Hormone therapy is prescribed for troublesome symptoms during menopause.  While very effective in treating symptoms such as hot flashes, night sweats and mood changes, its use has declined due to safety concerns.  These safety concerns became very well publicized after the 2002 report from the Women’s Health Initiative study. Click here for more information.

Currently, the use of hormone therapy is still considered the gold standard for treating moderate to severe menopause symptoms.  Due to safety concerns, use is generally limited to the lowest effective dose for the shortest time frame.  However, women still have concerns about the potential risks associated with hormone therapy use.  Fortunately, there is new research showing a potential benefit to alternative ways that hormone therapy is administered. 

Hormone therapy is commonly administered in an oral tablet form.  However, hormones can also be delivered effectively via the skin in a transdermal patch form.  Due to the manner in which the hormone is metabolized once absorbed, practitioners have wondered if the patch is a safer way to deliver hormones.  Click here for more information. 

Good News for Women

Fortunately, two recent studies have found the transdermal patch to be a potentially safer way to administer menopause hormones.  Most recently, Dr. Suissa and colleagues from McGill University in Montreal reported that the use of a low dose estrogen patch does not seem to increase the risk of stroke(1).  In March, the same group reported that the patch was not associated with an increased risk of blood clots in postmenopausal women.  Read more…

Last week, Prolia™ (denosumab) was approved for the treatment of postmenopausal women with osteoporosis at high risk for fracture, defined as a history of osteoporotic fracture, or multiple risk factors for fracture; or patients who have failed or are intolerant to other available osteoporosis therapy.  In postmenopausal women with osteoporosis, Prolia reduces the incidence of vertebral, non-vertebral and hip fractures.  

 Prolia is the first and only RANK ligand inhibitor approved by the FDA.  Prolia has a Risk Evaluation and Mitigation Strategy (REMS) that consists of a Medication Guide and a Dear Healthcare Professional Letter.  The manufacturer, Amgen, is also launching a voluntary program to monitor the long-term safety of Prolia and enhance the quality of data collected in the postmarketing setting.  This program is called the Prolia Post Marketing Active Safety Surveillance Program and is intended to collect information about pre-specified adverse events of special interest that may be reported by patients.  More information about this program may be found at www.proliasafety.com or by calling Amgen Medical Information at 1-800-772-6436.

 Prolia Important Safety Information 

Read more…

Getting Help with Night Sweats…

Night sweats are one of the most common complaints of menopause which typically begins in a woman’s late 30s to early 50s. In fact, in a survey conducted by MenopauseRx, approximately 60% of women experience night sweats. Night sweats are part of a variety of symptoms referred to as vasomotor symptoms. Vasomotor symptoms result from the body’s thermoregulatory center responding to lower circulating hormones.

How to Cope…

A new study reports that 20 – 40% of adults have experienced night sweats in the past month, of which 50% of these adults complained of severe nights sweats (they required a change in bed clothes) and yet they have not reported these symptoms to their physicians.⁽¹⁾  

Oftentimes, night sweats can be so intense that they interrupt a woman’s sleep, which is associated with reduced quality of life.  

The symptoms of night sweats can drastically disturb sleep patterns, making it difficult to wake up feeling rested. Because of this, women who suffer from night sweats often experience:  

• Trouble concentrating
• Exhaustion during the day
• Irritability
• Heightened levels of stress

Fortunately, there are a number of ways to keep night sweats at bay. Here are a few strategies to consider:  

1. Look for patterns: Keep track of potential triggers (tobacco, diet, caffeine, and alcohol)
2. Stay comfortable with moisture wicking clothing: Wick away moisture from the body and speed up the evaporation process, thus helping to regulate the body’s temperature as you sleep.
3. Hormone therapy (HT): Many studies have shown that HT improves quality of sleep. Click here to learn more…..
4. Breathe deeply: Relaxation breathing may help
5. Complementary and Alternative therapy: including herbal remedies. Click here to learn more.….
6. Exercise

