Menopause Help in Alamosa, Colorado & Beyond

Millions of women from every background experience some form of hormone-related health condition during their lifetimes.1718 The natural process of aging makes visible a myriad of symptoms, especially during the menopausal transition years. However, fluctuating and dropping hormone levels can also occur at any age as a result of pregnancy, stress, use of birth control, genetics, or lifestyle.18 Hormone Replacement Therapy (HRT) offers a patient-specific approach to providing both short-term and long-term relief. Treatable symptoms include:1718

• Decreased libido, vaginal dryness, painful sexual intercourse

• Endometriosis, fibrocystic breasts

• Migraines, hot flashes, night sweats, rapid heartbeat, cardiovascular complications Depression, fatigue, tiredness, moodiness, irritability, sleeping disturbances, weight gain

• Muscle pain, joint pain, back pain, thinning of bone structure

Mass-Produced HRT Formulations: Useful, but Limited

Many hormones produced by compounding pharmacies have the exact same chemical structure as human hormones. The body recognizes them and allows them to mimic the function of the hormones the body produces on its own.19 There are many mass-produced hormone treatments on the market today. However, every woman's body - and her individual hormonal makeup - is different and each requires a unique balance of hormones. That's why more women are turning to custom compounded HRT’s for their hormone replacement needs.20 Among the common ingredients used in formulations for women are estradiol, progesterone, testosterone, and dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA).2119

Your test results and hormone symptoms should be carefully studied and interpreted in order to determine an individualized course of treatment for you. Hormones can be prepared by compounding pharmacies in a variety of strengths and dosage forms, including:

• Injectables

• Sublingual tablets or troches

• Capsules

• Gels

• Suppositories

• Topical or vaginal creams

• Pellets

Menopause Causes

Hormones are powerful chemicals, and for therapies to be effective it is essential that they are compounded properly and accurately.20 Defiance Health partners with only those pharmacies which employ rigorous quality control measures adhering to USP guidelines to provide the highest level of patient care available.

Menopause is a naturally occurring biologic process in females, generally occurring in from age 45 to 55. Menopause occurs after the last ovulation marking the end of the fertile period of a female’s life. It is defined as the permanent end of menses and fertility occurring 12 months after a patients last menstruation. During menopause the body regulates itself to acquire a new hormonal balance, spanning for the rest of the lifespan of the female.

When a female goes through menopause the ovaries stop producing eggs and also produces much fewer hormones (estrogen and progesterone); menstrual periods generally become either more closely or more widely spaced, or may even come to a sudden stop. This reduction in potent and active sex hormones, and their downstream biological effects, cause a plethora of changes in physiological processes. An irregularity in menstrual cycles can occur for several years. Even though it is a natural process and not a medical illness, it still can have dramatic effects on a women’s mental and physical health. These effects vary dramatically from one patient to another and are primarily caused by the changes in estrogen and progesterone.​ Just because a process is natural, does not mean we don't need to address the negative aspects of it.

Menopause Symptoms

The effect of the underproduction of hormones and other biological molecules by the ovaries manifest in several unpleasant symptoms. These symptoms can be divided into two categories: physical and psychological. Physical symptoms include irregular menstrual periods, hot flashes, night sweats, heavy sweating, fatigue, muscle aches, heart palpitations, headaches, dizziness, sore breasts, sensitive skin, dry hair, hair loss, prolapse, vaginal drying, painful sexual intercourse, vaginal discharge, loss of libido, urine tract infections, urinary incontinence, and an increase in osteoporosis. Psychological symptoms include mood swings, fatigue, apathy, anxiety, and depression.

Menopause Treatments

A common treatment used for the symptoms of menopause is hormone replacement therapy.22 Hormone replacement therapy mimics the human body’s natural production of those hormones in order to reduce the symptoms associated with dramatic swings in hormone concentrations during menopause.2324 Since these treatments are patient specific and vary from patient to patient many different formulations of hormone therapy can be made by compounding pharmacies to meet these individual needs. Hormones of all strengths and concentrations can be put into oral capsules, topical creams or gels, vaginal creams, suppositories, injections, and sublingual lozenges.25 There are also other prescription alternatives to hormonal therapy that may work for some women. Patients have found benefit in reduction of symptoms with the use of anti-depressants, anti-hypertensive and also anti-seizure medications.2627 At Defiance Health, our providers are experts in menopause, and stay up to date with the most recent research. Your menopause provider should have a large "toolbox" of options to help customize your treatment regimen.

