Ask Dr. Lo: Women have been misled about menopause

Dear Dr. Lo,
I haven’t felt like myself in a long time. How long does menopause last? Please tell me the brain fog, hot flashes and mood swings have an end!

Technically, menopause is a point in time: 12 months after your last period. That’s menopause. After that, you’re post-menopausal. How long the symptoms of menopause in Winter Park last can greatly vary, but typically last around four to five years on average. Symptoms of menopause often start years before your last period, a stage called perimenopause.

After menopause, some symptoms subside (hot flashes and mood swings, to name a couple). But even though you’re through some of the tough stuff, unfortunately you’re still left with other symptoms like vaginal dryness and lack of arousal. These changes happen to most women, but you don’t have to keep them as your new normal.

For some of menopause’s worst symptoms, there’s an established treatment. But if treatments exist for these symptoms, why aren’t more women offered it by their primary health care providers?

The medical community doesn’t talk openly and transparently enough about how dramatically hormonal changes impact how a woman feels and functions as she ages. Or the increased risks women accept if they don’t choose treatment.

Menopause is a completely normal and natural part of life. But just because it’s normal doesn’t mean it’s good; in fact, there are many health problems directly caused by the sudden absence of hormones triggered by menopause. With safe and proven bioidentical hormones in Winter Park, your menopause doesn’t have to be the start of a long, slow decline.

Hormones carry chemical messages throughout your bloodstream, and these messages deliver both chemicals and instructions to your cells, telling them to do something. A drop in hormones is often what’s behind feeling mentally fuzzy, emotionally depressed, deprived of sleep, hot flashes, sexually frustrated, and not quite like yourself.

At RegenCen in Winter Park, we offer estrogen and testosterone bioidentical hormone replacement. We use hormone pellets placed under your skin to deliver more youthful and consistent levels of hormones to your bloodstream. To make an appointment with Dr. Lo’s team in Winter Park, Florida, call or text 407.636.7539