Effectively Managing Perimenopause – Part 2

Perimenopause has many of the same symptoms that menopause itself has, though it is known as the transition period before actual menopause. In the event many of the things that are useful for relieving menopause symptoms are also useful for perimenopause:

• Anti seizure medications such as Gabapentin and other GABA analogs are sometimes prescribed to control symptoms such as hot flashes since they are quite effective in dealing with this common symptom.
• Clonidine and other Blood pressure medications are also sometime used to combat certain symptoms of perimenopause.
• Vaginal dryness and lack of lubrication during sexual intercourse; even painful sexual intercourse are not uncommon during perimenopause. For this vaginal moisturizers can help to alleviate overall dryness of the area. Lubricants specially formulated for aiding sexual intercourse can also be used. It must of course be understood that one is not a substitute for the other. While moisturizers will help to alleviate dry skin and consequent itchiness, lubricants will take care of decreased vaginal secretions that reduce lubrication of the area.
• Vaginal thinning and dryness can also be helped by prescription creams for topical application in the area of the vagina. They are believed to be safe to use because they don’t significantly increase estrogen levels in the blood.
• Practical measures to avoid hot flashes should be taken. Wear cool loose clothing, drink plenty of water and other cool liquids, and keep to cool areas. Also identify triggers of hot flashes such as certain foods, beverages, and/or medications and try to avoid them. When in public carry a small folding fan or a battery operated one, to combat the worst of the sweating.
• Counseling should be considered for those women who are finding the whole process burdensome. Support groups, both physical and online can also be of great help, since women can discover that other women are going through much the same as them. Women can feel less isolated and helpless and also pick up valuable tips from others.
• Complementary and alternative therapies are useful in combating symptoms of perimenopause. Though ‘herbal’ remedies may not be equally efficacious for everyone (and some bogus ones should be guarded against) they are known to help. Some find that acupuncture is helpful in relieving hot flashes. Soy isoflavones are claimed to be very effective by some as well. Black cohosh is seen to be useful in controlling hot flashes but there are certain worrying issues associated with it, such as liver toxicity and reversion of breast cancer.