Don’t Like Talking About was originally published on blackdoctor.org
