Prior to menopause, you may not have considered yourself an anxious person. Certainly not to the point where anxiety was crippling your work, social life, and daily functions. Anxiety is a curious beast, as anxious people often realize their constant fears and apprehensions have little basis in reality, but this knowledge does them no good.
Bioidentical hormone replacement therapy (BHRT) in Connecticut is a natural way to ease anxiety and help you feel like you again. The plant-based hormones used in BHRT are biologically identical at the molecular level to the hormones your body is no longer creating in sufficient amounts after menopause.
Today’s world is especially stressful. Sophisticated technology means work almost never stops, and peaceful downtime is increasingly hard to come by. Throw the physical and emotional changes of menopause due to fluctuating hormones into the mix, and the odds of developing anxiety increase.
While frequent anxiety is bad enough, some menopausal women may experience full-blown panic attacks.
There are numerous prescription anti-anxiety drugs available through a doctor. Magnesium glycinate pregnenolone, GABA SamE, and oxytocin can also be used for anxiety control as well.
While some of these medications may quell a patient’s anxiety, there are also risks involved.
Anti-anxiety medications can cause serious side effects, depending on the type of drug prescribed. These side effects may include:
Some of these side effects, such as loss of libido or sexual dysfunction, are also common in menopausal women and BHRT relieves these symptoms. More importantly, anti-anxiety medications can cause depression in some patients. Who wants to trade anxiety for depression? It is a lose/lose situation. For certain patients, anti-anxiety medications can actually increase anxiety.
BHRT in Connecticut can aid menopausal women dealing with anxiety without any of these potential side effects, with the possible exception of weight loss. It also alleviates better-known side effects of menopause, including hot flashes and night sweats.
BHRT contains progesterone, a calming hormone that can help with anxiety. After menopause, a woman’s progesterone levels drop significantly, since her ovaries are no longer producing this hormone.
Small amounts of the hormone are still produced by her brain, but her body is receiving much less progesterone than it did during her reproductive years. BHRT also contains estradiol, a form of estrogen. Post-menopause, the only type of estrogen in a woman’s body derives from fat cells.
A three-year study conducted at the University of Texas Health Center’s Woman’s Wellness Center found women receiving BHRT reported “significant relief” of anxiety symptoms, along with depression and the physical changes of menopause. No adverse effects of BHRT were found in this study, and at the end of the study, many women reported less use of prescription medications and improved overall health.
A BHRT regimen is custom-designed for each patient and created at a compounding pharmacy. Regular monitoring ensures each woman receives the right hormone level for her needs. BHRT for anxiety is delivered through a transdermal patch or intradermal pellet.
BHRT involves a holistic approach toward the patient. The patient’s lifestyle, diet, and exercise program is discussed with the doctor, and recommendations are made for changes that lower stress and improve quality of life.
If you experience anxiety and would like to know more about BHRT in Connecticut, call the offices of Dr. Edward Jacobson today and arrange a consultation.