Thursday, August 2, 2018

Take Control of Menopause Symptoms with Non-Hormonal Treatments


     Menopause is a normal, natural event; a turning point that all women experience—but it should not disrupt daily life! 
     Joining us on the blog today is Ellen Manos M.D., a practicing, Manhattan-based OB/GYN for over three decades, senior attending physician at Lenox Hill Hospital and a Doctor Advocate for Relizen® and Revaree™, non-hormonal treatments for menopausal symptoms. 

Take Control of Menopause Symptoms with Non-Hormonal Treatments
The gradual, menopausal transition (perimenopause) and the age at which we begin and end menopause will be different for all of us. Our symptoms will vary. Some women will experience few symptoms at all; others may suffer from irritability, fatigue, day and night sweats, hot flashes, vaginal dryness, restless sleep, or all of the above! Certain cancers and treatments can also cause hot flashes and other symptoms. 
This was always ignored, women were told, “Just plug through, you can get through it.” In many cases, women can do that. But it can also be very limiting to your lifestyle, annoying and sometimes unhealthy, to have to put up with a lot of these symptoms. We’ve been waiting a long time to find things other than hormones that may relieve these symptoms. Why should anybody suffer for months--let alone years?
Sometimes the remedies for menopausal symptoms are as concerning as the symptoms themselves. Hormone replacement, for example, can be an effective solution for symptoms; however, it has been associated with an increased risk of blood clots, strokes, some forms of cancer and even dementia. Additionally, if a woman has had a history of blood clots, heart disease, stroke or breast cancer, her doctor will likely recommend avoiding hormone replacement. 
Alternatively, certain natural supplements can provide relief from menopausal symptoms without hormones and without the risk of side effects. Swedish flower pollen extract, for example, has been used for over 15 years by millions of women (particularly in Europe) in the non-hormonal treatment of menopausal symptoms including irritability and uneasiness, mood changes, hot flashes, excessive sweating day and night, and restless sleep.
Not all supplements are the same, however. There are several methods of cultivating Swedish flower pollen extract and multiple varieties, with varying degrees of quality. Supplements containing extract from lower quality plants or cultivated in a manner that doesn’t maintain the integrity of the extract will not be as effective--or perhaps not effective at all. I, along with more than 3,000 other U.S. gynecologists, recommend Relizen®. We feel very comfortable offering it to every sort of patient for symptom relief because it isn’t an estrogen, doesn’t act like an estrogen, nor does it bind to any estrogen receptors. We were waiting desperately for something like this. We investigated it well and did our due diligence reading the medical studies. Amazingly over 85-90% felt relief of their symptoms. 
Relizen is plant-based, soy-, dairy- and gluten-free. It is non-hormonal and, unlike phytoestrogens such as soy, black cohosh, red clover, Relizen has no estrogenic activity, which means it does not act like estrogen in the body or impact estrogen levels. It is safe and has not been linked to side effects or adverse reactions different from those associated with a sugar pill (placebo.)

It is hypothesized that the specific, rigorously-selected variety of the proprietary Swedish pollen extract formula in Relizen works centrally, to reduce hot flashes due to menopause and has a mild serotonergic effect on the hypothalamus, the portion of the brain that maintains the body’s internal balance. The manufacturing process used to derive and purify the Swedish pollen extract used in Relizen is highly sophisticated, stringent and controlled. The unique biotech process is under strict control and designed to remove most pollen allergens. Only premium pollen is used for extraction. Our Swedish manufacturing partner complies with Current Good Manufacturing Practices (cGMP), and manufacturing facilities have passed FDA inspection and are regularly inspected by the Swedish Medical Products Agency (MPA). Further, the Swedish flower pollen extract used in Relizen is grown in a pesticide-free environment and the husk removed.
These extra measures improve the body’s utilization of the extract and ensure that the active ingredients in the supplements contain nearly 100% of the essential substances needed specifically for the benefit of easing menopausal symptoms.
For vaginal dryness, I recommend Revaree®, which is FDA-cleared and, like all products from parent company JDS Therapeutics, backed by multiple clinical studies. 
Revaree’s main ingredient is hyaluronic acid, a moisture-binding molecule naturally found in the body that relieves a range of vaginal dryness symptoms, including dryness, burning, irritation and painful sex. It has also been shown to help improve overall vaginal health by maintaining vaginal pH and improving vaginal tissue elasticity. More than one million women across 40 countries have safely used variations of hyaluronic acid formulations.
Revaree is an applicator-free vaginal insert that is non-hormonal, safe, colorless, odorless, side effect-free and does not contain parabens. It is not a contraceptive nor is it compatible with condoms. While it is available without a prescription, it has proven to be just as effective as the leading prescription hormonal creams in alleviating symptoms of vaginal dryness, with results in as early as 9 days. 
Vaginal dryness, whose technical name is vaginal atrophy, is a common problem associated with menopause. Drops in estrogen levels as women age reduce fluid levels in the vaginal walls, making the vagina thinner, less elastic and more prone to irritation, itching, burning, tearing of the vaginal walls, and pain during sexual intercourse.
I became an (uncompensated) Doctor Advocate for Relizen and Revaree because they have been rigorously tested and backed by extensive clinical studies, real reviews and medical support.
In a survey of over 400 women, Relizen significantly decreased the frequency and intensity of night sweats, (66% and 67%), improved quality of life (+48%) and quality of sleep (+47%), as well as decreased fatigue (-51%) and irritability (-54%). 
Stop believing the myth that “Menopause symptoms just go with the territory of being a woman." Now there is relief. 

As with all medicines and supplements, women should consult their medical professionals before taking Relizen if there are any allergy or other concerns. 


Ellen Manos M.D. has been practicing obstetrics and gynecology on the Upper East Side of Manhattan for over three decades. She is a senior attending physician at Lenox Hill Hospital, where her interests include laparoscopic surgery, adolescent medicine, bio-identical hormone replacement therapy and, of course, the everlasting joys of obstetrics, both low and high risk, in a concierge setting. Dr. Manos graduated from the High School of Performing Arts in 1974 and received her bachelor's of science in biochemistry and musicology from New York University in 1978. She attended medical school at SUNY Upstate Medical Center in Syracuse and graduated in 1982. After returning to New York City, Dr. Manos completed her residency in obstetrics and gynecology at St. Luke's-Roosevelt Hospital Center in 1986 and immediately entered private practice. Dr. Manos's practice is distinguished by the personal, one-on-one care that she provides to all of her patients

2 comments:

  1. My gynecologist just told me about Relizen. I brought home the paperwork but haven't tried it yet. Nice to read this endorsement here!

    ReplyDelete

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