Taking Some Heat

Newspaper Column Ad Appearing 2-19-03

One expectation most women have of menopause is that it will produce the sensation of ‘hot flashes’. This sudden, brief rush of heat followed by sweating, is experienced by about 75% of women during, and sometimes after, menopause. As uncomfortable as ‘hot flashes’ may be, they seldom disrupt the lives of those who endure them. Studies suggest that only 10 to 15% of women experience ‘hot flashes’ of sufficient intensity and duration to seriously crimp their lifestyles. More than two-thirds of menopausal women do not even bother to mention ‘hot flashes’ to their physicians and, in 80% of all cases, ‘hot flashes’ disappear altogether less than two years after they first appear. Because ‘hot flashes’ are brought on by a sharp decline in the body’s production of estrogen, they can be suppressed with estrogen supplements.

Estradiol replacement therapy (ERT) can control ‘hot flashes’, night-sweats, and emotional ups-and-downs as well as other symptoms of menopause. Most importantly, however, ERT can prevent metabolic changes such as progressive decrease in bone density which leads to bone fractures; age-related changes in the skin, subcutaneous tissue, and mucous membranes; and changes in the cardiovascular system. To prevent potential risks and side effects associated with ERT, women should use physiological estrogens (those natural to women) in a form of skin patches, injections, or subcutaneous pellets but not in a form of pills. Estrogens in a pill form can be natural, synthetic, or from animal sources, but all - when taken by mouth – can have an undesirable effect on the liver and should be used with caution.

If you are perimenopausal or menopausal and having bothersome symptoms, tell your gynecologist. Do not assume that you must suffer in silence. Aside from ERT, which may not be a consideration for women with certain risk factors, there are alternative medications and means of dealing with some of the common complaints. For additional information on this subject, or to schedule an appointment, call OAK BROOK FERTILITY CENTER, a medical practice devoted to reproductive endocrinology, infertility, and assisted reproductive technology. New patients are welcome.

P.S. Several non-hormonal medications can also suppress ‘hot flashes’.

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