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Barb DePree, MD, NCMP,MMM

Director of the Women's Midlife Services at Holland Hospital

Holland, MI

Dr. Barb DePree, a gynecologist in practice for over 30 years, specializes in midlife women's health. She is certified through the North American Menopause Society as a provider, and was named the 2013 NAMS Certified Menopause Provider of the year. Dr. DePree currently serves as the director of the Women’s Midlife Services at Holland Hospital, Holland, Michigan. In 2018, she completed a certification in Genetic Cancer Risk Assessment.

A member of NAMS, ACOG and ISSWSH, Dr. DePree has been a presenter for the ACOG CME audio program. She has served as a key opinion leader for Shionogi, AMAG, Duchesnay, Valeant, Wyeth and Astellas leading physician education, and participating in research projects and advisory panels.

Finding that products helpful to her patients’ sexual health were not readily available, Dr. DePree founded MiddlesexMD.com that shares practice-tested, clinically sound information and products, including guidance for working with partners and caregivers. Dr. DePree publishes regularly on her own blog, providing updates on research in women’s sexual health, as well as observations and advice based on her work with women in her practice. Sharecare named her as a Top 10 Social Healthmaker for Menopause in September of 2013. In 2017, she was named among the “Top 10 Best Menopause Blogs” by Medical News Today. Dr. DePree also publishes podcast interviews on women in midlife, exploring the ways they have made the transition in their lives and careers.

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Will Menopause Symptoms Ever Stop?

Will Menopause Symptoms Ever Stop?

For some women, menopause symptoms like hot flashes may last a lifetime. But there are some lifestyle changes and treatments that may reduce the symptoms.

Menopause & Aging Well
menopause

Q: Will these menopause symptoms never stop?

A: You say you've been menopausal for 20 years and on hormone replacement therapy for part of that time. You still have night sweats and hot flashes, nearly every day and night. You're missing your sex drive. Your doctors have told you these symptoms may or may not stop.

I'm afraid I have to agree with your doctor: Over time, most women will have fewer and fewer bothersome symptoms of menopause, but for others the symptoms will be for life. We don't have any way to predict for whom the symptoms will resolve or when that might happen.

While lifestyle—diet and exercise—matters, it isn't the complete solution. Congratulations on losing weight and building an exercise habit! I suspect your symptoms would be worse if you hadn't lost the weight or were not exercising.

While estrogen is the most effective treatment for hot flashes, some women will benefit from other treatment options such as certain antidepressants, gabapentin, clonidine, and the herbal product Relizen. You could speak with your provider about considering a non-estrogen option.

Good luck!

Barb DePree, MD, has been a gynecologist for 30 years, specializing in menopause care for the past 10. Dr. DePree was named the Certified Menopause Practitioner of the Year in 2013 by the North American Menopause Society. The award particularly recognized the outreach, communication and education she does throughMiddlesexMD, a website she founded and where this blog first appeared. She also is director of the Women's Midlife Services at Holland Hospital, Holland, Michigan.

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