Mary:    Before I introduce our guest tonight, Power Surge Founder and Host,
Dearest, asked me to express her regrets at having to miss only her second 
guest chat in eight years. Her parents had a fire in their home a few days ago 
and Dearest has been helping them through this crisis. She asked if I would sit 
in in her place, so I'll be your host tonight. 

Our guest tonight is Christine Conrad, women's health advocate, lecturer, author 
of "Natural Woman, Natural Menopause", (with Marcus Laux, N.D.) published by 
Harper Collins in May 1997 and "A Woman's Guide to Natural Hormones", Perigree, 
May 2000.  Chris is the Founder of the Natural Woman Institute.

In l970, Chris Conrad was appointed by then Mayor John Lindsay, as head of New 
York City's film, television and theater office, the first of its kind in the 
nation. After four years in city government, Chris turned to publishing, first 
at Bantam Books then as a senior editor at Warner Books. In l982 she began 
working as a screenwriter and sold numerous screenplays for motion pictures and 
television. 

But along with this career success came serious illness and it was during this 
period that she found herself searching for a "natural" estrogen.  Because of 
her commitment to educating women and physicians about real alternatives for 
women's health care, Conrad is sponsoring the Natural Woman Institute and has 
brought together an extraordinary team of talented people dedicated, as we have
been for eight years in Power Surge, to the advancement of safe, effective medical 
treatment for all women. 

Chris, welcome to Power Surge. Your bio says that you are "committed to educating 
women and physicians about real alternatives for women's health care and involved 
in a crusade dedicated to the advancement of safe, effective medical treatment for 
all women."  What are you doing to help educate physicians?  


Chris Conrad:    My first goal was to get women to doctors who could prescribe 
the natural hormones, because after reading my books it was important to 
implement the ideas.  This is a grass roots movement.  I can go at the doctor 
establishment directly, but I can send an army of women to them asking for 
natural hormones this has begun to work.  I now have many doctors anxious to be 
on our referral lists.  In another five years, the use of natural hormones will 
be the standard practice in this country. 


Mary:    Fantastic!  Thanks, Chris!  


HSpec:   Today I had a bone density scan and found out that I have lost 15% 
density since last years scan. I take calcium, Revival Soy and do weight bearing 
exercise. I am 49 and am in perimenopause. Is there anything else I should be 
taking or doing to stop or deter further lose of bone density?


Chris Conrad:    Good question.  You can also take natural hormones.  I don't know
your situation, but both testosterone and progesterone build bone.   Also remember, 
some bone loss is inevitable.  Don't panic.  Keep us your exercise and your good 
diet, and consider natural hormones as well. 


Elena:   I am 44 and my periods just stopped. It's been 11 months.  I am not taking 
anything for it but I feel like I am too still young for this.  I have not gotten 
a period in 11 months and I get worried.  I don't take any estrogen.  Can I get 
the soy from the foods and natural diet?


Chris Conrad:    Elena, you need to educate yourself.


Elena:   Can a period just stop?  That is my question.  I did, I read all the 
information but I still get worried because some of my friends still get their 
periods and they are older then me.


Chris Conrad:    When you don't understand what is going on, you panic.  Periods 
stop for all. Elena,  what you are going through is what every woman goes through.  
You say you've read the information but frankly it doesn't sound like it.


Mary:    I think that Elena is worried that she's going through early menopause 
and she's alone with it.


Elena:   Yes, that's it.  I read all I can but I can't understand how it can 
just stop.  I feel I am too young.


Chris Conrad:    I understand.  That is why I wrote my books and that is why I 
formed the Natural Woman Institute so that women can find doctors who are 
sympathetic to them and can prescribe natural hormones. But you must not 
panic.  You must use your head.  You are in control of your own destiny.


Mary:    In Power Surge, Dearest has been recommending natural alternatives 
for eight years now.  We always like to know a bit more about our guests and 
what they take for their menopausal symptoms, so what have you found that 
works for you, Chris?  


Chris Conrad:    I became an advocate for natural hormones when I found out they 
were available to all women but not a single doctor I went to knew anything 
about them.  I suffered for years and then I got MAD.  Just like the the woman 
who founded MADD. Mary, what has worked for me has changed over the years.  This 
is what women must understand.  Knowledge is power. 


Princess:   Have you heard of "calcium d-glucarate and does it work for hot 
flushes?  


