Hormone treatment for menopause common: 'Not necessary for everyone'

Women going through menopause can reduce their symptoms with different hormones. “There are pills, but there are also sprays, patches or gels containing hormones available,” says Dorinda van Dijken, gynecologist and former president of the Dutch Menopause Society, at Editie NL. “For years there has been a fear among women about using hormones: they can cause cancer. But this fear turned out to be unfounded. Now we see that we are overusing hormones. Many women now believe that everyone has to take hormones.”

According to her, this in itself is not bad, but it should be checked whether hormonal treatment is really necessary. “I'm not worried about the hormones themselves,” Van Dyken continues. “I'm actually very supportive of it. Because women who have serious complaints can definitely benefit a lot from it. But some women think: The more hormones you take, the better. In some cases, women take two or three times the amount of hormones.” “. “You have to get the hormones, and that's dangerous.”

According to her, the fact that women are now better able to find their way to hormone therapy is partly due to the reports Social media. Women across the country are now being called to go to their GPs over the Easter weekend to 'ask for hormone restoration'. They want women to have free access to their own hormones. Van Dyken has her reservations about this. “We have to provide care that is tailored to each woman. We look at all kinds of factors that can vary greatly for each woman. How long you have to take certain hormones and how much is different for each woman.”

Writer Elspeth Tilling, of the Relaxed Moms Club, has been receiving hormone therapy for a year. She benefits a lot from it herself, but advises other women not to simply resort to hormones. “First, take a hard look at your life,” she told Editie NL.

Exaggerated

“When I went into menopause myself, I noticed that I was overstimulated, my head was full, I could no longer think and I found everything in my environment too much.” She tracked her mood swings on a “period tracker” and talked frequently with friends about her mental state, and eventually I wrote a book And about her experience with menopause. This helped her. “I listen to my body much better, and if I get overstimulated, for example, I go to bed earlier than the rest of my family.”

However, she is also receiving hormonal treatment. “You're going through a lot at this stage of life. I now have hormonal patches and tablets, which gives me a lot of relief. My thoughts are also much less anxious.”

But according to her, hormone therapy is not the “holy grail.” “Talk to your friends first, and see what you can modify in your life before you start taking hormones.”