HRT

Avatar for emty_nstr
Community Leader
Registered: 05-25-1999
HRT
16
Tue, 05-27-2003 - 8:51pm
In light of all the news stories that have come out about hormone replacement therapy, the main reason I started it was because of hot flashes....then now find out that hot flashs usually go away after about a year.... then now all the other things it was supposed to help and it don't.....makes me mad. Then to have the doctors tell you that the risk for brittle bones is worth staying on it now not only don't it help with that but it may be causeing dementia. One of those things were you are damned if you do and damned if you don't....Geeee.....Janet

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iVillage Member
Registered: 03-26-2003
In reply to: emty_nstr
Tue, 05-27-2003 - 9:12pm
Ain't it the truth, Janet?? LOL I always say I'm the guinea pig in my family in that I'm the only one in my family for a couple of generations, and in my husband's family, to go "the natural way" through menopause, so that the younger women can have some idea of how it might be without all the fix-ups we have today. You know how they say, ask your mother what it was like for her, and you'll maybe have an idea of what to expect yourself? Well, all the women on both sides for my DDs have either done HRT, or had surgeries, or whatever, and no one has ever had a "hot flash" or any other symptoms. So my DDs tell me they are watching carefully for "signs", especially that I might be going over the edge mentally, since I've been teetering there for years. hahaha. Isn't that funny? Who sends us to the edge if not our kids?! LOL

Seriously, who knows what to think? The more you think you know and understand, the less you really know and understand...it's too confusing for me. You figure it all out and let us know, OK, Janet?? :o) Seren

Avatar for 19strawberry50
iVillage Member
Registered: 03-25-2003
In reply to: emty_nstr
Tue, 05-27-2003 - 9:20pm
Hi Janet! I fully agree with you! I got off of it because of the breast cancer scare. but now I've been off of it for about a month! I feel achy now more then ever! and have hot flashes! I'm taking the Estroven and black cohosh but it does not work as good as the premerin did! Did you have the operation, you know the Histerectomy, mine was the complete kind! I thought that the premerin would protect us longer from Dementia, not cause it! If that is the case im going back on it! I'm going to ask if there is different doses of the stuff? When I first went on it, they said to take it the rest of my life! Hugs, SusieK
SusieBirdy.gif picture by queenymom52
Avatar for jfhm11
iVillage Member
Registered: 03-25-2003
In reply to: emty_nstr
Tue, 05-27-2003 - 9:26pm
I've been on hormone replacement therapy for a number of

years, and have still had "hot" flashes, and emotional

control problems. I was on Zolof for a while, but I took

my self off of it, it didn't seem to help, much. I figure

at my age if I want to have a temper, I can, lol. I am

confused about the prempro, I take it, but have heard a

lot of news both ways about it. My mother was taken off of

replacement therapy and she felt that she was losing her

mental sharpness because the doctor took it away. So go

figure?!.

Hopefully we will all survive the testing!!

Hugs,

Fran

iVillage Member
Registered: 05-26-2003
In reply to: emty_nstr
Wed, 05-28-2003 - 12:39am
I have been off HRT since last December. I still get hot flashes--about 2 or 3 a week--but they are not as intense as they use to be. They still are not fun but a littles more bearable. My mother(84 years old) and sister (52) have osteoporosis so I am taking a calcium supplement-not fosomax yet. Time will tell if I will get it as I just turned 51. I hope it gets better for you
Avatar for emty_nstr
Community Leader
Registered: 05-25-1999
In reply to: emty_nstr
Wed, 05-28-2003 - 1:39am
Well I just had a partial surgery because even though my ovaries were still there they hadn't been working like they should have for a time before that. And if there was no disease there he wouldn't take them out.

My mother died when she was 45 so I have no idea there what I might be like. There is no breast cancer in my family. And even though I had hot flashes before the medication not after and even then it wasn't like some get with the drenching sweats. I started out on OGen and am on a generic several times removed now. You know cheap,cheap,cheap...I guess.

My Grandmother (mom's mom) was only 62 when she died and I don't remember much about if she had the hot flashes. But she had polio when she was young so she always walked with a limp but it wasn't from brittle bones.

But from what I have heard lately that I was taking it for my bones, hot flashes and to stave off breast cancer. and now they say that you can take calcium, since I low risk for breast cancer getting checked is good, and the hot flashes should be over in about a year anyway. Does that mean that I am demented to be still taking that stuff? I think I will have another talk with the doctor.

