provide recommendations for alternative drug treatments to address the patient’s pathophysiology. Be specific and provide examples.
The 46-year-old patient presented in this case seems to be experiencing uncomfortable symptoms resulting from an onset of menopause. Menopause generally affects women who are between the ages of 40 and 60. Symptoms that can accompany menopause include irregular periods, hot flashes, night sweats, metabolic changes, insomnia, and vaginal dryness. The patient is experiencing such symptoms as indicated by her hot flashes, night sweats, and genitourinary symptoms. The patient’s main health need regarding this issue is to get treatment that gives some relief to the unpleasant side effects of menopause (McCance & Huether, 2019).
The treatment regimen that I would recommend for my patient would first include lifestyle modifications that can help to alleviate the symptoms to some degree. These interventions would include exercise, drinking a great amount of fluid, and sticking to a low-fat diet. Such changes can help regulate metabolism during menopause, thereby decreasing the severity of symptoms (Marlatt et al., 2018). Medication that I would prescribe for her would include estrogen-containing hormone therapy. Vasomotor symptoms, such as night sweats and hot flushing are due to the fluctuation of hormones within the patient’s body. Hormone therapy helps to balance the decrease, which reduces the severity of these symptoms (Roberts & Hickey, 2016). Because the patient has a family history of breast cancer, and hormone therapy can increase the risk, I would also consider putting the patient on low-dose SSRI. Such a medication can also help reduce vasomotor symptoms (Genazzani et al., 2021). The patient’s genitourinary symptoms are likely a result of vaginal dryness, that accompanies menopause. For this issue I would recommend the use of vaginal estrogen, which promotes healthy vaginal discharge (Robets & Hickey, 2016).
Because the patient is entering a new phase of life, she will need proper education to fully understand her body and treatment regimen. After working as a nurse for several years, I have found that most patients learn well through technology; this includes apps, short videos, and interactive digital programs. The main reason patients successfully learn through this mechanism is because technology allows for information to be packed concisely and clearly (Wang et al., 2022). Therefore, I would recommend this patient to watch short videos explaining the process of menopause so she can understand the source of her symptoms. I would also show her information regarding her new medications in a similar format so that she can learn why she is taking them, when she should take them, and side effects to look out for.
References
Genazzani, A. R., Monteleone, P., Giannini, A., & Simoncini, T. (2021). Pharmacotherapeutic options for the treatment of menopausal symptoms. Expert Opinion on Pharmacotherapy, 22(13), 1773–1791. https://doi.org/10.1080/14656566.2021.1921148
Marlatt, K. L., Beyl, R. A., & Redman, L. M. (2018). A qualitative assessment of health behaviors and experiences during menopause: A cross-sectional, observational study. Maturitas, 116, 36–42. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.maturitas.2018.07.014
McCance, K. L. & Huether, S. E. (2019). Pathophysiology: The biologic basis for disease in adults and children (8th ed.). St. Louis, MO: Mosby/Elsevier.
Roberts, H., & Hickey, M. (2016). Managing the menopause: An update. Maturitas, 86, 53–58. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.maturitas.2016.01.007
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