It is known that the hormonal levels in women are unstable. By a certain age (on average 45-52 years), ovarian function gradually fades away. This leads to a decrease in the formation of female sex hormones - estrogens - in the ovaries, which is primarily reflected in the menstrual cycle: as estrogen production decreases, the cycle becomes irregular until it stops completely. From this moment menopause (menopause) begins.
Menopause means the end of a woman’s “reproductive life”, that is, with the onset of menopause, a woman is not able to naturally become pregnant and carry a child.
However, the lack of female sex hormones affects not only reproductive function. Estrogens also have a positive effect on bone density, preventing bone fractures, and also prevent the deposition of cholesterol in blood vessels and are responsible for normal vascular tone. Therefore, estrogen deficiency during menopause is manifested not only by the extinction of menstruation, but also by additional symptoms that significantly affect a woman’s quality of life.
Menopause is characterized by dryness of the vaginal mucosa (and, as a result, unpleasant, sometimes painful sensations during sexual intercourse), a feeling of “hot flashes”, palpitations, sweating, emotional lability, increased irritability, memory impairment, and also, importantly, increased bone fragility .
To reduce the negative manifestations of menopause, a number of specific drugs are used - correctors of disorders during menopause.
The best products for women during menopause.
October 11, 2021
10942
3.8
2
Content
- Symptoms of menopause
- Prevention of menopause
- What will help with menopause
- Non-hormonal herbal medicine: how does it work?
- The best non-hormonal drugs for menopause
- Qi-Klim
- Klimaksan
- Estrovel
- Feminal
- Femicaps Easy Life
- Folk remedies for menopause
Menopause is one of the periods that a woman goes through during her life. During menopause, a physiological restructuring occurs in the body - the function of the ovaries decreases: they cease to be active and eggs no longer mature in them (a woman can no longer get pregnant). Usually menopause occurs at the age of 50-55 years, but there can be an earlier or later onset - everything is purely individual.
Menopause is a natural change in a woman’s hormonal levels, which is accompanied by various unpleasant symptoms. Let's figure out what the signs of menopause are, what to do to prevent negative feelings, and what non-hormonal medications you can take.
Read also: 10 safest sedatives The best natural sedatives.
Symptoms of menopause
For each woman, the symptoms of menopause manifest themselves differently, everything is individual, but much depends on both heredity and lifestyle. But we can highlight the main signs of menopause:
- hot flashes;
- chills;
- dizziness, headaches, nausea;
- anxiety and neurosis (even depression);
- sleep problems;
- cardiopalmus;
- pressure surges;
- decreased sex drive;
- fast fatiguability;
- urethral syndrome (inflammation of the urethra), etc.
The degree to which the above symptoms manifest depends on the amount of hormones the female body secretes. Depending on this, there are 4 periods of menopause:
- Premenopause. The period from the first cycle disturbances to the last menstruation (premenopause lasts from 2 to 10 years).
- Menopause. The period from the last menstruation, which lasts about a year.
- Postmenopause. Lasts 6-8 years. The symptoms of menopause persist, but become less pronounced than at the beginning.
All these periods together are called menopause, and all the symptoms are called menopausal syndrome.
Symptoms of menopause
Photos from open sources
Read also 5 most popular pregnancy tests Top 5 popular pregnancy tests (taking into account accuracy and price).
Early menopause in women: treatment options
In their youth, representatives of the fair sex are rarely satisfied with their reflection in the mirror. For some women, the feeling that “the reflection needs replacing” persists throughout their lives. But most of us, looking at old photographs, still smile: “Wow, I never liked myself in this picture!” But how pretty I was then.
We take care of our skin, some more, some less, we run to a cosmetologist, make masks, buy expensive creams. We are very afraid of losing our youth and beauty. We are afraid of approaching old age, wrinkles, bags under the eyes, dry and flabby skin, and a toothless mouth. The most common question among women with cycle disorders aged “35+”:
— Doctor, my period is delayed by 10 days and I feel somehow wrong. Is this already menopause?
Let's define the terms
Menopause
- the time of the last menstruation in a woman’s life. The onset is usually determined retrospectively, after there has been no menstruation for 12 months.
The average age of menopause in our country is approximately 50 years (46–54 years). Based on this, two more important terms appear: early menopause
- under the age of 45;
premature menopause
- before the age of 40;
period of menopausal transition
- begins at 40–45 years and ends with the onset of menopause. This is a period when menstruation can be “confused,” hormones can “jump,” and women slowly begin to develop a motley picture of symptoms of estrogen deficiency.
