Please anyone respond. At the end of May I stopped HRT cold turkey (Yaz). On Aug. 21st I woke up at 2am. broke out in horrible sweat, shaky and vomited. Of course, I was sure I had the flu. Happily, I fell right back to sleep. Woke up in the morning hungry so I ate and went on with my day. August 27th I was driving to our vacation home with hubby as a passenger. We were laughing and joking and then all of a sudden I was having another very intense hot flash and quickly pulled the car over b/c I started to faint. Again, broke out in a horrible sweat and was very shaky. When he finished the drive to the house I was fine and out mowing the lawn. I decided to go immediately back on HRT and everyday gets alittle better. Has anyone ever had hot flashes that severe and what were your experiences. Can't wait to hear from you!

Thanks,
Wendy

I can't say I've ever experienced a reaction that severe, but I can be feeling "fine" (relative term in meno of course) and literally start to feel a rush sensation, my heart start pounding, my vision blur, major anxiety kick in, fever and a raging hot flash comes on... it passes in a bit but leaves a lingering sense of the anxiety with it - hideous.

I've opted out of the HRT synth or bio because of family history and I don't take any AD's either so I'm roughing it on my own... your experience seems very scary - I would have completely freaked out. If the hormones have you feeling better than stick with it - its the side affects like these that I'm terrified of! Bravo you can deal with it all.

Hi Wendy,
I never actually vomited during a hot flash but my flashes were very severe. Mine would start with a feeling of strange apprehension, almost as if something terrible were about to happen. I would feel a sort of tingling especially in my hands and then whoosh! if I did not sit down or get into a cool atmosphere I would just feel the floor coming up to meet me. The worst part would last for about five minutes. I did feel very nauseous. At one stage, I felt afraid to venture out alone just in case I had one and just blacked out. the heat produced by my body was astounding. My hubby very quickly learnt to recognise when one was coming on and always went into action to help me. I needed a fan everywhere I went and had a handbag fan for going out.
They seemed to go on for a long time but they have now gone and I am almost back to normal.


Cheers,


XIII

Well, the doctor gave me a severe tongue lashing for stopping cold turkey. It is safest to taper off. She also said you can absolutely have hot flashes that severe.

Wendy

Hi Wendy:

I have been having hot flashes on and off for about 2 years but now they are getting more and more sever, I am awake most of the night with them. I opted out of HRT for health reasons, family history etc. I too have felt a tingling in my shoulders and back, it is really wierd. Anyway I am writing to ask you did your hot flashes get more sever before they stopped completely I am just hoping I am almost through with this.

Cindy

just wanted to ask you ladies on this site if this is corret.I as making my bed when my face went really red i felt ike i was burning up al over and then after bout 5 mns its gone but my back was left dripping infact if i touch it my hand was wet...not so much the front top half sweating, as my back and top of my head crown was hot and clammy to touch

Dear 'Laxgirl'
What you are describing is definitely hot flashes.They can come anytime and anyplace and on different parts of the body.You might want to check on BHRT as this will probably stop them or at least make them less severe.
Also ask Health Store about Primrose Oil and other Herbal remedies that are supposed to be useful for this very annoying Menopausal symptom.
All the Best
Elizabeth

Hi Wendy:

I have been having hot flashes on and off for about 2 years but now they are getting more and more sever, I am awake most of the night with them. I opted out of HRT for health reasons, family history etc. I too have felt a tingling in my shoulders and back, it is really wierd. Anyway I am writing to ask you did your hot flashes get more sever before they stopped completely I am just hoping I am almost through with this.

Cindy

Hi Cindy, you're into it two years now? i'm in total menopause, no period for 4 years now. I'm not on HRT either. although i must admit i just received my first prescription. haven't started taking them yet though.

