Perimenopause starts years before you actually stop having periods. True menopause only occurs when you have not had a period for over one year.
Perimenopause symptoms include irregular periods, heavier periods, decreased libido and worsening of the following pre-menstrual symptoms: bloating, breast tenderness, and irritability.
As you get closer to menopause you can also experience night sweats, hot flashes, dry skin and vaginal dryness. There are many options for treatment of menopause. Just because you are going thru menopause does not mean you require hormones. This is a very individual choice and hormone replacement should only be utilized once it is established that there is an actual hormone imbalance. If you choose hormone replacement, our recommended form is bioidentical estrogen and progesterone. In our opinion, both of these hormones are required for optimal balance whether you have a uterus or not.
Once the decision is made to treat your hormones, levels are followed to make sure your replacement is optimal. If you are confused about all of the press hormone replacement has received in the last several years, please call our office and request a copy of our Hormone Article. Patient education and informed decision making is the pillar of our practice.