Hormone Replacement Therapy HRT - Alternative for hormone replacement therapy
The estrogen most commonly prescribed for women as hormone replacement
therapy HRT after menopause is Premarin derived from the urine of pregnant mares
(horses).
The progesterone
prescribed to most women is synthetic progestin. A
recent big drop in breast cancer cases might be due to
millions of women going off
hormone replacement therapy.
Hormone use plummeted after a 2002 study found that it raised the risk of breast
cancer, heart disease and other problems.
Starting hormone replacement therapy (HRT) many years after
menopause increases the risk of heart and vascular events and blood clots.
Hormone replacement therapy not only increases the risk of first-time
breast cancer, it also makes recurrence of the malignancy more likely.
Journal of the National Cancer Institute, April 2, 2008.
Natural hormone replacement therapy
- hormone replacement therapy treatment
Natural hormone replacement therapy is achieved by using
natural bioidentical hormones. Another option is to use over the counter
hormones such as pregnenolone and DHEA. Still, some people may consider the use
of phytoestrogens in herbs or extracts such as isoflavones
as natural hormone replacement therapy.
Menopause hormone replacement therapy
Did you hear the news that fewer women are being diagnosed with breast cancer? Estrogen and progesterone hormone use plummeted after a 2002 study found that
hormone replacement therapy after menopause raised the risk of
breast cancer, heart disease and other problems. Before that, the regimen
was believed to prevent many of these conditions, and doctors prescribed
them as little fountains of youth. The decline in new breast cancer cases
in 2003 is thought to have come because millions of postmenopausal women
stopped hormone replacement therapy in 2002. There appeared to be a 7
percent drop in breast cancer incidence between 2002
and 2003 and most researchers believe it is related to the discontinuation
of the hormones.
My comments: Many of you already know that the estrogen most
commonly prescribed for women as hormone replacement therapy after
menopause is Premarin derived from the urine of pregnant mares (horses).
The progesterone prescribed to women by doctors most often is a synthetic
progestin, not actual progesterone made by the body. Some people claim
that the use of natural bioidentical hormones would not cause as many
problems in women as the use of Premarin or progestins. However I have not
seen any long term studies comparing the two regimens and for the time
being I will assume that the risk for breast cancer in women with the use
of bioidentical hormones is similar until proven otherwise. Lately Suzanne
Somers, the TV actress, has been heavily - and somewhat irresponsibly -
promoting her book suggesting women use bioidentical hormones to improve
their health. I think this is a better option than artificial estrogens
and progestins, but there is no evidence that they are safer and before
you take high doses of these hormones keep in mind that it is a
possibility that future research may show misuse of these bioidentical
hormones carries serious risks. There are two natural hormones -- DHEA and
pregnenolone -- available over the counter. Be cautious with their use
since they can have serious side effects. Hormone supplements are
not to be toyed with
but be treated with respect, even if they are available without a
prescription.
Hormone replacement therapy side effects -
hormone replacement therapy risk
Tumors in patients who use hormone replacement therapy are larger and more
likely to spread beyond the breast compared with those who do not use HRT. Pro and cons of hormone replacement therapy
continue to be debated, however there now appears to be more cons than pros.
Research scientists at the Northern California Cancer Center and Kaiser
Permanente's Division of Research have found significant reductions in both the
use of hormone replacement therapy and the incidence of breast cancer in
California in the years following the release of the 2002 Women's Health
Initiative (WHI) trial results. Previous studies have shown that long-term use
of hormone replacement therapy is linked to increased risk of breast cancer. For
example, the WHI randomized trial and other studies discovered that estrogen
plus progestin hormone therapy use increased a woman's risk of breast cancer.
This new analysis, the first to use the most recent 2004 California Cancer
Registry data, supports the theory that women who discontinue hormone
replacement therapy use may reduce their chances of being diagnosed with breast
cancer. "Hormone therapy use dropped 68 percent between 2001 and 2003, and
shortly thereafter we saw breast cancer rates drop by 10 to 11 percent. This
drop was sustained in 2004, which tells us that the decline wasn't just a
fluke," notes Dr. Christina A. Clarke, the Northern California Cancer Center
scientist who led the study. In the current study, researchers examined yearly
prevalence of hormone therapy use and breast cancer incidence from 1994 to 2003
for women ages 50 to 74 in Kaiser Permanente's Northern California Region and in
the 2004 California Cancer Registry. They found consistent evidence of
corresponding trends in decline in both hormone therapy use and breast cancer
incidence.
Meningioma associated with
hormone replacement therapy
Hormone replacement therapy may increase the risk of meningioma. Multiple lines
of evidence link meningioma with female hormones, including expression of
estrogen and progesterone receptors and higher incidence in women and in
patients with breast cancer.
After hysterectomy hormone replacement therapy benefit
After a hysterectomy and/or bilateral ovariectomy, many women will
experience hot flashes and lack of libido or sex drive, loss of bone mass,
deterioration of the urinary and genital tissues. For women who undergo a
hysterectomy and/or bilateral ovariectomy the effect of estrogen and
progesterone deficiency is profound. Hormone replacement therapy benefit for a
woman include stronger bones thus reducing the risk for osteoporosis, and
improvement in sexual energy.
Male hormone replacement therapy HRT - hormone replacement
therapy for man
The use of hormone replacement therapy in men is controversial. Levels of DHEA
and testosterone drop as we age, but there is no proof as of now that hormone
replacement therapy with testosterone or DHEA prolongs life span. It may be
possible to enhance quality of life along with libido and vitality by taking
certain hormones, but if you plan to do so, use very, very, low amounts of
hormones and take frequent breaks.
Drug for hormone replacement
therapy
The medicines used for hormone replacement therapy are hormones, not drugs.
hormone replacement therapy patch
hormone replacement therapy weight gain
hormone replacement therapy and asthma
hormone replacement therapy and hair loss
hormone migraine replacement therapy
natural alternative to hormone replacement therapy
hormone replacement therapy estrin
Female hormone replacement therapy questions
Q. First let me say how much I have enjoy reading your postings and information
on your websites. I have subscribed to your newsletters and look forward to
receiving those regularly. I am constantly learning!! I am a 51 year old healthy
female who had been taking synthetic hormones in the form of an estradiol patch
(highest dose available for 1.5 years) and a Prometrium tablet for about 1 year
until November 2006. I was not happy with this form of female hormone
replacement therapy. Yes, it did resolve the hot flashes and the mood swings
were manageable but I didn't like taking synthetic hormones. I was introduced to
your website and pregnenolone while searching for other options. I started
taking about 2.5 mg of pregnenolone orally (from a 15mg capsule). I am
experiencing lower back pain and leg cramps similar to the cramps I had when I
started a menstrual cycle. When I began taking the Prometrium (October 2005), my
cycles stopped. I have had 3 since then and experienced spotting on occasion.
Right now, I am experiencing hot flashes - day and night - and the cramping. I
am prepared to do a saliva test to determine how my body is handling the stress
hormones and what exactly is going on with my hormones. Should I be concerned
about the leg cramps (which wake me up) and should I discontinue using the
pregnenolone or increase the dose for the symptoms of menopause?
A. This is a personal question that you need to discuss with your
doctor regarding the best option in your case for optimal femaile hormone
replacement therapy. Without knowing your full history, blood work, or doing a
medical evaluation, we would not be able to provide accurate suggestions.