Bio-identical hormone replacement?

[Nancy LC]

So, has anyone here done the hormone replacement using bio-identical hormones?

I am curious about this but I have a few questions:

1) Do you resume having a period?

2) Is this ok for women with endometriosis or fibroids?

3) Does it increase cancer risk like synthetic hormones?

[Mrs. Skip]

I'm working with my dr. right now regarding that very thing! So far he gave me some estrogen/progesterone cream (to rub on skin) which has helped tremendously with hot flashes, even though it's a very low dose. But we're waiting for my blood test results to come back before doing anything more, and he sends his blood tests out of state, so it takes a good two weeks or more. I guess I'll know more in another week or two. But it appears that if prescribed correctly, they are very helpful in protecting your health.

[Hutchinson]

So, has anyone here done the hormone replacement using bio-identical hormones? I presume (as you generally find good links before I do) that you have already found and read JeffreyDach's blog (http://jeffreydach.com/) and website.

[Nancy LC]

Nope, don't think I've run into that. I'll give it a read. :)

[Linderella]

I too am very interested in BHRT, have been suffering in silence for too many years. If anyone has any experiencing please let us know, I am sure there are a few of us who would be grateful.

[HiDelight]

Nancy trust me a hormone is a hormone and if you are worried about putting hormones into your body I would not use even a bioidentical one. Your body sees homones the same way and you will react accordingly. Hormones are fine if your daily life activities, job or personal life are suffering badly. Or if you feel like you just have to do SOMETHING or die!!! (figurative here) and then yes choose bioidentical it is the better choice along with a careful titrating to the absolute minimum hormone for the best relief

talk to a provider you trust, actually a naturopathic doctor (do you already see one I have not been here long enough to know your history) or a compounding pharmacist who specializes in hormone therapy would be the best choice


just my thoughts for what it is worth, but I am new and have no street cred here yet :)

[fatnhappy]

I just started taking BHRT - about 3 weeks in now. I have crossed over into full Menopause. I like the BHRT, hot flashes are gone, feel a lot of the Menopause "funk" is gone, more feminine & caring about how I look & a little extra jump in my step so to speak. Improved sex drive too... ;)

The doctor will retest my levels in 6 weeks. I think a good doctor & retesting is critical.

To answer your questions:
1) it shouldn't -- but there are exceptions, especially for perimenopausal.
2) Fibroids could be a problem. My doc said if they bleed some of his patients get cauterized.
3) No one knows, no studies have been conducted on BHRT.

I have read 2 books on the subject, AGELESS by S. somers - a little too much salesmanship, but a good intro to the subject.
Also "Natural Hormone Balance for Women" by UZZI REISS MD & M. zucker - this book I highly recommend.... :thup:

So far, I love BHRT & you can adjust the therapy pretty easily as well. :agree:

[Linderella]

Fatnhappy thanks so much for your input, I have an appt. to see my doctor in a few weeks and will be asking to be put on the hormones. I need some relief and am hoping this will help.

[NRG4ME]

Hi Nancy
there is a very good site on BHRT administered in the rythmic method---so one does get a period.
The links are:
www.thewileyprotocol.com
www.thewileyprotocol.com/blog/
The also have a place where you can search to see if there are any docs in your area who treat via the Wiley protocol.

As far as fibroids---that's one only your doctor can answer. It might depend on the size and number of fibroids. I did do the rythmic BHRT for a year+ a couple of years ago---with no problems---despite 5 tiny fibroids.

I am going to see my doc next week for a hormone overhaul(including sex and endocrine hormones); fortunately he uses the Wiley protocol. I don't think it is anything new---a rythmic BHRT program by any other name is still what it is.

I Hope all works out for you.

[Mrs. Skip]

Nancy, I just wanted to follow up with my use of the bio-identical hormones. I think they're great! I use a fairly low dose, just enough to help me feel "normal" again and stop the hot flashes and migraines. My doctor suggests that every three to four months, you stop using the cream for a few days, and you'll have a period. Then you go back to using the cream.

However, I have done some studying and research about the Wiley Protocol, and I have some concerns about it. My doctor doesn't agree with it, and Ms. Wiley has no credentials whatsoever. (She's not even a college graduate.) Ms. Wiley prescribes very high doses of the hormones. High doses such as the Wiley Protocol requires may have serious side effects.