I still have hot flashes - no relief yet and they're still severe. I dont know quite how to explain it - but the hot flash sensation will morph for time to time. for instance, i used to know i was going into a hotflash because it would be preceded by a momentary rush of severe agitation. that doesn't happen anymore, the flash now builds more slowly but stays longer.

and twice now i've had phantom menses. where it felt like i was ovulating, and a day or so later I would get a mild cramping sensations but no blood. But what was so great about that was for two weeks after that happened i had no hot flashes, that was pure heaven for me.
Nellie~

The best way to beat a hot flash is naturally. Hot flashes have a lot to do with the low levels of estrogen in your body, but other factors can cause your temperature control to go out of whack. Studies show that medication is not always helpful. Instead of estrogen therapy, look at less drastic measures first, partly because estrogen therapy is not known to be safe for women with a history of breast cancer—but also because you should always begin with the least aggressive approach to treating your menopausal symptoms.

I'm sorry to disagree but loss of estrogen is the cause of hot flushes - so using hormones is the natural way of dealing with them. The breast cancer scare has been aggressively promoted by the media and a couple of flawed studies. Can anyone offer all women who don't use hormones a breast cancer free existence?
No they can't and recently I read that a damaged gene could be the cause of most breast cancers apart from the BCRA genes.
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/health/healthne...r-20-years.html
Logically it doesn't make sense that a major hormone should be programmed by nature to cause cancer. It is more likely to be a genetic problem coupled with lifestyles.
Only recently I read that many everyday items such as plastics contain estrogen mimics that have been found to cause femminisation in boys and men.
There is also an increase in male breast development and the guys in general are sure not taking estrogen products voluntarily. Cancer is an age related disease in many cases. As for menopausal symptoms - well considering the long term health implications of untreated menopause I expect most women are healthier using the hormones in carefully tailored balanced doses.
Louise

Hey Jack,

Seem Sherrylouz is a troll looking for business.......3 links at bottom of post. ALL promoting products AND she just joined today. Regards, JZZ

Thanks for the heads up JZZ
Jacks

Possible I could be wrong but.......just seems very suspicious. Either way, I don't care for the scare tactics. JZZ

All i know is I feel so horrible today .. hot flashes have me ragged the last 3 days .. then yesterday had to get a cortizone injection into my left hip socket .. was up most of the night in pain ..and my body aches are back .. I feel just awful waaaaaaaaaaaaaa

I'm 3 years into menopause and still have the hot flashes. They're NOT as severe as when I was in peri. THOSE were killers, especially the ones that came at night. They would wake me up several times a night and I had to get out from under the covers. If I DIDN'T wake up in time to throw the covers off, I would be drenched in my own sweat like I'd taken a bath and got into bed! The really intense ones created a tingling sensation, raised my heart rate and created negative (dark lines, not bright lines) lightening-type jagged patterns behind my eyelids at night!

The hot flashes I have now are tolerable. They usually hit at random, but I can count on one happening just as I try to fall asleep, during one of the couple times I wake up during the night and upon waking in the morning. They'll happen in the day too, but are usually triggered by warm conditions or exercise. They're worse in the summer when nighttime temps are higher in the room. I get the impression they are winding down, so I'll see what happens as time passes. What my new problems are that I'm TOO COLD a lot of the time and I sweat like a guy anymore!

I was on HRT for only 2 years to get through the worst of the symptoms, headaches, hot flashes and lack of sleep mostly, but the general feeling of sickness too. Taking HRT DID get rid of the hot flashes. However, I'm not going on hormones any more. The risks of breast cancer are just too great to relieve some minor hot flashes now. It's interesting to note that since the WHI study was stopped in 2002, breast cancer rates have been dropping steadily.

http://www.cdc.gov/cancer/breast/statistics/trends.htm

Could it be that doctors were GIVING us women breast cancer in our desire to get through peri all those years before 2002? Especially the Premarin and Prempro synthetic posions they were perscribing like candy? Were we fools to trust them? Granted there are still risk factors for breast cancer, namely genetics, excess body fat and yes, even using bioidentical HRT. Bioidentical estrogen is still estrogen and it will stimulate the breast tissue, also the uterus as well.

