HRT - Hormone Replacement Therapy - Hormone Treatment

lavenderbluelassie asked:


Shouldn’t there be a connection between birth control pills and breast cancer as well???? Why was that never discussed in the news? We are seeing more and more women develop this disease BEFORE menopause.

Quentin

Rebecca Prescott asked:


The symptoms of menopause are akin to labor pains in that they feel like they will go on forever, yet they herald the birth of new life. In fact, whilst perimenopause lasts a lot longer – from 5 to 10, or up to 13 years, it is not an indicator of how ‘life will be’. Menopause is a time of growth and adaptation, and our bodies are an intimate part of the journey. The symptoms associated with menopause intimately reflect the flux of the body’s hormonal systems.

Menopause can be extremely disruptive, however. Whether it’s sleeplessness, menopause related depression, hot flushes, vaginal dryness, or emotional swings, the good news is that these symptoms can be alleviated. A good menopause treatment will help many seemingly diverse symptoms, as they are all related to the root hormonal flux in the body.

HRT is one choice, popular with doctors, and one that many women have found extremely useful. But what is often not understood, is that there are different types of hormone replacement therapy, even amongst those prescribed by doctors.

Premarin is one of the best well know, and oldest, types of hormone treatment. Premarin is made from the urine of pregnant horses, and is an estrogen only hormonal pill. It was advocated as being beneficial for, amongst other things:

thickening vaginal tissue helping depression stopping hot flushes preventing heart disease, osteoporosis, and alzheimers

However, research has also found a link between estrogen-only supplementation and breast cancer. The cells in the breasts and the uterus are responsive to estrogen. So to add estrogen in, without the checks and balances intrinsic to our normal hormonal system, can stimulate the growth of this tissue.

What many believed was a mitigating factor in premarin’s favor was the belief that it helped prevent heart disease. This presumption was based on the fact that premarin lowered LDL cholesterol. High levels of LDL cholesterol had earlier been identified as a risk in developing heart disease. However, this belief has been found to be unsupported in several large clinical trials. In one involving women who had heart disease, those taking premarin (in combination with a synthetic form of progesterone which was given with premarin to prevent endometrial cancer), these women actually significantly increased their risk of having another heart attack in the first year of use. This risk leveled off after that, but it didn’t provide any heart protective effects. In a study with healthy women, hormone replacement with premarin, with or without a synthetic progesterone supplement, did not decrease the risk of heart attacks or heart disease.

Another drawback to premarin and other hormone replacement therapies is the way they are often prescribed, in a kind of ‘one size fits all’ way, irrespective of a woman’s size or medical history.

But the news is not all bad with HRT therapies. When premarin was developed, there was not the ability amongst scientists to produce other types of estrogen. Because the estrogen in horses is not natural in women, side effects like bloating, headaches, and sore breasts are common. And because the breakdown products of estrogen from horses are so strong, actually more active in the body than the original horse estrogen, they have a pronounced effect on estrogen sensitive tissues, such as the breast. And given that numerous studies have shown that these metabolic by-products can produce changes in the DNA of cells that are carcinogenic to living tissue, it is no surprise that the incidence of breast cancer increases when women take premarin.

But there are alternatives. Bioidentical hormones are developed from soy beans or yams, and their chemical structure is designed to reflect that which is found in women’s bodies. Further, bioidentical hormones are not usually given in a standardized, ‘one size fits all’ dose, but tailored to a woman’s presenting history. They are generally given at low doses, and because chemically they behave more like regular estrogen, they are not associated with the side effects of premarin, although they have not been used in the large scale studies that premarin has.

References: Dr Christiane Northrup, The Wisdom Of Menopause



Ella

Patricia Woloch asked:


Hormone replacement therapy, or HRT, is a common treatment for menopausal women, as it is long believed that the decrease in hormone levels after menopause was overwhelmingly detrimental to a woman’s health.

While certain effects of menopause can be serious health problems, many physicians prescribe HRT for all menopausal women, with little regard to the severity of the woman’s individual issues, and little thought to the potential long term consequences of prolonged hormone replacement therapy.

Dangers of hormone replacement therapy

However, many studies have indicated serious problems with many hormone replacement medications, involving a wide range of problems, including increased risks of:

· Strokes and other cerebral events

· Heart attacks

· Pulmonary embolism

· Deep vein thrombosis (DVT)

· Breast cancer

· Death

Types of HRT

There are three major types of hormone replacement therapy, each with its own issues:

· Estrogen only therapy—Estrogen only therapy has been shown to increase the risk of uterine cancer by 600 to 800 percent. As such, this type of HRT is only recommended for women who do not have a uterus.

· Estrogen-progestin therapy—Combination estrogen and progestin therapy is the most common type of HRT in use today. However, this type has been shown to significantly increase women’s chances for breast cancer, heart attacks, strokes, and blood clots.

· Progestin only therapy—Progestin only hormone replacement therapy is the least common type of HRT in use today, and has been linked to a 300% increase in rates of breast cancer.

HRT litigation

Many women who were prescribed HRT have received compensatory and punitive damages from manufacturers of hormone replacement therapy medications. These lawsuits are generally based on the fact that drug manufacturers intentionally played down and ignored the risks inherent to hormone replacement.

Injured parties suffered from illnesses and fatalities as a result of health problems including:

· Breast cancer

· Ovarian cancer

· Gall bladder cancer

· Non-Hodgkins lymphoma

· Strokes

· Blood clots

If you or a family member was injured, and you believe that HRT treatment may be responsible, it is important that you consult with an experienced pharmaceutical liability attorney as soon as possible, in order to preserve your case and your rights.



