Experts debunk menopause myths

Stereotypes of menopause are deeply ingrained, but few are fully accurate

- Maggie Astor

NEW YORK - Inescapable hot flashes. Hormonal chaos. Sexless partnerships. Such stereotypes of menopause are deeply ingrained, and few are fully accurate.

Menopause can produce symptoms in many parts of the body and sometimes in unexpected ways, said Dr. Rebecca Thurston, an assistant dean for women's health research and a professor of psychiatry at the University of Pittsburgh.

Gynecologists, endocrinologists, urologists and other experts were asked about the biggest menopause misconceptions they had encountered. Here is what they want patients to know.

MYTH 1: IT'S JUST HOT FLASHES
Hot flashes are a menopausal hallmark. Up to 80 percent of women have them. But numerous lesser-known symptoms are also linked to menopause, including insomnia, mood changes, brain fog, vaginal dryness, joint pain, and more.

That is largely because menopause is driven by changing levels of estrogen, which affects all tissues. During perimenopause, the years leading up to one's final menstrual period, estrogen fluctuates wildly. After menopause, it settles at a low level.

Unfortunately, many people do not know the full range of symptoms this process can cause, said Dr. JoAnn Manson, an endocrinologist and professor at Harvard Medical School. That means they may not realize a symptom is menopause-related, which can mean missing out on helpful treatments.

MYTH 2: "EVERYTHING" IS A MENOPAUSE SYMPTOM
"Until recently, a lot of women's symptoms were dismissed or misunderstood as something not related to our hormones," said Dr. Anna Barbieri, an ob-gyn and integrative medicine physician in New York.

But some doctors worry that there has been too much of a shift in the opposite direction.

"Now, the pendulum is swinging more towards 'everything is menopause and perimenopause'. And that's an oversimplification also," Dr. Barbieri said.