Like many women on this forum I am doubtful about the benefits of HRT. From the material I have read the symptoms of the perimenopause and menopausal periods are caused by inappropriate fluctuations in natural hormone levels. To me it seems that the additional hormone provided by HRT may assist on the days that hormone levels are low but when hormone levels are high it has always concerned me that HRT may cause symptoms to increase because they add to the already inappropriately high natural hormones.

Postmenopause seems to be the time when the hormones have stabilised and remain at constantly low levels. It is then that the distressing symptoms stop. Therefore it seems to me that it is not lack of hormones that are causing symptoms, it is fluctuations in hormones. WE DO NOT NEED OUR HORMONES REPLACED WE NEED THEM TO STABILISE. So why are we advised to take HRT for menopausal symptoms. The only real thing to do is to wait and let them stabilize naturally.

Most women aren't willing to wait for hormones to stablize. Menopause can be a long journey for the majority. I quit my synthetic hormones on 12/02 and I can already feel a sort of darkness hovering over me. Thats not like me at all. I'm not willing to feel like that for the rest of my life and I'm not willing to take anti-depressants.

From what I've read some women are naturally estrogen dominent. I don't believe that we're suppose to take the same amount of natural hormones on a daily basis. When we feel like the estrogen is too much and we're suffering from symptoms and estrogen levels feel too high, we back off on the estrogen. We increase or decrease them as we need.

It's more than just trying to stablize hormones. Our hormones protect our bodies from diseases. Take a look around you at the senior ladies when you go grocery shopping, or at the mall. Most of them do not look healthy and I can bet that most of them are not on any type of hormonal therapy at all. Mainly because a lot of doctors are not familiar with hormones. Their hormones might be "stablized", but they are suffering from fatigue, bone loss, hair loss, confusion, and other assorted age diseases.

I'm not willing to exit this life in that manner.

I had just read these postings when the following article from Reuters came to my mailbox. It seems it will take a while to undo the damage the WHI study did by painting all HRT in a negative light. This is interesting, but results won't be in until 2010!

http://obgyn.healthcentersonline.com/newss...apytrialwas.cfm

kimber

Yes, the latest thinking is that low-dose HRT like Prempro for a limited time is warranted if it will relieve symptoms. Its better than suffering if you can't obtain Bioidenticals. Ellen

I made the decision to go on hormones, because my symptoms were unbearable. If I could have gutted it out, I would have, but I felt literally insane. Couldn't sleep, shook all the time. Heart palpitations. I could go on and on. I just couldn't do life. I am hoping that after sometime I will be able to wean myself off them. Most of the ladies I know personally who are taking them, have decided to take them for the rest of their lives.

Have been on NHRT for 4 months now and I have to agree w/ you, KS. It's remarkable how much better I feel and how I "recognize" myself again! It's what works for me - can't speak for nor wish to try and persuade anyone else. But man, what a difference in my case!

How long will I take them? Don't know. Have said elsewhere, that my sis [who's 60] plans to take hers forever - or as she says, "Until I can't walk to the medicine cabinet anymore!" She's a pip and I love her! new

[font=Arial]My Doctor is prescribing femhrt and I still have my period!!!

I just had my yearly physical - I'm 48yrs old. I've been on birth control pills since 21 per all of my doctors "because it's good for me". Now my doctor just told me that I will start taking femhrt in place of my birth control pills and I will stop having my period. It is as if she is making my menopause start. Has anyone out there heard of this???? She said that because I'm on the pill, I wouldn't know if I was starting meopause so because of my age, she will start it. I'm scared and confused.

Con,

I've never heard of this, and can definitely understand your concern!

Would it be worth getting a second opinion?

Good luck - oh, and welcome to Power-Surge. Hope some of the other ladies can come on and offer more specific advice.

JJ

Con,

My gyn said basically the same thing. When you are on BCP,they are telling your body what to do. You have a period every month because the hormones in the bcp dictate it. This is why you can take them continually if you don't want to get a period every month. My dd does this as she has endometriosis and it keeps the symptoms at bay.

I think low dose HRT is different than the hormones in bcp so your body will do what it wants naturally and she probably wants to see if your periods will stop.

If you are worried, I would definitely ask her to explain more thoroughly why she wants you to do this.