Very rarely, in about 1% of women in the population, an even sadder story occurs - ovarian wasting syndrome
, or premature ovarian failure. Young women under 36 years of age, who had regular menstruation and even realized their reproductive function, suddenly note the cessation of menstruation in combination with all the “joys” of estrogen deficiency: hot flashes, night sweats, palpitations, sleep disturbances, psycho-emotional lability, dizziness and headaches, weakness, tingling in fingers, hair loss.
Diagnosis of the condition
The diagnosis is not particularly difficult. Early/premature menopause and ovarian wasting syndrome are characterized by the absence of menstruation, symptoms of estrogen deficiency, FSH levels consistently above 25 IU/l, estrogen levels less than 30 pmol/l and ultrasound findings (reduced ovarian size, absence of the follicular apparatus). For reliability, hormonal testing can be repeated twice with an interval of 4–6 weeks.
Prevention of menopause
Today, every woman can significantly alleviate the symptoms of menopause by preventing hormonal fluctuations. Among the main ways to prevent menopause:
- Once every six months - a general blood test (with determination of glucose and cholesterol levels). This will help control the development of cardiovascular and metabolic disorders.
- Blood pressure control.
- Preventive examination by a gynecologist (every six months or as indicated).
- Once every six months – consultation with a mammologist (after 30 years).
- Self-monitoring of the condition of the mammary glands.
- Weight control.
- Rejection of bad habits.
- Regular physical activity.
Basics of treatment of disorders during menopause (menopause)
Estrogen preparations are used strictly as prescribed and under the supervision of a physician. The course of treatment with estrogen drugs usually ranges from several months to several years.
It is usually recommended to stop taking estrogen medications after age 65, since in old age an excess of female sex hormones can trigger the development of malignant tumors (especially breast cancer).
Herbal preparations, as well as beta-alanine, are usually used in short courses from 10 days to a month. However, if, after stopping taking these drugs, the manifestations of menopause (in particular, “hot flashes”) resume, then treatment can continue throughout the entire period of manifestation of specific symptoms.
What will help with menopause
As we wrote above, each woman experiences menopause individually. Some people show almost no symptoms at all, while others suffer from a whole bunch of unpleasant sensations. If the symptoms of menopause are not too pronounced, doctors usually recommend that the woman lead an active lifestyle, eat right, and non-hormonal medications will help cope with the discomfort. If menopause is severe, a thorough examination and prescription of hormone replacement therapy is necessary. Menopause cannot be treated independently with hormonal drugs, since such drugs have many contraindications and side effects.
Hormone replacement therapy for menopause
If the body reacts so violently to a drop in the level of sex hormones that it is not possible to cope with pathological symptoms using non-hormonal means, the doctor may recommend hormone replacement therapy. The missing hormones in this case will come from outside. The following principles are observed:
- only analogues of natural hormones are used;
- Estrogens during menopause are prescribed in low doses;
- if there are nodules in the mammary gland, liver diseases, disorders of the blood coagulation system, diabetes mellitus and tumors of any origin, hormone replacement therapy is not carried out;
- the choice of drugs for hormonal therapy and determining its duration is the prerogative of the doctor, since only a specialist will be able to weigh the pros and cons of this treatment tactic for a particular woman.
INITIAL CONSULTATION
from 2,400 rub.
Non-hormonal herbal medicine: how does it work?
If the manifestations of menopause in a woman do not require serious correction with hormonal agents, doctors prescribe analogues of plant origin. It turns out that some plants contain isoflavones - extracts with estrogenic activity (phytoestrogens). In their structure, they are close to female hormones, but they have much lower activity than synthetic and natural ones.
Many women prefer non-hormonal medications during menopause, since they act gently and significantly reduce the severity of hot flashes and other unpleasant symptoms of menopause.
Medicines for menopause usually contain hops and licorice root. Such remedies are often enriched with plants with a sedative effect (valerian, lemon balm, motherwort, St. John's wort). Plants such as sage or clover improve vascular tone and blood circulation.
There are almost no contraindications to non-hormonal drugs during menopause, but they should still be prescribed by a doctor, because only he can calculate the correct dosage of the drug. To feel the positive effect, the herbal medicine must be taken for at least a month.
pharmachologic effect
Correctors for disorders during menopause replace the deficiency of female sex hormones (estrogens) or normalize hormonal balance, increase the sensitivity of specific receptors in organs and tissues to estrogen, thereby facilitating the implementation of the optimal effect of female sex hormones on the woman’s body.
Correctors for disorders during menopause eliminate typical symptoms of menopause - hot flashes, feelings of heat, excessive sweating, palpitations, insomnia, mood changes, irritability, dry vaginal mucosa.
