Two years ago, New York City hair colorist Tina Mulian, 49, went to her GP for answers. For over a year, she woke up repeatedly at night, was plagued with hot flashes, and had a foggy feeling in her head during the day. Mulyan told Yahoo Life that she used to have plenty of energy, but she felt she was running out of energy these days.
“I get a little irritable because I’m tired,” she says, remembering how she feels. “I like to nap during the day, but that’s not me. I’ve always had a burst of energy.”
Her doctor recommended her the antidepressant Lexapro. “I said no, I’m not depressed,” she says. Mulian asked for an answer about her symptoms, but did not get one. “I was just like, you’re not my doctor anymore, and I just walked away.”
Mulian was diagnosed with menopausal symptoms. “She was frustrated,” she says of her lack of help from doctors. “She felt disappointed in the medical community,” she said.
Mulyan’s experience is not unique.of majority of menopausal women in the United States not treated About the symptoms by the doctor.
“We are not educating healthcare workers about menopause.”
According to recent research, Electra Healthdigital platforms that provide menopause-related education and support report that 1 in 5 women between the ages of 40 and 60 are experiencing menopausal symptoms, despite 80% of all women typically experiencing menopause symptoms. has been diagnosed with menopause.
Dr. Stephanie Fabion, Medical Director North American Menopause Society and Mayo Clinic Women’s Health Center Directortold Yahoo Life that the mentality of her colleagues was “‘If I ignore them, these women will solve this problem too.'” But she “can’t just be petted,” she said, because menopausal symptoms last an average of seven to nine years. Tell any woman who has a headache that it’s okay and don’t worry about these symptoms,” she says.
“We are no longer educating healthcare professionals about managing menopause,” she says. Fabion is a co-author of the following books: 2019 survey Only 6% of residents said they were comfortable managing menopause, and more than a third said they were completely unprepared. They reported that they received an average of about 2 hours of education about menopause in medical school.
Dr. Anna Barbieriobstetrician-gynecologist and founding physician Electra Healthtold Yahoo Life: Lack of time as a resource. And the controversy over menopause treatments is still rife, and it’s exactly like the perfect storm of why. [doctors] Don’t feel comfortable with it. ”
“Nothing is wrong with you – move on”
When Barbieri was finishing her stay on Mount Sinai in 2003, she said she received little menopause training. It turned out to be her blind spot for her in 2014, when she was 41 years old when she started experiencing her head fog and forgetfulness. “I’m a busy gynecologist and had no real experience with menopause, but I thought I might have a brain tumor, so I went to a neurologist and had an MRI of my brain,” she told Yahoo Life. told to “Well, I didn’t have a brain tumor. In fact, I was in the early stages of menopause, but it was really self-searching that I was able to find ways to make me feel better.”
Barbieri saw her experience as an opportunity to educate herself on the subject so she could better help her patients. Now, she says, 80% of her patients come to her because of menopause. Most of them find her because they don’t get answers or help from obstetricians and gynecologists or primary care doctors, and they don’t have enough knowledge about menopause and how to treat it. In some cases, she says, women are told flatly, “‘Nothing is wrong with you, move on.'”
The challenge is also compounded by the fact that few patients, doctors, or even people talk about menopause. So did Gwen Harris of Nashville. At age 54, she said she was experiencing menopausal symptoms such as insomnia. chronic eye problems, hot flashes and anxiety “became” her. She didn’t know who to turn to.
“I didn’t know anything. That’s not what my mom told me,” she told Yahoo Life. Ms Harris said her doctors “wanted to give her sleeping pills and anxiety pills”. Instead, she worked with a naturopath who practices alternative medicine. “She was so lonely and frustrated that she literally had to do this journey on her own,” she says.
In 2013 Mr. Harris menopause support group With over 124,000 members, it is the largest member of its kind on Facebook. “In a nutshell, I know I’m not alone,” she says.
A common thread in support groups is a feeling of frustration, Harris said. “They went to the doctor, but the doctor didn’t know what to do with them,” she says, typically.
Harris now co-runs a menopause support network called. Menowave And a decade after starting the support group, she says she’s noticed a younger generation talking about menopause and “helping break the taboo.”
Barbieri agrees that support groups are community forums to share stories about menopause, but cautions against taking medical advice from these groups because everyone’s treatment is different.
