Hormone Replacement Therapy

While you may experience the misery of hot flashes and mood swings as you enter menopause, one thing you can’t blame on the "change" is memory loss.

In the latest study that exonerates menopause as a cause of impairing the ability to recall, Taiwanese researchers compared the memory of hundreds of women before they had any menopausal symptoms to their memory as they entered menopause.

They found the women who were going through the menopausal process scored as well or nearly as well on five different cognitive function tests. Results of the study are to be presented Oct. 4 at the American Neurological Association annual meeting in Toronto.

"When women go into perimenopause, they don’t need to worry about cognitive decline," said Dr. Jong-Ling Fuh, an attending physician at Taipei Veterans General Hospital and an associate professor of Yang-Ming University School of Medicine.

The researchers said the myth of memory loss during menopause is a perception some women have because as they went through menopause, they felt their memory wasn’t as sharp as it had been before. Studies suggesting that hormone replacement therapy might protect against dementia strengthened that belief. However, a large study later found that in older women, hormone replacement therapy not only didn’t help protect women from dementia, but could actually increase the risk.

To try to answer the question of whether menopause did have any effect on memory, Fuh and her colleagues studied nearly 700 premenopausal women living on a group of rural islands between Taiwan and China. The Taiwanese government restricted access to these islands until the 1990s, so the authors report that the study’s population was nearly homogeneous, which would help rule out other potentially causative factors of memory loss.

The women were between the ages of 40 and 54. None of them had had a hysterectomy, and none took hormone replacement therapy during the study.

All took five cognitive tests designed to assess their memory and cognitive skills at the start of the study, and then again 18 months later.

During the study period, 23 percent of the women began to have symptoms of menopause.

The researchers then compared the memory of the women who had entered menopause to those who had not, an 1000 d found very little difference. In four of the five tests, there were no statistically significant differences in the two groups of women.

Only on one test was the difference statistically significant, and that difference, said Fuh, was very slight. This test was designed to assess verbal memory and involved showing the women 70 nonsensical figures. Some of the figures were repeated during the test, while most were not. The women were asked whether they had seen the figure earlier.

"For women, menopause does not mean you’ll develop memory loss," said Dr. Raina Ernstoff, an attending neurologist at William Beaumont Hospital in Royal Oak, Mich. As you’re going through perimenopause and experiencing symptoms like hot flashes, she said, you may feel lousy and have trouble sleeping, which might temporarily affect your cognitive skills.

"I don’t think declining estrogen levels are what causes memory loss," said Dr. Steven Goldstein, an obstetrician/gynecologist at New York University Medical Center in New York City. "It’s not like your memory is bopping along, doing fine and then takes this big dive during menopause, like bone density can."

Both Ernstoff and Goldstein said they weren’t aware of many women who believed that menopause might cause significant memory loss. They also both felt that results from this group of women who were so homogeneous might not apply to different groups of women, such as those living in more industrialized society. And they both said that other factors that weren’t studied could play a role in memory loss, such as hypertension, which can contribute to vascular dementia.

Ernstoff also pointed out that the education backgrounds can play a large role in memory loss. Fuh acknowledged the researchers did attempt to control the data for educational differences.

SOURCES: Jong-Ling Fuh, M.D., attending physician, Taipei Veterans General Hospital, and associate professor, Yang-Ming University School of Medicine, Taipei, Taiwan; Steven Goldstein, M.D., obstetrician/gynecologist, New York University Medical Center, and professor, obstetrics/gynecology, New York University School of Medicine, New York City; Raina Ernstoff, M.D., attending neurologist, William Beaumont Hospital, Royal Oak, Mich., and member, Alzheimer’s Board of Detroit; Oct. 4, 2004, presentation, American Neurological Association, Toronto.

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Technorati Tags: growth hormone replacement, hormonal therapy, hormone replacement alternative, natural estrogen replacement therapy

Many times, hormone therapy is used for symptom relief. In this case, hormone therapy is used to reduce hot flashes, vaginal dryness, insomnia and night sweats. These are the usual symptoms many women experience during their perimenopausal years. In natural menopause, these symptoms are usually transient, lasting about 3 to 5 years.

