How to Treat Severe Menopause Symptoms: Effective Solutions for Relief

Understanding Severe Menopause Symptoms

Most women will experience symptoms of menopause, and many women will experience early symptoms while still having periods.

Menopausal symptoms can begin months or even years before your periods stop and can last for years after.

Some of the common severe symptoms are as follows:

1. Hot Flashes and Night Sweats

Short, sudden feelings of heat, usually in the face, neck and chest, which can make your skin red and sweaty, are known as hot flashes.

These sudden feelings of intense heat during the night that often disrupt your sleep are known as night sweats.

2. Mood Swings and Anxiety

Changes in your hormones during menopause can impact your mental health along with your physical health. You may experience feelings of anxiety, stress or even depression. Menopausal symptoms may include:

• Anger and irritability
• Anxiety
• Forgetfulness
• Loss of self-esteem
• Loss of confidence
• Low mood and feelings of sadness or depression
• Poor concentration
• Brain fog

Many women experiencing menopause or perimenopause will experience problems with sleeping. Lack of sleep and tiredness can also make symptoms, including irritability, inability to concentrate or anxiety, worse.

3. Sleep Disturbances

Insomnia or poor-quality sleep due to hormonal changes and night sweats can affect your sleep cycle.

4. Vaginal Dryness and Pain During Intercourse

You may face vaginal dryness when your bodies experience a menopausal transition. This can make sex painful. You may also experience tightening of your vaginal opening, burning, itching, and dryness (called vaginal atrophy). It can be a result of declining estrogen levels.

5. Fatigue and Low Energy

As you near your menopause, your hormone levels fluctuate a lot. Lower levels of progesterone can make you short-tempered and cause stress.

When women go through menopause, they no longer produce progesterone, which boosts their sleep health. This causes persistent tiredness, which impacts daily life.

6. Cognitive Issues

Changes in your hormones during menopause can cause memory lapses or difficulty concentrating ("brain fog").

7. Physical Symptoms

Joint pain, headaches, and weight gain are very common during menopause.

Ayurveda states that your menopause can differ according to your body's constitution. It is a natural consequence of ageing. 

Effective Solutions for Severe Menopause Symptoms

Menopause can have various symptoms which can affect your daily life. The severity of these symptoms can vary from person to person. Some practical solutions if you have severe menopause symptoms are as follows:

A. Hormone Replacement Therapy (HRT)

Hormone replacement therapy (HRT) replenishes your ovarian hormones, which diminish during menopause, to alleviate associated symptoms, especially hot flashes and night sweats. Traditional HRT typically combines estrogen and progesterone to replicate your ovarian hormones.

Systemic HRT can be administered orally, vaginally, or transdermally, each with unique benefits and risks.

Types of HRT are:
i) Estrogen-Only Therapy: This is beneficial for women without a uterus.

ii) Combined Therapy: This includes estrogen and progesterone for women with a uterus, and it helps to prevent endometrial cancer.

Benefits:
- It reduces hot flashes, night sweats, vaginal dryness, and mood swings.
- It also improves sleep and bone density.

Risks:
- There is a small risk of blood clots, stroke, or breast cancer.
- It should be used under medical supervision for maximum effectiveness.

B. Non-Hormonal Medications

Non-hormonal treatments are effective for many people. Some of the common non-hormonal medications are:

1. Antidepressants

Low-dose SSRIs or SNRIs (e.g., paroxetine, venlafaxine) help reduce hot flashes and mood swings.

• Antidepressants — Antidepressant medications are recommended as a first-line treatment for hot flashes in people who cannot take estrogen.
• SSRIs – Selective serotonin receptor inhibitors (SSRIs) are the class of antidepressants used most commonly for treating hot flashes. This medication has been used for many years for treating depression, but it can be taken at a lower dose for hot flashes.
• Other antidepressants – Antidepressants that are similar to SSRIs, such as venlafaxine (brand name: Effexor) and desvenlafaxine (brand name: Pristiq,) also reduce hot flashes. Still, they may have more side effects than SSRIs.

2. Gabapentin

Gabapentin is a medication initially developed to treat seizures. It also relieves hot flashes, especially at night. It was initially used for nerve pain.

3. Clonidine

Clonidine is a non-hormonal treatment that may be prescribed for women who need or want to avoid MHT. Clonidine is a medication that lowers blood pressure and may be used to prevent migraine headaches. It reduces the frequency of menopausal hot flashes.

4. Ospemifene (Osphena)

Ospemifene treats vaginal dryness and painful sexual intercourse caused by menopause. This is a natural part of ageing and marks the end of your reproductive years. Ospemifene comes in tablet form and can be taken orally with a glass of water as directed. It is FDA-approved for treating vaginal dryness and painful intercourse.

C. Lifestyle Adjustments

Managing your menopausal symptoms can also be done along with some lifestyle adjustments. These adjustments are as follows:

1. Dietary Changes

You can add the following foods to your diet.
Phytoestrogen-Rich Foods: Soy, flaxseeds, and chickpeas can mimic estrogen and reduce symptoms.

Calcium and Vitamin D: These support your bone health. Foods like :

• dairy products, salmon
• mushrooms
• Egg yolk
• kale
• figs
• broccoli

2. Hydration

Adequate hydration prevents dryness and supports your overall health.

3. Exercise

Exercise helps to balance your hormones, decrease stress levels and reduce the intensity of symptoms.

