Gynecologist Talks About Menopause And Perimenopause

Dr. Arianna Sholes-Douglas is a board-certified gynecologist and the author of “The Menopause Myth.” PHOTO PROVIDED BY ANDERSON GROUP PUBLIC RELATIONS.
Dr. Arianna Sholes-Douglas is a board-certified gynecologist and the author of “The Menopause Myth.” PHOTO PROVIDED BY ANDERSON GROUP PUBLIC RELATIONS.

Gynecologist Talks About Menopause And Perimenopause

By Tia Carol Jones

Dr. Arianna Sholes-Douglas, double board-certified Gynecologist and author of “The Menopause Myth,” believes there should be more conversation around perimenopause, what it is and how it affects women.

Sholes-Douglas said the menopause is the end of a women’s reproductive years and the cessation of the menstrual cycle for at least 12 months and a normal biological process where a woman’s hormones, especially estrogen decline, and a woman goes from reproductive and no longer reproductive. She said the most common age where women end their menstrual cycle is 51 years old. While women might be menopausal at 51, women can be menopausal at 45, which is also normal.

“Perimenopause is the beginning of the symptoms and can be just as bad, or worse for some women, and it can last 8-10 years,” she said. She added that if a woman experiences menopause at 45, that women could experience perimenopause at 35.

Sholes-Douglas said the menopause is a spectrum and a journey. A woman can have all the symptoms before they are menopausal. She said perimenopause precedes menopause and is the beginning of the symptoms and hormonal changes that start to occur and lead up to a woman not having a menstrual period. She said perimenopause tends to be longer in African American women and they tend to have more symptoms, which includes hot flashes.

Sholes-Douglas said with perimenopause a woman’s hormones can be very erratic, with irritability, worsening PMS, decreased libido, weight gain, hair loss, joint pain, hot flashes and night sweats. She said some women don’t understand they are not menopausal, they are perimenopausal and the only symptom they might have is insomnia, waking up at 3 a.m. and can’t go back to sleep, or have brain fog. She said perimenopausal symptoms can start as early as 35.

Sholes-Douglas said common myths about menopause is that their understanding of when menopause does start, and they don’t realize the symptoms start much earlier in life. Another myth is that gynecologists and healthcare providers have been trained in this area and are prepared to have the conversation with women. She said the reality is that most medical professionals, including gynecologists, are not trained in menopause.

“Most women are caught off guard, because they are either dismissed, because their provider doesn’t know what’s going on, or they have a provider that isn’t current with literature and doesn’t really know what the current standards are,” she said. She added that there are providers that know all about it and are perfectly good at helping women with the journey, and those are the providers women should seek out.

The last myth of menopause is that hot flashes are the main symptom, when worsening PMS, brain fog, decreased libido, increased anxiety, heart palpitations and joint pain can be the top symptoms of menopause and perimenopause.

Sholes-Douglas said men should be as informed about menopause and perimenopause as they can be, as it can affect relationships. Menopause and perimenopausal symptoms can cause women to be less tolerant, more irritable and more reactionary than they would have been before, which can cause some pressure on the relationship. She said men should be aware of the symptoms and that it is not personal. She added that as men’s testosterone levels go down with andropause, it can be a transitionary period in the relationship, with hormonal changes on both sides as they age. She said she hopes that people research more, find a provider that can help them to get through the time.

Sholes-Douglas said that women who are going through perimenopause and menopause should visit menopause.org to get more information. It can help women find a provider who knows about menopause. She also suggests that people pick up her book, “The Menopause Myth,” to be more prepared.

“Embrace this change. Know that it can be challenging for some women, but there are a lot of women who will not have any significant symptoms and will get through it just fine. Just understand that it is the beginning of the rest of your life, where you are no longer incumbered by the risk of getting pregnant,” she said. She added that it can also lead to a little bit more sense of freedom and awareness and wisdom and help to approach life in a different way. She said it can be an empowering and transformative time.


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