Dr. Streicher’s Inside Information: Menopause, Midlife, and More

When women think about the benefits of menopausal hormone therapy, things like hot flashes, insomnia and vaginal dryness come to mind.  But for many women, bone health is, or should be, at the top of the list.   In this episode, I speak with Dr. Risa Kagan about the role of estrogen, progesterone, and testosterone in bone health. Definition of Low Bone Mass (Osteopenia) and Osteoporosis The Differ...

Transdermal estrogen in the form of a patch, gel, or cream is often the preferred delivery method for menopausal hormone therapy. Unlike oral estrogen, in addition to other advantages, transdermal estrogen does not increase the risk of blood clots.  But a new study, published in the journal Menopause, indicates that your transdermal estrogen… may not be doing what you think it’s doing. Today, I am...

I get lots of questions on various platforms. But I never get to all of them. So, today is Q and A day.  I asked my friend and colleague, Dr. Heidi Flagg to join me because it’s always good to get another point of view. Dr. Flagg is, above all, a clinician. She is in her office in NY city, day in and day out, helping women navigate peri menopause and menopause. And unlike many people out there who...

Welcome to COME AGAIN:  Sexuality and Orgasm Podcast What if suddenly your tried-and-true maneuvers that consistently ended in orgasm no longer worked? Or it took so long and the climax so pathetic it was hardly worth the effort? Along with hot flashes, sandpaper sex, and a loss of libido, add the inability to have an orgasm to the list of post-menopause surprises your mom "forgot" to warn you abo...

As our bodies age, so do our teeth. And, no surprise, menopause also has an impact on dental health. My guest, Whitney Difoggio, AKA Teeth Talk Girl ,knows it all when it comes to dental hygiene ,anti-aging tips and post menopause teeth, gums, and tongues. Whitney DiFoggio, founder of teethtalkgirl.com , is a passionate dental health communicator and registered dental hygienist, recognized as "Tee...

The vagina is a dark and mysterious place. It is the passage by which most of us enter the world. As an adult, it is the place where our sexuality is housed, hopefully, associated with pleasure, but it can also be a place associated with pain, and sometimes trauma.  It is impossible to see the vagina without a speculum since the vagina is completely internal. And it was the invention of the specul...

Menopause experts rarely see patients with no medical issues. We see the patient with multiple medical problems and concerns.  In this episode, I bring in menopause expert Dr. Risa Kagan to collaborate on options for the following complex patient. (Be sure and check out my Substack article that gets into the nuances of bazodoxifene) Beth is 51 years old.  I’ve been flashing for 2 years with no end...

GLP-1 drugs like Ozempic™ and Wegovy™ do a great job at helping folks lose large amounts of weight, but there is emerging evidence that the benefits go well beyond achieving a healthy weight. And then there is the dark side…can they also harm?  In this episode, Dr. Alexandra Sowa, an internist who is certified in obesity medicine, and the author of the just published book The Ozempic Revolution: A...

Hot flashes, the hallmark of menopause are experienced by up to 80% of women. And if you are in your late 40s or early 50s and dressing in layers, carrying a fan, and sweating through your pajamas, chances are, it’s menopause. But maybe it’s not.  In this episode I run through the list of conditions that have nothing to do with menopause, that can cause women to sweat through the day and night. Dr...

The 1950s and 60s were a time of medical paternalism in America. The doctor, who was male in 98 percent of cases, decided what was best for his patient and unilaterally made decisions that were rarely, if ever questioned. In 1969 Dr. Marcus Welby was the TV prototype of this godlike paragon, and he spoke decisively and with authority in countless American households, including my own, on a weekly...

Sexual fantasy is at the top of the list when it comes to taboo topics. My guest, Dr. Justin Lehmiller is a social psychologist, an award-winning educator, a prolific researcher, and is the host of The Sex and Psychology podcast. He is also the author of The popular book, Tell Me What You Want_ The Science of Sexual Desire and How it Can Help You Improve Your Sex Life based on his survey of sexual...

Many, if not most women and clinicians believe that bioidentical estrogen is always best when it comes to post menopause hormone therapy. This comes from the premise that bio-identical estrogen is completely natural and therefore safer and more effective than other forms of estrogen.  Except that is not necessarily true.    In this myth-busting episode, I discuss: Why words and terms need to have...

