Menopause Care/Hormone Therapy

The menopause transition comes with hormonal changes in estrogen, progesterone, and testosterone which can often cause the genital tissue to become thin, raw, and irritated. For many women, this can cause pain with sex or other vulvar discomfort. For patients with vulvar changes, local vaginal hormones are often a good option for preventing UTIs and stopping what we call the “Genitourinary syndrome of menopause” (GSM) from progressing. Our doctors have extensive youtube videos aimed at educating patients (and a webinar recording for physicians who want to learn to prescribe vaginal hormones) about GSM. Vaginal estrogen therapy for GSM has been shown to decrease recurrent UTIs and improve other lower urinary tract symptoms including frequency, urgency, and painful urination as well as improving arousal, lubrication and decrease painful penetration. An important note, menopause is not the only cause of hormone-related vulvar discomfort. Breastfeeding/lactation and some birth control options also cause genitourinary symptoms and can be treated with local vaginal hormone therapy.

The fluctuations in hormones from menopause may also cause systemic symptoms, like hot flashes, difficulty sleeping, brain fog and changes to your muscle and bone health. Systemic hormone therapy involving estrogen, progesterone, and testosterone (in a customized combination) might be a good option for patients in perimenopause and beyond who need support for these whole-body symptoms. While menopause is “natural”, you do not need to suffer through symptoms alone. If you would like our support, please schedule an appointment to see us! For systemic and local hormone therapy, we have many modalities and are committed to finding the right therapy options for your symptoms and your lifestyle.