What can help my menopause or perimenopause symptoms?

Dr Alison Vickers, a Sydney GP with a special interest in the care of women during perimenopause and menopause, explains the help available

The short answer

Understanding what is happening to your body during perimenopause/menopause and reading up on available options is an excellent first step. Once you have the information you need, see your healthcare professional to make the choice that suits your circumstances and medical history. Options include:

• Menopause Hormone Therapy (MHT)
• Medications for symptoms of menopause that are not hormones
• Hormone vaginal creams and moisturisers
• Lifestyle strategies
• Natural therapies

The long answer

Going through perimenopause/menopause can be hard. You are already flat out with your children, parents, work, and daily life. Adding the perimenopause/menopause can feel like the last straw.

So, what can I do to feel better?

There are more and more options to choose from, so make this time in your life easier. You could consider the following options.

Menopause Hormone Therapy(MHT) – Estrogen can be given as a tablet, a patch, or a gel. This keeps the estrogen levels stable and high enough to relieve the symptoms of perimenopause/menopause and also provides protective effects for bones and the vagina and vulva. Find out more

Even if you can’t take MHT, most women can use a low-dose estrogen vaginal cream to help nourish the walls of the vagina and vulva and to stop sex from becoming painful,

Medication that isn’t hormones –Some women have medical reasons why they can’t take MHT or they prefer not to. There are medications, other than hormones, that act to treat specific symptoms. Find out more

Lifestyle and natural therapies – There is evidence that some lifestyle strategies and natural therapies help with symptoms. For some women this may be all they need. Find out more

Why can’t every woman go on Menopause Hormone Therapy (MHT)?

In the 1990s, pretty much every woman was offered Menopause Hormone Therapy(MHT) or, as it was then called, Hormone Replacement Therapy or HRT. We now understand much better some of the risks and benefits of Menopause Hormone Therapy (MHT), and for some women, the risks may outweigh the benefits. This would include, for example, women who have had breast cancer or a clot in their lung or leg. We also now have different types of MHT to choose from.

Every woman is different, and it is essential to know about past health problems, family history, the need for contraception and symptoms to decide whether you can have MHT and which type of MHT is best for you. Importantly, for women who can’t take MHT there are other choices and more and more options becoming available.