The new gel that boosts a woman"s sex life after the menopause

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By Jenny Hope, Medical Correspondent for the Daily Mail

 

A new once-daily hormone treatment has boosted the sex lives of older women.

 

Using VagiCap increased by a third the number of women getting sexual satisfaction, say findings from a trial.

 

The treatment, which is not yet available, is aimed at women who experience pain during sex and other symptoms caused by the menopause.

 

More than half of post-menopausal women suffer vaginal dryness that can make sex uncomfortable because of a lack of the hormone oestrogen.

A new gel claims to be able to boost a woman’s sex life after the menopause – by relieving the pain and discomfort associated with a  lack of oestrogen

 

The new treatment is a tear-shaped softgel capsule designed for easy insertion once a day, alleviating local symptoms.

 

However, the oestrogen has less effect throughout the body than hormone replacement therapy (HRT) which should lessen any side effects.

 

Dr Sheryl Kingsberg, chief of the Division of Behavioral Medicine Department at UH Case Medical Center in Cleveland, presented the trial at the International Society of Women’s Sexual Health Annual Meeting, in Austin, Texas.

 

Dr Kingsberg said: ‘Menopause is typically associated with hot flashes (flushes), but there are other common and distressing symptoms such as pain and discomfort during sex due to lack of oestrogen.

‘Approximately 30 million women in the United States experience this condition, which can really impact their quality of life.’

 

She said the VagiCap, if approved by regulatory authorities, could be a treatment that women ‘may find to be convenient and easy to use’.

 

At least half of menopausal women experience uncomfortable, often distressing symptoms such as dryness -making sex painful.

 

In the UK, the average age of the menopause is 51 years, when periods stop and oestrogen hormone levels decline.

 

Research earlier this week found at least half of menopausal women experienced uncomfortable, often distressing symptoms for more than seven years on average and often much longer.

 

The latest study involved women between the ages of 40-75 who were assigned to use the VagiCap once daily – usually at the same time in the morning – or a placebo (dummy) treatment.

 

A qualitative survey by the researchers found that 63 per cent of women on the VagiCap reported an improvement in quality of life after only two weeks of therapy treatment, compared to 48 per cent on the placebo.

 

Dr Kingsberg said: ‘For many women, symptoms such as these have a major impact on frequency and spontaneity of their sexual activity.

 

‘It is essential that health care attendants routinely engage in open and sensitive discussions with postmenopausal women to ensure that symptomatic atrophy is detected early and appropriately managed.’

 

New treatment options have the potential to improve satisfaction for these women, she said.

 

‘There is medical consensus that oestrogen administered locally is the preferred mode of treatment for both symptom reduction and restoring and maintaining healthy vaginal tissue and sexual function’ she added.

 

TherapeuticsM, manufacturers of the VagiCap, began a phase three trial in September 2014 which is investigating 4 mcg, 10 mcg and 25 mcg doses of oestrogen as different options to meet women’s treatment needs. 

 

Categories: distressing symptoms, dr kingsberg, menopausal women, nbsp, nbsp dr, original site, sex life, treatment, Women

The Traditional Chinese Medicine Approach to Prostate Cancer

Prostate cancer is a sexual health issue that can negatively impact all areas of your wellbeing. According to recent projections from the American Cancer Society, of the 232,090 new cases to be diagnosed, about 30,350 men will die from prostate cancer. This is why it’s so important to get tested early and often, and find the right treatment.

 

According to Licensed Acupuncturist Dr. Mao Shing Ni, PhD, who has diplomas in Chinese Herbology and Anti-Ageing Wellness, ‘If you are a man over the age of 40 and prostate cancer runs in your family, it is extremely advisable to monitor your Prostate Specific Antigen (PSA) levels. A PSA blood test measures the level of a protein released by prostate cells. Recent experts state that if a PSA level is 2.5 or higher, it reveals the possibility of prostate growth (hyperplasia), but it does not always mean that cancer is present. Since PSA levels may fluctuate with infection and lab errors, usually more than one test over a period of time is done to confirm your PSA level. Digital Rectal Exam (DRE) and ultrasound are other ways to evaluate the prostate. However, only biopsies can truly determine whether the growth in the prostate is benign or malignant.’