After that, the body readjusts itself and you are fine. Short-term use of hormones, approximately 3 to 5 years for women who do not have breast cancer or blood clotting disorders is probably safe. At the end of the period, they should taper off the hormones over 6 to 9 months in order to ensure that the abrupt change doesn’t bring back the symptoms. In women who have had breast cancer it is better to explore alternative methods to decrease perimenopausal symptoms.

In the case of disease prevention, hormones are taken with or without experiencing symptoms indefinitely. Seemingly this is done to prevent diseases of old age - heart disease and osteoporosis.

So what then is the importance of hormone therapy in relation to breast cancer? The first thing to consider is the quality of the evidence linking breast cancer with estrogen. From an epidemiological, biological standpoint, there is fairly good evidence. Women who have their ovaries removed at an early age rarely get breast cancer. It seems that the younger a woman was at her first period and the older she is at menopause; the more likely she is to get the disease. Simply put, the more years she is exposed to cycling estrogen, the higher her risk. These are biological implications.

Women who have osteoporosis have a 60% lower risk of getting breast cancer. If you have inherently low levels of estrogen, you tend to have bad bones and good breasts. On the other hand, if you have inherently high levels of estrogen, you tend to have good bones and bad breasts. Obesity in postmenopausal women, which is linked to higher levels of estrogen, creates a higher risk of breast cancer.

There is another reason that the connection between hormone therapy and breast cancer is biologically plausible. If you plot the rate of breast cancer with age, starting at age 20, a straight line will be obvious. The rate of breast cancer remains the same - until menopause. After menopause, the rate is less.

Conversely though, there is a reason why it is difficult to establish with certainty the connection between hormone therapy and breast cancer and that is that it may affect some women more than others. One of the things current research may help do is distinguish between the women for whom hormone therapy is dangerous and those for whom it’s not.

There is a recent, rather frightening, study showing that women who take both birth control pills and hormone therapy have a higher risk of getting breast cancer. The baby boomers were the first group to do this; they were the young women on birth control pills and now are the middle-aged women taking hormones.

According to this study’s findings, short-term use of either one doesn’t seem to make a difference. But women who were on oral contraceptives for more than 10 years and then took hormone therapy for 3 or more years, had a relative risk of 3:2 - more than triple the risk of women who never used either. Although this is quite a small study, with only 25 women participating, it is still something to keep in mind. It points out one of the ways in which baby boomers are different from past generations. If we base our estimates of risk on our mothers’ experiences, it may not be realistic, because they were not taking these hormones throughout their lives.

Author: Michael Russell

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More and more women are seeking natural alternative treatments for symptoms of menopause, for a variety of reasons. Perhaps the most compelling reason for many is the association between conventional hormone replacement therapy and a number of serious health risks, including an increased risk of breast cancer and blood clots, although the link has by no means been proven, and the issue is currently the subject of serious debate among women’s health experts.

Many women have experienced unpleasant side effects resulting from conventional HRT, including nausea, headaches and vaginal bleeding. Many women simply feel apprehensive at the thought of taking drugs which have been manufactured synthetically.

The whole notion of returning to old fashioned herbal treatments and folk remedies has a certain comforting, romantic appeal. Some of the herbal medicines which are being rediscovered have been used to treat a range of ailments for literally thousands of years. There is a commonly held belief that medicines derived from natural sources are necessarily free from the risk of negative side effects, harmful interactions and allergic reactions. This is simply not true. Whatever kind of medication you choose to take, it’s essential that you fully understand how it works, what dosage level is appropriate for you, and what objective research has been done on its effectiveness and its potential hazards.

Your doctor is the best person to provide you with professional, individual advice and attention. Information you find online and in women’s health publications is a useful supplement to your doctor’s advice, and it’s wise to read as widely as you can to get an overall picture of the issues. Your health is the most important thing you have, and while you are free to make your own choices about treating menopause symptoms, it’s vital that you make these choices with your eyes open.

Most experts believe that all of the common symptoms of menopause are caused by the dramatic decline and fluctuations in the body’s levels of estrogen and to some extent progesterone, and the imbalance between them. Approaches to alleviating symptoms generally focus around restoring these hormone levels.