“A recent study done at Penn State indicates that increasing cardio-respiratory fitness, including walking and yoga, could be a way to reduce menopausal symptoms. Other research from the University of Pittsburgh suggests that during menopause, overweight women have significantly more hot flashes and night sweats. Getting active and losing weight, of course, may not only reduce night sweats but can also positively affect your overall health and well-being.”⁽²⁾  

Reference:  

1. James W. Mold, MD, MPH, Suanne Goodrich, PhD and William Orr, PhD, Associations Between Subjective Night Sweats and Sleep Study Findings, The Journal of the American Board of Family Medicine 21 (2): 96-100 (2008)
2. Jessie Sholl, Menopausal Night Sweats: Why They Happen and How to Cope, Everyday Health, 10/13/2008.

MenopauseRx is pleased to announce an agreement with the manufacturer of SalonPAS.  Beginning immediately, MenopauseRx will provide a free sample of SALONPAS®PAIN RELIEF PATCHwith each order from the MenopauseRx.com online store.  Each SALONPAS®PAIN RELIEF PATCHsample contains three (3) ultra thin, comfort stretch patches that are helpful in alleviating muscle pain.  Effectiveness related to stiff neck, sore shoulder, backache and joint pain has been confirmed in clinical trials.

The SALONPAS®PAIN RELIEF PATCH is the first and only FDA approved over-the-counter topical pain relief patch.  Two powerful ingredients, ‘Methyl Salicylate and Menthol’, go right to the site of pain. SALONPAS®PAIN RELIEF PATCH reduces inflammation and relieves mild to moderate pain for up to 12 hours.

Visit the MenopauseRx.com online store at:  http://www.MenopauseRx.com/shopsite_sc/store/html/index.php

What are the Risk Factors for an underactive Thyroid (i.e. hypothyroidism)?
In the U.S., between 7 and 10% of the population over the age of 55 are affected by a thyroid disorder, with Caucasians more commonly affected than African-Americans. Females are 5-8 times more likely to have a thyroid disorder compared to men.

Hypothyroidism can be due to a variety of causes, including history of thyroid radiation, treatment for an overactive thyroid (Graves disease), removal of thyroid gland, and certain medications, such as lithium, amiodarone and iodine. The most common cause of hypothyroidism is a medical condition called Hashimoto’s thyroiditis.

What are the Symptoms of Hypothyroidism?
The symptoms of hypothyroidism can initially be very insidious. Some studies have found only 25-70% of elderly showing typical symptoms. A clinical exam does not establish the diagnosis in many cases. In fact, only 10% of patients with confirmed hypothyroidism were identified on a physical exam. The most important aspect of hypothyroidism is to be very cognizant regarding the subtle signs and symptoms that may develop. Alerting your physician to these signs and symptoms would allow laboratory testing to confirm the diagnosis.

Common symptoms include:

• dry skin
• hair loss
• cold intolerance
• confusion
• difficulty in concentrating
• constipation
• fatigue
• sluggishness
• hoarseness
• depression
• muscle cramps
• weight gain
• menstrual irregularities

Notice that many of these symptoms can easily be confused with menopause and perimenopause symptoms….Read on to help figure out how to diagnose a thyroid disorder.

Read more…

This month is National Osteoporosis Awareness and Prevention Month.  MenopauseRx would like to remind women that osteoporosis is especially prominent after the menopause transition.  Bone loss occurs during the perimenopause and after the menopause transition.  Unfortunately, the can lead to an increased risk of a serious fracture.  In fact, one out of every two women over the age of 50 will suffer from osteoporosis.  The goal of enhanced awareness is to reduce the widespread prevalence of osteoporosis and associated fractures and to find a cure for the disease through programs of awareness, education, advocacy and research.

Learn more at: http://www.menopauserx.com/health_center/health_Osteoporosis.htm

Effisoy to help Menopause Symptoms

What is Soy?