What about mammograms? The government just came out with new guidelines for mammograms and are recommending doing it less, especially before age 40 and every OTHER year after 50. Were they looking at the lower breast cancer rates since the WHI study? One other thing, every time you have a mammogram, you are irradiating your breast with X-rays, a form of ionizing radiation that if given to too frequently can GIVE you cancer. Was the government looking at that too? Just some reflection to think about.

I too am entering the third year in full menopause. I still get the hot flashes but they are now very mild and I can actually stop them in their tracks by taking steps to lower my temperature. I think that HRT taken at the lowest dose for 18 months is fairly safe but my worry is that it prolongs the inability of the body to readjust in the temperature department. I just wonder if the oestrogen levels need to 'bottom out' before negative feedback mechanisms can activate the necessary adjustments. There was certainly a statistically significant fall in cases of breast cancer, when uptake of HRT fell dramatically after recommendations in 2002. Those who are very pro supplimentation will say that those figures are a coincidence. On a personal level I find the statistical probability that I will get breast cancer anyway, very scary and would not have the courage to increase that risk, no matter how small the effect. My hot flashes were particularly severe but I regarded them as an inconvenience; not a disease that required aggressive or 'risky' treatment. We are all different and some women are very happy to take the risk. I just think that it is a great pity that definitive advice still does not exist and we find ourselves very short on information when making these important decisions. At the height of my menopausal symptoms my GP had no hesitation in prescribing HRT for me and yet I heard that he had advised his own wife against taking oestrogen. Mmmmmmm............ Sorry, but that made me a tad suspicious of his true motivation.
I am rather suspicious of mamograms. The way the breast tissue is squashed mercilessly, (ouch!) might cause inflammation, scarring and eventually problems. They are certainly not foolproof. Still, I suppose that it is all we have at present. In the UK we have them every 3 years.


XIII

Hi,

I've read some interesting things that have said maybe the breast cancer rates have dropped due to early mammogram screening. (Not from less use of HRT.) Scarey now that mammo's are going to be done less frequently. What are the "experts" going to say in a few years when the breast cancer numbers rise again? Who or What are they going to blame then?????

Personally, I've been battling my own docs on my all too frequent mammo's. I don't like being exposed to so much radiation. And, I feel that the radiation from mammo's might contribute to breast cancer in some individuals. (jmo).... Anyway, it's a very personal decision that I feel should be made between a woman and her doctor (not by bureaucrats intent on saving money.) Ironically, I told my gyn and breast surgeon that I would be boycotting future mammo's just this past year. lol NOW, the new guidelines come out....ya just can't win. Regards, JZZ

I find it hard to believe that termination of HRT would IMMEDIATELY cause the incidences of breast cancer to fall. It doesn't make sense. Regarding mammograms I dislike the idea of the radiation and would opt for ultra sound. In London we have a hospital called The Princess Grace which uses state of the art screening with far less radiation exposure and results are available the same day. Also the majority of breast cancers in women using hormones has been localised less aggressive tumours as compared to non using HRT women who have larger more aggressive cancers.

hello,
It is important to understand that ultrasound is most of the time used as an added tool to the mammogram. It cannot replace a mammogram. Ultrasound is used in most cases after something suspicious is found on an x-ray. I too, go reluctanctly to my mammogram screening but when I had my first finding, the ultrasound would not have helped to detect the issue.
This being said, I do agree that there might be too much screeening done to younger women but i believe that it has to be a decision made after discussing the pros and cons with your physician.
MrsBuff

Yes, thats what I was saying......lol (and I've read this too. It's too soon to say the drop in breast cancer is due to the discontinuation of hrt/or bhrt). Like I said......what will they blame the breast cancers on next???? JZZ