 

So what exactly is your prostate, and why does it become more likely to be damaged as you age? ‘The prostate gland lies at the base of the bladder surrounding the urethra (urinary tract from bladder to penis),’ Dr. Mao explains. ‘During ejaculation, the prostate secretes a fluid that combines with the seminal fluid in order to prevent infection in the urethra while protecting and invigorating sperm. Due to the ageing process, the prostate naturally enlarges as hormones change and weaken after the age of 40. The swelling of the prostate puts pressure against the bladder and urethra, thereby affecting the smooth flow of urine. Abnormal patterns of urination such as higher frequency at night, burning sensation, difficulty, blockage and dribbling are common symptoms and signs of prostate enlargement.’

 

But why are we asking a Traditional Chinese Medicine specialist about prostate cancer? Dr. Mao notes, ‘TCM associates hyperplasia of the prostate with damp heat and kidney deficiency. After the age of 40, one’s vital energy in the kidney system decreases, resulting in the disturbance of sex hormones. This process also decreases one’s sexual energy, which affects the function of the prostate and the circulation in this region. Throughout the ages, in order to compensate for the decline of prostate function, men in China have used regular acupuncture treatments to improve the circulation and energy in the prostate.’

 

Dr. Mao continues, ‘To enhance the effect of acupuncture, they have also used Chinese herbs such as Poly Goni He Shou Wu, in traditional, custom herbal formulas to replenish the kidney essence. In fact, at Tao of Wellness, we have had many successful cases of normalising elevated PSA levels in patients with prostate conditions. Kidney essence nurtures the prostate. As the prostate is revitalised, it is now capable of self-regulating toward normal functioning and maintaining a balance of growth and non-growth. This is the balancing property of Chinese medicine.’

 

Dr. Mao adds, ‘TCM nutrition encourages men to eat more nuts, seeds, pumpkin, mushroom and berries to help nourish their prostate. Managing stress, regular exercise and massaging the prostate are also vital to help maintain prostate health. Besides Chinese and western herbs such as saw palmetto, there are many delicious foods that you can eat to help maintain a healthy prostate. Regular consumption of foods that contain lycopene (a prostate protective antioxidant) is highly recommended.’

Categories: Chinese medicine, dr mao, kidney essence, nbsp dr, prostate, prostate cancer, psa level, psa levels, traditional chinese, traditional chinese medicine, treatment

Men: We Put Your Sexual Health Questions to the Expert

Men don’t often like to discuss wellness issues, especially when they revolve around your sexual health. However, instead of keeping quiet, a few brave men have put their questions to medical expert Dr. Mohan S. Palaniswami – and we’re passing the info on to you! So, if there’s something you always wanted to know – but were too afraid to ask – read on and see if the expert has the answers you’re searching for.

 

1. What exactly is impotence and can it be treated? ‘Impotence is the inability to achieve or maintain an adequate erection frequently or regularly,’ Dr. Palaniswami explains. ‘It is important to understand that one episode of decreased ability for erection does not mean someone is impotent. You should feel free to speak to your doctor about your sexual activity. It is a normal part of health, and physicians are trained to discuss, evaluate and treat, when necessary, these issues. A doctor can evaluate each individual to assess potential causes for impotence and determine the proper treatment, if any, that is needed.’

 

Dr. Palaniswami continues, ‘In many cases, treatment is quite effective. Treatment depends on the cause of the impotence, and can range from stopping of a medication to treating an infection to implanting prosthetic devices to starting new medications. Sexual wellbeing is a very important part of an individual’s over-all health. Physicians and other health professionals are important resources for considering your sexual health into your over-all health management.’

 

 

2. I don’t like using condoms, but if I get a vasectomy will it be reversible? According to Dr. Palaniswami, ‘Vasectomy can be a very effective method of birth control. Usually, a condom should continue to be used for the first three to six months after a vasectomy as there could be sperm stored in the vas deferens (the conduit which sperm uses to travel out of the testicles and through the penis.) More importantly, condoms protect from the transmission of sexually transmitted disease. Vasectomy offers no such defence. Once done, vasectomy is potentially reversible, but the success of reversing the procedure varies. Scarring from the initial procedure can cause irreversible damage to the vas deferens making a revision of the vasectomy impossible.’

 

Dr. Palaniswami adds, ‘Pregnancy rates after reversing vasectomy can be reduced by up to 50%…If vasectomy is desired, an option for future offspring may be to store sperm in a sperm bank in case the vasectomy is permanent. Prior to planning such a procedure, careful consultation with your primary care physician and a urologist should occur so that you fully understand the risks involved.’