Natural treatments are typically made from extracts of plants containing substances which are very similar to the estrogen and/or progesterone produced by the ovaries. The effectiveness of these treatments relies on the assumption that these phytoestrogens and plant progesterones have a similar effect in the body to the body’s own natural hormones. Some herbal treatments work by stimulating glands to produce natural hormones more effectively, rather than restoring the hormones artificially.

Another approach is to treat each symptom individually. There is a range of natural treatments which focus specifically on alleviating common symptoms such as hot flashes, depression, libido problems, vaginal dryness and fatigue.

Estrogen treatments.

Soy

By far the richest source of phytoestrogens (sometimes called ‘isoflavones’) is soybeans, and foods made from soy extracts. Soy can be consumed in the form of tofu, soy cheese, meat substitute products such as soy burgers, breads and muffins made with soy flour, and soy drinks, sometimes known as ’soy milk’. Some studies have shown that consuming soy beverages or breads made with soy flour twice daily can reduce the severity or the number of hot flashes, but results have been inconclusive and inconsistent.

Soy powders and pills contain much higher levels of phytoestrogens than soy foods, and may have a more significant effect in alleviating menopause symptoms than soy foods, but little is known about the potential hazards. Consuming soy extracts and soy foods may have a range of other health benefits, including reducing the risk of osteoporosis, cancer and heart disease, and lowering cholesterol. Some studies suggest that phytoestrogens may actually help to reduce the risk of breast cancer by blocking the overproduction of natural estrogen in the body.

Herbs containing phytoestrogens

Red clover has been used in Asia for thousands of years to treat skin conditions, asthma, bronchitis, kidney stones, joint disorders and breast inflammation. It is thought to work by improving circulation and stimulating urine and mucous production, or ‘purifying the blood’. Red clover has been recently discovered to contain high levels of phytoestrogens, and its usefulness in the treatment of menopause symptoms is being investigated. Some studies have shown the herb to be very effective in reducing hot flashes and improving bone density and strength, while others have been inconclusive.

Dong Quai is an important herb used in Chinese medicine, and has been used to treat PMS, menstrual irregularities and menopause symptoms for thousands of years, although its effectiveness has yet to be clinically verified by Western health practitioners. It is also believed to dilate blood vessels, and is used to treat high blood pressure and circulatory problems.

Black Cohosh

Black cohosh is commonly believed to contain phytoestrogens, although clinical studies to confirm this have been far from conclusive. It is a perennial plant native to North America, and is also known as black snakeroot, bugbane, rattleroot and macrotys. The plant has a long history of usefulness as a medicinal treatment, first by Native American people and more recently by alternative health practitioners, and has been used to treat a range of gynecological ailments including menopause symptoms, infertility, inflammation of the uterus and ovaries, and to induce lactation, bring on menstruation, and alleviate labor pains.

It has also been used to treat rheumatism, fever, coughs and colds, hives and backache. Some studies have shown that taking pills made from black cohosh extract is very helpful in providing short term relief from a range of menopause symptoms including hot flashes, depression, mood swings and anxiety. However, little is known about the effects of taking the treatment in the long term, and some negative side effects have been reported, including headaches, stomach and gastric discomfort and weight gain.

Maca

Peruvian Maca root is believed to work by stimulating glands in the body to produce their own estrogen and testosterone. Maca has been cultivated in the Andes region for perhaps thousands of years, and has been used as a treatment to increase energy, enhance libido and increase fertility.

Maca root is claimed to provide a range of benefits, including alleviating PMS symptoms, reducing depression and stress, increasing athletic ability and creating a general sense of well being. It is also claimed to be effective in treating a wide range of menopausal symptoms, including mood swings, depression, irritability, anxiety, fatigue, hot flashes, reduced libido, sleep disturbances and breast tenderness. Objective clinical research into the effectiveness and the potential hazards of taking Maca root supplements is very scant.

Progesterone treatments.

An alternative view of the causes of menopause symptoms places more emphasis on the role of progesterone, and the imbalance between progesterone and estrogen. ‘Estrogen dominance’ is a recently identified syndrome, and is believed by a small number of doctors to be the cause of severe PMS and menstrual problems in early adulthood, and a range of severe symptoms as menopause approaches. Advocates of progesterone treatments believe them to be free from the health risks and side effects associated with estrogen based treatments.

