Chris Santos, 56, of Crockett and Kelli Brigance, 47, of Clayton both thought they were experiencing signs of early onset dementia.
“I was feeling like, ‘Oh my God, I can’t remember things from one minute to the next,’” said Santos, a high school teacher. “Sometimes when I’m speaking and planning what to say, I just can’t find the right words.”
Both women recently learned from menopause certified experts in Kaiser Permanente online classes and their ob-gyns that no, they are not getting dementia. They likely are experiencing one of the many symptoms of the menopause transition.
A variety of educational opportunities
Santos joined Navigating Menopause, a new 2-hour class for members held twice a month that does not require a doctor’s referral.
Brigance tuned into the Let’s Talk Menopause class, which is designed to feel like a book club discussion. This class does require a doctor’s referral.
A third class, Wellness Beyond Menopause, also requires a physician referral and explores how the 6 pillars of lifestyle medicine can help people improve and manage symptoms.
“The doctors in my class told us that so many of their patients come to them asking to be tested for dementia,” said Brigance. “But we learned it’s really the hormones changing in your body that can cause brain fog.”
Santos said she learned that those fluctuating hormone levels often begin during perimenopause and can last 8 to 10 years.
Wildly popular class
Navigating Menopause is wildly popular with about 200 members attending each class, said Paras Farhady, MD, Kaiser Permanente Northern California lead for Menopause and Midlife Women’s Health.
“Menopause is clearly having a moment in our culture now,” Dr. Farhady said. “Up until a couple of years ago, nobody was talking about it. That’s because new scientific data shows hormone therapy can be a safe option for many, a development that has increased demand for information. And we are meeting that demand.”
In Kaiser Permanente classes, members learn definitions, symptoms, and treatment for menopause symptoms. In addition, they receive tips on maintaining a fulfilling sexual life and lifestyle changes to ensure healthy aging, said Dr. Farhady.
In addition to learning about the new recommendations for hormone therapy, both Santos and Brigance learned to be cautious of unproven treatments for symptoms.
“I learned that some of the supplements I had been taking actually weren’t doing anything for me,” said Santos. “And I learned it’s important to only take hormones prescribed by my doctor. You don’t really know what’s in some of those things advertised online. It could be anything.”
In addition to the classes, Kaiser Permanente in Northern California is beginning to offer cognitive behavioral therapy to help people experiencing menopause, Dr. Farhady said.
“We now know that cognitive behavioral therapy can be a first option for dealing with hot flashes and night sweats in addition to the known impact on mood, anxiety, depression, and sleep,” said Dr. Farhady. “This is hugely important for people who can’t take hormones, such as breast cancer survivors.”
Brigance found she has been getting short-tempered more often lately in addition to the brain fog. The Let’s Talk Menopause class helped her feel better.
“I thought it was a great class, because I learned how little we actually know about it as a society,” Brigance said. “It’s exciting the medical field is starting to pay more attention to it.”
