HRT - Hormone Replacement Therapy - Hormone Treatment

Rebecca Prescott asked:


HRT has many benefits to menopausal women, although with long term use it can have some serious side effects too.

These side effects have received a lot of publicity recently, and led to a reappraisal by the medical establishment on how HRT is administered, and to whom. In the UK, the recommendation now is to prescribe HRT to women who experience severe side effects during menopause. But when women do not suffer side effects, the feeling is that the risks outweigh any possible benefits. But given that up to 75% of women in the UK have severe menopausal symptoms, this still leads to widespread use.

Doctors in the UK have said that in the short term, the risks of HRT are minimal. But the longer a woman takes hormone replacement therapy, the greater is the risk of developing breast cancer and strokes.

HRT comes in different forms. There is estrogen-only HRT, which tends to be given only to women who don’t have their uterus as it can increase the risk of developing endometrial cancer. This is because all of that estrogen causes the endometrial lining of the uterus to build up. The other types of HRT also contain estrogen, as the goal of hormone replacement therapy is to replace the estrogen that the body is producing less of. But they have a type of progesterone called progestogen added to them. Progestogen is an oral form of progesterone that counteracts the build up of uterine tissue. It is stronger than progesterone cream, which does not counteract the effects of estrogen on the uterus.

Hormone replacement therapy can be taken orally, as a patch, a cream, gels, nasal sprays, implants, a pessary, or as a vaginal ring that contains estrogen. The latter will help reduce vaginal symptoms.

It’s important to remember that HRT is not a contraceptive. So, if you are still menstruating when you start taking hormone replacement therapy, you’ll still need to use some form of birth control. The form of HRT given to women who are still menstruating is a sequential combined HRT. Estrogen is taken every day, but progestogen is also taken for 12 to 14 days of a woman’s cycle. Thus, women will still bleed every month. It should only be light however. And as HRT doesn’t cause ovulation or restore fertility, these will not be like regular periods. However, if your body is still ovulating naturally, however irregularly, there is a risk of falling pregnant even whilst taking hormone replacement therapy. Whilst the chance of falling pregnant is lower, as many as two thirds of the women between the ages of 40 and 44 are still ovulating regularly. So, it’s important to consider some form of contraception if you don’t want to fall pregnant.



Julia

Mary L asked:


I am 50 years old. As I get closer to full menopause, my skin is becoming dry, scaly and itchy (severe at times). My family doctor has prescribed an ointment and then a lotion which did not help. OTC’s have not helped. Other than HRT, is there anything that I can do?

Edgar

Juliette Samuel asked:


Many women who are entering their middle years and going into menopause, or perimenopause as it’s called, are confused about the hype surrounding something called HRT. HRT is an acronym for Hormone Replacement Therapy, and it’s a therapy intended to treat or ease the annoying side effects of menopause by replacing the lost hormones, i.e. estrogen and progesterone, and occasionally even, testosterone. Confused yet? Good. But keep reading, anyway, it will get better… hopefully.

A lot of the confusion has to do with the usage of words such as “Natural,” “Synthetic” and “Bioidentical.” We all think we know the meaning of natural and synthetic - natural is good, synthetic is bad and bioidentical just sounds scary.

“Natural” hormones are created within a biological organism, be it human, animal or plant matter. To be considered “natural,” a hormone must share the same characteristics as its real-body counterpart, in terms of its make-up, shape and structure. But bear this in mind; a popularly prescribed hormone called “Premarin” is a natural estrogen hormone, because it’s made from a biological organism. Unfortunately, that organism happens to be a horse. Now, it’s been quite a while since Biology 101 class, but I don’t recall that humans and equines share any biological qualities that are interchangeable.

“Bioidentical” hormones are made entirely in the lab, but they are identical or a clone to the hormones you produce naturally in your body, and they do the same thing. Now, the compounds could come from any source, but the bottom line is, when they enter your body, they do exactly what your body would have done, no more and no less.

A “synthetic” hormone in produced or made in the laboratory by means of a process known as synthesis. But, just because a hormone is synthetic doesn’t mean that it’s bad, provided that it does exactly what it’s supposed to do, in the same way that the body does it. Because it does exactly what it’s supposed to, it’s actually quite “natural.”

The real concern is the clever advertising directing you to choose one hormone over another. “Natural” implies better for you than “synthetic” or “bioidentical,” but that may not be the case.

All of that didn’t help much, did it? Good, because you should be ever cautious about what you put into your mouth in the form of a pill, or slap onto your body via a patch. Hormone replacement therapy can and does work, but don’t let the media or the marketers influence your decision.



Alfonse

Southern Lady Anita asked:


I have been taking HRT since I had my hysterectomy in my early 30’s. I am 46 now so I have been taking HRT for 16 years. I was wondering if I need to be prepared for more hormonal problems.

Jake

KERRY B asked:


I had my periods stopped a few years ago due to endometriosis with prostap injections. I was also given HRT to take. Apart from painfull ankles, the treatment suited me totally. I was calm, the PMT dissapeared, I was creative, never depressed not even slightly. Then the Dr took me off the treatment as he said I had been on the injections for too long. My periods have now returned and I find that as the months go by I am feeling lifeless, not creative, tired, depressed every day and generally older. I am 44 by the way. I would love advice for if it would be safe to take HRT being as my periods have returned or will it mess me up at menopause time?

Skylar

Polly W asked:


I know there are risks with taking hormone replacements during menopause, but my irritability and fatigue are unbearable. Please tell me if HRT helped you.

Jessie

tersigni3062 asked:


Being pre-menopausal i just dont want to go through hot flashes and mood swings without some treatment.

Alec

von asked:


I am caregiver to my adult disabled daughter who lives with me still.

Jessie

Sasha K asked:


do tell what is more important to do for such woman for her diet, and exercise and medicines.

Celeste

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