Psychiatrist’s Guide to Reproductive Psychiatry During Menopause - Part 2
Dr. Cox addresses concerns like weight gain and sexual dysfunction
Psychiatrist’s Guide to Reproductive Psychiatry During Menopause (Part 2)
Dr. Cox addresses concerns like weight gain and sexual dysfunction
Navigating midlife hormonal changes requires personalized mental health strategies. In this episode, Dr. Polly Watson continues her discussion with Dr. Elizabeth Cox, a board-certified psychiatrist specializing in reproductive psychiatry from UNC Chapel Hill. With over a decade of experience, Dr. Cox highlights the critical impact of hormonal changes on women’s mental health during midlife.
“Live the life you want to live and do the things you want to do.”
The episode explores the use of antidepressants for perimenopausal women, focusing on the decision-making process for pharmaceutical intervention, especially when anxiety or mood disruptions affect quality of life. Dr. Cox emphasizes tailoring treatments to each patient’s values and lifestyle goals.
Watch The Conversation!
Navigating midlife hormonal changes requires personalized mental health strategies. In this episode, Dr. Polly Watson continues her discussion with Dr. Elizabeth Cox, a board-certified psychiatrist specializing in reproductive psychiatry from UNC Chapel Hill. With over a decade of experience, Dr. Cox highlights the critical impact of hormonal changes on women’s mental health during midlife.
“Live the life you want to live and do the things you want to do.”
The episode explores the use of antidepressants for perimenopausal women, focusing on the decision-making process for pharmaceutical intervention, especially when anxiety or mood disruptions affect quality of life. Dr. Cox emphasizes tailoring treatments to each patient’s values and lifestyle goals.
Addressing concerns like weight gain and sexual dysfunction, Dr. Cox suggests strategies such as adjusting medication dosages, using supplementary medications like Buspar or Wellbutrin, and exploring topical agents like CBD oil. Open communication between patients and providers is key to managing these side effects.
Dr. Cox also discusses the role of genetic testing in personalizing mental health treatments, particularly for those with multiple unsuccessful medication trials or severe side effects. Her approach in reproductive psychiatry emphasizes caution, minimalism, and collaboration, creating a supportive environment for women during hormonal transitions.
Quotes:
- “If consistently you’re feeling like your anxiety or your mood symptoms are in the driver’s seat and that you’re in the back seat, just kind of like along for the ride, that feels problematic.” (03:05 | Dr. Elizabeth Cox)
- “The weight gain typically should be like 5-10 pounds max, more of like water weight. But that being said, everybody’s different. So I’m always open-minded here.” (08:37 | Dr. Elizabeth Cox)
- “What I feel from this conversation with you is this balance, this gentleness, a lot of choice, a lot of partnership, right? And I think so often women are offered antidepressant medication without a lot of this kind of more nuanced conversation and they feel like they’ve been put off and then they’re closing themselves off to something that might actually be helpful, but they have fear around it, they felt shame around it, they felt judgment around it.” (16:24 | Dr. Polly Watson)
Resources:
Meet the Guest Speaker!
Dr. Elizabeth Cox, MD is an expert in reproductive psychiatry and women’s mental health treatment, and is well-versed in treating women’s mood and anxiety disorders, as well as other psychiatric disorders, during times of hormonal fluctuation and change (pregnancy, postpartum, menstruation, menopause and infertility). She was previously the Medical Director for UNC Women’s Mood Disorders at Wake Med North and Residency Education Director for Women’s Mood Disorders at UNC.
Dr. Cox has studied alternative treatments for depression, including transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS). She believes in a holistic approach to treatment that includes nutrition, exercise, sleep, therapeutic interventions and pharmaceutical intervention when indicated.
I believe in treating the full person through a comprehensive patient-centered care model.
Meet the host!
Dr. Polly Watson is a board certified OBGYN who has additional training in menopausal medicine, sexual medicine and functional medicine.
She looks forward to sharing her knowledge with you to help find a solution to address the imbalance in your system and restore your health.
In 2019 I left my job as an employed physician with a large organization and started Hormone Wellness MD. I started with no staff working out of a single room. Since then, my staff has grown to a team of 5 and we’ve helped over 1,100 people on their health journey.
Meet the host!
Dr. Elizabeth Cox, MD is an expert in reproductive psychiatry and women’s mental health treatment, and is well-versed in treating women’s mood and anxiety disorders, as well as other psychiatric disorders, during times of hormonal fluctuation and change (pregnancy, postpartum, menstruation, menopause and infertility). She was previously the Medical Director for UNC Women’s Mood Disorders at Wake Med North and Residency Education Director for Women’s Mood Disorders at UNC.
Dr. Cox has studied alternative treatments for depression, including transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS). She believes in a holistic approach to treatment that includes nutrition, exercise, sleep, therapeutic interventions and pharmaceutical intervention when indicated.
Dr. Cox grew up in Charleston, SC but now calls Raleigh, NC home where she resides with her three small children, spouse and their two dogs.
I believe in treating the full person through a comprehensive patient-centered care model.
Meet the host!
Dr. Polly Watson is a board certified OBGYN who has additional training in menopausal medicine, sexual medicine and functional medicine.
She looks forward to sharing her knowledge with you to help find a solution to address the imbalance in your system and restore your health.
In 2019 I left my job as an employed physician with a large organization and started Hormone Wellness MD. I started with no staff working out of a single room. Since then, my staff has grown to a team of 5 and we’ve helped over 1,100 people on their health journey.