BCP have a high enough hormone level to override your own production of hormones, the BCP keeps your levels constant and your body does not have to do the production. This is why it may take a few months for you to know where you are at, hormonally speaking, after stopping the BCP because your body has to relearn making them at the correct level and at the correct time of the month. With BCP you are not ovulating, the hormones override your ability to ovulate (unless you are using a progestin only BCP). HRT's are usually prescribed in much lower doses so they do not prevent ovulation and act to supplement what hormones your body is or is not producing.

Anyone in the USA can obtain natural bioidentical micronized USP progesterone, estrogen, pregnenolone and DHEA creams OTC without a doctor's prescription. That does not mean it is the recommended way to do it, if your health care provider will prescribe bioidenticals for you it is best because then you are working together for a solution....but if you have no other choice and you are determined to try, it can be ordered on your own without a prescription required. All you have to do is type it in at your search engine and sites will come up on the internet.

I stumble across this site too, not sure what is the quality but definetely much cheaper than Rx hormones. I started BHRT and had to stop due to weight gain, midcycle bleeding and untolerance to progesteron. But I keep my options open in the future.

The only website I ever found for bioidentical estrogen was a doctor who sent the prescription by mail. Sorry, I need more assurance that what I am taking is the right dosage for me.
And I have found that most doctors still do not prescribe bio identicals. Also, there are some who feel that a hormone is a hormone, whatever its source. Since bios are formulated from yams and soy in a lab, are they really natural? I know some of you may differ, but I feel very good on low-dose Prempro.
ELlen

There are lots of articles on the web regarding synthetic versus bioidentical hormones. Using wild yam cream or soy does not turn the product into bioidentical progesterone or estrogen once inside your body, the body is not capable of making that bioidentical conversion itself. Hormones have to be processed in a laboratory, it is just a matter of whether the hormone is made out of natural ingredients or synthetic ingredients.
You have the right to educate yourself so you are making an informed choice. You have the right to be an advocate in voicing what you feel is best for you. You have the right to ask your doctor any questions you have regarding your health and well-being. Doctors are intelligent or they would not have made it through medical school. They are educated in the way the body works, as is currently understood, and are trained in ways that are meant to help. They have an obligation to their patients to stay current on new information but they are, for the most part, going to stick with what has been well-documented with scientific studies because that is how they are trained to practice. Medicine is a science and they need proof that what they do will not harm or at least do more good than harm and they need sufficient professional data to back that up.
Medicine is also an art, some doctors are more open to new data than others, some are better listeners, some want you to be a true partner in the decisions made. Others have a patriarchal (father knows best) approach, they expect when you come to them for help you will do or take whatever they recommend for you without question.
If you are happy with your doctor and the health care you are receiving, stick with it. If you want to change something your doctor should at least be approachable to your questions. If you are not able to get your voice heard find another doctor who will listen. They hold power over the prescription pad but they are not gods; they put their pants on the same as you do, they eat, poop, laugh, cry and go through life the same as you do...they are just people too.

I posted earlier when I had just started HRT out of desperation. I have been on them now for about 2
and 1/2 months and am finally beginning to feel better.

Like I said, if I could have gutted it out I would have. I ran into a friend yesterday who's 62. (I'll
be 50 in two weeks). She said all she had was hot flashes and I couldn't help myself - I said,
"You're lucky."

And I know that all of you who post on here, who are suffering so badly know what I mean.

For now, I plan to stay on HRT for at least a year and then take it from there.

I hear you,Karla. I'm there too. Have been on the bhrt for about 3 weeks and am finally starting to feel normal again. Not all the symptoms are gone but they are greatly diminished!

And for me,with no offense meant to anyone, after reading about how they get the ingredients for premarin, give me a fooled around with wild yam anyday!

I had to talk my doctor into trying the bios but at least she listened to my preferences. Once I convinced her that it was peri,that is! Doctors are so one-track minded!

Hi Everyone,

I can't tough this out anymore I'm spending a fortune on accupuncture and boxes of Replens. The Accupuncture is really helping most of the symptoms but the vaginal dryness is coming back and it hurts so much. I have made an appointment this week with a midwife in the gyno dept. The receptionist said she was the best in the bunch when dealing with peri and meno.

I'm considering trying the Estring, have any of you tried it? I tried Vagifem for a while and while it helped the dryness, my breasts got very tender. They say that you need to give these things some time to build up the vaginal walls and then they don't absorb so easily.

I would even tough out the dryness symptom if I knew that there was an end in sight but I'm afraid that as I stop bleeding altogether that it will just get worse. I appreciate any comments that you may have.

