What are your options when it comes to menopause management?
Since the Victorians started prescribing cold baths and sedatives to women experiencing menopausal symptoms, to the introduction of the first oestrogen pill in 1942, and the availability of HRT in the UK in 1965, one message has remained steadfast for women experiencing hormonal change - your options are limited. Suffer in silence or take medication.
What research now shows us is that there are lots of different options for women in menopause to help you manage the unwanted consequences and have the best experience possible. It's just a question of accessing support - and that can be easier said than done.
In this article we wanted to give an overview of your options when it comes to menopause management and things to think about to help you find the right path for you.
Practically HRT in a jar
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Where to start with menopause management
The starting point with all things is to be informed. In a world of information overload that means accessing advice, information and data from trusted sources. Your doctor is a great place to start but it doesn't have to be the only place to find help. Most GPs by nature lean towards medical solutions - most notably antidepressants and HRT - it's the nature of the job. Some GPs have a specific interest and knowledge in hormonal wellbeing, nutrition and other therapies, in which case you may find that they are able to discuss additional ideas with you. However, that's very much dependent on the individual GP.
Dr Angela Wright says: "I think there's a million sources at the moment and lots of useful information available on the Internet and social media, but you have to approach that with a critical lens and make sure what you're reading is of good quality. I think you can get good information from the right practitioner - you need someone who will inform you - who treats you as an equal and invites you to the discussion about what you're going to do about this transition you're going through. I think there's quite high quality information both written and on podcasts, so it's about casting your net really wide, looking for sources that speak the language you speak and going with that."
Medical solutions for menopause
You have probably heard a lot of information about the medical solutions for menopause. Notably, these fall into two categories - HRT and antidepressants. What's important to know is that there is more than one type of each. Many women have great success with HRT in particular, but some people get put off because of others' experiences or perhaps you have been on one type when another would be better for you. Our advice on this is to get all the information, talk to your GP and keep an open mind - you are not obligated to take it or not take it - there's no right or wrong.
Dr Angela says: "For those women, menopause can be significantly unsettling in terms of mood change. If they get the wrong sort of HRT it can exacerbate the problem, so it's really important to speak to someone who's used to dealing with those conditions, which is something we do. If you get the right HRT though it can be a game changer."
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Holistic solutions for menopause
When we talk about holistic solutions for menopause we are focusing on holistic treatments (e.g: massage, acupressure, acupuncture), aromatherapy and skincare. This is an area that has not been given enough attention over the years and has therefore not been presented as a viable and meaningful set of options for women to include in their menopause management. Now that's changing.
There have been standalone studies looking into different holistic options for hormonal change, and we have also done (and continue to do) our own. What’s needed however, is to bring data sets together for evidence-based information. That’s where we have been focusing our attention, notably with our in-depth State of the Art Scoping Review, which looked at 99 peer reviewed papers and provided academic validation and statistical scrutiny of holistic therapies on specific menopause symptoms.
It found that menopausal women looking to treat their symptoms with non-pharmaceutical approaches should consider:
- Phytoestrogens to help reduce the frequency of hot flushes/hot flashes
- Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT) for relief across the spectrum of symptoms
- Acupuncture or acupressure to address a broad spectrum of unwanted physical and emotional consequences of menopause
Other holistic therapies and lifestyle solutions were also shown to offer meaningful benefit, including:
- Reflexology
- Homoeopathy
- Hypnosis
- Mindfulness
- Exercise
- Yoga
At MPlus, we have incorporated this knowledge into our 100% natural, phytohormone based skincare solutions and product offerings. We also focus on acupressure as well as products containing phytoestrogens.
Skincare with phytohormones
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Lifestyle solutions for menopause
Leading on from holistic therapies, lifestyle plays a huge part in how we feel at any time, and it can be a wonderful way to influence the way we experience menopause. This is an area that covers a multitude of aspects, from nutrition and supplementation to exercise, our home environment, wellbeing at work, and practices like meditation. We sometimes hear it referred to as social prescribing, but Dr. Shashi Prasad, an Advanced Menopause Specialist and Lifestyle Medicine Physician says:
"Lifestyle medicine is a very powerful tool to manage your health and wellbeing. It has 6 pillars - Nutrition, Movements, Sleep, Stress Reduction, Relationships and reducing Addictive substances like smoking & alcohol. It empowers people to take control of their own health in a preventative manner, and moves away from doctor led to patient led medicine. It enables people to take steps to improve their health and feel better - whether it's nutritional interventions, exercise, stress reduction or quitting smoking."
This can be an incredibly empowering way to address how you feel through menopause, even before it's started - preparing your body to be in the best place to accommodate change.
A pick 'n' mix of menopause management options
The key message to takeaway from all of this is that no person is the same and there's no single way to manage your menopause (or your wellbeing in general). What works for one person might not be right for another - we all have different hormone sensitivities, wants and needs.
Equally, as we go on our menopause journey, our needs change, and you may find that what worked for you in perimenopause needs adjusting as you head towards post menopause. Most people need to consider more than one thing to truly have the best experience of menopause - HRT might help hit hot flushes on the head for example, but it isn't a magic solution to address all of life's changes.
Our best advice is to try to enjoy trying different things and learning what you and your body needs.