Most women don’t even think about their urethras, but an estrogen-starved urinary tract can be the culprit when it comes to recurrent urinary tract infections and that persistent “gotta go” feeling.  In this episode I sit down with Dr. Kelly Casperson , a board-certified urologist, a certified Menopause Practitioner of the North American Menopause Society, and the host of the hit podcast You Are N...

30% of women over the age of 50 are single. 50% of women over age 65 are single.  Too often the whole dating process is overwhelming, frustrating, and unsuccessful. Enter Bela Gandhi- the nationally known dating coach who regularly appears on Good Morning America and hosts a hit podcast, “The Smart Dating Academy.” So whether you need to fix your picker, find the whole idea of dating daunting or a...

As 2024 ends, I decided to revisit the top episodes from last year. If I were to go by my favorites, choosing would be impossible. According to the number of downloads,  the two top contenders are Top Tips for Skin and Hair with Dr. Ellen Gendler and Musculoskeletal Syndrome of Menopause with Dr. Vonda Wright.  I am going to update Dr. Gendler's episode in a few weeks.  In this episode I am going...

If you haven't finished your holiday shopping yet, I've got you covered.  In this episode, I have great gift ideas that also happen to be healthy. There were two criteria to make it to this list. One, it had to be something I already own or would like to own. Second, there had to be a scientifically proven health benefit to using these items. And if you have already finished your shopping, these a...

An “MD” after the name is no assurance that the person to whom you are about to bare your soul—and your vagina—is an expert when it comes to menopause.  In this episode, I am going to walk you through the steps to find someone you can trust to fix your flashes, foggy brain, and failing sex life. Head over to Substack.com/@DrStreicher for a transcript of the episode, and bonus!  I posted an article...

If you would like to read a transcript of this episode along with some additional information, head on over to my substack- substack.com/@DrStreicher Chances are you have heard at least one expert say that systemic hormone therapy will prevent heart disease. But you also may have heard other experts say, No- if you don’t have hot flashes or low bone mass, it is not recommended to take hormone ther...

The only thing predictable about perimenopause is that it is …unpredictable. My guest today is Dr. Steven Goldstein, a tenured professor at NYU's Grossman School of Medicine, the past President of the International Menopause Society, Past President of The Menopause Society, and one of the WORLD’S  top experts on the science of perimenopause.   The problem with the standard definition of menopause....

Men have always had the clear advantage of being able to inspect their genitals with very little effort on their part. Women’s genitals are not quite as accessible, resulting in a lot more uncertainty about what’s normal and what’s not. No wonder women are frequently blindsided by not only the physical changes that occur with the onset of menopause but also symptoms like dryness, painful sex, itch...

Studies reveal that 70% of women experience a sense of being overlooked socially and professionally once they hit 50. The term for this phenomenon is Invisible Woman Syndrome . In this episode, I am joined by Christine Morrison, who writes about the social constructs in the fashion, beauty and wellness industry that inform the way society views women, and the way women often feel about themselves...

I give two to three lectures a week. No matter who I am talking to or what the topic is, the part I like the best is the Q and A. It’s always different and I never know what I am going to get. In this episode I answer 37 questions in  a 45 minute webinar I did on behalf of Midi Health where I am the Medical Director of Community Education and Outreach. If you are looking for in-depth explanations...

You grab a product off the shelf—maybe it promises to help with bladder control, take off ten pounds, erase wrinkles, or boost orgasms. You assume it will do what it claims to do because it has the FDA seal on the package. Most consumers have no idea that most over-the-counter products have not been tested to ensure product claims are legitimate. The history of the FDA Why estrogen disappeared fro...

Managing menopause in the face of cancer can be complicated. Many women are made to think that they should just be grateful to be alive and not complain about their all day all night hot flashes, brain fog and sex that is excruciatingly painful. Many oncologists are not experts when it comes to menopause or sexual function and don’t bring it up or give information that isn’t accurate. Many women a...

                                                                    Episode149                                             The Menopause Society Meeting                                                       Insights from an Insider Once a year, the Menopause Society holds an annual meeting where thousands of experts gather to present their research and learn from each other. In this episode, I wil...