Alternatives to Hormone Replacement Therapy During Perimenopause

It’s no surprise that a woman’s body changes when she enters perimenopause, and it can be overwhelming to see an abundance of treatment options to manage the symptoms. It’s important to understand your options and decide which one is best for you. This decision is different for every woman. Some prefer hormone therapies and some prefer trying other methods first.

Here’s a look into some non-hormone therapies for perimenopause:

Lifestyle changes

Before you make the decision to invest in a more expensive treatment option, consider making some lifestyle changes for this new stage in your life. These changes are the most cost-effective way to improve your symptoms.

Food and drink choices

Your food choices can impact your estrogen levels by providing a natural source of the hormone. Estrogen-rich foods include: fatty fish, brown rice, quinoa, barley, eggs and more. Not only can your food choices impact your perimenopause symptoms in a positive way, but certain foods can make your symptoms worse. Foods with added sugars and processed carbs can lead to a higher incidence of hot flashes and increased weight gain. Excess amounts of caffeine and alcohol can also negatively impact perimenopausal women by disrupting their sleep more frequently.

Learn more about food choices that can be positively and negatively impacting your perimenopause experience.

Get your body moving

Weight gain is common with perimenopause, and establishing a movement routine can help manage it. There is no right way to exercise. Whatever gets your body moving and feels good to you, schedule it into your day! Grab a friend and try a new virtual class, hop in a pool and spend some time swimming or throw on some music and get your sweat on through dancing. The key is to find something that you truly enjoy otherwise you will not continue with it. Regular movement can help manage weight gain while also improving your overall mental and physical health. Let the movement be your medicine.

Say goodbye to your stress (or at least lessen it a bit)

Stress during perimenopause can drastically worsen your symptoms. Increased stress levels lead to difficulty sleeping, fatigue, irritable moods and negatively impacted relationships. If you start to feel stressed, the first step is to talk about it. This could be by writing in a notebook or actually voicing your experiences to a trusted loved one or healthcare provider. Acknowledging the role stress has in your perimenopause experience is key to taking control of it.

Medications

This non-hormone therapy is used commonly to help with hot flashes, moodiness and vaginal discomfort. Several antidepressants and high blood pressure medications have been found to effectively lessen hot flashes. Ask your healthcare provider about the options that may be right for you. Over-the-counter medications can be used to relieve vaginal dryness and discomfort especially during sex.

Mona-Lisa Touch

Restoring your gynecological health to help treat perimenopause symptoms can be done in less than five minutes. Southdale ObGyn offers a safe laser treatment, the Mona-Lisa Touch, to help with declining estrogen levels during perimenopause. The laser gently stimulates a healing response from the vaginal wall tissue and symptom relief can be felt after the very first treatment. Ask your healthcare provider to get started today!

The perimenopause experience differs for every woman and the right treatment option can too. Trying any of the above options could offer symptom relief without hormone-based therapy. Discuss your options with your healthcare provider and bring them along on your journey. Together, you can find a way to more comfortably enter this next phase of your life.