Midlife Mississippi • Medical Awareness
Plain-language definitions for menopause, perimenopause, HRT, bioidentical hormones, compounded hormones, and testosterone therapy for women.
Perimenopause is the transition leading up to menopause. Hormone levels can rise and fall unevenly during this stage. Symptoms may begin years before menstrual cycles stop completely.
Common issues may include irregular cycles, hot flashes, night sweats, sleep disruption, mood changes, anxiety, brain fog, fatigue, weight changes, and changes in sexual health.
Menopause is generally recognized after 12 consecutive months without a menstrual period. It is associated with lower estrogen and progesterone levels and can affect sleep, temperature regulation, bones, genitourinary health, mood, and quality of life.
Hormone replacement therapy, often called HRT or menopausal hormone therapy, uses hormones such as estrogen and progesterone to treat certain menopause symptoms. Some women may use systemic therapy for whole-body symptoms, while others may use local vaginal products for genitourinary symptoms.
Bioidentical hormones are chemically similar to hormones produced by the body. Some bioidentical hormone products are FDA approved. Others are compounded by pharmacies and are not FDA approved as finished products.
Compounded hormones are custom-mixed by a compounding pharmacy. They may be used when a patient has a specific medical need that cannot be met by an FDA-approved product. However, compounded products are not reviewed by FDA for safety, effectiveness, or manufacturing consistency in the same way FDA-approved products are.
Testosterone may be discussed for certain women, most commonly for hypoactive sexual desire disorder after evaluation by a qualified provider. In the United States, there is not a broad FDA-approved testosterone product specifically labeled for menopause symptoms in women, so coverage can be difficult and use may be considered off-label.