Menopause symptoms? Social media is rife with misinformation

A women’s health expert is warning against taking advice from social media feeds when it comes to hormone therapy.

The treatment was routinely used to treat menopause symptoms, replacing the estrogen the body stops making during this time in a woman’s life.

Research shows the medication does come with risks for some women. That’s why Dr. Tara Iyer, the medical director of the Brigham & Women’s Hospital Menopause and Midlife Clinic, says turning to social media for information is not the answer.

“Some women coming in saying, ‘I heard hormone therapy causes cancer, causes blood clots, causes strokes,’ and then the complete opposite side of the coin, I hear that hormone therapy will fix my fatigue, give me the energy of a 20-year-old to make me feel amazing,” said Iyer.

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She stressed that neither is really true and urged women to answer key questions with the help of their doctor.

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