Natural progesterone cream

Natural progesterone creams usually contain extracts from Mexican wild yam, which contains a substance which is believed to be similar to the progesterone produced in the body. The creams are applied to the parts of the body where the skin is thinner, such as the breasts, inner thighs, inner forearms or stomach, and are believed to pass through the skin and circulate through the body. Many women have found natural progesterone creams to be very effective in treating menopause symptoms, but there is no evidence to show that the creams lower the risk of breast and uterine cancer, or are free from the risk of side effects as is sometimes claimed.

Chaste tree berry

Chaste tree berry, sometimes known as Chasteberry or Vitex agnus castus has been used since ancient Greek times to treat a range of ailments. It is believed to stimulate the production of progesterone, and has been shown to be very effective in alleviating severe PMS and a range of menopausal symptoms

Natural remedies for perimenopause and menopause symptoms.

More and more women are seeking natural alternative treatments for symptoms of menopause, for a variety of reasons. Perhaps the most compelling reason for many is the association between conventional hormone replacement therapy and a number of serious health risks, including an increased risk of breast cancer and blood clots, although the link has by no means been proven, and the issue is currently the subject of serious debate among women’s health experts. Many women have experienced unpleasant side effects resulting from conventional HRT, including nausea, headaches and vaginal bleeding. Many women simply feel apprehensive at the thought of taking drugs which have been manufactured synthetically.

The whole notion of returning to old fashioned herbal treatments and folk remedies has a certain comforting, romantic appeal. Some of the herbal medicines which are being rediscovered have been used to treat a range of ailments for literally thousands of years. There is a commonly held belief that medicines derived from natural sources are necessarily free from the risk of negative side effects, harmful interactions and allergic reactions.

This is simply not true. Whatever kind of medication you choose to take, it’s essential that you fully understand how it works, what dosage level is appropriate for you, and what objective research has been done on its effectiveness and its potential hazards. Your doctor is the best person to provide you with professional, individual advice and attention. Information you find online and in women’s health publications is a useful supplement to your doctor’s advice, and it’s wise to read as widely as you can to get an overall picture of the issues. Your health is the most important thing you have, and while you are free to make your own choices about treating menopause symptoms, it’s vital that you make these choices with your eyes open.

Most experts believe that all of the common symptoms of menopause are caused by the dramatic decline and fluctuations in the body’s levels of estrogen and to some extent progesterone, and the imbalance between them. Approaches to alleviating symptoms generally focus around restoring these hormone levels. Natural treatments are typically made from extracts of plants containing substances which are very similar to the estrogen and/or progesterone produced by the ovaries. The effectiveness of these treatments relies on the assumption that these phytoestrogens and plant progesterones have a similar effect in the body to the body’s own natural hormones. Some herbal treatments work by stimulating glands to produce natural hormones more effectively, rather than restoring the hormones artificially.

Another approach is to treat each symptom individually. There is a range of natural treatments which focus specifically on alleviating common symptoms such as hot flashes, depression, libido problems, vaginal dryness and fatigue.

by: LynnDonn

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Technorati Tags: bioidential hormone therapy, by hormone therapy

Approximately two million American women enter menopause every year. Menopause indicates the end of woman’s reproductive life.

Menopause causes some huge hormonal changes that are blamed for everything from dry skin to mental illness.

The average age of menopause in U.S. is 51. The huge majority of women enter it between 44 and 56. However, approximately one percent of women experience it before age 40.

Perimenopause is the transition that starts when your menstrual periods begin to become irregular. It ends 365 days after they stop totally. Perimenopause typically lasts from 2 to 8 years.

Technically speaking, menopause is just one day. It is the last day of your final period. However, menopause is confirmed after you have missed 12 consecutive periods.

Going through menopause does not mean goodbye to sex. Sex can be painful because there is a loss of vaginal elasticity and a drop in lubrication.

Hot flashes are more common in early postmenopause than in perimenopause, but they go away sooner or later.

