Menopause isn’t a medical condition, but some women do experience symptoms that rise to the level of a medical condition and these symptoms may end up requiring medical treatment. For the women who do get these extreme menopause symptoms, menopause can be almost unbearable. This is usually not the case for most women, but if you find yourself having a difficult time during menopause don’t hesitate to talk with a doctor.
Signs of menopause guide and treatment options:
Depression and Anxiety – It’s not exactly known why a small number of women seem to experience anxiety and/or depression or why it is more common in the US than in other countries but it is a symptom of menopause. It may be due to hormone fluctuations or negative views of aging that cause psychological problems but either way it can be a real problem. Any type of anxiety or depression that begins to impact daily living needs to be discussed with a doctor. Possible menopause treatment options may include therapy or prescription medications.
Extreme hot flashes – Although hot flashes themselves could be classified as extreme by any woman who has ever experienced one, this alone does not qualify for medical treatment, most women will simply have to learn how to cope with hot flashes. Only if you have very frequent or intense hot flashes will you actually qualify as needing treatment. Short term use of hormone therapy treatment (HRT) can help with hot flashes. Low dose antidepressants have also shown to reduce hot flashes but it doesn’t work as well as HRT. Gabapentin a seizure treatment medication has proven successful in treating some women’s hot flashes, but it is not tested or approved for treating hot flashes; the same is true for Clonidine which is a medication used to treat high blood pressure.
Unfortunately all medications present a risk of side effects and this is true with all these treatment options, so the benefits versus the risks must be weighed and discussed with a doctor.