Women during menopause face many annoying and uncomfortable symptoms, including hot flashes and insomnia, which disrupt the normal life of many of them. Even though there are many treatment options that can help them get through this phase, these methods may not suit all women.
This might force women to navigate through many treatment choices. So, in this article, we'll go over the best available treatments for menopause symptoms, letting you pick the right one for you.
Ways to treat menopause symptoms
1. Hormone Replacement Therapy
For decades, Hormone Replacement Therapy was the best treatment for menopause because menopause symptoms mainly happen due to low estrogen and progesterone levels during this time, which causes body functions to get out of balance.
Hormone Replacement Therapy can help reduce hot flashes, vaginal dryness, and prevent bone loss. Experts say this treatment is the only one that addresses multiple menopause symptoms. Many other treatments mainly focus on hot flashes and insomnia.
Hormone Replacement Therapy works well for some women, though it has risks. Some studies supported by the US Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute showed a slight increase in breast cancer risk in women using it who haven't had a hysterectomy, plus other studies sayestrogen hormone alone might slightly raise the risk of endometrial cancer.
Still, experts add that the benefits of Hormone Replacement Therapy outweigh the risks for women with severe symptoms, and this treatment can really help reduce cancer risks.
For example, if a woman has a hysterectomy, hormone therapyestrogen hormone alone reduces the risks of breast cancer, colon cancer, osteoporosis, and even lung cancer.
The exception is women who are already being treated for breast cancer or survivors, and patients using hormone replacement therapy for fairly long periods, up to 5-7 years, may face higher risks of some cancers. So extra care is needed when choosing hormone replacement therapy or not.
2. Antidepressant treatment
Studies show antidepressants can be as effective as hormone replacement therapy in treating hot flashes, including the antidepressant Venlafaxine.
Even though Venlafaxine isn't FDA-approved for menopause symptoms, doctors often prescribe it off-label.
Researchers found common antidepressants can reduce how often and how bad hot flashes are. Since most doses for hot flashes are very low, side effects are usually minimal, making these drugs a good treatment option for menopause.
3. Treatment with Fezolinetant drug
Astellas Pharma, a Japanese drug company, published results of a new non-hormonal oral drug called Fezolinetant. The results showed hot flashes decreased in the first week of regular use, and side effects were minimal.
Studies say Fezolinetant blocks chemicals that cause hot flashes. It does more than cool the body. it can also improve sleep quality, manage anxiety, and ease disturbances.
Fezolinetant was approved by the FDA in May this year as a treatment for hot flashes and night sweats during menopause.
4. Treatment with Elinzanetant drug
Elinzanetant is another non-hormonal treatment developed by Bayer Pharmaceuticals. It showed promising results targeting signals that cause menopausal symptoms.
Elinzanetant is not yet approved. The company hopes to get FDA approval by 2025.
In the end, severe menopause symptoms are quite common. Many treatments exist but none fits all women. So you should discuss well with your healthcare provider before starting any menopause symptom treatment.
