Menopause and Sex

Questions are from Dr. McMurtrey’s weekly column, “Ask Dr. Kim” in the Elizabethton Star newspaper.

From Laura T. in Elizabethton, TN:

Question: Hi Dr. Kim, I am a 48-year-old happily married woman and ever since I went through menopause, I simply can’t get any sleep. Also, I have no interest in being intimate with my husband anymore. I frequently have hot flashes and have started to gain weight. Is there any way to fix these issues? Does this sound like purely menopause?

Answer: Hi Laura, there is definitely a way to correct these problems and it sounds like menopause, but you would need to see your Primary Care provider for some lab work to be certain. Labs should include a female hormone panel, complete blood cell count, a metabolic panel, various vitamin levels, and your thyroid function. These symptoms can be addressed based on the lab results. There are specific hormones that address sleep, libido, hot flashes, and weight gain. It is advisable to use topical hormones rather than oral forms to avoid elevated cancer risk. Beginning a regimen of over-the-counter B Complex vitamin drops (follow directions on bottle) and Vitamin D daily may help until you are able to be evaluated by your provider.