Hormone-replacement therapy is not bad. Doctors can’t agree how long it is safe to take hormones. Lots of experts say forever; others say a year or 2; and a handful say never.

There is no scientific evidence that bioidentical hormones are the safest kind of hormone-replacement therapy.

Menopause is not responsible for depression, anxiety, severe memory lapses or erratic behavior.

A great number of menopause symptoms can be caused by other medical problems. You need to have a systematic checkup.

by Alex Fir

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The human growth hormone continues to provide major headlines. From athletes getting caught using it, to major actors using HGH to become strong, to scientists struggling to find a way to detect it, the excitement over this substance continues.

However, is human growth hormone all it’s made out to be? Recent research shows it may be.

In the March 2009 Journal of Clinical Endocrinology and Metabolism an article was published entitled, "Testosterone and Growth Hormone Improve Body Composition and Muscle Performance in Older Men."

What was this study all about? Quite simply, they were testing the hypothesis of whether human growth hormone and testosterone replacement supplementation combined provided improved body composition - specifically, less fat and more muscle.

The Results?

Upper and lower body muscle strength increased. Lean body mass increased (muscle). Total fat decreased. Aerobic ability increased.

They did notice increased systolic and diastolic blood pressure which was expected.

Their conclusion? Supplementing with testosterone produced significant gains in total lean body mass, aerobic activity, and decreases in fat. These results appeared to be increased by combining with human growth hormone.

Overall, quite an impressive picture of these hormones! Recent studies such as these continue to produce impressive results. Supplementing with testosterone and human growth hormone with these kinds of results is going to become easier and easier as the true results come out.

In the past the results of human growth hormone have only been known and used by doctors at the forefront of anti aging research. Lately, as more and more researchers take to investigating this substance, these hormones are becoming more mainstream.

The heavy use in sports of human growth hormone has certainly contributed to the widespread interest in the subject. Surely one must consider that if all these athletes are risking their careers to use human growth hormone, it must really help! What the professional athletes know is exactly what has been reported in this study, that is, for maximum results you need to combine testosterone replacement with human growth hormone replacement therapy. This provides the real benefits these studies are showing.

More and more people are realizing they don’t have to accept the way they are aging and can actually do something about it! From eating better and exercising more all the way up to supplementing with powerful hormones may help to slow down the effects of aging.

Is it the fountain of youth? Nope! But every step is a step forward.

by Dan Thomas

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Women who are experiencing irregular periods, night sweats and all the other lovely symptoms that go along with menopause may feel they’re doing a crazy dance called the menopause hormone bounce. Their moods may bounce up and down like a rubber ball due to the menopause hormone changes.

While some fluctuations in estrogen and progesterone hormone levels does occur during menopause and makes a woman feel as if they’re bouncing, menopause hormone levels are truly decreasing. In the early or perimenopause stage as it’s often called, the changes may be slight, then level off. This is likely to be followed by another drop in hormone levels. It’s this dropping and leveling off, then dropping and leveling off that causes a woman to feel as if she’s undergoing menopause hormone bouncing.

When seen this way, the ups and downs of menopause hormone levels is more understandable and explains why women often feel as if they’re at the mercy of their hormones. They are. The constant decreasing and adjusting involved in menopause hormones is not something that can be controlled without the use of Hormone Replacement Therapy (HRT). HRT smoothes out the menopause hormone levels and keeps many of the more unpleasant menopause symptoms and conditions from wrecking havoc with a woman’s life.

HRT is not for everyone, though. Only women who are experiencing extreme menopause hormone problems should opt for HRT treatment. Even then, HRT isn’t recommended for long-term use. HRT is, however, necessary for women who have an induced menopause hormone condition due to surgery. Though HRT may be somewhat controversial, it is still one of the most reliable and effective treatments for menopause hormone problems and should be considered by any woman who is going through a dramatic menopause.