Estrogen preparations additionally increase bone density, prevent excessive bone fragility and the development of fractures, normalize vascular tone, and prevent the deposition of atherosclerotic plaques in blood vessels, which subsequently significantly reduces the risk of cardiovascular complications.
Qi-Klim
The active ingredient of this drug is black cohosh (a plant of the ranunculaceae family). “Qi-Clim” is prescribed during menopause to eliminate frequent pressure changes and increases, neurosis, and migraines. The drug is completely safe, so for some indications it is prescribed even during pregnancy. “Qi-Clim” during menopause also acts as a mild sedative, reducing anxiety and mood swings. The main advantages of the herbal medicine are its affordable price, large packaging, helps with insomnia, and has a safe herbal composition. Among the disadvantages is that it cannot be used as a method of contraception; an allergy to the components of the drug is possible.
Qi-Klim
Evalar, Russia
QI-CLIM reduces the levels of FSH and LH, increases the level of estradiol, which leads to the elimination of early menopausal disorders (psycho-emotional and vegetative-vascular disorders) and delayed menopausal disorders associated with low estrogen levels.
The therapeutic effect of the drug QI-CLIM develops gradually and appears after approximately 2-4 weeks of treatment. from 163
4.0 2 reviews
1342
- Like
- Write a review
Klimaksan
“Climaxan” is a homeopathic remedy for menopause (also contains black cohosh). It is usually prescribed to reduce vegetative-vascular and mental symptoms during menopause. "Climaxan" helps with rapid heartbeat, excessive sweating, irritability and emotional swings. During menopause, these tablets should not be washed down with water, but dissolved in the morning and evening (if the symptoms of menopause are severe, doctors recommend taking 3-4 tablets per day). "Climaxan" helps calm the nervous system and stabilizes sleep. Among the disadvantages of the drug is that individual intolerance is possible, and it is not available in every pharmacy.
Klimaksan
Klimaxan is a homeopathic complex drug that is used in gynecology to relieve symptoms associated with the premenopausal and postmenopausal period.
Eliminates vegetative-vascular disorders that are associated with hormonal imbalance. Has a moderate sedative effect. from 92
736
- Like
- Write a review
Estrovel
The drug for menopause “Estrovel” contains cohosh extract, as well as soybean seeds, griffonia, dioscorea root, chasteberry fruits, magnesium, folic acid, vitamins B6, E, K1, etc. “Estrovel” is an excellent source of essential minerals and vitamins. This supplement is prescribed for sleep disorders, hot flashes, excessive sweating, and emotional instability. The drug is taken 1-2 capsules per day (it all depends on the severity of negative symptoms). Estrovel has practically no side effects, although individual intolerance to any component of the drug is sometimes possible. "Estrovel" strengthens the immune system, reduces the symptoms of menopause, improves sleep, has a cumulative effect, and is inexpensive. Among the disadvantages is that sometimes weight gain is possible while taking this herbal medicine, and in order to improve the condition as much as possible, long-term treatment is needed.
Estrovel
The dietary supplement Estrovel is recommended during menopause and premenstrual syndrome.
The product alleviates symptoms associated with hormonal imbalance during menopause and menopause, helps reduce muscle, joint and headaches. Estrovel improves bone metabolism, reduces calcium loss, which helps prevent osteoporosis during menopause, and has sedative and calming properties. from 380
4.0 5 reviews
1639
- Like
- Write a review
Menopause - symptoms and treatment
Treatment of menopausal syndrome is usually required for moderate to severe cases. It is carried out in three directions: non-medicinal, medicinal and hormonal.
Non-drug treatment
, non-drug treatment is mainly used
- phytotherapy; [10]
- general strengthening gymnastics, massage, physical therapy - exercises to strengthen the pelvic floor muscles, maintain joint mobility and elasticity of ligaments, slow down the loss of bone and muscle mass;
- physiotherapeutic procedures - galvanization, electroanalgesia, electrophoresis with novocaine on the collar area and other techniques;
- acupuncture;
- sanatorium-resort treatment - climatotherapy, balneotherapy, hydrotherapy.
To normalize the psycho-emotional state, psychotherapeutic techniques and relaxation methods will be useful [5].
Nutrition and diet
It is recommended to limit the consumption of animal fats, simple carbohydrates, table salt and caffeine-containing products, as well as enrich the diet with fiber, vegetable oils, and dairy products.
Non-hormonal drugs
At the second stage, non-hormonal medications :
- vitamin complexes containing vitamins A, C, E, D and B vitamins;
- herbal medicines containing substances similar to female sex hormones;
- sedatives, neuroleptics, tranquilizers;
- symptomatic remedies;
- drugs for the treatment of concomitant diseases.
