I want to take this opportunity to thank Dan Savage for the incredible opportunity of writing as a guest columnist for his Savage Love Blog. He is lovely to work with and I hope to be able to contribute more to his readers in the future. Click the links below to check out the columns and add “Savage Love” to your reader list!
And you wrote: “….menopause can be tricky, but one can adapt to changes that may occur. There are medications and lubricants and all sorts of tricks”
Oh, please do go on. Some of us are surprised to learn the disappointing failure modes of middle-aged sex and very much want advice. Don’t keep those tricks a secret.
Thank you.
No secrets!! A few tricks of the trade:
Regarding vaginal dryness–
-Lube, lube, lube is your friend! When the ovaries no longer produce estrogen (menopause) it becomes more difficult to become and stay lubricated.
-vaginal estrogen cream can also help, but I recommend trying lube first.
Regarding hot flushes:
-Give it some time, but if they are unbearable there are non-hormonal medications that can help such as venlafaxine, sertraline, and gabapentin.
It really depends what your symptoms are and what is most troubling, but there are often solutions for making it through the transition of menopause. Also, it doesn’t last forever. 🙂