Ava

Sharon Bell asked:


One of the symptoms of menopause that husbands and lovers find most irritating and confusing is the lack of desire to have sex. Just when it is safe to make love without fear of having unwanted pregnancy, women suddenly lack enthusiasm and desire for intimate and passionate trysts.

If you are single, divorced, separated or a widow, it may probably be alright to stay celibate during menopause and post menopause. However, when you are married or in a romantic relationship, intimacy and sex are crucial in making your relationship work. Having menopause or vaginal changes should not be used as an excuse to turn down your partner all of the time.

Although HRT, short for Hormone Replacement Therapy, can answer most of the woes of menopausal sufferers, a lot of women would rather silently bear the irritating symptoms of menopause for fear of HRT’s adverse effects. Studies have shown that HRT may cause breast cancer, rheumatoid arthritis and other serious diseases.

If you are experiencing menopausal symptoms, don’t ever think that you only have two options — HRT or nothing. Actually, there are natural remedies that can help you deal with the various symptoms of this stage in a woman’s life. If your main concern is to bring back the heat in your relationship, then read on and discover how you can boost your sex drive during menopause:

Take Vitamin E Supplement

The decline in sexual libido can be attributed to the drop in levels of the sex hormones estrogen and progesterone. Furthermore, sleep deprivation, mood swings, anxiety, depression and other menopausal symptoms can also make you feel less interested in making love.

Several studies have shown that Vitamin E is a helpful substitute to estrogen in most women. Thus, this vitamin can assist in easing hormonal imbalances, hot flashes and even combating vaginal changes.

For maximum results, you need to take about 400 to 1,000 IU (International Units) of Vitamin E a day. It is even recommended to take this supplement in divided amounts four or five times daily. For example, if your required dosage were 400 IU, it would be best to take 100 IU of Vitamin E four times a day.

Perform Kegel Exercises

Menopausal women experience pain during intercourse because the vaginal tissues become less elastic, drier and thinner. Furthermore, appetite for sex is greatly decreased because of the decline in clitoral sensitivity.

One way to boost sexual pleasure and tissue elasticity is by regularly performing Kegel exercises, which was designed by Dr. Arnold Kegel. If you want to see dramatic improvement in your sexual pleasure and vaginal elasticity, you need to perform these exercises regularly, not less than five times a day.

Chase Your Blues Away Through Herbs

Unless your menopausal symptoms are severe, you actually do not need HRT. Instead of taking this artificial hormone replacement treatment, it may be better to just take Black Cohosh and Chasteberry supplements.

Black Cohosh is effective in maintaining the normal levels of estrogen in your body. As a result, most of the symptoms that are related to hormonal imbalance can be reduced. Another herb that can make a tremendous effect in correcting hormonal imbalance and vaginal changes is Chasteberry.

However, before you take any herbs and supplements, it is always best to consult your doctor especially if you are taking medications for other conditions. You need to remember that Black Cohosh is not recommended for long-term use, while Chasteberry may counter the potency of contraceptive pills.

An all-natural supplement that can also help boost your sex drive is Zalestra, which contains Black Cohosh, Green Tea extracts, and other nutrients that are helpful in reducing menopausal symptoms. For more information about this product, visit www.zalestra.com.



Destiny

carchline asked:


I am afraid to take this HRT tablets due to the side effects..e.g.breast cancer..but the doctor says ill have more physical changes if I wont…are there any options?

Stacey

Mike Herman asked:


Is a diminished sex drive after menopause a serious health issue?

Many otherwise healthy women experience a diminished sex drive after menopause.

This does not happen to every woman. Each woman is different and her health is a very unique thing.

Studies indicate that at least fifty percent of women encounter a drop in sexual activity either because of loss of libido or vaginal dryness. However, ten percent of menopausal women actually report an increase in their libido during this time.

When women go through menopause, there is a drop in several different hormones. This is a normal part of aging and is not a health problem.

However, it can create problems for a woman who normally had a healthy sex drive and after menopause, has a diminished sex drive.

The hormones that drop after menopause are estrogen, testosterone (Yes! It effects both men and women), and progesterone, among others.

Hormones decline naturally with age and for some women, this means they are just not as interested in sex as before menopause.

This can mean that women are not as easily aroused as before, and that they are less sensitive to touching and stroking than they were before menopause.

This is often frustrating for women who had a healthy sex drive before menopause.

Some women choose to have HRT, which is hormone replacement therapy. Taking small amounts of testosterone can help to increase your sex drive and your pleasure related to orgasm. However, some women choose not to do this, because HRT has been linked to some health problems, such as an increased risk of breast cancer.

The other problem is that the hormones used in HRT sometimes do not have the same effect as the hormones produced naturally in the woman’s body.

There are no quick answers to the health question of menopause and a diminished sex drive.

Most women consult their doctor to address this health issue, and some even consult a therapist to address any underlying causes of a diminished sex drive. Most women feel that improving communication in their marriage and making sure they have a healthy marriage can improve their sex drive.

Each woman must make her own decisions about whether or not to have HRT after menopause. For some women with a diminished sex drive, this seems to be the answer.

For others, there may be other health concerns. This is a decision that is best made with plenty of research and talking with a knowledgeable doctor.

Sources:

webmd.com



Gabrielle

vals.beach asked:


Hormone Replacement Therapy. I have been on quite a few years now (about and am 51. But still the hot flashes are awful if I go off the HRT. I have been told by my Dr. that any “natural” remedies will do the same harm. I am on the lowest dose possible already. Thanks for any info.

Albert