You may be familiar with a few symptoms of menopause: hot flashes, night sweats, and mood swings. However, menopause can present in many different ways.
Throughout your life, your body carefully regulates your hormones (estrogens and androgens) through a body system called the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis. This system stimulates follicles in your ovaries to ovulate and, in the process, releases estrogens. Menopause occurs when you do not have any follicles left. Without ovarian follicles, your body’s ability to produce estrogen is drastically reduced. As your body adjusts to its new normal, a number of hormones can become off-balance within your body.
Hot flashes, a “classic” symptom of menopause, frequently occur because the area in your brain that regulates body temperature is located very close to the part that regulates your hormones. The change in activity due to hormonal changes can then affect your internal temperature regulator. This is why regulating your hormones by supplementing with bio-identical hormone therapy during menopause can help resolve these symptoms.
However, there are many symptoms of menopause that are less well-known where supplementing with bio-identical hormone therapy may help you to feel more “normal” throughout this change.
Read through the following list and think about when your symptoms started. Did you begin experiencing these symptoms within a few years of menopause onset?
- Aches/pains
- Acne
- Anxiety
- Bloating
- Decreased libido
- Decreased muscle mass
- Depression
- Fatigue
- Fibrocystic breasts
- Fibromyalgia
- Foggy thinking
- Headaches
- Heart palpitations
- Incontinence
- Irregular/heavy menses
- Loss of scalp hair
- Memory lapses
- Oily skin
- Ovarian cysts
- Overgrowth of hair
- Rage/aggression
- Sleeplessness
- Sugar cravings
- Swelling
- Tearfulness
- Thinning skin
- Vaginal dryness
- Weight gain
If so, you may be experiencing some of the “atypical” symptoms of menopause. Just like supplementing with hormone therapy can help resolve the “typical” symptoms of menopause, it can also help resolve the “atypical” symptoms.
Bremo Pharmacy offers personalized bio-identical hormone therapy consults. Through these visits, our knowledgeable clinical pharmacists will conduct hormone testing for you, assess your symptoms, and work with your physician to find an appropriate solution for you. In addition, Bremo has a PCAB-accredited compounding lab on-site and is able to specially make your hormone therapy at the pharmacy. Compounded medications may offer benefits over manufactured medications in hormone therapy by ensuring that you receive the lowest dose necessary to control your symptoms in the dosage form most effective for you. Our hormones are “bio-identical” meaning they are the exact same structure as the hormones naturally produced within your body, minimizing side effects associated with extra chemicals that may be added to manufactured products for stability. Our PCAB accreditation demonstrates our commitment to meeting the highest industry standards for safety and quality when it comes to compounding for our patients.
If you are experiencing these symptoms and think hormone therapy might be appropriate for you, contact Dr. Tana Kaefer at Bremo Pharmacy at 804-288-8361 ext. 119 or learn more about Bremo’s services for women aged 50+ here. Bremo believes in meeting the needs of the whole person and looks forward to serving you and your healthcare needs.
Emily Kennell, PharmD