Of course, this is just my own $.02! ;)

[CindyCRNA]

I have been on bhrt for 6 days and my energy levels are throught he roof! I noticed a difference within 36 hours. I had lost fluid fro my face and by day 4, i was weeding the yard. I couldn't live with the overwhelming exhaustion I had for over a year now. All of my levels were in the dirt so I was put on estrogen/progesterone/testosterone/pregnisilone (sp?). I turned 47 this month.

[cnmLisa]

I know this is an older thread but I'd like to get some more interest here.

FYI---whether the hormones are bio-indentical or synthetic, they are still hormones and act in the body as hormones. Which means--bio-identical or synthetic--both have the same risks. Those who have contra-indications for HRT should not take bio-identicals either.

Now....with that said....

I'm 49. and probably have tried every hormone manufactured (if it was sampled by the manufacturer, I've tried it). Still with symptoms and complaints. I decided to use myself as a guinea pig (so that I could tell my patients my own experiences--I'm a women's health provider). I started bio-identicals 3 weeks ago tomorrow--the only thing I can say is WOWZA!! I feel like a completely different person--fatique-improved, moodiness-improved, I feel like my body is burning warmer (i"m always cold)... I swear, I'm going to marry my compounder and my nurse who works with me everyday is ready to kiss his feet. I take my sub-lingual (under the tongue). I don't have a uterus so I don't have to worry about a period. I take a combo of estrogen and pregesterone.

Bio-identicals are not for everyone. They are not covered by insurance prescription plans (at least not mine) so it is an out of pocket expense. About $120 for a 3 month supply. As long as I have the money, I'll be sticking with these.

Thought I'd just let you know one persons' experience.



Lisa

[CindyCRNA]

This is great as I am a health care provider also but in anesthesia, I don't get to counsel patients in this arena. I think what is important is frequent lab draws, esp. up front, to determine your response to a given dose. My friend was on bioidenticals and was miserable. I asked her when her last labs were and she said they had only been drawn once, at the beginning of therapy. I got her in to see my doc, an ob-gyn that is listed as a provider by the hormone drug company, and he changed everything on her as her labs were really out. I love mine. I am on Estrogen/Progesterone/Testosterone/Pronistle (sp?).

[Yocheerioh]

Hello, hope you don't mind my jumping in here. I've been suffering severely with peri and after I couldn't take it anymore, my gynie put me on nuvaring. I quickly gained 20 lbs and still had problems. I'm 48 yrs old and for the first time, saw my blood pressure and my cholesteral go up. (I've always had runners bp meaning low) I already have reactive hypoglycemia and Lord knows these three things are the cocktail for diabetes and heart disease. After one year on nuvaring, I went to another gynie who didn't mind my wanting to try bio-identicals. This is my 2nd month on bio-identicals and so far, I feel good. I'm also on my 6th day of induction, which, by the way, was impossible for me to do before and during the nuvaring time. There is a website called WomentoWomen.com that can give you lot's of info on bio-identicals. All the benefits and risks. I'd rather take a hormone that matchs my body then one made with horse pee anyday. Good luck on your research and if you'd like, I'll post about what's happening with me.

[PilotGal]

i'd like to jump into this conversation as well..

i have been zero carbing (Carnivore) for 6 months now...
when i stopped eating all the other food groups, my hormones balanced out and symptoms are gone.
my skin has become more supple and smooth, my hot flashes are gone, my insomnia is gone, my depression is gone, my mood swings are gone, my anxiety is gone..

all those things that go along with the change of life have disappeared.
i feel like i'm 30 again.

i do believe it's because i got rid of all the meaningless garbage i was eating.

[katerina]

This is a great thread! I am new on this forum and I can say that I am so impressed with all the information on it. To this thread's point, I have been on bio-identicals for around eight years and I think they are wonderful. I am 62 years old. Prior to this I had dreadful insomnia, night sweats that kept me awake all night, etc. I say I didn't sleep for a year. Then I went to a hormone doctor after reading his book, The Testosterone Syndrome (the first half of the book is about men, the second half concerns females.). His office was close by...I was lucky. What a wonderful change in my life. Menopause was just not an issue anymore.

[Mrs. Skip]

i have been zero carbing (Carnivore) for 6 months now...
when i stopped eating all the other food groups, my hormones balanced out and symptoms are gone.




Hi PilotGal, I read your profile...I am wondering since you are 54, if you have perhaps actually entered into menopause, and are no longer bouncing around in the uneven hormonal swings of perimenopause?