Hormonal treatment
The third stage is hormonal treatment . Basic principles of hormone replacement therapy:
- only analogues of natural female hormones are used;
- low doses of estrogens are used in combination with progestogens (if the uterus is removed, isolated use of estrogens is possible - monotherapy);
- The duration of treatment with hormones is at least 5-7 years.
Various hormonal drugs are designed for different stages of menopause:
- during early menopause in relatively young women, drugs simulate a menstrual-like reaction;
- for women of the older age group who do not want to resume menstrual flow, medications that contain a much lower dosage of hormones are indicated;
- for women who have been in menopause for at least one and a half years, medications are prescribed that are aimed at preventing osteoporosis, cardiovascular diseases, inflammatory processes of the urogenital tract and mitigating vasomotor symptoms.
Methods of administering hormones can be different: oral (orally in the form of tablets), vaginal, intrauterine, external (in the form of patches or gels) and injection.[2][3]
In each case, an individual selection of the drug by the doctor is necessary, taking into account the individual characteristics of the patient and contraindications.
Combating vaginal dryness during menopause
At any stage of menopause, it is possible to use products that improve the condition of the external genitalia and vaginal mucosa. They are indicated for women who have pronounced signs of atrophic changes in the skin and mucous membrane of the genital organs, accompanied by itching, a feeling of dryness, significant difficulties during sexual intercourse (up to their impossibility) and urinary incontinence (in the early stages). We are talking about the local use of hyaluronic acid preparations, which moisturizes the skin and mucous membranes to the deep layers, increases firmness and elasticity, and improves appearance.
Also in recent years, so-called laser vulvorejuvenation has been used - exposure to a special type of laser irradiation, as a result of which trophic processes in the skin and mucous membranes are improved, and the feeling of dryness and discomfort is eliminated.
Treatment of hot flashes during menopause
In addition to hormonal medications prescribed by your doctor, the following may help with hot flashes:
- avoid provoking factors, such as bright light or emotional overload;
- reduce the external temperature using an air conditioner or fan;
- choose clothes that can be easily removed if necessary [11].
Treatment of hypertension during menopause
Treatment of hypertension occurs together with a cardiologist, who prescribes appropriate medications.
Therapy for osteoporosis during menopause
All postmenopausal women are recommended to be screened for osteoporosis. Patients are managed together with an endocrinologist.
Quitting smoking
One of the important components of successfully combating the negative manifestations of menopausal syndrome is a complete cessation of smoking .[4] In women who smoke, menopausal syndrome often occurs especially severely at an earlier age, and hormone therapy while smoking can lead to severe side effects.
Feminal
The drug effectively eliminates the symptoms of menopause thanks to the active ingredient – red clover extract. “Feminal” reduces hot flashes, bouts of excessive sweating, irritability, improves sleep, and fights mood swings. You need to take one capsule of the drug per day. This herbal remedy does not have a sedative effect and does not cause drowsiness, but is contraindicated during pregnancy and breastfeeding. “Feminal” does not provoke weight gain and has a cumulative effect, but to achieve maximum effect, you need to take the medicine for several months.
Feminal
Feminal is a biologically active food supplement made on the basis of isoflavones obtained from red clover.
Each capsule contains approximately 40 mg of pure isoflavones. Red clover dry extract contains 4 isoflavones: Biochanin A, Formononetin, Daidzein, Genistein. Red clover isoflavones are structurally closest to estrogens in the human body in comparison with other phytoestrogens. Due to these similarities, red clover isoflavones may be effective in reducing menopausal symptoms. from 538
1050
- Like
- Write a review
Non-hormonal drug therapy
Non-hormonal drugs for menopause (menopausal syndrome) are used quite widely, since the range of symptoms can be quite diverse, and hormonal therapy is resorted to only if other means do not give the desired effect, and only if there are no contraindications.
Non-hormonal drugs can be represented by drugs of various groups.
- Vitamins A, D, E, C, B vitamins.
Vitamins are important as general strengthening agents. Vitamin A helps fight degenerative processes in the skin and mucous membranes, and visual impairment. Vitamin B6 in combination with magnesium helps mitigate the neurovascular manifestations of menopausal syndrome. Vitamin E has a beneficial effect on the reproductive sphere as a whole. Vitamin D3 combined with calcium will slow down bone loss. You should definitely consult your doctor about the use of vitamin preparations, despite their apparent harmlessness; it is also important to strictly adhere to the prescribed dosage. - Products based on medicinal plants.