You have likely heard a lot about soy and its wide range of health benefits including menopausal relief in the news lately. But what exactly is soy and what about soy is good for you? 

‘Soy’, ‘soy protein’, ‘isoflavones’ and ‘phytoestrogens’ are commonly mentioned when discussing natural methods used to reduce menopause symptoms. Although there are similarities, there are also distinct differences between the various soy foods and supplements available.

Pertinent Points:

»  Soy beans and other legumes contain isoflavones and are an important source of dietary phytoestrogens. 

»   Soy protein and soy isoflavones are not the same thing.  Therefore, for optimal benefit of the soy isoflavone, it is important to ascertain the isoflavone content of any particular soy product or food chosen.  

»   Soy based compounds must be absorbed in sufficient quantities before they can have any effect in the body, which can cause the effectiveness of various products to differ.     

Read more…

PITTSBURGH – – Although an increasing number of people are taking powerful new prescription drugs to treat osteoporosis, chances are the majority of patients are not getting the greatest effect from these medicines because they do not have an adequate calcium and vitamin D intake, according to a paper published in the March 2005 issue of The Journal of Women’s Health. John A. Sunyecz, M.D., president of MenopauseRx, Inc., who co-authored the paper, “Calcium’s Role in Osteoporosis Drug Therapy,” notes that many people being treated for osteoporosis mistakenly think their calcium and vitamin D intake is no longer important once prescription therapy begins. “People taking osteoporosis medications should remember that they do not contain calcium and have been proven most effective when taken with adequate calcium and vitamin D, usually achieved with the addition of supplements to the daily diet,” he explains.

“This paper builds on previous research published last year that shows physicians are not taking the clinical information we know about these drugs and putting it into practice when treating patients. From 1994 to 2003 there was a five-fold increase in prescriptions for bisphosphonates, however during that same time period, the percentage of osteoporosis patients who were treated with calcium supplements decreased by nearly 50 percent.”

Read more…

(NAPSI)-Here’s a fact that you may want to sleep on. According to the National Sleep Foundation, nearly 75 percent of women between the ages of 30 and 60 are not getting the eight hours of sleep they need.

Many women find it difficult to unwind at the end of the day and are left tossing and turning, trying to fall asleep and waking up in the middle of the night. Often blamed are hectic lifestyles filled with daily stress, anxiety and responsibilities, but there may be more to what’s keeping women up at night.

If you’re a woman between the ages of 35 and 55, you may be experiencing hormone fluctuations due to perimenopause and menopause, which can cause a number of physical and emotional changes including increased irritability, anxiety and night sweats. These changes may upset your body’s natural sleep pattern. In fact, according to a recent study, sleeplessness is the number-two complaint of menopausal women.

Researchers believe that lack of quality sleep may contribute to obesity, diabetes, immune system dysfunction as well as safety issues such as car accidents and medical errors, not to mention impaired job performance and productivity in other activities.
Read more…

#10: This is not your grandmother’s menopause

At the turn of the 19th century, a woman’s average life expectancy was 48.3 years. Most women did not live beyond their childbearing years. Today, if you are 45 years old, you can expect to live another 35-40 years. Some would say that it’s not natural for a woman to live so many years without the benefits of the hormones they had when they were younger. Menopause is a natural part of life, not a disease; you can expect to stay fit and healthy after menopause.

#9: Know what’s happening physically

Estrogen is necessary for reproduction and provides you with feminine characteristics. When your ovaries stop producing the hormones necessary for pregnancy your periods stop as well. Menopause is merely your last menstrual period. For many women, the changes leading to menopause begin a few years before their last period, and during this time of hormonal fluctuation, they may experience hot flashes, sleep disturbances, night sweats, palpitations, headaches, mood swings, and fatigue.

#8: Menopause can affect sexual function

Women experience the effects of menopause in a variety of ways. Lack of hormones can affect the lubrication of the vaginal wall. As a result, you might experience vaginal dryness that makes sexual intercourse painful. You shouldn’t have to have pain with intercourse.

Read more…