Menopause is a time in a woman’s life when the ovaries cease their reproductive function and periods stop. It’s a natural, unavoidable process that often brings anxiety due to its associated symptoms.

Out of 1,000 women in a United Kingdom study, only six per cent of the respondents said menopause did not bother them. Symptoms of menopause include loss of libido, vaginal dryness, hot flashes, sleeping problems, weight gain, mood swings, and more.

Perimenopause is the period when menopause approaches, characterized by the ovaries reducing oestrogen production gradually. It starts in the forties for most women and continues until menopause.

Reduced Libido During Perimenopause

Many factors can cause low sex drive in women, such as thyroid dysfunction and adrenal fatigue. The most prevalent cause for low libido in the perimenopause stage is hormone dysfunction. This includes Iack of testosterone, oestrogen and progesterone imbalance, thyroid dysfunction, and stress-induced adrenal fatigue.

However, there are many other causes of low libido in women. For instance, studies have shown women to adapt to their partners’ sex drive. If your partner is sexually enthusiastic, you might maintain your libido through menopause and many years after.

Sex drive in both men and women has a relationship with your health. It may also rely on your self-confidence, body strength, and your overall well-being.

For a good sex drive, there has to be cooperation between your brain, heart, and hormones. People have developed remedies for low sex drive and management theories. The most effective treatment for low libido in the perimenopause period is hormone therapy.

Treatment: Bioidentical Hormone Replacement Therapy

Some women experience a perplexing loss of libido accompanied by vaginal dryness (atrophy) during perimenopause. Atrophy results from oestrogen deficiency, making intercourse a painful experience.

Besides improving vaginal dryness, hormone replacement therapy relieves women in menopause from hot flushes, insomnia, irritability, and other symptoms.

Bioidentical hormone replacement therapy (BHRT) involves administering doses of natural compounds from yams, chemically adjusted in the laboratory to make them chemically identical to your body’s own hormones. The most common replicas include oestrogen, progesterone, and testosterone.

They come in various forms such as:

• Creams
• Gels
• Patches
• Implants
• Pills
• Injections

Transdermal creams, patches, and gels are great because they cause fewer side effects than therapies like implants. Due to their low circulation level in the body, you can adjust the dose based on the response.

Oestrogen and Progesterone Therapy

Oestrogen is a widely-accepted prescription for suppressing menopausal symptoms. Women who have undergone hysterectomy may need to take this, and anyone who has a premature menopause, before the age of 45, whether naturally or medically induced, should support their health with it unless they have a hormone-dependent cancer.

Oestrogen replacement can overstimulate the cells of the uterus lining, posing a risk of endometrial cancer. To prevent this danger, you will need to use a combination of oestrogen and progesterone.

The synthetic forms of progesterone found in pharmaceutical forms of HRT are called progestins. “Progestogens” is a collective term for both natural and synthetic progesterone varieties.

Gels and creams pose a reduced danger of blood clots. The risk can double when using pills and implants. When used together, estrogen and progesterone don’t tend to cause weight gain.

Testosterone Therapy

Low-dose testosterone can treat a range of premenopausal and menopausal symptoms. When testosterone level falls, you can experience ongoing fatigue and loss of energy, even when under oestrogen therapy.

Testosterone therapy restores optimum levels of the hormone. Monitoring testosterone is critical to prevent undesired side effects like growth of facial hair and a deep voice.

Key Takeaways

• BHRT covers different treatments for reducing premenopausal and menopausal symptoms
• Hormone replacement is relatively safe for premenopause and can be continued as long as you would like to benefit from it
• Besides controlling menopausal symptoms, BHRT offers a range of other health benefits
• Risks like blood clots and breast cancer are minimal while taking menopausal hormone therapy – as long as you don’t take the estrogen orally, and
• Various menopausal conditions may call for different BHRT treatments

Get Your Hormonal Levels Back on Track

Perimenopause and menopause don’t have to be distressing experiences when we can help you to restore your hormonal balance.

Complete my online Health Assessment and schedule a Hormone Jumpstart Power Hour to find out more.