So, the truth is treatment-induced menopausal symptoms aren’t the least bit glamorous. From hot flashes to realizing you need to use lube, it can be disconcerting, annoying, anxiety-inducing, and just a pain all around.
Jadey gathered up some favorite products to cool you down, help the aches, ease the symptoms, and get you through. (Our full guide on treatment-induced menopause is here.)
An Immediate, Instant Relief: An Icy Face Massager
April Primo, who was diagnosed with stage three invasive lobular carcinoma at 28, says: “My favorite thing: I had an ice roller for my face, because the steroids made me really, really flush. My face was like a tomato when I would take steroids.” Keeping an ice roller in the freezer felt so soothing on her skin. “And it felt nice when I was going through a hot flash.” This one has a surprisingly nice texture (we recommend storing it in a plastic bag to keep it clean between uses).
A Sore Joint-Friendly Yoga Mat
Gemma*, who was diagnosed with breast cancer when she was 46, says cancer treatment and treatment-induced menopause have left a lingering impact; and found yoga to help with aching joints. Numerous studies have shown that yoga alleviates several menopause symptoms, and many oncology experts recommend it as a great type of exercise for recovery in general.
Being mindful of joint discomfort, this thick, supportive yoga mat from Manduka is so cushy, and a wonderful support if you’re looking to start moving your body again (or maybe even exploring this activity for the first time). We also love Jade yoga mats, which are particularly grippy for those of us who find that most yoga mats get too slippery once the sweat starts dripping.
A Strength-Building Weighted Vest
Loss of bone density is a concern during menopause; and building strength by working out with weights combats that directly. Wearing a weighted backpack or vest while walking or jogging (an exercise practice that you can call “rucking”, if you wish) builds strength, bone density, and endurance. This is a very D.I.Y.-friendly workout: you can definitely put some dumbbells or random heavy items into a backpack you already have. For a weighted vest, we like this one because it’s comfortable, it distributes the weight evenly, and is a little more breathable than other options. It also comes in multiple color options and in weights ranging from 5 pounds up to 30 pounds. GORUCK, the hub of everything “ruck”, suggests starting with between ten and twenty pounds, and has some helpful workout guide suggestions on their website.
A Set of Magical Sweat-Wicking Pajamas
Marcella Kelson, a licensed social worker, who primarily works with new mothers and women with cancer (read our interview with her here) says that while she was in treatment for her breast cancer, she adored A Domani pajamas. “These were the best gift I got,” Marcella says. They’re designed specifically for women experiencing hot flashes. “If you wear these pajamas, you will not sweat through your sheets.” They’re temperature-regulating and come in lots of colors and styles.
A Cooling Mattress to Keep You Free From Hot Flashes…
It’s a bit wild to realize that we spend about one-third of our lives sleeping. With all that time meant for rest, surely you deserve a slumber uninterrupted by hot flashes and menopausal insomnia. Dani Trops, who was diagnosed with breast cancer at 30, says she lives by this organic cooling mattress from Evaya.
“It’s one of the first things I [got] right out the gate when I got diagnosed,” Dani says. “Insomnia is one of the things that is frequent in terms of menopause…so being on something that helps with good and restful sleep helps.” Evaya’s mattress meets the Global Organic Textile Standard for its materials, and Dani says it has helped not just with hot flashes and sleep but also her joint and back pain.
...and a Slim, Icy, Flexible Refresher
Gemma discovered this cooling pad from Midst. It’s a slim gel pillow that can be rolled, curved, or fully spread underneath or over your skin wherever you’re feeling a hot flash, offering some much needed relief. You can even pop it in the fridge for an extra boost.
A Workaday, Blessedly Functional Neck Fan
Look: what this lacks in beauty, this neck fan compensates for in terms of hard-working cooling right to your face. It’s portable, compact, and really effective for providing you with a nice little breeze. There are other options that look slightly more like headphones around your neck, but we like this one’s honesty and sheer wind power.
Hideous and Effective: A Deeply Relieving Frozen Necklace
Store this unattractive little ice collar in the fridge, pop it right on your neck and sigh. It’s also not especially comfortable–the little ridge is scratchy–but it’s so cooling that we still recommend it (and have worn it repeatedly until it loses all its juice).
Last but Never Least – Lubes and Moisturizers Galore
Vaginal dryness and discomfort is an (unfairly!) under-discussed part of treatment-induced menopause but often one of the most pressing. Just because you’re going through this change doesn’t mean you should settle for low moisture or libido.
Vaginal lubricants and vaginal moisturizers are two different–and both helpful–products for dryness. Lubricants help reduce friction while moisturizers help to retain moisture, as the name suggests, both important tasks for alleviating discomfort.
Kayla Alexander, who was diagnosed with breast cancer at 26, recommends Uberlube (a lubricant) for sex. “This definitely has helped us a ton, and it will help other girlies for sure,” she says. Uberlube is a silicone-based lube and has low osmolality, which helps enhance lubrication.
For vaginal moisturizers, Gemma says her doctor recommended this organic vaginal moisturizer by Ah! Yes. Abbie Marshall recommends Replens, a generic brand vaginal moisturizer, as well as Hyalo Gyn products. Hyalo Gyn’s lubricant and moisturizers are paraben-free and include hyaluronic acid derivatives, two of the most important components in such products according to experts.
“That can be pretty effective and you just use it a couple times a week,” says Dr. Kathryne Sanserino, a gynecologist at Stanford Medicine who works with people with cancer. “There are several studies on hyaluronic acid that compared it directly to estrogen…and it can perform just as well as vaginal estrogen.”
It’s also important to make sure you’re applying vaginal moisturizers properly – don’t be shy. “[You] need to actually rub it in and not just slather it on and go,” Dr. Sanserino says. It’s very important to read the ingredients with these, and you can discuss products with your doctor to make sure you’re using what’s best for you.
We know that treatment-induced menopause doesn’t seem fun or pretty, but we hope these tips and products will help you feel back to your cool, active, and sexy self.
*Names and some identifying details have been changed at the subject’s request.