I am using BHRT, and they are helping me greatly through perimenopause. No matter how carefully (cleanly) I was eating, my hormones were still getting wacky, because some months I would ovulate, some months I wouldn't, etc. That would happen no matter what I was eating, because of the stage of life I am at. (I am 47, going on 48.)

I don't want to minimize the great success you are having and enjoying (congrats!) but I do want to point out to anyone who is truly suffering through hot flashes and migraines and waking up all night, that sometimes diet alone can't do it all. Once I have "come out the other side" of perimenopause and have entered into menopause, I don't know if I will use bio-identicals anymore. But for at least right now, they make a huge difference in quality of life for me. :)

[katerina]

I have been using bioidenticals for around 8 years now and I love them. I had had such bad menopausal symptoms that I probably didn't sleep for 6 months or more before starting the hormones. (Also a cream to rub on my inner arm, both prog. and est.) Almost immediately my night sweats were gone and I started sleeping so deeply and long for a couple of weeks, my body's way of catching up. I used to go to one of the docs Suzanne Sommers talks about in one of her books, I forget which book. I would recommend Dr. Shippen's book , The Testosterone Syndrome, of which the first half is for men and the second for women. I am 62 years old.

[amandawald]

I presume (as you generally find good links before I do) that you have already found and read JeffreyDach's blog (http://jeffreydach.com/) and website.

Thanks for posting this link. I'll have a look at it, too. Perimenopause seems to be doing my hormones in and I'm considering this step, although I'm sure that if I say I have dizziness from time to time, I'll just be told to eat more carbs... sigh....

amanda

[cnmLisa]

I need to update here. I have now been on BHRT since memorial day. I still say WOWZA. This is the best I've felt in years and years and years. It's almost like I've had a personality transplant. I can say that I am definitely sleeping better which is huge because I am a chronic insomniac. Mood, edginess, totally improved. The thing I'm finding most interesting is my weight is at an all time low--I'm sure that there are multiple factors but I am attributing one of those factors as my hormones are more in balance. As long as I can afford them, I'll keep taking them.


Lisa

[CindyCRNA]

I need to update here. I have now been on BHRT since memorial day. I still say WOWZA. This is the best I've felt in years and years and years. It's almost like I've had a personality transplant. I can say that I am definitely sleeping better which is huge because I am a chronic insomniac. Mood, edginess, totally improved. The thing I'm finding most interesting is my weight is at an all time low--I'm sure that there are multiple factors but I am attributing one of those factors as my hormones are more in balance. As long as I can afford them, I'll keep taking them.


Lisa


See, that's what I'm talking about!!!

[cnmLisa]

Thought I'd come over and post since I just invited a newbie over.
My personal update....

7 months on bHRT and doing better than great. I feel good, sleeping well (and I'm a chronic insomniac due to my work), have hit almost 25 gone since May, the lowest weight I've been since I was 30, total personality transplant (just ask the 2 medical assts I work with all the time). I just feel good.

As long as I have the $$ I will continue. In fact, I'd give up half my Kindle habit every month for bHRT.:agree:

Progress not perfection.

Lisa

[moondaught]

Thought I'd come over and post since I just invited a newbie over.


And that newbie would be...me ;)

I just joined the forums, and if you see my intro over in the Introduce Yourself area, pardon the duplication - I'm a five-year low-carber, age 51, and I've been handling the increasingly overwhelming symptoms of perimenopause and menopause with natural methods until now. I've been considering BHRT for quite some time, and finally got the ball rolling a few weeks ago. I'm not taking them yet, because a bad PAP has tripped me up (and that's a whole 'nother scary story in itself), but I'm looking to get that resolved and get the BHRT going as soon as I can.

I'm not on any particular plan, and haven't been for at least three years - I eat what I know works for me, which is very low carb/very high fat, and I've learned how and when to tweak. I drink lots of water, but then I've done that all my life. I do take vitamins and supplements.

Anyway, how I do run on :lol: I'm glad to be here, thank you all for having me.

[CindyCRNA]

Hi Cyndie, I'm Cindy also. I'm 47 and didn't know why I spent all last year being exhausted. I had no hormones at all. I am currently on Estrogen, Testosterone, Progesterone, DHEA and Pregnisilone and also thyroid. Caution to all of you if you start getting tired or your hair starts falling out. BHRT blocks some of the conversion of T4 to T3 and you can become hypothyroid. No biggey as I just supplement thyroid. My hair is comeing in thicker as that is a component of Estrogen. I have 9" strands all over my head that coinsides with starting BHRT.