The treatment of bothersome menopausal symptoms can be accomplished by replacing the hormones that the underperforming ovaries fail to produce.28 This therapy is referred to as hormone replacement therapy (HRT). The body naturally stops producing these hormones because its genetics dictate the time for reproduction is over. Even though the body is programmed this way, replacing hormones in the appropriate amounts can maintain a comfortable balance that is beneficial to the female.

Vasomotor symptoms are usually described as night sweats, hot flashes, and flushes. Hormone replacement therapy can reduce these vasomotor symptoms in postmenopausal and perimenopausal women by 65% and 90%, respectively.29

There are many different drugs prescribed to treat the symptoms of menopause but not many drugs to treat the underlying causes of menopause.2730

The lack of hormonal signals and imbalances initiates the biological processes that produce the symptoms mentioned above.31 Therapies to treat symptoms and replace the hormonal signals are readily available from qualified physicians.

Hormone therapy includes mono or combination therapy of the hormones progesterone, estradiol and often testosterone. Even though estrogens are referred to as the female hormones, every female also is genetically set to produce testosterone in small amounts. Serum levels of testosterone also drop as estrogen concentrations decrease. Hormone replacement therapy replaces the hormones that the ovaries fail to produce naturally. Generally, if the risk reward ratio of hormone replacement therapy is in the favor of the patient’s health due to the disruption from menopausal symptoms, hormone replacement therapy might be considered.32

Hormone replacement therapy is not for all patients, many patients with pre-existing conditions should consider alternatives if concerned with adverse effects. The benefits of a comfortable and healthy lifestyle should be weighed against the adverse side effects of hormone replacement therapy by you and your physician.

Historically hormone replacement therapy has become the subject of debate among the medical community.33 A large shift in prescribing patterns has occurred in the general physician prescribing population. When hormone replacement therapy was first prescribed to treat menopausal symptoms, it was generally regarded as safe for all, almost equivalent to consumption of over-the-counter daily vitamins and supplements. Generally, physicians prescribed hormone replacement therapy because of the dramatic effect on the mood and well-being.34 However, dramatic psychological and physical beneficial effects came at a large cost to some. Few women prescribed hormone replacement experienced moderate to severe side effects. These effects did not occur in the large majority of women, but were at a large enough percentage to warrant other drugs with less side effects as treatment for the symptoms of menopause. Many women continue to take hormone replacement therapy for treatment of menopausal symptoms, and choose bioidentical forms which have not been associated with the same issues and side effects.

Predisposition to disease plays a large part in determining if a patient is an appropriate candidate for hormone replacement therapy.35 Additionally, lifestyle and dietary changes are considered the first line of treatment for healthily undergoing the changes of menopause.

Secondarily, medications with outstanding safety profiles may considered for the alleviation of menopausal symptoms before hormonal therapy is considered. However, many physicians prefer to utilize hormone replacement therapy as a primary treatment for menopausal symptoms as this is the root cause of the process and associated symptoms. These physicians generally approach cautiously and thoroughly evaluate a patient’s pre-disposition to adverse side effects, determine precise hormone dosages, and closely monitor the patient during initiation and continuation of therapy. These measures increase the safety of hormone replacement therapy, and knowledgeable providers like the experts at Defiance Health can monitor a patient and follow the physiological changes occurring from the hormones administered. If physiological changes are determined to be dangerous to the patient, the patient and provider can consider ceasing hormone therapy. The serum markers indicative of adverse effects should be carefully monitored by qualified professionals. Generally, these biomarkers include cardiovascular,36 liver, and general metabolic proteins and small molecules associated with the adverse side effects of estrogen, progesterone and testosterone administration. Research shows women who receive HRT within perimenopausal transition or early menopause obtain the greatest benefits, and cardiovascular benefits are apparent in those using HRT when compared to those who had not been treated with HRT.40

The experts at Defiance Health are passionate about assisting you through your important menopausal transition. We specialize in the care of women in partnership with your trusted OBGYN and/or Primary Care Provider. Call us today to set up a consultation - you deserve a knowledgable & experienced team who cares for your needs. 719-480-2400