Actually I mean't digital breast screening. Here is the hospital offering it with same day results- I had a mammogram done when I was 28 and the report was vague and designed to scare a woman.
Sometimes I think that breast cancer is promoted as a definite thing that will happen to most women - especially if they step out of line by using hormones, drinking alcohol or many other factors including stress or no pregnancies. I'm not trying to dismiss the danger. But I'm not going to be terrified because I own a pair of breasts and use hormones.
The breast cancer charities are making a fortune out of the fears of women - the media are forever doing beast cancer scare stories and doctors wag their fingers over hormones.
How is it we don't get such hysteria over lung cancer, pancreatic cancer and other non gender dependent cancers. Although men get breast cancer and don't use hormones .......
http://www.theprincessgracehospital.co.uk/...t-screening.php

I noticed that too....thought that was a no no....

Gals, we have to remember what HRT was before 2002. It was mostly Prempro and Premarin, equine estrogen, something from a horse for gawds sake, not even a human base! And the doses they prescribed were huge too, much more than normal levels for a normal woman! They thought back then that more was better. My mother was even on it and never asked questions of her doctor.

Remember that they prematurely stopped the study because they found that the increased risk of breast cancer and stroke in women taking those HRT formulations was statistically significant.

http://www.ynhh.org/healthlink/womens/womens_9_02.html

Now given that most HRT is bioidentical estradial anymore, the risk is probably a lot lower for getting breast cancer from HRT use. However, I remember when I had high estrogen during peri, my breasts were usaully tender, I know that it stimulates the tissue, so I'm still wary of using estrogen.

Also, I read that 70% of all breast cancers are discovered by self-examination, so I'm not a big fan of mammograms and radiation. I'll keep my mammograms down to a lower level than my doctor is pushing at the moment until they find a better less painful and radioactive way to check the breasts.

My mother used Premarin - it literally saved her life and she didn't get breast cancer. As I understand it the two major studies WHI and Million Women study were somewhat skewed.The latter study was commissioned by the UK Government and Cancer Research - both had an agenda as the government had been muttering ominously about HRT being a lifestyle choice and not a medical priority. Cancer research boost donations each time a scare is produced and several leading gynaecologists resigned due to the stance taken by the British government over the outcome which apparently proved that use of hormones raised breast cancer risksfrom 43/1000 to 44/1000 - check this link where a woman who helped pioneer menopause clinics slugs it out with a doctor from Cancer Research
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/programmes/brea...ost/3139395.stm
I have a magazine from 1938 and hormones were being used then. It seems strange that negativity about women and hormones is promoted so aggressively and yet the damage caused by statins and other "wonder"drugs is kept fairly quiet.
Jacks

Just read it!
First she looks and sounds great and secondly she spoke a lot of sense
So I too am hanging on to my Hormones
Thanks for the Information
Elizabeth

Elizebeth
She wrote a book available on Amazon called Hooray For HRT. Boy didn't she run things around Richard Sullivan
Jacks

Thanks Jacks
Am going to get that Book
Sounds my kind of reading material!
Stay Well Friend
Elizabeth

Elizebeth
That book helped make my decision. I also recommend Amazon. co.uk for that book I'm not sure that Amazon.com will have it. Have you seen Beth Rosenshein's site Preventing Menopause. She has also written an excellent book. Those two ladies are a breath of fresh air.
Jacks

This is so interesting. I stopped my bcp's in early September and haven't had a period since. My doctor did a hormone and thyroid test after 6 weeks and said yes I am in meno. I was fine for the first 4 weeks, but by now, about 10 weeks laster the night sweats are the pits. I have been getting lots of hot flashes as well all day long. The last two days I get a head rush, sort of dizzy like when you get up too quick, then I feel sick to my stomach. I dont' always get hot after that, sometimes a bit warm, not always though. My mom says yes, it's a hormonal surge, even without the heat. My sinuses are a mess too, so who knows what it is, but I feel miserable today. Obviously, since it's Thanksgiving and I am here writing. I can live with the heat, but the head squeezing like it's in a vise and feeling off kilter is very creepy. I can't decide if I should start hrt or not, I have tried not to, but I am close to caving. The biggest thing stopping me that I dont' have a prescription plan, so that's a problem and I've been out of work so I can't pay out of pocket, but living like this is not living. This thread has helped to make a better decision, knowing it's really ok to take something for relief, it's not about being brave, it becomes a quality of life. I hope by the time my daughters go through this, the health community will have a better handle on it.