[moondaught]

I'm 47 and didn't know why I spent all last year being exhausted.

The black-pit-of-hell-lack-of-energy thing is amazing, is it not :lol:

I hate feeling tired. When I changed my way of eating to LC five years ago, I was having energy issues, and LC gave that all back to me. In fact it improved and/or did away with almost all of my menopause-related issues. It's only been in the last few months that my symptoms have gotten wicked again, and I'm *so* looking forward to addressing it.

[FroheFrau]

CindyCRNA,
You mentioned that you had previously had some hairloss and thyroid issues.
I am on BHRT and also taking 2.5 grains per day of Nature-throid for the thyroid. My hair no longer falls out in handfuls as it did before taking thyroid med---but my scalp hair is still sparse.
How long did it take for your scalp to regrow hair after balancing your hormones? May I ask what type of thyroid med you are taking? Also what kind of BHRT? I am not taking any testosterone, just estradiol and prometrium. And I do know that Naturethroid has a low ratio of T3 relative to to T4.

I guess I am just tired of going around with thin scalp hair! The menopausal symptoms have been gone for a ong time thanks to BHRT. but I just want my hair back! :(

[CindyCRNA]

CindyCRNA,
You mentioned that you had previously had some hairloss and thyroid issues.
I am on BHRT and also taking 2.5 grains per day of Nature-throid for the thyroid. My hair no longer falls out in handfuls as it did before taking thyroid med---but my scalp hair is still sparse.
How long did it take for your scalp to regrow hair after balancing your hormones? May I ask what type of thyroid med you are taking? Also what kind of BHRT? I am not taking any testosterone, just estradiol and prometrium. And I do know that Naturethroid has a low ratio of T3 relative to to T4.

I guess I am just tired of going around with thin scalp hair! The menopausal symptoms have been gone for a ong time thanks to BHRT. but I just want my hair back! :(
The NT was getting too hard to get so I switched to generic Armour ordered from out of the country so it doesn't have the fillers the US brand has that prevents absorbtion. I start on that in about 2 days. I am on 3 grains with an additional 12.5 mcgs of Cytomel in the am but may not need that when I switch over. My hair immediantly responded to the BHRT and finally quit falling out but I don't know if the thyroid will help with regrowth. That is more a function of estrogen which is the hormone of youth. Do you have any recent labs you can post of your hormone levels and your thyroid levels? Show me yours and I 'll show you mine!! :lol:

[moondaught]

CindyCRNA,
My hair no longer falls out in handfuls as it did before taking thyroid med---but my scalp hair is still sparse.


My husband's hair, which had begun thinning in a major way (typical male pattern baldness and partially attributable to hormones) when he turned 50, began growing back in when he started taking acetyl l-carnitine. He began taking it when I did, back in 2006.

He just turned 60, and he's got great hair ;)

I haven't had hair loss issues - yet! - but acetyl l-carnitine is one of my daily supplements.

[FroheFrau]

Moondaught,
Thanks for the info about the supplement. I will look into it.

cindyCRNA,
I am way overdue for labs. I don't have any recent labs stats to show you. but if you want to mention yours, I would be interested in seeing them.
From what I've read, BHRT supports a woman's thyroid in a big way, when she is post meno. The statistic I read is that by the age of 60, over 50% of women will have underactive thyroid issues.
I had a hard time finding any kind of natural dessicated thyroid meds so I ordered mine from out of the country too. Is Armour available now, again? I had heard that it was temporarily recalled. what kind of dosage do you take of Armour?

[Linderella]

Have been on BHRT for over a year now and I must say it has definitely been a good thing. As CNMN Lisa said as long as I can afford I will stay on them. Hotflashes, night sweats, itchy skin on my forearms, moodiness, fatigue etc. are all gone.

The most amazing is the moodiness, I was really bitchy and cranky most of the time, probably from lack of sleep. But now I can laugh and be fun to be around. For me it was life changing. I had been in forced menopause for 15 years and suffered not to silently. I should have done this many years ago.

[cnmLisa]

The most amazing is the moodiness, I was really bitchy and cranky most of the time, probably from lack of sleep. But now I can laugh and be fun to be around.

