In the News
Perimenopause timing can be difficult to predict because you won’t know your final period has occurred until afterward. During this transition, estrogen and progesterone levels rise and fall unpredictably. “Our moms never talked about this; I can only remember my mom complaining about hot flashes,” said Kimberlee Coleman, M.D., an OBGYN at Obstetrics and Gynecology of Southeast Florida, part of Pediatrix® Medical Group, recalling how much has changed, even since she was in medical school 25 years ago. Uncertainty about which symptoms are linked to perimenopause, coupled with the topic’s relatively recent visibility, has made treatment frustrating for many patients. Fortunately, growing research and a wide range of online prescription services are making perimenopause care more accessible. “Our generation, we’re not going to suffer through it,” said Dr. Coleman. “We’re more verbal, more independent, more educated. And so, we are going to push for some type of treatment.” Dr. Coleman has been most surprised by how widely symptoms vary among her patients – a pattern she has also seen in her own experience. “One of my best friends – her thing is insomnia,” she said. “My other girlfriend has vaginal dryness. And then mine were more mood swings and night sweats.”
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