Women who have milder menopause hormone conditions may be helped by herbal remedies for menopause. Many herbs such as black cohosh, St. John’s Wort and valerian have been found to offer relief for many menopause hormone problems. Before taking anything, a woman should see her doctor and have a good physical examination and make sure that any medicines or herbs are safe for her particular menopause hormone symptoms. Never take a label’s word for it that it’s safe. Get your doctor’s advice first because the last thing you want to do is add to your menopause woes.

by: Sandra Lovelace

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You’ve recently noticed some changes in your physical appearance, your level of energy and/or your overall mood. Could it be that these changes are associated with menopause? If you’re a woman approaching middle age, yes, the symptoms you’re experiencing could very well be associated with menopause, even if you’re still having regular periods. You see, as you approach menopause, your hormone levels begin to decline, which can result in many of the symptoms you’re currently experiencing.

Obviously, the onset of menopause affects every woman differently, and symptoms can range from being very mild and hardly noticeable, to extremely severe and uncomfortable. Common symptoms of menopause include hot flashes or night sweats, difficulty sleeping through the night, weight gain (especially around the mid-section), vaginal dryness, mood swings or depression, feelings of confusion and hair thinning on your head. You’ll not necessarily experience all symptoms associated with menopause, but it’s quite likely that you’ll notice at least some changes occurring as you approach this time in your life.

Fortunately, there are remedies available to lessen these symptoms and make life much more comfortable and even enjoyable as the menopausal years approach. If you’re like many women, there’s a strong possibility that you’ll want to do all you can to reduce the severity of your symptoms by making a few simple lifestyle changes. For instance, if you’re experiencing hot flashes, try to avoid triggers that can contribute to the frequency and/or severity of this annoying and uncomfortable symptom.

Many women have reported that consuming hot or spicy foods, alcohol and caffeine can bring on hot flashes. Additionally, feeling stressed or simply putting yourself in a situation where you’ll be in a hot place can contribute to the onset of hot flashes. If you’ve noticed that this is the case for you, do what you can to avoid these triggers. If you can, try to get into a regular exercise routine, as physical activity and exercise have been shown to reduce the incidence of hot flashes.

If you find that your sleep patterns are no longer patterns at all, but instead broken and interrupted periods of restless sleep, there’s a good chance this can be blamed on your declining hormone levels as well. If you want a good night’s sleep (and who doesn’t?) it’s a good idea to get at least 30 minutes of physical activity each day.

Don’t, however, do so near your bedtime. Similarly, you’ll want to avoid smoking, consuming large meals and working right before you turn in for the night. It’s recommended that you keep your bedroom dark, quiet and cool so that you’re more likely to stay asleep once you’ve gone to bed. If you should happen to wake during the night, it’s a good idea to get up and read until you’re sleepy enough to fall back to sleep.

If you’ve experienced mood swings associated with premenstrual syndrome (PMS), there’s a greater likelihood that you’re sensitive to hormone changes and will, therefore, probably notice some moodiness and memory problems as you approach and experience menopause. Staying active and getting a sufficient amount of sleep will certainly help to alleviate these symptoms.

Not only has exercise been proven to reduce or eliminate several symptoms associated with menopause, but it has been my own personal savior as I began gaining weight, experiencing night sweats and becoming moody and lethargic. When I began a regular exercise routine, one which included weight bearing exercises, the overall improvement in my physical and emotional states was absolutely astonishing.

Of course, some women will simply need to turn to other solutions to eliminate or lessen the severity of menopause symptoms. Vitamin E and some herbs have been known to reduce the incidence and severity of hot flashes. If you should choose to consider vitamins and herbs to assist with your menopausal symptoms, it’s a good idea to work closely with someone who is quite familiar with herbs and vitamins to ensure that you adjust your dosages as needed.

Hormone replacement therapy can help women who are experiencing more severe and difficult symptoms of menopause. As with many treatments, hormone therapy poses some risks, in addition to the possible benefits. It’s best to discuss the pros and cons of hormone therapy with your doctor so that you’re better able to make a well-informed decision regarding this treatment. If you should decide to use hormone therapy, try to use the lowest dose that helps you, and for the shortest period of time needed.

Remember, this can be the start of a wonderful period in your life. Treat your body well and the results will be extremely beneficial now and in the future.

by Susan Megge

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Hormone replacement therapy (HRT) is a medical treatment that combines estrogen and progestin to restore the premenopausal levels of estrogen. Hormone replacement therapy is prescribed for protection against osteoporosis and heart disease, and relief of menopausal symptoms.

