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Irregular Periods & Intermittent Spotting
Why It's Happening:
Changes in estrogen levels activate hormone fluctuations, which in turn promote erratic ovulations, and then lead to irregular periods and intermittent bleeding.
What You Can Do:
"Low-dose birth control pills are usually the best remedy for irregular periods and erratic bleeding until you stop having periods and go on hormone replacement therapy," says Lisa Masterson, M.D., an attending ob-gyn at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles.
"Intermittent bleeding is the number-one problem that perimenopausal women report to me," adds Masterson. "Although it can take some time to come up with the best pill regimen, it's really worth sticking it out."
Two hormonal replacement formulas debuted in early 2000; these are often prescribed for irregular periods and intermittent bleeding. Called Fem-HRT and Prefest, they are similar to low-dose birth control pills in that they both combine estrogen and progesterone, "but at a lower hormone replacement therapy dosage that does not prevent pregnancy," says Masterson.
See These Related Resources:
Take the myth-busting menopause quiz
Talk about it in the Menopause forum
Sexual Problems bulletin board, Menopause-Online.com
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