What questions do you have about menopause?

Hot flashes, night sweats, insomnia, mood swings, irritability, brain fog: these are some of the most common symptoms of perimenopause and menopause. Even though the average age of menopause is 51, many women start having these symptoms in their early 40s and for some, they may continue for 10 years after menopause.

In the past, many women simply accepted these symptoms as a part of aging. Now, I am excited to see women speaking up and looking for solutions. Attitudes are also changing about hormone replacement therapy. In the past, women focused on the risks and avoided treatments that could have helped them. Now, the pendulum seems to be swinging too far the other way: hormone replacement therapy is being marketed as a quick solution for everyone.

All approaches to hormonal symptoms have potential risks and potential benefits, and there is no “one size fits all” solution. Women would benefit from working in partnership with a qualified health provider to evaluate their symptoms, their lifestyle, and their options and choose an approach specifically tailored to them.

I love partnering with women on this journey. I have been a practicing ObGyn for 26 years. After seeing a need to address women’s health–including hormonal symptoms throughout life–more holistically, I began to study complementary approaches. I completed an intensive Integrative Medicine Course on Women’s health with Dr. Aviva Romm, and I am currently taking an in-depth course in botanicals. These additional areas of study have helped me approach hormonal symptoms holistically, now incorporating nutrition, exercise, sleep, stress management, vitamins, botanicals—and, when appropriate, hormone replacement therapy. I am eager to help women address all of these areas and lead healthier, more vibrant lives.

Please send me your questions about menopause. After two weeks, I will review all the questions, take the top 10, and answer them on a local Podcast called “Never Perfect” hosted by Dr Beth Capecchi. I will post the top 10 questions and a link to that podcast here on this site. Thank you for taking the time to send in your questions. We can all help each other along this journey!