Premenopause refers to the time in a woman’s life where she is having normal menstrual cycles and not suffering from hot flashes, night sweats or any other symptoms. A woman may still have some symptoms during her cycle like painful periods, pain with ovulation or premenstrual symptoms (PMS). Premenstrual symptoms are symptoms that usually occur 7-14 days before a woman’s period begins.

Common PMS symptoms are:

• Bloating
• Mood swings
• Irritability
• Headaches
• Depression
• Acne
• Breast tenderness
• Food cravings

There are many ways to minimize these symptoms and I will work with you to design the best treatment for you. Sometimes just making small changes in lifestyle habits can help reduce PMS symptoms while other times, tailored hormonal therapy or other medications may be necessary.

Other important topics to discuss during the premenopausal years are birth control and family planning. Do you want to get pregnant? Do you need birth control? What birth control options are available? What about protecting against sexually transmitted diseases? These and many are important questions will be answered during your visit.