Shakti

Hi to everyone from the suburbs of Chicago! I am 52 years old, and just found this site....I was on low dose oral contraceptives ( Yasmin, then Loestrin/Microgestin) for about 6 years for perimenopause.........
and a year ago, I asked to be switched to HRT, which I now regret. I wish I had stayed on the pill! I felt great on it.....
.. So, a year ago I was put on a new low dose Fem Hrt. At the same time, I joined my local gym, to get in better shape. I have been working out 4-5 days a week for the last year, including 2 weight classes....and have actually gained weight, ALL in my stomach! Also have had bad hot flashes, all in the wee hours of the morning....
I just now figured out that the estrogen I am now on is aprox. 1/20 of what the bc pills had, so have asked to be put on regular dose FemHrt.

Forgot to mention, I have been divorced for 9 years, have 2 teenagers....
ALSO, my mother is now nearly 88, and was one of the first women to go on estrogen in 1970...her gyn in NYC was a follower of Dr.Robert Wilson, who wrote Feminine Forever....my mom took HRT from about age 50-68.....is now in perfect health, takes no meds, has never been hospitalized.....in contrast her sister did not take HRT, had osteopororosis, uterine cancer, finally died from complications of a broken hip. My own sister, who is older, has opted for no HRT at first, but then did develop osteop., and is now on bioidenticals......
I also must add that I come from a family which has always been into natural foods/alternative meds....not just blindly trusting doctors, etc.
I refused to take fertility drugs when I was trying to have a second child, for example...
I have done lots of research on the hormones, and just feel that this is right for me....my sister never had weight gain at all ( grrrr) but did develop the bone problems. Bioidenticals seem to be the right choice for her.....

I am 50 and am still getting regular periods. I have been suffering from anxiety and terrible sleep patterns for the past several months and after trying several AD's that caused terrible side effects, I finally convinced my gynecologist to let me try a low dose patch that had estrogen and progesterone.

To make a long story short, she really didn't think that I needed it since I am still having my periods and my estrogen count is nowhere near the menopause level. I went into to see her last week and told her that I since starting the patch, I was having terrible anxiety and terrible sleep (I only used it for 2-1/2 weeks). She told me to take it off, that she thought I was getting too much estrogen and she didn't think using it longer would make things better.

So now I am trying some positive thinking, am going to my psychologist tomorrow and we'll see. The desperate move to try hormones for me unfortunately didn't work. If your body is not lacking, it will cause adverse effects. That's my story and the process continues...

I'm sorry so many women jumped on the bandwagon when that report came out and stopped taking HRT. Even most doctors NOW admit that women panicked. I read the report and my husband read the report. He being an engineer could read through the wording and take a close look at the charts and graphs (which were the important stuff). He told me that there was just a slight increase in the risk reast cancer and that that was even questionable. He looked it over thoroughly and still said the same thing.

I continued taking HRT but decreased my dosage just a little. And since I did, I saw some strange things happen to my body. However, I will take at this dosage for a very long time because I want the quality of my life, right now, to be the best it can.

Ashlyn, I'm with you regarding quality of life right now. I'm also with you about the statistics offered in the WHI. My gyno read the report the same way you and your husband did -- seeing that the risks are slight. (Not that I'd be taking HRT (actually just ERT in my case) if I had a choice.)

Another thing about the WHI is that it's based solely on Prempro, and that's not what everybody takes. My gyno said that there are a lot of other things present in this mare urine-derived drug, just by the nature of what it's from, that can cause trouble (this in my words, not hers).

I took Premarin .625 for about a week (different gyno) and then gave up because it was making my liver and right ovary hurt, and pushed up some cystic acne. I suffered for a while and then found a better gyno (isn't it amazing who they give diplomas to? People who don't know anything??).

Two weeks ago, I went off of the HRT ( femhrt), and back onto a low-dose oral contraceptive( Yaz).......and I feel so much better...all of my bloating is gone, as are my AM hot flashes....
I have now learned that there are some doctors who believe that taking HRT too early is not a good thing, as it just adds on to what your body is already producing...
Dr. Steven Goldstein from NYU Medical School is a proponent of the pill for perimenopause....many doctors think you can take it up until about age 55...The pill suppresses all of your hormones, and then adds in low levels....I felt great on it before ( from about age 43- 51) and feel great on it now!!

I did all this research on my own, as my female doctor was totally unsympathetic to any of my symptoms, but just agreed to whatever I wanted....there was absolutely no chance of discussion with her, and she seems to want to deny that perimenopause even exists....