Chris Conrad:    Princess, yes I've heard of it.  But there are much better ways 
to deal with hot flashes. 


Mary:    Chris, can you name some of the better ways to deal with hot flashes, 
please?  


Chris Conrad:    For women with mild symptoms, there are many over the counter 
remedies such as Remifemin and Pro-gest.  For women with hysterectomies, there 
are natural hormones by prescription.  For women who have stopped menstruating 
and are very symptomatic, again, natural hormones are the best method. 


JoyceK:   I would like to know why my doctor doesn't want me to take hormones 
(because my mother had breast cancer) when I used to have estrogen in the first 
place. 


Chris Conrad:    Dear Joycek,  the reason is that studies have shown that women 
who have a history of breast cancer or breast cancer in their family are at risk 
as for this "estrogen sensitive disease."  This is too complicated an issue for a 
chat room, but let me tell you this, there are ways to get the benefit of natural 
hormones while minimizing the risk.


JoyceK:   I am taking soy and black cohosh and it is not working for hot flashes. 
How is that? 


Chris Conrad:    I am not surprised that soy and black cohosh are not working.  
They are slow acting and should be started early in life.  You probably need to 
use the safest forms of natural hormones.  The reason I founded the Natural 
Woman Institute is to get women to doctors who can prescribe natural hormones to 
them.  The hormones I am talking about are natural estrogens and progesterone.


JoyceK:   Thank you, Chris.  I love your book!!


Jeanc40:   Having knowledge didn't help me. I have been discharged by two GYNs 
for not agreeing to take synthetics. Why do the doctors hate the naturals so 
much? And do you have a web site? 


Chris Conrad:    Yes, Jean I do have a website  NaturalWoman.org.  If you log in 
you can get a doctor referral in your area.


JeanC40:   I hope I find one cause I don't want to wait five years.    


Chris Conrad:    Presently, we are getting 50 requests for referrals a day and we 
are up to an average of 250 hits a day. Why do doctors hate the naturals?  
Because they have been trained in medical schools that paid no attention.  
Also drug companies control the information.  Also doctors can be lazy.  
Are you surprised?  

Also doctors worry about malpractice and the use of Premarin is the standard 
treatment. Even if there are side effects, they can't be sued as it is standard 
treatment. Even if women complain bitterly, they are not willing to change a 
protocol.  But that is changing.  Doctors who prescribe natural hormones have 
growing practices.  Some can't even handle the load and are not taking new 
patients. 


Mary:    Congratulations on your website, Chris!  


TxAnn:   Is the immune system compromised because of menopause? 


Chris Conrad:    TxAnn, not necessarily.  But how you have been treating your 
body for the years before menopause has a lot to do with how you will suffer.  
If you've had a nasty diet, if you have abused your body, hormonal imbalance at 
menopause can be a nasty wake up call. 


JJ:   If a woman is on HRT, and wants to get off the prescriptions and onto a 
natural regimen, what can she expect when she stops taking the prescription 
hormones?   And how does she know what natural hormones she should take? I've 
just heard that docs don't want us on HRT more than 5 years.  It's been my 
understanding that as we go through menopause, don't we come out of it feeling 
better? 


Chris Conrad:    JJ, you can switch to natural hormones from Premarin/Provera and 
the like immediately.  It is not difficult.  Natural hormones are also by 
prescription.  The difference between the naturals and the standard prescription 
drug is that they are what is called bio-identical.  They match your own 
hormones.  Premarin/Provera don't match them, and that is why they have side 
effects.


Mary:    Chris, can you explain the difference between "progestins" and "natural 
progesterone?", please?  


Chris Conrad:    Yes, but can I give a plug here?  My latest book, A Woman's 
Guide to Natural Hormones is in easy to understand question and answer form.  
All of you questions can be looked up.  The simplest explanation of the 
difference is that natural progesterone matches the hormones produced by your 
own body.  Progestins are a molecularly altered version which can be patented, 
an important issue for drug companies and because of this progestins are not 
exactly like the hormone in your body and when you take it, it's like putting 
a square peg in a round hole. 


Mary:    Great. Thanks so much for the explanation.


SandyD:   Have you experienced any adverse side effects while using compounded 
natural hormones?


Chris Conrad:    Very good question Sandy.  Side effects of natural hormones are 
related to dose.  When you take too much estrogen, you may get bloated, and when 
you take too much progesterone, you may get sleepy, but this can be regulated.  