To improve well-being, various herbal infusions, herbal teas and herbal preparations with calming, hypotensive, and diuretic effects are widely used. Before using medicinal plants, it is advisable to consult a herbalist. - Sedatives and hypnotics.
You should not start immediately with strong drugs, especially sleeping pills, to avoid the development of addiction. During menopause, glycine and various homeopathic medications are widely used to reduce anxiety and irritability. - Symptomatic remedies.
The action of these drugs is aimed at eliminating individual symptoms: headaches, itching, swelling, palpitations and others. Depending on the nature of the symptoms, the prescription of such drugs should be consulted with a physician, gynecologist, cardiologist, urologist or other specialist. - Homeopathic remedies.
Homeopathy for menopause has a fairly pronounced effect, especially in mild and moderate forms of menopause syndrome. Homeopathic remedies are prepared from natural raw materials, using a special technology of multiple dilutions.It is very important to take such medications regularly, in the recommended dose, following all the specialist’s instructions (for example, do not take the medicine with tea, exclude alcohol, coffee, spicy foods, products with mint, etc.).
Homeopathic medicines correct not only hormonal imbalances, but also have an effect on the body as a whole. They help reduce the frequency and intensity of hot flashes, reduce irritability, relieve headaches, and get rid of insomnia and drowsiness during menopause. However, they extremely rarely cause allergies and almost never have side effects.
However, it is difficult to predict how much the drug will help alleviate the symptoms of menopause in a particular woman. Typically, it may take at least 2-3 weeks to evaluate the effectiveness of the homeopathic remedy.
If no improvement is noted during this period, the product can be replaced. It will be better if a specialist recommends homeopathic medicines, since an experienced homeopath is able to predict the response of a particular patient’s body to the chosen remedy.
- Phytoestrogens.
Many of the medicines based on medicinal plants, as well as a number of biologically active food additives (BAA), contain phytoestrogens. This is the name given to substances of plant origin that are similar in chemical composition and properties to female sex hormones. They are intended to mitigate the manifestations of menopausal syndrome. Phytoestrogens during menopause often have a positive effect, only their effect is milder than that of hormonal drugs. Preparations based on phytoestrogens do not have many of the side effects characteristic of drugs used for replacement therapy. If the drug is not a dietary supplement, but a medicine, this means that its effect will occur faster and will be more pronounced.
Femicaps Easy Life
The active ingredient of Femicapsa Or Life is an extract of the fruits of the sacred vitex. In addition, the composition contains evening primrose oil, passionflower flowers, vitamins E and B6. In addition to treating menopause, the drug is also prescribed for gynecological problems caused by hormonal imbalance, mammological diseases and menstrual irregularities. "Femicaps Easy Life" improves overall well-being, strengthens the immune system and nervous system. The drug has virtually no contraindications or side effects; for a full course of three months, one package of the herbal remedy is enough. Among the disadvantages of Femicapsa Easy Life are possible allergic reactions to the components of the drug, as well as its high cost.
Femicaps Easy Life
Hankintatukku Oy, Finland
Femicaps Easy Life is recommended for the correction of a number of gynecological diseases in women caused by hormonal imbalance, as a general tonic, an additional source of magnesium, vitamins B6 and E.
from 1636
427
- Like
- Write a review
Photos from open sources
Nutrition during menopause
Folk remedies for menopause
You can help yourself during menopause with the help of diet and folk remedies. To reduce the severity of hot flashes, facial redness, excessive sweating and heart palpitations, review your diet. Avoid alcohol, spicy and too hot foods. Eat more grains, legumes and nuts - these are natural estrogens. But reduce meat and fats in your diet.
There are many traditional methods to relieve the symptoms of menopause. We have selected the most popular and effective ones.
- Herbal teas.
Phytoestrogens are found in plants such as linden, licorice root, sage, rowan, hawthorn, ginseng root, etc. Train yourself to drink a glass of decoction of the listed components every day, and you will feel how negative symptoms will decrease: sleep will improve, irritability will go away , sweating, hot flashes and emotional swings. Such herbal teas slow down the aging of the female body. - Sage.
To prepare the drink, you need to take a tablespoon of sage herb and pour two glasses of boiling water over it. Let it brew for half an hour and strain. This decoction can be taken three times a day for two weeks. Then we take the same break and continue treatment. After a three-month course - a pause of two months. Then everything can be repeated. - Vitamin mixture.
Take two oranges, a lemon, the juice of two small beets and 150 g of honey. Grind citrus fruits in a blender or meat grinder along with the zest. Mix all the products. The course of treatment is two weeks (take 2 tablespoons in the morning and evening).