• Aerobic Exercise: It improves your mood and cardiovascular health.
• Strength Training: It supports your bone density and muscle mass.

4. Stress Management

• Increased stress levels can cause an imbalance in your hormones, which exacerbates menopausal symptoms.
• Yoga, meditation, or mindfulness helps to reduce anxiety and stress and promote relaxation.
• Practice at least 10-15 minutes of yoga or meditation for effective results.

5. Adequate Sleep

Create a consistent bedtime routine, use blackout curtains, and avoid screens before bed.

D. Ayurvedic Management

Various Ayurvedic herbs can be helpful in the management of menopausal symptoms. In the early stages, it is better to balance the aggravated factors so that the intensity of the menopause symptoms decreases. Ayurveda has excellent solutions for a safe transition into menopause. Ayurvedic Treatment for Menopausal Symptoms involves correcting your dosha imbalance with an appropriate diet, Samshamana therapy, internal detoxification (Panchakarma therapy/Samshodhan therapy), Yoga therapy, and Rasayana (rejuvenating) therapy. To learn more about the Ayurveda lifestyle for menopause, you can refer to this blog.

D. Natural Remedies and Supplements

Along with medical treatments, natural remedies and supplements can supplement your treatment.

1. Black Cohosh

• Black cohosh is a member of the buttercup family and a plant native to North America.
• Native Americans have used it to treat musculoskeletal pain, fever, cough, pneumonia, and menstrual irregularities.
• Black cohosh is most commonly used for menopausal symptoms, including hot flashes and night sweats, vaginal dryness, heart palpitations, tinnitus, vertigo, sleep disturbances, nervousness, and irritability.

2. Red Clover

• It contains isoflavones that mimic estrogen and support hormonal balance.
• Red clover supplementation in postmenopausal women decreases menopausal symptoms.

3. Evening Primrose Oil

• It may help with hot flashes and mood stabilisation.
• The evening primrose oil is one of the most essential plant phytoestrogens. This plant belongs to the family Onagraceae, which has various effects on menopausal vasomotor symptoms and symptomatic relief of premenstrual syndrome.

4. Ashwagandha

• Ashwagandha has a long history of medicinal use in Ayurveda.  
• Ashwagandha increases levels of the gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA) neurotransmitter. It is used for hot flashes.
• It is an adaptogen that supports stress reduction and hormonal balance.

5. Magnesium and Vitamin B6

Magnesium and Vitamin B6 help to reduce your mood swings and sleep issues.

E. Vaginal and Sexual Health Solutions

Sexual health can be compromised during menopause due to lack of libido and vaginal dryness. Here are some simple solutions for this:

1. Vaginal Moisturizers

Vaginal moisturisers provide long-term hydration. This helps to maintain adequate moisture in your vagina, preventing dryness and irritation.

2. Lubricants

Penetrative sex can be difficult due to lack of vaginal fluids during menopause. To counteract this and for immediate relief during intercourse, you can use water- or silicone-based lubricants.

3. Vaginal Estrogen Therapy

Vaginal estrogen therapy is a method through which the hormone estrogen is introduced in your vagina. This can be done in the form of creams, rings, or tablets that can address dryness and painful intercourse without major systemic effects.

F. Alternative Therapies

Many alternative therapies are available that can help you get some relief from your symptoms. Some of them are:

1. Acupuncture

Acupuncture involves the insertion of very thin needles through the skin at strategic points on the body. It may reduce the severity of hot flashes and improve sleep.

2. Hypnotherapy

Hypnosis, or hypnotherapy, is a type of complementary therapy that induces a state of deep relaxation and focused concentration. It helps manage hot flashes and stress.

3. Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT)

Cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) is a talking therapy that can help you manage your problems by changing how you think and behave. It's most commonly used to treat anxiety and depression but can be helpful in other mental and physical health problems. It is especially effective for mood swings, anxiety, and sleep disturbances during menopause.

Prevention and Long-Term Management

You can prevent and manage your menopausal symptoms by some easy methods. Below are some tips which can help you with this:

1. Maintain a Healthy Weight

If you are overweight or obese, your body may have a higher fat percentage, which can increase the intensity of hot flashes and night sweats. Maintaining a healthy weight helps reduce the severity of hot flashes and keeps your body balanced.

2. Limit Triggers

Avoid spicy foods, caffeine, alcohol, and smoking to reduce your hot flashes.

3. Stay Hydrated

It helps to prevent vaginal dryness, reduce hot flashes and regulate your body temperature.

4. Regular Health Checkups

Health checkups at regular intervals can help detect potential future illnesses early and intervene so they can be treated immediately.

When Should You Seek Medical Attention

Menopausal symptoms can sometimes become so severe that they start to affect your daily life and activities. This can disrupt your life and cause excessive stress.  They may not resolve despite changes in your lifestyle.

You must immediately contact a healthcare professional and seek medical help if you notice:

• Symptoms that disturb your daily routine.
• Severe hot flashes or night sweats.
• Excessive pain, bleeding, or any other severe menopausal symptoms.

Wrapping Up

Menopause symptoms, when they become severe, can impact your daily life. But with the help of medical treatments, lifestyle changes, natural remedies, and Ayurveda, your condition can be managed. If your symptoms are affecting your daily life and routine excessively, then you should visit your healthcare provider or any healthcare expert to create a personalised plan that addresses your symptoms and needs. If you want to know more about menopause, you can book a call with our Nirva team of healthcare experts. To learn more about menopause and how to manage it, refer to this blog by Nirva Health.