Thanks everyone for all your posts.

There's a follow up WHI Study that was done in 2005.

http://www.whi.org/findings/ht/eplusp_bc2.php

It's not HRT that's the problem, but the SYNTHETIC HRT and their fake estrogens and progestins that are the problem. That's what I'm railing against as a major cause of high breast cancer rates. Doctors are STILL prescribing this stuff! Are they idiots or trying to kill us! If you want to use HRT, go bioidentical with both estrogen and progesterone, it's available, there's no excuse. If your mother never got breast cancer from using Premarin, she needs to thank her lucky stars! If she'd used Prempro with the synthetic progestin in it, she may not have been so lucky.

Read my post in the synthetic HRT section of this forum concerning new class action lawsuits being brought against synthetic hormone makers.

I agree that the hormones should be as natural as possible and that there are better options then premarin and prempro - however I would like to raise a couple of points
Why doesn't prolonged use of the birth control pill attract the odium that HRT gets
Statistics show that women have a one in twelve chance of getting breast cancer during their lifetime. That statistic is unrelated to the use of HRT
recent research has indicated that a gene turning faulty could explain the incidences of breast cancer
my mother would have killed herself rather then tolerate the affects of menopause - the older forms of hrt had drawbacks but I suspect women often had their lives saved by them.
Another thing - it is comparatively recently that bio identicals have been available. This is great news for women and I find them very useful. However given the choice between a calculated risk or certainty of menopause ruining my life. I would have probably taken the Prempro and considered an elective mastectomy.
Jacks

Funny I'm in my third year without a period and my hot flushes, sweats, absolute spontaneous com busting heat, they are 10 times worse than in peri. I saw my GP the other day so am having a blood test for thyroid, liver kidneys all the rest to see if all is ok. It is I'm just having hot flushes, he talked about HRT but I'm not sure, I've gone through hell during peri and still have tremors and some other minor things happen I'm afraid to go on HRT and come off in a few years and it happens again!

You won't change my opinion about Premarin or Prempro and the jury's still out on the other synthetic progestins and bioidenticals right now to make a judgement call. But like I said before, if you need them to survive symptoms, then use them as needed. There's no reason to suffer needlessly, life's too short for that. Premarin and Prempro are just not something I would consider using myself. For the record, I have used the synthetic progestins with estradial short term to alleviate my own symptoms, because like your mother, I actually considered suicide because my symptoms were so bad. That may have influenced my choices if there had been no other alternatives to them a few years ago. However, there's way too much research that's pointing to the long term use of this particular hormone preparation and the increased risk of getting breast cancer. If I had survived peri and then got breast cancer because of the hormones, I would have forever regretted my using them. If these preparations also interfere with mammograms, that's another hit against them in my book.

But talking about this jogged my memory about a certain type of birth control called Seasonique. I wonder about those new treatments that stop ovualtion for 4 months at a time? Can this lead to some problems down the road, including delaying the age and onset of menopause?


http://www.drugs.com/seasonique.html

choco, the hot flashes WILL eventually calm down. Mine are tolerable, and even welcome on cold days, 3 years into menopause. Everyone is different.

