Menopause marks the end of a woman’s menstrual cycle. According to the Mayo Clinic, symptoms include irregular periods, mood changes, hot flashes, vaginal dryness and issues with sleeping. Most women live over a third of their life with menopause. Due to the resulting discomfort and stress and the expanding uses of medical marijuana, many are asking: can you manage the symptoms of menopause with cannabis?
Traditional Treatments for Menopause
Women experience menopause due to decreased fertility after their bodies stop producing certain hormones. To counter this hormone imbalance, some doctors prescribe Hormone Replacement Therapy. This typically translates to taking an estrogen and progesterone supplement.
Recent research has found that Hormone Replacement Therapy poses a serious health risk. A study published in 2002 revealed that HRT increases the risk of breast cancer and heart disease.
Later, a second study found that one’s risk of dementia, stroke, and blood clots increases with estrogen supplements.
According to National Public Radio, these studies reduced the number of women taking hormone replacements by almost half. In an interview with NPR, Dr. JoAnn Manson, who plays an active role in menopausal research, explains that these findings are far from clear-cut.
“This is a big, complicated study,” Dr. Manson says. “For just one example, the two trials found that taking estrogen alone reduced the risk of breast cancer while taking it with progestin increased breast cancer risk.”
Women’s Health Concern argues that, for many women, the discomfort of menopause exceeds the dangers of HRT. However, they add that older women should be warier of hormone replacement because they are more at risk.
Overall the nonprofit is mindful that statistically, a woman’s chance of developing breast cancer or heart disease greatly