^^^^^That too:wave:

[Nancy LC]

Okay, you ladies have convinced. I found a naturopathic doctor who does bio-ident and I am seeing him for thyroid. I think I'll try the BHRT too. The thyroid is definitely helping but I'm still not really losing weight and my energy isn't exactly abundant, it is somewhat better though.

I'm 51 and peri-meno. Sx so far are: palps and a bit of dizziness. I've become extremely sensitive to caffeine so I'm working on getting off that.

[cnmLisa]

Do you know yet which he is going to use for you?

Keep us posted.

[Nancy LC]

Do you know yet which he is going to use for you?

Keep us posted.
No, just decided this morning to expand the list of topics I'm pursuing. Do you have any recommendations?

Last time I did this (years ago), I believe I was taking DHEA, test. and progesterone. The test. was cream form (used vaginally) and the progesterone was sublingual.

[CindyCRNA]

I found that I was pretty sensitive to BHRT, especially the estrogen component so I started taking a half dose and along with my imported Armour, I can't sit for very long. I just gotta get up and move!! In a good way! I'm getting alot done.

Nancy, my BHRT is all a cream you rub on your arms in the evening (make sure it's before bedtime). I take Estrogen, progesterone, testosterone and DHEA. I found I was getting tired and foggy because my estrogen was too high so we cut the dose. I started feeling better so I thought, hey, lets go lower and see what happens so I started to take half of my prescribed dose and we have a winner!!

[amandawald]

Okay, you ladies have convinced. I found a naturopathic doctor who does bio-ident and I am seeing him for thyroid. I think I'll try the BHRT too. The thyroid is definitely helping but I'm still not really losing weight and my energy isn't exactly abundant, it is somewhat better though.

I'm 51 and peri-meno. Sx so far are: palps and a bit of dizziness. I've become extremely sensitive to caffeine so I'm working on getting off that.

Hi Nancy,

I'm extremely jealous that you have found a naturopathic doctor who does bio-identical hormone replacement therapy!!!

When you get an appointment, I would also ask him to run tests for your cortisol and aldosterone levels, too. It sounds to me like you could possibly have an issue with high cortisol levels and worn-out adrenals.

One symptom of high cortisol levels is weight gain around the midsection, which I remember you mentioned in one of your recent posts.

Dizziness can also be caused by problems with your aldosterone levels and can be helped with a dose of salt!!! Try adding a quarter teaspoon of salt to some water, or just eat it off a spoon and wash it down with water. It can really give you a boost if you your electrolyte levels are a bit out of whack.

Low energy levels can be a symptom of low magnesium. I know you take supplements, but maybe you have absorption problems due to celiac disease. It is notoriously difficult to absorb the Mg in supplements. If you have any alcohol or caffeine, this will make you piddle it out, too.

The low energy could also be caused by worn-out adrenals. If they simply can't produce enough adrenaline any more to keep you going through the day, then this could also be the reason for your tiredness.

They test cortisol levels with saliva tests, so it can't be too expensive and certainly isn't painful. I guess that aldosterone is tested via a blood test.

Dr Diana Schwarzbein recommends that you "fix" your adrenals before moving on to bio-identical hormone replacement. She is based in Santa Barbara, by the way: is that anywhere near you???

This article talks about the link between being hypothyroid and having weak adrenals. You might find this interesting:

http://www.stopthethyroidmadness.com/adrenal-info/weak-adrenals/

amanda

[amazon2]

I'm on hormone replacement. I take pharmaceutically produced hormones which are "bioidentical" but also tested, FDA approved, etc. I take estradiol and prometrium. I don't want to sound cynical or to offend anyone who's taking the compounded stuff but I really don't think there's any advantage to that and possibly disadvantages.

That said, I was going to post on my weight loss/hormone issues and since there are a lot of people on this thread doing hrt, let me post it here.

I lost about 10 pounds when I went from a low-carb diet to a much lower carb diet. Fact is, I've been stalled for months now. I'm not really overweight, I guess I'd like to lose 5 more pounds, but I can't understand why I'm eating so many less carbs and not losing any weight.

My hormone regimen is 1 mg of estradiol every day and 2 prometriums (double dose) for 12 days every 2 months. When I take the prometrium, I lose another couple of pounds but then when I go off of it, I gain it all back.

I'm drinking diet soda and I eat 1 chocoperfection, low-carb bar a day. Other than that, and 1 or 2 ounces of cashews a day, I'm practically on Atkins induction.