Benefits

It has been well documented for several decades that Hormone replacement therapy is the most effective remedy for the hot flashes and sleep disturbances that often accompany menopause Hormone replacement therapy has also consistently been shown to decrease vaginal discomfort by increasing the thickness, elasticity, and lubricating ability of vaginal tissue. Urinary tract tissue also becomes thicker and more elastic, reducing the incidence of stress incontinence and urinary tract infections.

Some women and their doctors report that Hormone replacement therapy can be helpful in relieving the depression and mood swings that may occur during menopause and can produce a general sense of well-being and increased energy. Also, some find that Hormone replacement therapy increases skin thickness and elasticity, decreasing the appearance of wrinkles. While

Hormone replacement therapy was used initially to reduce the discomfort from short-term menopausal symptoms, recent studies provide evidence that it may also reduce some of the negative long-term health effects of menopause. Scientists are continuing to gather information to define the potential benefits from Hormone replacement therapy and to identify the women for whom it may be most useful. Further research will also be needed to show when Hormone replacement therapy should be started and how long it should be continued to achieve the greatest benefits.

Drawbacks:

While Hormone replacement therapy has potential benefits, it also can have drawbacks. Some of the side-effects of Hormone replacement therapy are: vaginal bleeding, breast pain, nausea, cramping, headaches, fluid retention, vaginal discharge, depression, irritability, weight gain and bloating.

A few months adjustment period is often necessary for women beginning this therapy. Every woman entering menopause should have a physical examination and then talk with her doctor about her overall health, her family history and her physical and psychological concerns. Working with your doctor to assess your risk factors accurately should help you determine whether the benefits of this therapy outweigh the risks for you personally. If you are concerned about Hormone replacement therapy, consider other effective non-medical therapies for addressing your needs, and seek a second opinion before initiating a course of treatment.

 by: David Chandler

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Wild Yam Cream has be advertised as a treatment for menopause, hot flashes, night sweats, PMS, migraine headaches, mood swings, fertility, larger breasts, heart disease, and osteoporosis.

The people who sell these products claim they contain ‘natural hormones’ and ‘hormone like compounds.’ To many people, suffering from these conditions, this seems like the perfect ‘medicine’ to help them. In most cases these creams are not effective because the product advertised does not contain the hormone claimed. The fact is, there is no progesterone in the wild yams, nor can your body make progesterone from the hormone like compound, diosgenin, in the wild yam. So, why is there such confusion about this?

The reason this misinformation exists is because a few decades ago, wild yams were harvested and purified to produce the intermediate chemical, diosgenin, for progesterone and other hormone production in the lab. An intermediate means that this component of wild yams was reacted with other chemicals, in a laboratory, to make progesterone.

People not familiar with this process thought that these wild yams actually contained progesterone. This belief is still persistent today and many unscrupulous business people sell products made from ‘wild yams’ and claim that they can cure or relieve the symptoms of many diseases and medical conditions.

As for natural sources of progesterone, that is a misnomer. Today 99.9% of progesterone is made in a laboratory. However, the synthesised version of natural progesterone is identical to naturally occurring progesterone and is referred to as bio-identical progesterone.

The term ’synthetic progesterone’ is often used to refer to products such as Provera, Cycrin which are not identical to progesterone. These synthetic versions have additional chemical groups added to the progesterone molecule, for a number of reasons. These reasons include improved absorption (oral dosage forms) and making the molecule patentable. Today, most bio-identical progesterone is made from soya intermediates.

There is plenty of literature discussing the benefits of hormone replacement therapy, however, many people often confuse ‘natural and synthetic’ as ‘good and bad.’ The fact is that bio-identical hormones are available from your doctor, if you specify and state you would prefer to use natural hormones. Just because the progesterone is synthesised in a laboratory does not mean it is synthetic or ‘bad.’

The fact is, the natural form of progesterone, unlike the component diosgenin, which is not found in the human body, is better for you, even though it is made in a lab. It could be more dangerous to use a hormone like substance, like diosgenin, that could be harmful to your health.

