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Print ArticleMenopause Health Center
Overview & Facts
Menopause is a natural and important part of every woman's life. Most women experience this stage after age 40 and spend a third of their life in this phase.
What Is Menopause?
This transition starts years before your period stops. Symptoms during this time include mood swings, hot flushes, and loss of sex drive. Learn when it begins, how long it lasts, and more.
Menopause is a normal part of aging; about 70% of woman experience symptoms. Lifestyle changes, diet, exercise, and medications can help. Awareness of health during this stage is essential. See why.
Menopause simply means the end of menstruation. Learn the basics about menopause in this brief article.
Autoimmune diseases are seen more frequently in women than in men. Autoimmune premature ovarian failure (POF) is also frequently seen with other autoimmune disorders. Screening and treatment for women at risk may be possible. Read more. This link will take you to another site.
Causes
What happens during menopause? What makes this transition occur? Read more about this important life stage.
Not all women undergo natural menopause. Here are some of the other things that can cause menopause.
Autoimmune diseases, surgery, and genetics can cause early menopause. This raises your chances of getting osteoporosis and breaking a bone. Read more. This link takes you to another site.
Egg freezing is an option for women undergoing chemotherapy, taking medications, or having surgery that can damage the ovaries. Read more about preventing loss of ovarian function. This link will take you to another site.
VIVELLE-DOT (estradiol transdermal system) IS AVAILABLE BY PRESCRPTION ONLY.
INDICATION
Vivelle-Dot is used after menopause to: reduce moderate to severe hot flashes; treat moderate to severe dryness, itching and burning in or around the vagina; help reduce your chances of getting osteoporosis (thin weak bones); and treat certain conditions in which a young woman's ovaries do not produce enough estrogens naturally. Vivelle-Dot 0.025 mg/day is only used to prevent osteoporosis from menopause. If you use Vivelle-Dot only to treat your dryness, itching, and burning in and around your vagina or if you use Vivelle-Dot only to prevent osteoporosis from menopause, talk with your healthcare professional about whether a different treatment or medicine without estrogens might be better for you.
IMPORTANT SAFETY INFORMATION
Estrogens increase the chances of getting cancer of the uterus (womb). Report any unusual vaginal bleeding right away while you are taking estrogens. Vaginal bleeding after menopause may be a warning sign of cancer of the uterus (womb).
Do not use estrogens with or without progestins to prevent heart disease, heart attacks, or strokes. Using estrogens with or without progestins may increase your chances of getting heart attacks, strokes, breast cancer, and blood clots. Using estrogens with progestins may increase your risk of dementia (decline in memory and thinking skills).
Vivelle-Dot should not be used if you have unusual vaginal bleeding; currently have or have had certain cancers, including cancer of the breast or uterus; had a stroke or heart attack in the recent past (for example, in the past year); currently have or have had blood clots; currently have or have had liver problems; or think you may be, or know that you are, pregnant.
The most common side effects that may occur with Vivelle-Dot are headache, breast tenderness, and back pain.
You and your healthcare professional should talk regularly about whether you still need treatment with Vivelle-Dot.
You are encouraged to report negative side effects of prescription drugs to the FDA. Visit www.fda.gov/medwatch or call 1-800-FDA-1088.
Please see Full Prescribing Information for Vivelle-Dot.
Ob-Gyn Laura Corio talks about the importance of exercise during menopause.