 

 

3. Following my annual prostate exam, my doctor told me my PSA was normal, but what is it? ‘PSA stands for Prostate Specific Antigen and is a marker in the blood that is made almost exclusively by the prostate,’ says Dr. Palaniswami. ‘Recently, it has become the standard of care to check a PSA level in men over the age of fifty…A level of less than four is normal, while a level greater than 10 indicates a greater than two-thirds chance cancer being present. A study at the University of Washington in 1995 seemed to indicate that using this marker can catch up to 97% of prostatic cancers at the most easily-curable stage, that is, when the cancer is only in the prostate. The drawback to this test is that PSA can also go up with conditions that aren’t cancerous, such as an infection of the prostate (prostatitis), inflammation of the prostate from a nearby infection, or in a common condition called benign prostatic hypertrophy which is a benign enlargement of the prostate.’

Categories: dr palaniswami, health, Impotence, nbsp, nbsp dr, nbsp nbsp, prostate, psa testing, sexual health, vas deferens, vasectomy

Men: We Put Your Sexual Health Questions to the Expert

Men don’t often like to discuss wellness issues, especially when they revolve around your sexual health. However, instead of keeping quiet, a few brave men have put their questions to medical expert Dr. Mohan S. Palaniswami – and we’re passing the info on to you! So, if there’s something you always wanted to know – but were too afraid to ask – read on and see if the expert has the answers you’re searching for.

 

1. What exactly is impotence and can it be treated? ‘Impotence is the inability to achieve or maintain an adequate erection frequently or regularly,’ Dr. Palaniswami explains. ‘It is important to understand that one episode of decreased ability for erection does not mean someone is impotent. You should feel free to speak to your doctor about your sexual activity. It is a normal part of health, and physicians are trained to discuss, evaluate and treat, when necessary, these issues. A doctor can evaluate each individual to assess potential causes for impotence and determine the proper treatment, if any, that is needed.’

 

Dr. Palaniswami continues, ‘In many cases, treatment is quite effective. Treatment depends on the cause of the impotence, and can range from stopping of a medication to treating an infection to implanting prosthetic devices to starting new medications. Sexual wellbeing is a very important part of an individual’s over-all health. Physicians and other health professionals are important resources for considering your sexual health into your over-all health management.’

 

 

2. I don’t like using condoms, but if I get a vasectomy will it be reversible? According to Dr. Palaniswami, ‘Vasectomy can be a very effective method of birth control. Usually, a condom should continue to be used for the first three to six months after a vasectomy as there could be sperm stored in the vas deferens (the conduit which sperm uses to travel out of the testicles and through the penis.) More importantly, condoms protect from the transmission of sexually transmitted disease. Vasectomy offers no such defence. Once done, vasectomy is potentially reversible, but the success of reversing the procedure varies. Scarring from the initial procedure can cause irreversible damage to the vas deferens making a revision of the vasectomy impossible.’

 

Dr. Palaniswami adds, ‘Pregnancy rates after reversing vasectomy can be reduced by up to 50%…If vasectomy is desired, an option for future offspring may be to store sperm in a sperm bank in case the vasectomy is permanent. Prior to planning such a procedure, careful consultation with your primary care physician and a urologist should occur so that you fully understand the risks involved.’

 

 

3. Following my annual prostate exam, my doctor told me my PSA was normal, but what is it? ‘PSA stands for Prostate Specific Antigen and is a marker in the blood that is made almost exclusively by the prostate,’ says Dr. Palaniswami. ‘Recently, it has become the standard of care to check a PSA level in men over the age of fifty…A level of less than four is normal, while a level greater than 10 indicates a greater than two-thirds chance cancer being present. A study at the University of Washington in 1995 seemed to indicate that using this marker can catch up to 97% of prostatic cancers at the most easily-curable stage, that is, when the cancer is only in the prostate. The drawback to this test is that PSA can also go up with conditions that aren’t cancerous, such as an infection of the prostate (prostatitis), inflammation of the prostate from a nearby infection, or in a common condition called benign prostatic hypertrophy which is a benign enlargement of the prostate.’

Categories: dr palaniswami, health, Impotence, nbsp, nbsp dr, nbsp nbsp, prostate, psa testing, sexual health, vas deferens, vasectomy