It is often claimed that natural progesterone has no side effects, however, it is a hormone, and does have a number of side effects that you should be aware of, these include:

a feeling of euphoria (based on the amounts used)
breast tenderness
possible acne upon initial use as body adjusts
possible acne upon initial use as body adjusts
possible suspension of ovulation if used prior to ovulation
possible spotting in women just starting menopause
alteration of cycle time
may prevent sperm maturation in men when used in excess
hives, skin rash, itching
increased sensitivity to sunlight
nausea and headaches

It is always a persons choice as to whether they want hormone replacement therapy or not, but to make that decision on unfounded product information is dangerous and could adversely affect your health. Your doctor can prescribe natural (bio-identical) progesterone if you are not comfortable with the synthetic versions like Provera and Cycrin. There are many options for hormone replacement therapy, but make sure you know the facts and avoid wasting your money on products that don’t work, or could be harmful.

About The Author

Darcy S. O’Neil is a chemist with over ten years experience in the chemical and pharmaceutical industry. During this time he became a pharmaceutical whistleblower (www.snakeoil.ca) and now spends his time writing about his experiences and advocating for intelligent supplement use (www.monograph.ca).

 by: Darcy O’Nei

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Many women experience bouts of depression as they approach menopause. As a matter of fact, midlife can be considered a period of increased risk for depression in women, the majority taking place in the years during the transition through the menopausal years. This period of time is associated with gradual declines in estrogen levels, which may be linked with the onset of depression.

It can be confusing when trying to determine if you’re suffering from depression, simply going through menopause or experiencing both. This is because many symptoms of menopause and depression are very similar, such as interrupted sleep patterns, fatigue, hot flashes, mood swings, anxiety and difficulty concentrating. It’s important, however, to talk with your doctor if you think you may be suffering from depression; don’t play guessing games with your health because if left untreated, depression can lead to additional episodes, which have the potential to be more severe. Untreated depression can also result in physical complications, such as heart attack and the loss of bone density.

If your doctor thinks that your depression is as a result of declining hormone levels as you’re approaching or experiencing menopause, there’s a possibility he will suggest hormone replacement therapy, which includes estrogen. It’s important to discuss both the benefits and risks of hormone replacement therapy, including potential benefits to your overall mood. Recent studies have shown that the risks of hormone therapy include heart attack, stroke and breast cancer, and some professionals believe that these risks may outweigh the benefits women can receive from this course of treatment. That being said, estrogen therapy remains the most effective treatment for many menopausal symptoms.

Short term therapy (12-20 weeks) has also proven to combat depression in women experiencing menopause. Especially effective are Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, which focuses on negative thoughts and behaviors that tend to worsen depressed mood and teaches better ways of thinking and behaving, and Interpersonal Therapy, which helps individuals to communicate more effectively with others to help eliminate stressors.

Fortunately, the benefits of exercise in depression are well documented. Exercise helps with the treatment of depression by releasing the body’s mood-elevating compounds, reducing the depression hormone cortisol, providing a feeling of accomplishment and enhancing self esteem. I personally exercise approximately an hour most days of the week, but even exercising as little as ten minutes per day has been found to have beneficial effects for many women experiencing menopausal depression.

You may also want to consider a prescription medication to help you cope with the symptoms you’re experiencing. Discuss this possibility with your doctor because there are several effective and well-tolerated antidepressant medications now available. These medications have been proven to be an essential part of treatment for women who are moderately to severely depressed.

It’s also important to simply take care of yourself by eating a well balanced diet, decreasing your intake of refined sugar, caffeine, alcohol and chocolate. Are you getting enough sleep? Sleep deficiencies can make depression worse, so if you must, develop relaxing bedtime rituals, such as taking a hot bath or reading a good book.

Finally, just give yourself a break. Not only are you experiencing symptoms of menopause, but midlife also brings about life events that can be stressful, adding to the risk of depression, irritability and moodiness. Perhaps your children are leaving home, you’re caring for an elderly parent or have recently experienced the loss of a loved one. All of these events will undoubtedly add stress to an already busy life. Take time for yourself, eat a healthy diet, exercise and know that you’re a strong and capable woman and you will get through this.

by Susan Megge

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