Hi Sehlat
My mother would have thoroughly approved of the new options as she disliked the idea of horses being used for the hormones. I would just making a point that given the option of premarin or nothing but suffering the menopause I would have picked the former. If the new birth control pill Seasonique could delay menopause I would view that as an advantage rather then a problem. Having said that - menopause has trigger factors not involving ovulation - it begins with the hormone Inhibin B dropping which them stimulates FSH to rise and cause the destruction of ova and dropping of estradiol.
There has been very little research carried out about menopause probably due to lack of interest on the part of society and researchers to address this social taboo.
Premarin sold because women needed something to help them. Now we have bio identicals with greater flexability which is excellent.
In an ideal world women would just lose fertility - not suffer misery because of this "natural process" meanwhile we often have to fight to get any decent treatment and are told to put up and shut up.
Speaking from experience I could not tolerate the horrible moods menopause produces - even if it is only for a few years and I know there are other women who share this view.
Jacks

Hi Choco
I think you have suffered long enough and in your shoes I would grab the hormones. Who knows what might happen in the next few years. If you were advising a loved one what would you recommend her doing?
hugs Jacks

Hi,
I was on seasonique for two years. I came off this Sept. and after 6 weeks had my thyroid and hormones tested and yes, I am in meno. Dont' know how long the seasonique prevented it though. I thought I would go without anything, the beginning few weeks weren't bad, but, the joint and muscle pain is bad, the hot flashes, not so great and the night sweats are awful. I am up every single hour all night long. I am ready to cave. The vaginal dryness is really bad too. I think if I were you, I would look into getting help. While I was on seasonique, none of this was that bad, but the joint pain was getting to be. I did, however, have irregular bleeding while in it and that is annoying too. I can no longer use the seasonique, but am ready for bios. I will make an appointment next week and after I go I will let you know what the doctor said.

Hope this helps a little.

Jacks, I can totally agree. When we have no alternatives to suffering, we'll take what we can get for any relief from pain and misery. It's just too bad that more intensive research isn't being done to help understand this major change in women's lives and why it causes such misery for many of us. To add insult to injury, most doctors seem mostly out of touch on any new research and are too quick to blow us off as crackers or medicate us blindly with old drugs when we complain.

Thanks for more information on Inhibin B. Why does it drop after a certain age I wonder? Is it because the ovaries have less and less eggs to release, a time trigger in the brain or is it nature's way of stopping pregnancies in older women to prevent birth defects from old eggs? So much to learn, so few people researching it. That reminds me of what the medical community called a woman's menstrual sickness in the olden days: HYSTERIA.

enough, I would definitely recommend using some bios for a few years until your system settles down. You sound like you're within the full throws of the worst part of peri. There's no need to put up with the symptoms. I couldn't have gotten through peri without HRT myself. How old are anyway?

I am 49 and holding. The thing I dont' like about bios is that there isn't enough research there yet either and I am afraid that years from now they will be saying the same thing about them that they do with all the other ones now. It is such a rough decision. I am so torn.

If you're only going to do it for a couple of years, BHRT should be fine for symptom relief to get through the worst of peri. It's the long term use of ANY HRT, 5 years or more, that worries me.

I'm never stopping my use of hormones - I would be far too worried about the consequences of menopause and long term damage to health - those estrogen receptors are all over the body. The problem is that women do not actively lobby for research into this area. It is seen as a thing we should embrace or suffer.
Here is a point I would like to make
can anyone predict how much the risk of cancer drops if you dont use hormones ?
It would be interesting to know precisely why levels of inhibin drop. I have a shrewd suspicion that using hormones early peri might delay menopause due to the fact that the body clock is being kept in order. Obviously the hormones prevent the symptoms but I am curious to know if supporting the natural hormones in the body could possibly keep up levels of Inhibin. I do read endocrinology papers and they admit to lack of knowledge re female hypogonadism.
What annoys me is people like Suzanne Somers getting villified by people in the media who are often pressing forth with a femminist rather then medical agenda.
I notice that a couple of the female doctors who are anti hormones are very femminist liberal in political views. It is fine if they wish to endure menopause themselves but I object strongly to the scare tactics they use because they disapprove of hormones in principle.
One criticised Somers for calling menopausal women, itchy, grumpy and sweaty duh!
Jacks

Has anyone tried natural herbal remedies? My doctor suggested I try Black Cohosh
for hotflashes. So far it has worked for me.

