Midlife Care for Women
Kathy Peddicord hasn’t had a good night’s sleep in about 15 years. The 57-year-old Keystone woman did her best to live with sleep deprivation until she noticed some other changes.
"In the last five years, I noticed I was sweating day and night," said Peddicord. "It was embarrassing and it seemed the more I tried to control it the worse it got."
So when Peddicord heard about St. Luke’s Midlife Care for Women, she was the first patient to make an appointment.
Midlife Care for Women is aimed at women ages 35 to 65 offering specialty care to premenopausal, menopausal and postmenopausal women.
The purpose of the clinic is to focus on women’s health issues especially during premenopause, which can be up to 15 years before menopause," said Alecia Allen, MD, medical director. "Premenopausal and menopausal symptoms seem to take a lot of time and you need to focus in on what is causing the symptoms."
Hormone restoration therapy
Services provided at Midlife Care for Women include Hormone Restoration Therapy (HRT), bladder control, nutrition and exercise information. HRT is the name given to the hormones prescribed for menopausal symptoms. They are available in two forms: bioidentical hormones and synthetic hormones. Bioidentical hormones are exactly like the hormones your body naturally produces. "Our goal is to only restore what is missing, using medications and hormones at the lowest necessary dose for the shortest period of time," said Dr. Allen. "We are using bioidentical hormones, which are derived from plants to be exact replicas of the hormones native to our body. Since every woman is different, the bioidentical hormones are prescribed in a dose that is individualized for each person."
Midlife Care for Women is not meant to replace a woman’s family practice doctor. The clinic works in tandem with the patient’s regular doctor. The visit is covered by most insurance companies, although a special lab test is typically not covered. The initial appointment usually lasts about an hour and a half.
"When I came in for my appointment I met with a nurse practitioner who conducts an extensive health history and performs a physical," said Peddicord. "Then they give you a saliva test to check your hormone levels. You come back to the clinic about a week later and they go through your results and set up a treatment plan."
Customized care
"Each recommendation is customized to the patient," said Dr. Allen. "The hormones are prescribed based on what the woman needs versus giving her a standard dose that we would give to everybody. Some women may only need a vitamin supplement, while others may need hormone restoration."
As for Peddicord, she was prescribed a progesterone cream and has been using it for about a month.
"I am elated with the results and feel a lot better," said Peddicord. "It makes me feel better knowing there is something actually wrong with me and that it is not in my head."
"Our patients are loving their results and the quality time they get in the clinic," said Dr. Allen. "We use a multidisciplinary approach at Midlife Care for Woman. This means I work closely with the nurse practitioners and the pharmacists to tailor care for each patient."
"The new clinic is great," said Peddicord. "The sweating and lack of sleep had been major issues for me and I definitely see improvements."
For more information call St. Luke’s Midlife Care for Women at 319/368-5950.
