Treating other symptoms

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Various other symptoms may occur around the menopause (depression, anxiety, sleeping difficulty, etc). As mentioned above, these are not likely to be directly related to a low level of oestrogen. If any of these symptoms persist, it is best to see your doctor. Treatment for these symptoms is much the same for women going through the menopause as for any other age group. There are separate leaflets for each of the above mentioned problems.

Lack of sexual desire after the menopause

There is some evidence that treatment with testosterone (patches and implants) may help to improve a lack of sexual desire (lack of libido) that may occur following the menopause. Testosterone is a hormone but very different to oestrogen. If recommended, it is usually given at the same time as oestrogen-based HRT. This is because there is a lack of research to say that testosterone alone is safe. Further research may determine if testosterone is safe to have alone without the oestrogen-based HRT.

References

Non-estrogen based treatments for menopausal symptoms, British Menopause Society Consensus Statement (March 2008)
Alternative and Complementary Therapies, British Menopause Society Consensus Statement (June 2007)
Menopause, Clinical Knowledge Summaries (January 2008)
Nelson HD, Vesco KK, Haney E, et al; Nonhormonal therapies for menopausal hot flashes: systematic review and meta-analysis.; JAMA. 2006 May 3;295(17):2057-71. [abstract]
Alternatives to HRT for management of symptoms of menopause, Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists (May 2006)
Hubayter Z, Simon JA; Testosterone therapy for sexual dysfunction in postmenopausal women. Climacteric. 2008 Jun;11(3):181-91. [abstract]