Posts Tagged "menopause"

Hope springs eternal: black cohosh

Posted by Liz on Oct 18, 2008 in breast cancer, estrogen | 0 comments

There may be good news on the horizon for perimenopausal women with hormone receptor-positive breast cancer.  Researchers from the University of Missouri-Columbia are conducting an animal study to see how black cohosh and the tamoxifen interact.

Unfortunately, breast cancer patients who take tamoxifen to prevent their cancer from recurring, are unable to take hormones for menopausal symptoms that often occur as the drug starts working to shut down estrogen production. Consequently, one of the only options available to them are antidepressants, which are not always effective and depending on the agent, may cause side effects such as weight gain, fatigue or reduced sexual desire.

It’s a hopeful path that may help alleviate undesired side effects in women with breast cancer. If you’re interesting in reading more about black cohosh, you can click on the word in the tags category on the sidebar.

Wednesday Bubble: Blue

Posted by Liz on Oct 15, 2008 in emotions | 3 comments

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Mid-life depression is a real issue. But are your blue feelings due to depression or to menopause? That is, is depressed mood in middle aged women a result of aging and some of the emotional or pyschological factors that accompanies it, or due to hormonal changes during the transition?

Experts still are not certain of the association and to date, research has demonstrated contradictory results, with some studies showing a correlation between depression and menopause and others, none. Other studies suggest mood declines during early stages of menopause followed by improvements as vasomotor and other symptoms start to wane.

However, what the data do appear to show is that there are several time periods in a woman’s life in which she is more vulnerable to depressive symptoms, e.g., pre-menstruation, postpartum and of course, during the menopausal transition.  What’s more, data from the Melbourne Women’s Mid-Life suggest that a prior history of depression and having negative feelings about menopause can increase risk. Additionally, menopausal-onset depression and the start of vasomotor symptoms during the early stages of menopause appear to be linked.

Personally, I believe that drastic changes in one’s body, in moods and appearance, as well as some serious self-exploration and self-analysis, also play a role.

So, what can you do when you feel blue?

Transdermal estrogen delivered via a patch that is applied to the skin appears to even out estrogen fluctuations that may affect mood during the menopause. For women for whom estrogen is not an option and who are not interested in trying antidepressants, (whose effects, btw, may vary depending on age), St. John’s Wort (hypericum) extract may be a viable and effective option. A recent analysis of 29 studies enrolling almost 5,500 patients showed that St. John’s Wort extract:

• is superior to placebo tablets in patients with major depression
• is as effective as standard antidepressants
• has fewer side effects than standard antidepressants

So, how should you take St. John’s Wort? Well, like any herb, it’s best to consult with a practitioner well-versed in herbal therapy rather than reaching for a bottle in your local drugstore. Many therapists are also joining the band wagon and may be able to provide advice.

In earlier posts, I wrote how exercise can help to improve mood symptoms. And ironically, a glass of red wine daily also has been shown to improve mood and quality of life, although if you’re taking medications for depression, alcohol is counterintuitive.

So, tell me? Are you feeling blue on a more regular basis? What seems to help (or not help)?

Survey says…

Posted by Liz on Oct 13, 2008 in Uncategorized | 1 comment

I created an informal poll last week after reading two studies that suggested a seasonal timing to menopause onset and symptoms.

It turns out that the poll mimcs the results found in the studies, ie, that symptom onset is more frequent in winter.

Hmm. We are truly in tune with the tides and cycles. It’s kind of strange, right?

BTW…my BBFF Amy, is taking an informal poll on divadom…Aretha or Tina? Check it out!

HSDD

Posted by Liz on Oct 11, 2008 in sexual health | 0 comments

Bet you didn’t know that they actually named the lack of sexual desire that often accompanies menopause.

I certainly didn’t. But, HSDD, or hypoactive sexual desire disorder, (which is defined in DMV IV as “diminished feelings of sexual interest of desire, absent sexual thoughts/fantasies, or a lack of responsive desire that causes marked distress or interpersonal difficulties, and is not caused by a medical condition or drugs, reportedly affects 1 in 10 women.)

On the other hand, about 70% of women report some decline in sexual desire after menopause. So is HSDD different than the natural decline of sexual “health?”  I don’t see researchers making a distinction.

I’ve written about sex numerous times since starting this blog. In fact, I did examine the role of testosterone in sex drive in an earlier post. (You may recall that testosterone, while primarily a male hormone, also plays a role in driving sexual desire in women.)

Researchers are actively studying the safety and effectiveness of a testosterone gel called LibiGel, which when rubbed on the upper arm once a day, evidently raises blood testosterone levels and improves sex drive without causing any serious side effects. What’s more, testosterone gel reportedly does not cause the hair growth and acne often associated with testosterone pills.

I’ve got no argument with the use of testosterone gel; heck, if it’s going to restore sexual desire regardless of declining hormones, I’m all for it. But do we need to call it HSDD, which for all intents and purposes, classify it as problem and not as a natural part of the transition that we call menopause?

I dunno; it feels a bit clinical to me. What do you think?

To everything…there is a season

Posted by Liz on Oct 9, 2008 in general | 4 comments

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The severity of menopause symptoms are associated with the season in which you are born.

Sounds pretty far-fetched right?

Evidently, it’s not.

A few years ago, Italian researchers conducted a study of 2,541 women who were undergoing menopause and not taking HRT. Information was collected on physical, vasomotor (i.e. hot flashes, night sweats) and psychological symptoms (e.g. anxiety, depression), which were then rated by severity and grouped by the season of birth. The researchers also controlled for factors that could potentially interfere with the study results, including age, number of years in menopause, body mass index, education, occupation and smoking habits.

The findings, which were published in the Menopause journal in 2006, demonstrated a relationship between season of birth and menopause symptoms. For example, women born in Autumn had the least severe symptoms while women born in Spring had the most. This same association held true for anxiety and depression and physical symptoms.

This got me thinking. If season of birth affected how severe menopause symptoms were, could it also affect when menopause started.? So, I delved a bit deeper.

Turns out that a study published in the journal Maturitas in 2006 shows that menopause onset is also seasonally-regulated.  Among 2,436 women studied, the onset of menopause was significantly more frequent in Winter (32.5%) than in Spring (20.8%), Autumn (20.3%) and Summer (26.2%).

I’m taking an informal poll on menopause onset and its relationship to seasons. I’d love your feedback and participation so please, spread the word!

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