HIV Early Menopause
HIV or the Human Immunodeficiency Virus has
plagued the World. There are now better treatments and many women are living
longer. A woman with HIV may experience early menopause symptoms. Women who
are middle aged may be contracting AIDS due to the thinning of the vaginal
walls. There is very little information available on women with HIV who are
also entering menopause.
Symptoms of Menopause
Every woman will at some point in her life experience menopause. It is a
natural phase in your life cycle. Menopause occurs when you have not had a
period for 12 consecutive months or more. There is some evidence that some
women with HIV will enter into early menopause. She will experience the same
symptoms as women who are not HIV+.
Actually, the symptoms seem to be almost universal. You should note that not
every woman will have the same symptoms or the same intensity of symptoms.
One woman may experience different symptoms and levels of intensity from
month to month.
The most bothersome symptoms seem to be the hot flashes and night sweats.
They occur because as your hormone levels change, it affects your body
temperature. They can be severe enough to be disabling for some women. Women
who are HIV+ with hot flashes may be mistakenly diagnosed with menopausal
symptoms. Hot flashes in HIV are common.
Menopause or "the Change" is characterized by women behaving erratically.
Mood swings can happen multiple times on any given day. These mood changes
and hormonal changes are enough to drive many women to seek treatment.
Depression, unexplained irritability, fatigue, and sleep issues are common
complaints. Forgetfulness may also occur. You may experience a diminished
sex drive, vaginal dryness, and frequent urination. The uterus no longer
expands as it had during intercourse, and as result sexual intercourse could
be very uncomfortable. Vaginal dryness could be mistakenly diagnosed with a
yeast infection.
Women who are HIV+ may have irregular menstrual cycles and not be
menopausal.
Whether or not you are HIV+ it is advisable to track your cycles and report
them to your doctor.
Treatments
Hormone Replacement Therapy is commonly used in treating the symptoms that
accompany menopause. They come with some serious risks including heart
attack, stroke, and some forms of cancer. If you smoke, are overweight, had
blood clots, you may be more at risk for these side effects.
If you are an HIV+ woman and are considering HRT - Hormone Replacement
Therapy, it is advisable to consult your doctor. Some of the treatments and
some birth control pills (with estrogen and progesterone) will interact
negatively with HIV medications.
Anti-depressants and anti-inflammatories are used to treat some of the
symptoms that you may experience. They come with their own side effects
concerns. Again, they could negatively interact with HIV drugs. Drugs that
are meant to prevent bone loss, may also be risky for any woman taking
prescription medications.
Most if not all women desire to get relief of the bothersome symptoms and to
sidestep the very risky side effects. There are natural foods and nutrients
that may fit the bill. Soy foods, vitamins, and Chinese medicine are also
used to get relief.
Herbal supplementation that includes herbs such as Black Cohosh and Wild Yam
are instrumental in relieving menopause symptoms. They are safer with far
fewer if any side effects at all.
A quality herbal supplement will have had the ingredients metabolic pathways
tested at the molecular level and the interactions of the ingredients
examined. This helps to ensure the same dosage from capsule to capsule and
the same quality as well. Standardized herbal extract should be in a quality
supplement as they help to guarantee the safety, potency, and effectiveness
of the supplement.
Conclusion
Women all over the world eventually goes through menopause as part of the
natural life cycle. Women who are HIV+ positive, may enter menopause early
but will have the same symptoms as every other woman may have.
Treatments such as HRT - Hormone Replacement Therapy are effective for women
with HIV, but the side effects and the possibility of negative interactions
between the treatment and HIV drugs put them at an even greater risk. There
are other options including herbal supplements. Nothing should be added to
your health regimen without consulting your physician, as some of them may
affect the performance of prescriptions you may be taking for other health
conditions.
Why not use the best? Your
health depends on it.
Our Featured Menopause
Source
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out the product we recommend for menopause and be sure to look further
into our menopause website at HIV Early
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