Do women peak sexually at an older age than men? I have discovered that it depends what one means by peak. Find out more!
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Migraines and Menopause…What’s the connection?
Migraine headaches are a gender specific healthcare issue, especially since many migraines are hormonally triggered. As such, providers in the field of gynecology need to be inclusive of this issue in treating the “whole” woman. Currently, we as healthcare providers do a very poor job of diagnosing and properly treating migraines early. When we fail …
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It’s Not All In Your Head, It’s In Your Brain! (Literally)
Testosterone Testosterone, the hormone of desire, has mistakenly been called “the male hormone”. Women’s ovaries and adrenal glands make lots of testosterone, we just have a lot less of it than men. Testosterone is the fuel that gets “the brain’s sexual engine” revving. When there’s a sufficient amount of testosterone, it accelerates the hypothalamus, activating …
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Understanding Bioidentical Hormones and Compounding Pharmacies
Often patients have misinformation about bioidentical hormones and compounding pharmacies since there is so much confusing and misleading information out there about both of them. Hopefully this sheet will clear up some misunderstandings and misconceptions. Bioidentical hormones – are products in which the chemical makeup of the hormones exactly matches the chemical makeup of the …
Continue ReadingYES! Hormonal contraception can cause painful intercourse.
I see many patients that come to the office complaining of painful intercourse and one of my first questions is: Are you taking birth control pills or any other form of hormonal contraception? And if so, for how long? Now, the information I’m about to provide includes all hormonal contraception like the nuvaring, patch, injections …
Continue ReadingTopical hormones — keep away from children and pets!
Pediatricians and veterinarians around the country are reporting a strange phenomenon: children are showing signs of premature puberty and spayed dogs and cats (even puppies and kittens) are suddenly becoming hormonal. Although there can be a myriad of factors contributing to this trend, one culprit has concretely been identified- topical hormone transference. Estrogen and testosterone …
Continue ReadingVulvodynia.
Vulvodynia refers to pain that occurs in vulvar region. Vulvar pain can either be provoked, unprovoked or both. The most common type is provoked vestibulodynia or (PVD). “It has been estimated (that vestibulodynia) effects 12% of premenopausal women in the general population. It is characterized by severe burning/sharp pain that occurs in response to pressure …
Continue ReadingMemo: Menopause does NOT have a monopoly on hormonal imbalance.
A few months ago, I met a nice woman who was coming to us for treatment for low desire. She had been feeling a decrease in her sexual interest over several years and brought it up at her yearly physical more than once. But when she asked her doctor if it could be hormone-related, she …
Continue Reading“The Female Brain.”
The Female Brain, by Louann Brizendine is definitely worth reading. Brizendine completed her degree in Neurobiology at UC Berkeley, graduated from Yale School of Medicine and did her internship and residency at Harvard Medical School. She founded the Women’s Mood and Hormone Clinic in 1994 and continues to serve as the clinic’s director. The Female …
Continue ReadingDHEA…we thought so all along.
A new small scale study out of Italy seemed to show that DHEA can be helpful with menopausal symptom and can also positively affect a woman’s sexual desire. So why is anyone surprised? The truth is that DHEA is a precursor hormone (or a “mother hormone” – but that title might suggest that it yells …
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