Why Doctors Are Reluctant to Prescribe Hormone Therapy
One of the barriers to women’s treatment for menopause is the reluctance of some physicians to prescribe hormone replacement therapy (HRT). It usually dates from 2002. Women’s Health Initiative Surveyreported that HRT caused an increased risk of heart disease, breast cancer, and stroke, with greater risks than benefits.
but, researcher He criticized the study, pointing out that “there was no distinction between users and their age.”
In this study, women were also given a type of oral estrogen called Premarin, which is a mixture of estrogens found in the urine of pregnant horses. “We generally don’t use this kind of hormone therapy anymore. Now we mainly use estradiol, which is what the ovaries were producing before menopause,” Fabion said. say. Because estrogen bypasses the liver, it is considered by doctors to be safer than taking estrogen orally and is available in several forms, including skin patches.
Fabion said about 40% of postmenopausal women were using hormone therapy before the report was released. After the report was released, that figure dropped to 6%, but hasn’t changed. “So it’s gone down by an order of magnitude and hasn’t rebounded,” said Fabion. “Because health workers and women are uneducated and afraid of it.”
Women need to educate themselves: ‘I found my voice’
Adding to the challenge, many women are unaware that they are menopausal, and their doctors are unaware.
Fabion says she’s seen many women come to the clinic with a range of symptoms, not realizing they’re experiencing peri-menopausal symptoms. She said, “I was sweating, I was gaining weight, my hair was falling out, I was having heart palpitations, I was feeling anxious. And with all of that, they’re thinking, ‘Oh my God, I’m going to die.'” . And I feel like they’re saying, “Oh my god, you’re menopausal.” ”
But if your doctor isn’t familiar with the symptoms of menopause, you may end up with a lot of unnecessary tests. “The women are seeing a urologist for frequent urination and incontinence. They are seeing a cardiologist for palpitations, and they are seeing a psychiatrist for mood changes. ,” says Fabion. “And all of that is actually related to menopause.”
Barbieri says women can’t wait to see the changes needed to educate doctors about menopause management. Instead, she encourages women to self-educate and assert themselves.
That’s what Kristen, who lives in Colorado, says. [last name withheld] It had to happen when she turned 46 and was dealing with many perimenopausal symptoms. “I thought I was terminally ill,” she recalls. Her journey began when the first doctor she visited wanted to administer her Premarin, her conjugated equine estrogen. She knew about her possible side effects, so she asked her doctor for an estrogen patch instead. he agreed.
“I found my voice when I went through menopause,” says Kristen. “I’ve learned that I can be very clear and forthright, that it’s okay to say, ‘This isn’t good enough for me.’ Here’s what I want to do. If you can’t help me, I’ll look elsewhere. ”
how to claim yourself
Do you think your symptoms may be related to menopause? Barbieri suggests preparing for your doctor’s visits in specific ways so you can assert yourself.
Sort out your symptoms. Take a few minutes to identify and write down all your symptoms. “In my practice, I often spend a lot of time with new patients, but many people don’t have that luxury with their doctors,” Barbieri said. Rather than telling your doctor that you’re not feeling well, it’s helpful to know your specific symptoms, such as difficulty concentrating, waking up repeatedly during the night, or hot flashes.
Be prepared to say Barbieri advises doctors to list their symptoms, “I think I have symptoms of menopause such as…” and then say: Could these symptoms be caused by something else? Should that be addressed and ruled out?”
Ask about how to manage your symptoms. Ask your doctor if he can help. Barbieri says some doctors openly introduce their lack of background. One more question: Am I eligible for hormone therapy? “If your healthcare provider says, ‘No, I think hormones are dangerous and no one should do them,’ ask: “Why, why not?” she says. What data support that? “If the provider says yes,” she asks, “what do you think about it in terms of risks and benefits?” What are the alternatives? What are the next steps? “
Barbieri warns against doctors taking extreme reactions or absolutism, such as “hormones are dangerous.” She says the field is complex and requires a nuanced understanding of the individual patient.
Fabion wants women to understand that menopause is not a disease. It’s a 100% normal life transition for her. [women] I’m going to pass. But that doesn’t mean you have to put up with your symptoms or choose your own treatment options.