Menopause signals a transition in a woman's reproductive life, marking the end of menstrual cycles. The years leading up to menopause are called perimenopause, which can start 8-10 years before menopause itself.
During perimenopause and menopause, levels of the hormones estrogen and progesterone start to fluctuate and decline. This leads to symptoms like hot flashes, night sweats, vaginal dryness, mood changes, trouble sleeping, and more. Managing troublesome symptoms is an important reason many women consider hormone therapy.
Hot flashes and night sweats are common complaints, caused by decreasing estrogen. Hot flashes feel like sudden intense warmth spreading through the body, sometimes with sweating and reddened skin. Night sweats occur with hot flashes at night.
Hormone therapy with estrogen, often combined with progesterone, is very effective at relieving hot flashes and night sweats. At Hormone Harmony Clinic, we offer both oral and transdermal estrogen options to help find the best fit for each patient.
Mood swings, anxiety, irritability, and depression can all emerge during the menopause transition. These emotional changes are linked to fluctuations in reproductive hormones like estrogen and progesterone.
We understand the profound impact these emotional changes can have on a woman’s quality of life. Restoring hormonal balance can help stabilize mood and emotional well-being. Our compassionate providers listen carefully and develop personalized treatment plans to meet each woman’s needs.
As estrogen levels fall, many women experience vaginal dryness, itching, burning with intercourse, more frequent UTIs, and pain. Addressing this discomfort is critical for sexual health and quality of life.
Local vaginal estrogen therapy is very effective for treating genitourinary symptoms related to menopause. At Hormone Harmony Clinic, we offer vaginal estrogen tablets, creams, and rings to relieve symptoms. We can also provide guidance on non-hormonal options like vaginal moisturizers and lubricants.
Between night sweats and changing hormone levels, sleep disruption is very common in perimenopause and postmenopause. Getting adequate restorative sleep is vital for overall health.
Along with treating underlying hormone changes, we educate patients on proper sleep hygiene with tips like limiting electronics before bed, establishing a calming pre-bed routine, and more. For some women, short-term sleep aids may provide relief as well.
After menopause, women lose the cardiovascular benefits of estrogen. This increases risk for heart disease, which is the 1 cause of death in women. Managing heart health with lifestyle and hormone therapy is key.
While not recommended for all women, hormone therapy can provide immense relief for bothersome menopause symptoms. When initiated before 60 years old or within 10 years of menopause, hormone therapy has been shown to be safe for most healthy women.
The two main hormone therapy formulations are:
Adding progesterone protects the uterine lining from any potential overgrowth that can occur with estrogen alone.
Hot flashes can disrupt work, social events, exercise, intimacy, and sleep. Hormone therapy is excellent for controlling hot flashes - both estrogen alone or estrogen/progesterone combinations.
Clinical trials show hormone therapy decreases hot flash frequency by 75% on average. For severe hot flashes, higher doses of hormones are often needed early in treatment. As symptoms improve over 3-6 months, the dosage can usually be decreased.
Local vaginal estrogen effectively treats painful intercourse, vaginal dryness, burning, urgency, recurrent UTIs and incontinence. These treatments deliver a low dose of estrogen directly to vaginal tissue with very little systemic absorption.
Options include prescription vaginal tablets (Vagifem), creams (Estrace, Premarin), and rings (Estring) that are inserted into the vagina. Over-the-counter vaginal moisturizers and lubricants can provide additional relief when needed.
For women whose moodiness, anxiety, or depression arises during perimenopause, hormone therapy can be very stabilizing. Restoring hormonal balance impacts neurotransmitters like serotonin and norepinephrine to improve mood regulation.
If depression or mood changes persist despite optimized hormones, we may recommend adding an antidepressant medication for a time. Our compassionate providers strive to understand the whole woman and what she needs to thrive through menopause.
Along with stabilizing body temperature, estrogen therapy enhances deeper stages of sleep. This leads to feeling more rested, improved memory consolidation, and better daytime function. For lingering insomnia, we offer sleep medication assistance as needed.
Estrogen plays an important role in bone remodeling to maintain density and strength. During menopause, accelerated bone loss occurs due to declining estrogen, resulting in osteopenia or osteoporosis over time.
