Menopause / Perimenopause — Force Field Fact Sheet (Draft)

What is Menopause / Perimenopause?Diagnosis

Menopause is 12 consecutive months without a period. Perimenopause is the transition phase. Modern care: HT for the right woman in the right window is safe and effective; non-hormonal options (fezolinetant, SSRIs, gabapentin, CBT) work too; lifestyle and behavioral interventions matter; long-term cardiovascular, bone, and cognitive health are part of the plan.

Common symptoms — hot flashes, night sweats, sleep disturbance, mood changes, brain fog, vaginal dryness, joint aches.
Hormone Therapy (HT) — most effective for VMS; modern view is favorable for healthy women under 60 within 10 years of menopause; transdermal often preferred.
Non-hormonal options — fezolinetant, SSRIs/SNRIs, gabapentin, CBT for menopause.
Long-term health — cardiovascular risk reduction, bone protection, cognitive health.

Hormone therapy: the modern viewKnow your plan

For most healthy women under 60 within 10 years of menopause with bothersome symptoms, hormone therapy is safe and effective. Local vaginal estrogen is safe even with most contraindications to systemic HT.

Best candidates: under 60, within 10 years of menopause, bothersome VMS or GU symptoms.
Transdermal estrogen + micronized progesterone often preferred.
Local vaginal estrogen for GSM is safe with most systemic HT contraindications.
Reasonable alternatives: fezolinetant, SSRIs/SNRIs, gabapentin, CBT.

Your daily Force FieldLive It

Track symptoms; bring diary to visits.
Discuss HT with your clinician; modern evidence supports it for most women in the right window.
Local vaginal estrogen for GSM.
Cardiovascular risk reduction; bone health (DXA, calcium, vitamin D, weight-bearing exercise).
Sleep, mood, cognition support.
Cancer screening on schedule.
Connect with menopause-trained clinician (NAMS / Menopause Society directory).

Red flags — call nowAction

Call 911 immediately for: chest pain, pressure, tightness, or burning lasting more than a few minutes — especially if it spreads to the arm, jaw, neck, or back; severe shortness of breath at rest; sudden cold sweat with chest discomfort; nausea or lightheadedness with chest discomfort; sudden weakness on one side, slurred speech, or facial droop (these are stroke signs, often related). Do not drive yourself.

Call your clinic the same day for: new chest discomfort with exertion that goes away with rest (stable pelvic pain worth evaluating); a missed dose of antiplatelet or maintenance therapy; medication side effects (muscle aches, bleeding, GI symptoms).
Bring up at next visit: any change in exercise tolerance, lipid follow-up timing, BP log review, smoking-cessation support, depression screening, sleep concerns.

Companion This condition assets

The full Prepared Patient program for This condition includes:

Engagement Screener 8-step Journey Disease Advocate Bingo Provider Hub Health Passport