Any ideas?

[Nancy LC]

Dr Diana Schwarzbein recommends that you "fix" your adrenals before moving on to bio-identical hormone replacement. She is based in Santa Barbara, by the way: is that anywhere near you???
No, it's about a 7-8 hour drive I think.

I may well have an adrenal issue. I'm kind of thinking the naturopathic doctor I have is a bit clueless about them though.

[cnmLisa]

I'm on hormone replacement. I take pharmaceutically produced hormones which are "bioidentical" but also tested, FDA approved, etc. I take estradiol and prometrium. I don't want to sound cynical or to offend anyone who's taking the compounded stuff but I really don't think there's any advantage to that and possibly disadvantages.

That said, I was going to post on my weight loss/hormone issues and since there are a lot of people on this thread doing hrt, let me post it here.

I lost about 10 pounds when I went from a low-carb diet to a much lower carb diet. Fact is, I've been stalled for months now. I'm not really overweight, I guess I'd like to lose 5 more pounds, but I can't understand why I'm eating so many less carbs and not losing any weight.

My hormone regimen is 1 mg of estradiol every day and 2 prometriums (double dose) for 12 days every 2 months. When I take the prometrium, I lose another couple of pounds but then when I go off of it, I gain it all back.

I'm drinking diet soda and I eat 1 chocoperfection, low-carb bar a day. Other than that, and 1 or 2 ounces of cashews a day, I'm practically on Atkins induction.

Any ideas?

I'll post the same as I did on another HRT thread...

It could be the type of estrogen and the amount....

It could be that a therapy containing to much Estradiol could be causing your side effect.

It may be that you need a different balance of estrogens...not all estrogens are created equally.


I use a combo of Estradiol, Estrone, and Estriol (Tri-Est) with the Estriol 80% of the compound and the Estradiol and Estrone as 10% each. I don't have a uterus so I don't NEED to have progesteron but it also contributes to the feeling of well-being.

I don't know about compounders in your state, but the compounder here in Oregon that I use (I have a very close relationship with him because I use him not just personally for my bHRT but for other compounded medications for patients in my practice) have much more stringent specifications for purity and error than the FDA--the specs that the compounder has to follow are unbelievable. Do I worry about the purity and margin of error of my compounded medication...not so much because I know the rigorous specs that have to be followed.

The advantage of a compounded medication...particularly hormones is that the ratio/formulation can be adjusted if needed.

I should say also...before using compounded bHRT, I used everything every pharm company ever sampled a GYN office....pill, cream, mist, patch, vag insert etc. NOTHING worked. NOTHING. I was a HRT experiment of 1. I decided to become a compounded bHRT experiment of 1 over a year ago. I figured what did I have to lose.....apparently nothing becuase I have had nothing but success since day 3 of therapy.

You can be cynical. I'm probably the biggest. I can't say that it would be for everyone, or work for everyone. I can only say that it worked for me beautifully. Like I tell my patients--you don't know until you try.

Progress not perfection.

Lisa

[amazon2]

Thanks for the response Lisa. Are you a doctor? What's the difference between Estradiol, Estrone and Estriol and how would you know which one is best for you?

One doctor did give me a cream but I have a 15-year-old son who's still growing and I didn't want him to be exposed to estrogen.

[amazon2]

Sorry - looked up your biography! Did you know that your goal weight is higher than your actual weight now? ;)

[cnmLisa]

I don't know anything about this doctor or his clinic, but this is a very nice explanation:

http://www.tahomaclinic.com/hotflashes.shtml

I guess I'm confused re: the hormone cream. Any exposure to your 15 year old would be minimal to none at best. Unless he were using it himself there shouldn't be any risk to his health.

I am surprised as you that my weight (almost effortlessly) slipped past my goal. This was with combo LC and bHRT that I started over a year ago last May.

Aint' it grand!!

50. The new 30:lol:

[amazon2]

I'm going to print it out and see what my gynecologist says. I have been getting Estradiol from the UK as Elleste Solo so they do use it in Europe.

[lizzyLC]

Thanks for starting this thread, Nancy.

[Nancy LC]

I'm still futzing around with my thyroid. I feel pretty good on 2 grains, a bit hyper on 2.5. I think my next task is figuring out the bio-ident stuff.

