Posts Tagged "menopause"

Domino Effect

Posted by Liz on Aug 15, 2008 in sexual health | 1 comment

I’ve been writing about sex alot lately. Sexual dysfunction, sexual desire, sexsexsexsexsex. If you were Freud, you’d have a field day!

Seriously though, a new research study in an advanced publication of the journal Menopause suggests a strong link between symptoms of vaginal atrophy (thinning of the vaginal and vulvovaginal tissues due to declining estrogen levels) and sexual dysfunction. Sort of a domino effect, if you will.

Researchers from the University of North Carolina examined 1,480 sexually active postmenopausal women, 57% of whom had symptoms of vaginal atrophy. They then asked the women about their sexual experiences; more than half (55%) also had symptoms of sexual dysfunction. In fact, the study findings revealed that women with sexual complaints had almost 4 times the risk for vaginal atrophy.

These study findings suggest a strong overlap in these conditions. This implies that if you treat symptoms of one condition, you may be able to relieve symptoms of the other. The challenge will be to find a natural and effective treatment rather than rely on the old standby – estrogen or the novel standby – SERMS.

I am going to continue to explore this topic until I find a reasonable non-pharmaceutical or estrogen-based alternative for this problem. So far, I’ve not stumbled across anything that has some good research behind it. If you know of an alternative, do drop me a line.

Wednesday Bubble

Posted by Liz on Aug 6, 2008 in herbal medicine, hot flash, nightsweats | 0 comments

I’m starting a new feature on Flashfree called the Wednesday Bubble. Every Wednesday, I plan to shed light on a popular misconception about a menopausal treatment or symptom, discuss research that proves or disproves a theory or simply highlight an important thought for hump day.

Onto today’s bubble!

In a recent post, I posted evidence debunking the beneficial effects of HRT with regard to pain during intercourse. Now, a Chinese herbal preparation has been shown to be ineffective.

Researchers from the Chinese University of Hong Kong have confirmed that the Chinese medicine herbal preparation, Dang Gui Buxue Tang (which contains the herbs Dang Gui and Huang Qi), has little effect on menopausal vasomotor symptoms such as hot flashes and night sweats.

Chinese herbal medicines containing Dang Gui and Huang Qi are commonly used in China for menopausal symptoms.  Neither preparation has undergone rigorous Western testing for efficacy or safety.

Over a 6-month period, 100 women with acute menopausal symptoms took either Dang Gui Buxue Tang or placebo.  The researchers found no difference in the frequency of mild, moderate or severe hot flashes between the study groups. In fact, Dang Gui Buxue Tang was found to be superior to placebo only for mild hot flashes. The researchers concluded that while Dang Gui Buxue Tang may be perceived as being beneficial for treating vasomotor symptoms, it is actually no better than placebo.

The placebo effect has been studied far and wide. Recently, it was attributed to the brain’s expectation of a future reward, meaning that if you think it, it will be. The findings of this particular study were interesting because the researchers actually expected these results. Keep in mind, however, that there are plenty of Chinese herbal medicine preparations that proving to be useful for menopausal symptoms. The most important consideration is that if you are considering using Chinese herbal medicine, consider the source. This means that you should consult a licensed practitioner and be sure any preparation you use is targeted for you and not simply purchased off the shelf or online without some sort of directive.

I want to hear from you. Let me know how you feel about the Wednesday Bubble. And if you have an idea for one, be sure to email me and let me know!

Going Undercover

Posted by Liz on Aug 5, 2008 in Uncategorized | 1 comment

I’ve found that the more I flash or sweat, the less I want to wear. This is especially true in the evenings and in bed.

So, when I saw this article about bullet-resistant bras, I wondered about these poor German policewomen (at least the ones in menopause). Life-saving heat.

I’m telling you, it’s a field day for puns and bad jokes.

More Sex: Another One Bites the Dust

Posted by Liz on Aug 5, 2008 in estrogen | 0 comments

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hMenB9Ywh2Q]

Guess that I have sex on the brain these days.

Another theoretical benefit of HRT bites the dust.  Researchers at McGill University’s Laboratory for the Biopsychosocial Study of Sexuality have found that HRT is ineffective for alleviating painful sexual intercourse in a majority of postmenopausal women.

Approximately one in three postmenopausal women suffer from dyspareunia, or pain during intercourse. This has historically been attributed to declining estrogen levels and changes in the genital tract that lead to thinning skin.  HRT has long been used to treat this problem.

The McGill research team, led by Alina Kao, say that their findings suggest that numerous conditions that may be causing pain, such as infections or problems with pelvic floor muscles, are apparently being overlooked by most clinicians. Consequently, they suggest that treatment should be individualized.

The study is slated for publication in the journal Pain Research and Management. In the interim, you can learn more about the lab’s work here.

Libido

Posted by Liz on Aug 4, 2008 in sexual desire | 0 comments

Many clients of Sigmund Freud spent hours on his infamous couch (pictured) discussing their libido (or lack thereof). Freud invented the term to describe sexual drive in his patients, and believed that sexual experiences in infancy were what drove later emotional issues in adulthood.

Other psychologists (e.g., Carl Jung) have debunked Freud’s theories and more contemporary experts in the field believe that while libido is rooted in hormones, it is largely driven by culture and individual experience.

Here’s a stat:

Approximately 70% of post-menopausal women experience a loss of libido.

Undoubtedly, declining hormones play a large role in loss of sexual interest and desire after menopause. But have you considered how emotions and self-esteem may come into play as well?

So far as I am concerned, there is no reason why women can’t enjoy a healthy and exciting sex life during and after menopause. In fact, although hormones like androgens may influence libido or behavior, they reportedly have less of an impact on the ability to reach orgasm. This suggests that perhaps, how we feel about ourselves during this transition, coupled with the societal stigma of aging, may play a role in our sexuality.

So, how do we change this perception?

Sex expert Betty Dodson spiced up her postmenopausal life by playing a call girl. Okay, that’s a bit extreme for most of us but it certainly gives a new meaning to role play. For the rest of us, regaining one’s sex life during and after the transition may require a new approach, new tools and some creativity.

Any thoughts? Email me privately and I’ll summarize in an upcoming post.