Unfortunately, too many people want a magic bullet.  I take this magic potion 
and all my trouble are gone.  This is fairy tale thinking, which is why it is 
important to educate yourself.  Until I was 45 I was completely ignorant and 
very lucky.  I had never been sick a day.  Then I got peritonitis, I nearly 
died, I had a complete hysterectomy.  Talk about a wake up call.  From this 
experience, and a lot a bad medical treatment, I learned how important it is to 
think for yourself.  My experiences were extreme, so I was forced to find 
answers or not survive.


SandyD:   Thanks so much for educating women about natural hormones!


Jeanne:   I had a nurse practitioner suggest I take hormones.  I have never taken 
hormones of any kind.  Is there any reason for me to start now that I am 
postmeno 2 years? I might add that I am being treated for high blood pressure 
and had a stroke last August and a heart attack in January. 


Chris Conrad:    Jeanne, if you are not experiencing any difficult menopausal 
symptoms, you could take care of yourself without natural hormones. Diet, 
exercise supplements, it is not absolutely necessary.  Some women can get the 
benefit of the anti-aging properties, but this is a personal choice.


Jeanne:   No, just anxiety mostly and I have Xanax for that, and I am on a good 
diet now and exercise. 


Chris Conrad:    Jeanne,  Anxiety is the most common symptom of menopause.  
One of the best ways to deal with it is natural progesterone -- I'm not a 
proponent of Xanax. 


Sue:   Today I just received in the mail a low-dose prescription of natural HRT 
(bi-estrogen with progesterone. I have not taken my first dose yet. I will start 
my first dose before bedtime tonight. How long will it be before I start noticing 
a difference? 


Chris Conrad:    Sue, every woman is different, but the natural hormones work 
quickly as opposed to over the counter products and herbal remedies.  I also 
don't know how symptomatic you are, but generally you should notice some 
improvement in a matter of days. 


JoyceK:   For my hot flashes would Remifemin be safe for me even though I can't 
take estrogen? What about Estradol E3?  Would that be safe for someone who is a 
high risk for breast cancer?  My thanks to you again Christine.


Chris Conrad:    JoyceK,  Remifemin is very safe, a compound of black cohosh and 
widely used in Europe and now in the US but it is slow acting and if your 
symptoms are extreme, may not be enough.  If you are at high risk for breast 
cancer, estradiol is not the choice for you.  It is the most potent estrogen.  
You should look into estriol.  Again, I refer you to my book for an easy to 
understand answer. 


JoyceK:   I will get your latest book then.  Thanks


JJ:   Is Prometrium a natural hormone? 


Chris Conrad:    JJ, yes, Prometrium is a natural hormone.  It is produced by a 
drug company. It is in oral form. In my book, A Woman's Guide To Natural Hormones, 
I talk about when it is most recommended and when not.  That a major drug 
company has now produced a "natural hormone" is a sign of the changing times. 


JJ:   Thanks, I'm looking forward to getting your book :)


Mary:    Chris, is there anything that you'd like to say that we haven't touched 
on tonight?  


Chris Conrad:    I'd like women to understand that reaching menopause is not the 
worst thing in the world even though it may seem like it at the time.  If you 
use it as a wake up call, it will change your life. 


Mary:    What a good point!  Thanks for the reminder. Your book, A Woman's 
Guide To Natural Hormones includes information on midlife weight gain.  
This seems to be a very popular topic in Power Surge.  Can you give us some 
ideas on how to avoid this weight gain - or to lose some of the weight 
we've already put on?  


Chris Conrad:  To start with this question is difficult. When a woman gets to middle age, 
her body starts to change.  You can get a handle on it, but first don't panic, 
the first thing to do is understand what is going on.  You need to understand how 
hormones work in the body.  Weight is always a woman's biggest issue, isn't it!  
I wish I could say I paid not attention to it but it wouldn't be true?

Mid life, your ability to eat everything you want will disappear, you will have 
to pay attention, but with the use of natural hormones you can bring your body 
back to a more "regulated" state.  Over time, the excessive weight gain problem 
will flatten out, unless you are eating more than ever. 


Mary:    Oh, I hope so! Chris, thanks so much for visiting with us in Power Surge.
It was such a pleasure to have you here. We hope that you can come back again soon.



Disclaimer:  Every guest in Power Surge is a highly respected professional whose
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Dearest
aka Alice Stamm
Power Surge
Founder, Facilitator, Host


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