Has menopause thrown you off-kilter? Perhaps you’re having mood swings and find yourself becoming irritated too easily. Your sleep may be interrupted by night sweats and your days punctuated by hot flashes. Is this the new normal?
In addition to those symptoms, you’re unable to fully enjoy intimate time with your partner when you experience a painful burning sensation. If you’re otherwise healthy, you’re experiencing vaginal dryness.
Menopause means the end of your fertility, but it doesn’t have to mean the end of your ability to experience sexual pleasure. You can have many more years of intimacy with your partner, but you may need medical assistance if menopause leads to painful intercourse.
At BodyLogicMD in Glastonbury, Connecticut, board-certified OB/GYN Dr. Anita Petruzzelli provides compassionate medical care that can help renew your sexual health. She provides bioidentical hormone replacement therapy that helps improve your mood, lift your fatigue, control your hot flashes, and enable you to enjoy sexual intercourse again.
Your body experiences significant hormonal changes as you enter menopause; in particular, the amount of estrogen your body produces drops dramatically during your 40s and 50s. Estrogen and progesterone are important female hormones necessary for fertility and reproduction.
As estrogen declines, your body responds in several different ways, including weakening your libido. Vaginal dryness affects approximately 1 out of every 3 women experiencing menopause.
The tissues in your vagina also can become dry, losing their elasticity and moisture. Vaginal dryness is the first sign of vaginal atrophy, which can cause burning, pain, and even bleeding. Intercourse becomes painful.
This is one reason why some people term menopause “the change of life.” It can bring an unwelcome change to intimate times with your partner, which could affect your self-esteem or, in some cases, create a strain in your relationship.
You may have tried over-the-counter lubricants for your vaginal dryness. If these don’t help you, Dr. Petruzzelli may recommend bioidentical hormone replacement therapy.
The hormones it provides mimic those in your body and are derived from natural sources such as plant estrogens. Bioidentical hormone therapy is different from traditional hormone replacement therapy which uses hormones made from synthetic materials.
Dr. Petruzzelli conducts an exam, reviews your medical history, and orders blood and hormone analyses to ensure you’re a good candidate before she recommends bioidentical hormone replacement therapy for you. She uses bioidentical hormone pellets for her patients, making a small incision in the fatty skin just above your buttocks to implant them.
In a week or two, you’ll begin to notice positive differences. Your sexual function should return. Your sleep patterns should improve, too, along with better energy levels. You may be able to say goodbye to most hot flashes and night sweats. In a word, you can enjoy life again.
Has vaginal dryness upended your intimate life? Call BodyLogicMD today or request an appointment through our online portal to find out how hormone therapy can reverse vaginal dryness and restore sexual wellness.
