Menopause is a natural process that comes with the privilege of aging, but for many women, it is a source of discomfort and a barrier to intimacy. Fortunately, board-certified gynecologist Karroll Payne, MD, who practices in Lafayette, Louisiana, offers a wide range of treatment options to help women navigate physical and emotional changes. If menopause has you feeling out of sorts, find out how Dr. Payne can help ease your symptoms and enjoy healthy relations with menopause. To learn more, contact her office online or over the phone today.

request an appointment

What is menopause?

Menopause is the point at which your body hasn’t produced a menstrual cycle for at least 12 months.

The time leading up to menopause is called perimenopause; during perimenopause, your ovaries gradually stop working, and your body produces fewer and fewer reproductive hormones until you haven’t had a period for at least a year.

Most women begin transitioning into menopause between the ages of 45 and 55, but it can also develop early as a result of certain conditions, procedures, and treatments, such as:

  • Hysterectomies
  • Radiation
  • Chemotherapy
  • Primary ovarian insufficiency

Menopause typically lasts around seven years, after which women enter postmenopause, but it may continue as long as 14 years.

What are the symptoms of menopause?

Though it’s a natural part of aging, menopause can be physically and emotionally draining due to the way it changes your body and mood.

Signs and symptoms of menopause include:

  • Changes in your period
  • Vaginal dryness
  • Dry skin
  • Night sweats
  • Hot flashes
  • Chills
  • Thinning hair
  • Loss of breast fullness
  • Weight gain
  • Mood swings
  • Irritability
  • Trouble sleeping
  • Pain during sex
  • Increased incontinence
  • More frequent bladder infections

During menopause, some women also experience headaches, heart palpitations, and aches and pains.

Can you treat menopause?

Menopause doesn’t require treatment, but if your menopause symptoms are particularly severe or bothersome, you can find relief with various prescription medications and procedures, including those that assist with intimacy and sex after 50. Examples include:

Hormone replacement therapy (HRT)

HRT therapy, especially estrogen therapy (when appropriate), is effective in relieving hot flashes.

Estrogen cream

Estrogen cream administered to the vagina can help relieve vaginal dryness, some urinary problems, and discomfort with sex.

Low-dose antidepressants

Certain antidepressants can assist menopausal women experiencing new or worsening depression. They can also help decrease hot flashes in women who cannot use hormone therapy.

Gabapentin

Gabapentin usually treats seizures, but it can help reduce frequent night-time hot flashes in women who cannot use hormone therapy.

Dr. Payne may also prescribe other medications to prevent or treat osteoporosis in at-risk patients. You deserve to feel healthy and enjoy intimacy at any age. If you’ve been bothered by one or more symptoms of menopause, seek relief by scheduling an appointment with Dr. Payne online or over the phone today.