I used red clover for about three months while I resarched doctors and different types of hormones - but although it might have helped with moods it didn't alleviate any physical symptoms.
Jacks

jack,
I lately think that despite tha fact that horse estrogen is not good for women, the pioneers who took and still taking it are less likely to need more pharmaceutical concoctions that those women who don't use any HRT. I have read fascinating article on CEE and how some of the estrogens in it are actually not harmful and even less stimulating breast tissue than estradiol... believe it or not.
OTOH, I actually think it is progesterone, all types, that causes more problems than any kind of estrogen.

I have read about most studies in Europe, women been Estradiol, but hard to find study with natural progesterone, they all use progestines, Prometrium became available recently and the side effects are not well tolerable in comparison to dydrogesterone, used in majority of HRT preparation.
Anyways, did not mean to highjack the thread.

I can imagine, there are plenty of women who do just great during and post menopause, but the number of women who don't use any HRT and feel poor, is greater, JMO.
However, those women who feel ok and not on HRT, still will be place at some point on some form of either ADs, beta blocker, ACE inhibitors, statins, calcium channel blockers, bone building medication, arthritis drugs, etc. Add to this OTC pain management, drugs to treat T2 diabetes, it is more profitable than HRT Rx once a month...

Again, not trying to say, that women must use HRT or that HRT prevents cancer, CDA, arthritis, etc.
But hormone loss certainly may contribute to CAD, high BP, osteoarthritis, osteoporosis, Alzhekmers, and other illnesses.

I try not to see conspiracy behind it just thinking out loud, I work for big pharma, so I know that driving force is to find illness that can be controlled with medication , but not cured .....

I worry about cancer too but also worry about CAD, as it is #1 killer of women.
Just my 2 cents

It's a really tough decision to make for women, whether or not to take HRT. However, If I had to decide between HRT and all the other problems that crop up after menopause, I would consider using HRT again, but BHRT this time. I'm even thinking of low dose testosterone instead of estrogen, especially since I seem to be sensitive to estradial. The alternative individual treatments for the plethora of conditions and diseases we can get as a result of the lack of hormones are expensive, problematic and darned expensive. HRT is much simpler and helps prevent many conditions all at once.

I'm still a little uneasy with the long term use of HRT, but if the alternatives are a bunch of other deadly problems as we get further into menopause, well it starts sounding better and better as a solution. I really wish that more long term study and research was being done. We seem to be getting the short end of the stick as women in our medical system. In fact, we're just $$$$$$$$$$$$$$ in the eyes of the drug companies it seems Iradan. Medicine really needs to get off the 'pill solution' for controlling diseases. If we're going to get real advancement in medicine, there is going to have to be a bigger leap into genetic research and how it affects all aspects of the human body. Until we know the code inside and out and everything it does, were only treating the symptoms of disease, not curing it, and mostly to our detriment, physically and monetarily.

ok an update on my blood test. Everythings fine, liver, kidneys and thyroid but I do have to have a glucose test for diabetes! Drat! I have been taking Remefemin for 4months now and I upped from 2daily to 3 daily because of the flushes. Touch wood it finally seems to be working. I did notice though last week i was given a large box of chocolates and everytime I went to the fridge I helped myself (can't help myself hence the name!) and after 2 days of my chocolate fixes I had severe flushes on Sunday. i wondered if it's the cocoa because chocolate has more fats than sugar. Anyway since then they have been a lot less. So I'm sticking to the 3 tabs a day. I told the GP no to the HRT. My cholesterol good and bad were under the average so I'm not chancing any blood clots.

Cheers choco

I am not sure that all illnesses can be "cured" to begin with, consider most of the condition arise after certain age in both genders.
No amount of studies can assure women that hormones are safe, as always too many variables in each case: genetics, lifestyle, exercise, diet, alcohol consumption, etc.