[amazon2]

Here's a link from yesterday's New York Times:

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/07/30/science/30brfs-FDALINKSHORM_BRF.html?scp=1&sq=estrogen%20children&st=cse

I know it's not the same drug but estrogen closes the bone plates of girls and boys. Exposure to estrogen can cause premature puberty and it can make kids stop growing earlier than they would otherwise.

I'm going to take it in pill form until my son leaves home (3 years) just to be on the safe side.

[FroheFrau]

I think the bottom line on BHRT is everyone has unique DNA. You have to work with your health practitioner/ doctor to find what works for you.
After years of tweaking, and with chronically weak adreenals, I find that i must take BHRT simultaneously with adrenal and thyroid meds.
I take estradiol in low doses, continuous all month. (1mg per day). I take avg amt of progesterone cream or prometrium pills in 1mg amt. If I stop estrogen, I become clinically depressed and sluggish...and super cranky. If I stop progesterone, I don't sleep at night.
You just have to figure out what works for you. According to Dr. Uszzi Rice---some of your hormonal needs at/post meno will depend on your body type. Tall, lean, small chested females or muscular/athletic types will generall feel the need for more estro after menopause than the more naturally voluptuous types. I can say that this is true in my family. I had a grandma who was the "Sofia Loren" voluptuous type. She breezed thru menopause with out even noticing that it happened. I, on the other hand---miss muscle butt---had the menopause from hell.

[amazon2]

I think I have weak adrenals too. I'm a carrier of a disease of the adrenals. I tried taking cortef which is something which people with this adrenal disease take but it made me really depressed.

[FroheFrau]

Amazon2
Cortef is a Rx that contains hydrocortisone or a cortisol replacement, I think. I'm not positive. I take generic Rx hydrocortisone and it tends to make me mildly depressed, too. If I raise my thyroid meds dosage a bit, I am less depressed. Also, having enough estrogen seems to chase away depression. Estrogen is a mild steroid---so having an optimal amount of estrogen would be a good thing for adrenal fatigue.

Do you have any thyroid issues that you know of? How's your hormonal status?

[amazon2]

You have hit upon something that I am somewhat of an expert at - one of my kids has a mild adrenal issue and I'm on an online board for that condition. Ditch the generic hydrocortisone and take real cortef. It's a pretty inexpensive drug (don't know your dose) and if you have insurance they'll cover it if your doctor specifies no generic.

I just had the routine thyroid test and passed it although I don't think I trust it. I've been thinking about going to one of the doctors recommended on the Livin La Vida Low-Carb website when I have more time. What tests did you take?

I take 1 mg of estrodial a day and 2 prometriums for 12 days every 2 months.

[Nancy LC]

Here's a good site for thyroid info: http://www.stopthethyroidmadness.com/

And a message forum: http://forums.realthyroidhelp.com/

My thyroid issue was hard to deal with because I don't convert enough T4 -> T3 and no one ever checks it. I had Free T3 levels below range. Only taking natural thyroid hormone has helped, because it contains T3 and T4.

[WereBear]

Tall, lean, small chested females or muscular/athletic types will generall feel the need for more estro after menopause than the more naturally voluptuous types. I, on the other hand---miss muscle butt---had the menopause from hell.

That's fascinating. I am having something from hell... but I don't know what it is.

I had a bad ovary taken out in a cancer scare, and a few months later my periods. Just. Stopped. I was 47, three years ago.

Then all sorts of things crept in, very gradually, until about nine months ago I was getting 3-4 hours of sleep a night, which might have contributed to the difficulty with short term memory and the highly increased instances of me wanting to take an axe to someone's skull. I'm really not a temperamental person... that drove me to the doctor and a medium dose of PremPro.

Within 3 hours, I swear, I felt much better. And I've been feeling better and better... until recently, when I realized it wasn't the light in the bathroom or my imagination... I'm losing the outer third of my eyebrows. Classic hypothyroid symptom... as I understand it... a late hypo symptom.

Which just doesn't make any sense, because I haven't felt this good in a couple of years!

Ah, well. Doctor visit this week, and I already had blood drawn, so instead of sitting there and saying "Let's get some blood drawn" he can sit there and say, "Let's look at the blood work."

[JesseJT]

I have been using BHRT for about a year and a half and I love em. I use natural estrogen intravaginally and natural progesterone on my skin. I did start having periods again, but don't always have them. (I had been 2 yrs without any before starting BHRT, and my Dr. assures me I can't become pregnant). Regular doctors tend to freak out a little over all this; mine ordered a uterine biopsy and ultrasound; everything was fine. I've read different things about how they may/may not affect fibroids. A good resource is Christianne Northrup's book The Wisdom of Menopause.