Early menopause onset (before age 45) conveys higher osteoporosis risk later on. We monitor bone mineral density and recommend supplements like calcium and vitamin D for all menopausal women.
If bone loss is accelerated or fracture risk elevated, we may advise beginning hormone therapy - commonly a low-dose estrogen/progesterone combination or other antiresorptive medication. Maintaining an active lifestyle with weight-bearing exercise is also key.
Multiple large studies found women on hormone therapy had 30-40% lower rates of colorectal cancer compared to women not on hormones. The protective mechanism is thought to be related to enhanced immune surveillance triggered by estrogen signaling.
Alongside hormone optimization, certain lifestyle measures can meaningfully impact menopausal symptoms and long term health. Our providers offer evidence-based guidance on nutraceuticals, fitness, nutrition, and stress reduction techniques.
For hot flashes, black cohosh and vitamin E have the strongest evidence for relief in studies, while flaxseed and DHEA showed mixed results.
Maca powder from Peru has been used for centuries to balance hormones and boost libido. We recommend reputable brands to optimize purity and efficacy.
To support heart health, omega-3 fish oils, resveratrol, vitamin D, and flavonoids like quercetin and EGCG show benefit in research. Guidance from our clinicians helps identify key areas to target for each woman.
Eating a colorful, phytonutrient-rich diet centered around vegetables, fruits, whole grains, legumes, nuts/seeds, fish, lean meats, herbs/spices has been shown to reduce heart disease and cancer risk long-term. We provide nutrition resources or refer interested patients to RDs.
Regular physical activity conveys immense benefits - improved cardiovascular and bone health, diabetes prevention, better cognition, positive mood and self-image. Even light walking sustains health advantages. Our staff share local walking groups, yoga studios, gyms and fitness resources to help patients stay active.
Quitting smoking, maintaining healthy body weight, regulating blood pressure, optimizing vitamin D and sleep hygiene all help ensure thriving long-term health. We educate women on key areas to focus on through menopause and beyond.
Between hormonal changes and life stage stressors like aging parents or college tuition bills, menopause can be an anxious period for many women. Learning to stimulate relaxation response pathways in the body promotes resilience.
Our clinicians teach interested patients evidence-based techniques like meditation, guided imagery, breathwork, and progressive muscle relaxation. We help identify any mood disorder red flags that may warrant counseling support or medication. Peace of mind is a critical part of wellbeing.
If bothersome menopause symptoms disrupt quality of life, hormone therapy is often appropriate if started before age 60 or within 10 years since last period. Dosage can be titrated based on response and side effect profile, with goal of using lowest effective dose.
Oral tablets like PremPro or bioidentical compounded versions are convenient but undergo first pass metabolism through the liver. This can increase risk of blood clots slightly in some women.
Transdermal gels/creams like Divigel or custom compounded bioidentical gels avoid first pass metabolism and may confer less clotting risk. Constant blood levels can ease symptoms smoothly. Some skin irritation can occur.
Transdermal patches like Climara provide consistent estrogen absorption through skin and are changed once or twice weekly, avoiding first pass effects. Rotation of patch sites is needed to prevent skin irritation.
Vaginal tablets/creams like Vagifem and Estrace deliver low-dose estrogen directly to urogenital tissues with almost no systemic absorption. These are excellent for treating vaginal dryness and sexual discomfort without systemic effects.
We thoughtfully discuss the evidence, risks and benefits for various estrogen options:
If an intact uterus is present, a progesterone must be included to prevent overgrowth of uterine lining. Options include:
Studies show that cognitive behavioral therapy, mindfulness meditation, yoga, and acupuncture can help ease menopause symptoms like hot flashes and mood swings without medication. These complementary therapies activate the body's relaxation response, lowering stress hormones that exacerbate menopause discomforts. Their effectiveness underscores the importance of holistic care approaches during this transitional life stage.
At Hormone Harmony Clinic, our experienced clinicians provide thoughtful, evidence-based care unmatched in the region. We pride ourselves on listening deeply and developing customized treatment plans to meet each woman’s needs during this major life transition.
Our board-certified regenerative gynecologists Dr. Mary Smith and Dr. Tanaka bring over 25 years of combined experience expertly navigating women through perimenopause, menopause, and beyond. We stay abreast of the latest research and offer cutting edge options like compounded bioidentical hormones and innovative therapies like platelet rich plasma (PRP) for improved vaginal health.