Janet

iVillage Member
Registered: 04-24-2002
In reply to: emty_nstr
Wed, 05-28-2003 - 5:30am
I have never been on HRT. I had a primary care physician who didn't believe in it and when I went to my gyn and complained about symptoms such as feeling like I had PMS..for weeks on end he blew me off and told me to cut down on salt. Maybe they both did me a favor....I had hot flashes and trouble sleeping..but I just went through it and managed not to kill anyone...When my sister started going through menopause they put her on HRT for awhile but she didn't like the way it made her feel and stopped taking it and now she's past all that.

I don't have a lot of faith in doctors and consider myself fortunate to be pretty healthy and not need them except of the annual checkups etc...Of course for those who have experienced early menopause due to surgery that's something else...but all this just confirms for me that they don't have all the answers and that's what's scary...

Val

                                      

Avatar for marmoranana
iVillage Member
Registered: 03-25-2003
In reply to: emty_nstr
Wed, 05-28-2003 - 8:32am
Didn't hear about the "dementia" connection, Janet. Can you imagine? We are not crazy enough, now we have to worry about being demented!!

Lanie

iVillage Member
Registered: 08-05-1999
In reply to: emty_nstr
Wed, 05-28-2003 - 9:24am
Hi, Janet

I haven't read the other replies so forgive me if I'm repeating, but ...

There are other ways to prevent bone loss if that's an issue: Fosamax and Evista.

I am not a candidate for HRT because of a family history of breast cancer. I have had hot flashes and night sweats for years and have been told this could last for many more. One year was not the magic number for me, I guess.

I tried soy and vitamin E but it didn't work. In addition E is not a water soluable vitamin and it builds up in your body. It's hard to know when enough is too much so I stopped that, too.

Anyhow ...

I tried Fosamax but it's not right for me.

I recently began Evista and I broke out in a rash. I have temporatily discontinued it but will start again in July ... just to see if the rash reappears. If it does, I'm not sure what I'll do to prevent bone loss ... That's my only concern.

I take a calcium suppplemtemt and eat three servings of calcium-rich dairy foods each day. I exercise regularly ... both aerobically and weight-bearing. There is no history of osteoperosis in my family.

I do what I can do.

If the meds aren't right for me, I'll have to take my chances with the natural way.

BTW ... Some women report an increase of hot flashes with Evista. That didn't happen with me.

Got to go!

HAGD!

F.

 

iVillage Member
Registered: 03-19-2003
In reply to: emty_nstr
Wed, 05-28-2003 - 6:16pm
Hello Nouley, I don't remember meeting you before. Welcome to the board, come back anytime and join in. This is a fun place to hang out...Susie

Hugs,

..

Avatar for klrambo
Community Leader
Registered: 10-19-2000
In reply to: emty_nstr
Thu, 05-29-2003 - 4:25pm
Gee, you ladybugs need to visit our Menopause and Perimenopause board!! Here are some of the "natural" remedies we often recommend!


Hot flashes: Vitamin E (400 IUs) morning and evening along with Citrus Bioflavonoids (1200 mg) No more than 1000 IUs of vitamin E should be taken daily. It would be best to take 200 IUs with each meal and again with a light snack before bed - but the 200 IU gelcaps are very difficult to find!

Vitamin B-6: (50 mg) 2x per day - anti-depressant (never more than 100mg / day)

Vitamin B complex 50 - anti-depressant

Inositol (500 mg): Vitamin B8 - Nature’s own tranquilizer

L-Tyrosine (500 mg) 1 tablet per day - anti-depressant

L-Taurine (500 mg) 1-2 tablets per day): - anti-anxiety

As to that study that was so highly publicized last fall, you might be interested in reading a very good explanation of it (and rebuttal to it!). It is at the Menopause Oasis (my other website!), but here is a link to the article itself: http://pages.ivillage.com/cl-klrambo//menopauseoasis/NHI_HRT.pdf

One of these years they medical community will have actually garnered enough information from valid studies that they may be able to give us a better idea of what we are dealing with - but that has not happened yet. And since each of us are so very different in our physical make-up and in the way we react to various pills and potions it may be a very long time before there are any definitive answers! If you haven't already visited the Menopause Oasis website give it a look! http://pages.ivillage.com/cl-klrambo/menopauseoasis/

Hugzzzzzz

Kt

Co-Community Leader at:
50 & Up Friends | Menopause & Perimenopause
 
My Web sites:
50 & Up Friends | Ladybug’s Recipes | Menopause Oasis

You are loved ~~ far more than you may ever know!

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