Which Doctor?™
Which Doctor?™
A Review of Medical Specialties for Perimenopause Symptoms
Going through perimenopause may mean visiting a lot more physicians and health care providers than ever before. I feel like every year, I add more doctors to my list of annual appointments. All of the specialties can be confusing. I hope you can appreciate the humor, but if you have health anxiety, you may want to skip this one.
Here is a list of the most common medical specialties that you may be referred to:
Dr. Phil Bucket, Primary Care/General Practioner/Internist/Family Physician - Diagnoses and treats a wide range of medical conditions, but does not usually specialize in one thing. This is usually the physician that you will see first when dealing with a health complaint. Your health insurance or plan may require this visit first before seeing a specialist. This doctor can refer you to a specialist, when needed.
Dr. Ambush Crotch, OB/GYN - The OB stands for obstetrics aka delivering babies. The GYN stands for gynecologist. At my age, I personally like to go to doctors in this field who have stopped delivering babies to focus only on gynecology. Looking for a new doctor trained in menopause care? The Menopause Society has a searchable database of physicians and practitioners they have trained and certified in menopause care (good selection of Canadian and UK-based medical providers, worldwide not as extensive). For my British friends, the British Menopause Society also has a British searchable database. If you’re in another country, see if that country has a menopause society with a searchable database.
Depending on your health insurance plan, you may need a referral before visiting one of the specialists below. If you are unsure, call them and find out.
Dr. Jack Hart, Cardiologist - Studies and treats diseases and conditions of the cardiovascular system including heart rhythm disorders, heart disease, heart attacks and related heart conditions. Heart palpitations and skipping heartbeats are common in perimenopause and should be evaluated.
Dr. P. Gottago, Urologist - This doctor treats issues with the bladder, kidneys, ureters (those tubes where the urine descends from the kidneys to the bladder), and urethra (your pee-pee hole). If you deal with frequent urinary tract infections, a trip to the urologist may be in store for you. Warning: many urologists are men, and many men go to urologists; therefore, be prepared to see a lot of penis anatomical models and pictures in the patient rooms. More women are getting into this field - hurrah! If you want to bypass seeing phallic pictures altogether, consider visiting a urogynecologist; harder to find one but very helpful for female-specific urinary issues.
Dr. Dolores Sexitime, Sexual Health - Many urologists also choose to specialize in sexual health. If you’re dealing with sexual dysfunction, painful sex, or low libido, these doctors can help. Many offer in-office procedures and treatments that can fix a number of issues. Don’t be embarrassed, but maybe pick a female one. Just go so you can get busy again. You’ll thank yourself later. And what does Dolores rhyme with? (Seinfeld) If you’d like to find a provider, visit The International Society for the Study of Women’s Sexual Health. Some providers offer virtual appointments.
Dr. Ima Dracula, Hematologist - They diagnose and treat issues with the blood, bone marrow, and lymphatic system. If your primary care doctor is concerned about a number from your blood test, like blood count or blood platelets, for example, you may be referred to a hematologist for follow-up.
Dr. Assman, Proctologist - That’s another hat tip to TV show Seinfeld. This doctor treats disorders of the colon, rectum, and anus. Hemorrhoids, anyone?
Dr. Mimi Itch, Dermatologist - Specializes in skin, hair, and nail conditions. Wake up with a nasty rash? They can also help with antiaging treatments and recommendations. The Skin Cancer Foundation recommends seeing a dermatologist once a year for a mole check to check for skin cancer. Remember, check your insurance first.
Dr. Piper Canyouhearmenow, Otolaryngology/ENT - ENT stands for ear, nose, and throat. Are you finding that you have a more raspy voice? Developed allergies seemingly out of the blue? Suffer from ringing of the ears (tinnitus)? These are your peeps.
Dr. Stinkyshoe, Podiatrist - Look for a doctor with “DPM” after their name. Although not an MD or DO, they are helpful in disorders of the feet, such as plantar fasciitis (plantar meaning related to the bottom of the foot) or warts on your feet. If you need foot and ankle surgery, then an orthopedic surgeon would perform that.
Dr. Blaise Moody, Psychiatrist (MD or DO) or Psychologist (PhD or PsyD)- Calm down; no one is saying you’re crazy. Perimenopause is not “all in our heads” and can affect our moods as well as our levels of anxiety and depression. If you feel you need medicine, a psychiatrist can prescribe it. If you feel like you would rather have talk therapy, a psychologist can help. Some people go to both. Again, be sure to check your mental health benefits before making an appointment.
Dr. Hartburn, Gastroenterologist - Got tummy troubles? Need a colonoscopy or endoscopy? These are your docs.
Dr. Cell, Immunologist - These doctors specialize in conditions of the immune system. They were critical in helping us understand the effects of Covid on the body and how to gear up our bodies for the hard battle. Many immunologists are also allergy specialists and can perform allergy testing. This is critical if you have allergies so you know what to stay away from, how allergic you are, and which of the proper antihistamines or leukotriene receptor blockers are appropriate. Don’t just assume is my advice.