We view every woman as a whole person - not just a collection of symptoms. Our extensive intake process explores lifestyle, personal health history, family history, symptoms, and goals to inform personalized care plans. We help each woman optimize nutrition, physical activity, stress management and targeted nutraceuticals alongside hormone modulation for full wellbeing through midlife and beyond.
Frequent follow up appointments and lab testing ensure symptom control and hormone levels remain optimized over months and years on therapy. We promptly respond to patient questions and concerns same day via our secure online patient portal and over the phone during business hours. After hours, our on-call doctor returns messages within an hour - even weekends. We empower women to make informed decisions every step of the way.
Nestled on Florida’s Gulf Coast, the Clearwater area provides an idyllic setting to restore hormonal balance and thrive during midlife. Our community offers:
Clearwater’s average highs range from 70°F in January up to 90°F in July. The winter months feature abundant warm sunshine perfect for rejuvenating outdoor activities. Summers tend to be hot and humid, so mornings or evenings may be preferred times for walking, yoga on the beach, swimming, paddleboarding, kayaking and more.
Dress in lightweight, breathable natural fabrics. Wide brimmed hats, UV protective clothing and reef-safe sunscreen are musts when enjoying the outdoors. Stay well hydrated year round, and misting fans can provide welcome relief on intensely humid days.
Over 25 miles of white sand beaches offer unlimited opportunity to decompress surrounded by soothing ocean waves. Soundside walks near the Intracoastal Waterway provide wildlife observation spots to commune with nature.
We recommend downloading local trail apps like Pinellas Trails and Florida Rambler onto your phone to explore wooded paths and mangrove-lined waterways teeming with birds like roseate spoonbills, herons, pelicans and more. Early morning or dusk are prime times for sightings.
The Gulf Coast area boasts abundant centers for yoga, tai chi, sound bath meditation and other restorative arts. Being near the ocean enhances the relaxation response. Our staff gladly offer referrals to highly qualified instructors and studios helping women enhance mindfulness, decrease anxiety and improve sleep - key pillars of wellbeing.
The Tampa Bay culinary scene celebrates fresh Gulf seafood like grouper, snapper and shrimp alongside locally grown tropical fruits and vegetables. Superfoods like avocado, coconut, greens, nuts and citrus abound on menus focused on nourishing patrons with quality ingredients.
We help patients identify restaurants aligning with specialized nutritional needs - options span plant based, gluten/dairy/soy/corn/nightshade free, anti-inflammatory diets, gut healing protocols and more. Thriving begins from the inside out.
The Clearwater area offers high quality medical labs, imaging centers, specialty testing services and functional/integrative medical clinics to help optimize wellness during menopause and beyond. We provide referrals to trusted partners assisting with nutritional optimization, fitness, cardiovascular health, digestive support, advanced hormone testing, food sensitivity panels, micronutrient assessments and more based on each woman’s needs.
Synthetic hormones like CEEs and progestins like Provera are chemically altered from human hormones. Bioidentical hormones match human hormones molecule for molecule.- Compounding allows personalized combinations, strengths and delivery methods. We hand craft regimens targeting each woman's needs.- Emerging research suggests bioidentical hormones may confer lower breast cancer and heart disease risk relative to traditional HRT. More studies are underway.
Current guidelines allow vaginal estrogen for genital symptoms in survivors. We avoid systemic treatment unless a woman has severe, unresponsive symptoms, then use the lowest dose possible with extra monitoring. Discuss risks/benefits with your oncologist.
Symptoms of low testosterone in women include low libido, fatigue, muscle weakness, decreased sense of wellbeing, thinning hair, and other manifestations. A simple blood test can assess levels. Testosterone pellets, creams or troches can effectively treat deficiencies when appropriate.
We recommend checking estradiol, testosterone, progesterone, LH, FSH, DHEA-S, cortisol, TSH, and sex hormone binding globulin levels. This thorough baseline informs dosage decisions when beginning hormone therapy. Follow up testing ensures optimal blood levels.
We invite you to explore whether Hormone Harmony Clinic might be the right fit for your menopause and hormone therapy needs. Schedule a free 15 minute phone consult to ask questions and discuss treatment goals. New patient visits are currently booking within 7-10 days - call us today!