I am not sure if all women need HRT or is BHRt safer or more effective, the BHRT were on market since 90s, while Premarin and synthetic estrogens and progestines for decades. I do feel now that lack of certain chemicals can trigger different conditions in female body while replacing these chemicals can be also risky, but there is always quality of life, that matters as well.

Medical and pharmaceutical industries will never abandon their business oriented goals to begin with, otherwise, they will go out of business. Their goal is to control conditions, prolonging lives and ease suffering, well not always, but to be fair they made a good breakthrough in treating different types of cancer, heart disease, and diabetes, so let's give them some credit.

I doubt there will be any leap in understanding of human genome completely, as human body is very complex biological machine; and as every mechanism requires good maintenance: parts replacement of some point and with major chemicals refills.

I can see the direction of biotech is changing away from cancer treatments towards neurological disorders like Alzheimers and Parkinson, MS, etc. not because people stopped getting cancer, but mainly because treatment does not prolong lives beyond couple month in addition to standard therapy with harsh side effects.

But when it comes to human body, messing with genes is not that simple, and usually results are rather poor and not substantia, while side effects can be lethal.

I don't think industry treats women with less attention than men, in regards to menopause, there are dozens of HRT and BHRT optiond, and they working in direction of understanding heart disease in women better now, than a decade ago for sure.
Other than this, I am not sure what medical profession can do at this point. I actually believe that medical community creating "illness" based on number driven system, so eventually, majority of middle age population and even younger, will be eventually placed on couple medications in 10-15 years to maintain blood level of certain chemicals at desirable and politically correct range...
I see trend of doctors not willing to Rx HRT of any kind, and I see array of others cashing on compounded hormones and commercial BHRT options...
I just think we must take better care of our bodies, and as my friend (doctor) used to say: take care of your own health, don't rely on pharmacy...they don't sell health in pharmacy, LOL.
Happy holidays,
I.

Men do suffer when testosterone levels fall. For example it is then that their cholesterol levels begin to rise and often they begin to get suseptable to CVD, metabolic syndrome and depression. I saw studies suggesting that testosterone therapy is beneficial for these men. However as Andropause is less documented it is very rarely talked about. A friend of mine in his late fifties is suffering from a huge amount of hormonal symptoms indicating low testosterone. He is thinking about the hormone option as he says his depression, lack of libido and sweats at night are seriously destroying his life. He also has joint pains and weight gain around the waist.
My own view is that correct amounts of hormones do help keep us in good health. The big scare is breast cancer - I asked myself this question before starting hormones and concluded if I get breast cancer how would I know that it wouldn't have happened without the hormones.
I suspect they doin't really know much about breast cancer and personally I like the latest theory which suggests that it is a damaged gene.
Some hormone studies indicate that breast tumours in hormone users show a more localised less aggressive tumour then in non users.
Nobody can calculate your cancer risk if you don't use hormones and this makes me slightly cynical.
Yes drug companies are after profits but a huge sum of money goes into developing new medications before they can be considered for use and often they are not ultimately marketed which means quite a large sum of wasted money.
Jacks

Did you know that men can get hot flashes if they suddenly lose their testosterone? I saw a medical show about men that had had their testes removed for medical reasons (cancer, desease, etc.) and they developed hot flashes almost immediately if they didn't receive supplimental testosterone right away. So your male friend should look into suplimentation for sure Jacks. Men have it easier too. They can use Androgel that's easy to apply daily and not have to deal with the 2 hormones like women have to.

Hi Sehlat
I have been nagging him to see my specialist who treats men and women.However as he is depressed - motivating him is not easy - however I think my nagging persistence will wear him down eventually. He is also suffering insomnia, cramps, lack of motivation and memory problems. Told him to read Thierry Hertoghe's hormone solutions. Hopefully he will do it.
Jacks