Self Care + Beauty: Perparing for Perimenopause

PREPARING FOR Perimenopause

By Cathy Shouse

Although menopause is a significant time in a woman’s life, perimenopause also brings changes. Knowing what to expect can make things easier.

Emelia Winston, DO, OBGYN, of Women’s Health Advantage, shared her thoughts on the subject.

“We aim to treat every patient individually, understanding that everybody requires personalized care,” she said.

In very general terms, perimenopause lasts from two to ten years prior to menopause. Age 51 is the average age for menopause to start.

Most common signs:

• Hot flashes • Night sweats • Decreased libido • Trouble sleeping/insomnia • Mood irritability • Weight gain, especially centralized in the abdomen • Changes in vagina, dryness • Painful and/or irregular periods “The time of perimenopause is a time for women to really take care of themselves,” Winston said. “This is when they can start to set themselves up for success for their postmenopausal years. The first thing that a woman can do is make some lifestyle changes.”

Some ways to help:

• Taking vitamins/supplements, especially calcium and Vitamin D • Aiming for a plant-based whole food diet, or MACROS, intermittent fasting, etc. • Adding more strength and resistance training to work outs • Stopping smoking and/or limiting alcohol intake • Working on mental health • Trying a personal fan or cool mat placed on the bed. • Watching what you eat and triggers

“There is a company called Bonafide that makes a plant based, non-hormonal and non-steroid supplement that some have noticed improvement within two weeks of starting it,” Winston said.

Decreased libido can be a multifactorial issue that can take not only lifestyle changes, but sex therapy or medical therapy to help improve this area.

ROSY, a wellness app, and OMGYES, a website that has lots of information and programs, might be helpful.

For vaginal issues, in particular vaginal dryness, which can then lead to painful sex, there are different options available. There is a daily water-based moisturizer called Replens that can help for just regular daily dryness. For sex, there are different lubricants that can be used. Most are familiar with KY, which is a water-based lubricant, but sometimes using a silicone-based lubricant like UBERLUBE can help better with the pain from friction. Bonafide also makes a vaginal moisturizer suppository that has hyaluronic acid in it that can help to rebuild the tissue that is becoming thin due to perimenopause/menopause.

“Getting an appointment with your physician can help you decide which avenue to begin with. Ultimately, every woman is unique, and different things will work for different women, so the key is finding out what works for you and not getting frustrated if something that works for your friend is not having the same effect for you,” Winston said.

“It takes time to address every issue and although it can be a very frustrating process for some, know that your physician is there to lead you every step of the way to ensure that you can have a more enjoyable life in the post menopause phase.” a

Resource: Women’s Health Advantage, Fort Wayne, 260.432.4400, heradvantage.com