Office on Women's Health: Menopause treatment

Tier 1: Established: peer-reviewed research or government health authority
Publisher: U.S. Office on Women's Health (OWH), U.S. Department of Health and Human Services · Published: September 17, 2026 · Accessed: September 17, 2026

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Claims this source supports

• Low-dose hormonal birth control may help in perimenopause with hot flashes, vaginal dryness, mood swings, and heavy or irregular periods; it should not be used by people who smoke because of clot and blood-pressure risk.
• Menopausal hormone therapy can help treat symptoms during perimenopause, menopause and after, but can raise the risk of blood clots, stroke and some cancers; if used, the lowest dose for the shortest time needed is recommended.
• Non-hormonal prescription medicines approved by the FDA for certain menopause symptoms include fluoxetine (for hot flashes in women without existing mood or anxiety problems), ospemifene (vaginal dryness and painful sex), and fezolinetant (hot flashes, with an FDA warning about rare but severe liver injury).
• Over-the-counter water-based vaginal lubricants and vaginal moisturizers can help with vaginal discomfort and dryness, and prescription vaginal estrogen creams, tablets or rings are options if OTC products do not work.
• Topical hormone therapy applied to the vagina relieves vaginal dryness but does not help with other symptoms such as hot flashes.
• If symptoms are bothersome, treatment recommendations depend on a holistic evaluation by a health care provider and the person's own choice among the options offered.