[Nancy LC]

I just had an extensive genetic test done at http://23andme.com. It's really cool, you should check them out.

Anyway, turns out I have a very bad gene where 34/100 people with it get deep vein thrombosis and it's even worse if you supplement hormones. So I think that probably indicates I shouldn't do HRT, bioidentical or not. Blah!

My brother had it and my mother did too.

[cbcb]

Here's a hypothetical for you: Say you'd missed a couple periods (admittedly, during an unusual 14-lb. whoosh ... and when younger you'd occasionally missed 1 period when losing weight fast). But say now you were starting to get hot flashes ... and wanted to see if your body could resume having periods and forestall the possibility of menopause. What regimen would you bet might help, if any? I want to give my body the best substrates it can for continuing fertility a little while longer. Bioidentical estrogen and progesterone, HGH, something else? (Read something once suggesting HGH might help.)


Also, I'm curious -for those of you who use bioidentical progesterone as well as estrogen, what do you find the progesterone does for you and do you take both at alternating times to mimic a menstrual cycle and then stop, and restart in a week etc.?

[FroheFrau]

NancyLC---what is your blood type? I'm just curious. Type O blood seems to not form clots very well---and Type A seems to have no difficulty clotting.

cbcb---when you say fertility, do you mean cyclic periods or do you mean ability to conceive? Essentially, menopause is all about running out of eggs. You can continue cyclic periods with high supplemental doses of BHRT---but it will not enable you to conceive once you are out of eggs.

Check out Suzanne Somers' books on BHRT and staying young. She interviews medical experts on that subject, and tells the stories of various women who have chosen different ways of aging gracefully with and without BHRT. Talk to your doctor---get blood and saliva tests to see what your hormones levels are currently.

Also, don't forget that some post meno women also need supplemental testosterone. It helps maintain muscle tone and skin tone/ flexibility. I tried it---but it made me terribly nauseated and gave me liver /gall bladder issues. The good news is that a female body will convert a small amount of progesterone into testosterone. I have gone with progesterone cream---it seems to be more effective or potent than pill form progesterone.

[Buttoni]

I'm post meno some 15 years now. Ovaries in situe but uterus removed with a ginormous fibroid years ago. No HRT for a long time after that surgery but then my doc started me on Premarin "on principle". I dumped that pretty quick because it caused severe leg cramps and a classrsoom teacher on her feet all day doesn't need that. We then tried pure Estrace and I tolerated that OK for a year or so. 'Bout that time the negative literature was coming out on HRT and I stopped everything about 10 years ago.

Stress-related cortisol issues (mine was off the norm charts) after my Dad died 6 years ago brought on some testing that revealed a number of other hormonal issues. Finally my doc was convinced, with much pressuring by me, to test my thyroid as well. Usual story, TSH normal, but further tests revealed I'm not so normal and he has started me on Armour thyroid 2 mos. ago and Levothyroxine 30 days ago. Finally, my excessively low body temps are finally climbing closer to 98's in the evenings. No more 94's, 95's and only occasionally wake up to 96's. Other thyroid and adrenal symptoms have not abated, however......yet. My doc isn't a believer in "adrenal fatigue, BTW". But I've only been on thyroid meds for 60 days and he's probably going to be fine tuning dosage for awhile.

Saliva and blood tests a year ago also revealed high cortisol and estrogen, progesterone and testosterone imbalances and basically that I'm estrogen dominent as progesterone is severely deficient (stress-related cortisol is known to deplete progesterone levels). Guess my ovaries are finally "petering out" as my OB-GYN surgeon told me years ago they would, eventually.

Current doc first tried just progesterone cream, but no symptom relief, other than mood and temperament. He now has me on BHRT pellet implants (since last March) for testosterone and estrogen, but has recently added Biest cream (less cancer risk than other forms of estrogen) and more progesterone cream to the regimen. Mood and ability to handle stress is improving noticeable by me and hubby. Energy levels are a little better, too.

So for me, the jury is still out on BHRT and whether my doc is on the right track with the BHRT levels he's aiming for and the thyroid therapy. Don't know when it's time to say he may not know what he's doing and maybe I need to find an endocrinologist. But I hear THEY don't always know what to test for and investigate when it comes to thyroid issues, either! :(