Dr. Locker, Neurologist - The secrets of our body are locked inside our brain and nervous system. It’s neurologists who understand the complexities of this system and are able to diagnose and treat conditions affecting these areas. Between the brain fog, headaches, and dizziness, it’s common for perimenopausal women to feel like there is something seriously wrong with their brain and may be referred to a neurologist.
If you’re still reading, I truly appreciate it! However, it’s time to stand up and take a break. If you’re cooking, maybe check that nothing is burning. Been there, done that.
Dr. Mae Rehab, Pelvic Floor Physical Therapist (DPT)—This is a non-MD who has earned a Doctor of Physical Therapy and specializes in treating pelvic floor dysfunction, prolapses (where your uterus or bladder begins to fall out of place), pelvic pain, and urinary issues such as leaking. In some states, you may refer yourself to a physical therapist, but in others, you need a referral. Also, check your health insurance for coverage.
Dr. Candy Sweetthang, Endocrinologist - Responsible for evaluating issues with the endrocrine system. Yeah, clear as mud. This is the study of the hormones that control the body and when not functioning properly can cause diabetes, bone loss, thyroid dysfunction, fertility problems, and other hormonal issues.
Dr. Freddy Beddy, Sleep Specialist - Sleep issues are among the most common complaints and may warrant a trip to a sleep specialist who can diagnose sleep disorders such as sleep apnea, insomnia, restless leg syndrome, and others. Sleep specialists can be internal medicine, neurology, pulmonology, otolaryngology docs.
Dr. Tartar, Dentist - Dentists are doctors who went to dental school and hold degrees either in dental surgery (DDS) or dental medicine (DDM). Mouth, gum, and teeth issues are common during perimenopause and through aging. I visit my dentist every 3 months instead of the usual 6 months because even with great oral hygiene I’m overproducing tartar, that crusty stuff that forms on your teeth. Fun fact: It was my dentist, Dr. Lisa Konz, who filled me in on the “secrets” of perimenopause - what it’s really like - when I started having weird symptoms years ago.
Dr. Creak, Rheumatologist - Specializes in the diagnoses and treatment of the joints, muscles, and bones related to inflammation and autoimmune such as lupus, multiple scoliosis, fibromyalgia, or arthritis.
Dr. Dryeye, Optometrist (O.D.) - This non-MD doctor will diagnose and treat changes in vision and things like dry eye. If you are diagnosed with any eye diseases like glaucoma (eye pressure issues), you will be referred to an Ophthalmologist, an MD or DO physician.
Dr. Katherine E. Backcrack, Chiropractor (D.C.)- Another non-MD type of doctor. Posture and alignment are especially important during this time. Perimenopause can cause all sorts of body aches and pains. When we are out of alignment, these discomforts can increase and cause injury. If our bodies are collapsed in poor posture, blood and oxygen aren’t getting to the places that they need to. Also, we can use posture to tell our brains that our bodies are safe (more on this later). Check your health insurance for coverage.
What’s the difference between an MD and a DO?
An MD stands for Medical Doctor and DO stands for Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine. Both are fully trained, meaning they attended an accredited medical school and are licensed to practice medicine. MDs go to medical school, and DOs go to osteopathic medical schools. Their approach to medicine is slightly different. DOs practice more holistically looking at the whole body. In practice, though, you may not even notice a difference between these two types of doctors, and most people don’t realize which medical degree their doctor obtained.
What training do MDs and DOs go through?
All MDs and DOs attend a 4-year medical school upon graduating college with an applicable degree like biology or chemistry. When they graduate, they can call themselves “doctors” but cannot practice medicine (aka see patients) until they have completed a residency program which can take 3 - 7 years, depending on the specialty. Their residency time gives them the hands-on experience to be responsible for someone’s health.
If you’ve ever been asked to have a resident join your appointment to observe, now you know who these people are. It’s not often a medical school student would observe, but it may be possible.
Once they complete their residency, they take an exam to obtain a medical license. They may also become “board-certified,” the highest mark of excellence a doctor can achieve.
What about functional medicine and naturopathic doctors?
Functional medicine is a way to practice medicine and not a specialty. Functional medicine practitioners may be MDs, DOs, or other health care clinicians.
Naturopathic doctors (ND) have attended naturopathic medical school (not the same as “traditional” medical school, but the program is rigorous and takes 4 years) after obtaining a bachelor’s degree in an applicable field. Once they graduate from naturopathic medical school, they can use the title doctor. They do not have residency requirements and can practice immediately upon graduating, passing a national board exam, and obtaining a license. Some states do not allow NDs to practice medicine. In some states, they are allowed to prescribe medications. Naturopathic doctors take a functional medicine approach.
🎤 Sorry, gals, Dr. McDreamy isn’t one of the doctors most frequently visited by perimenopausal women, and I hope you never need a neurosurgeon (surgery of the brain and nervous system). There are many more specialties and sub-specialties, but let’s not worry about those unless we need them.
Need help understanding medical terms? Check out the vagtionary.
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