Menopause questions (Crosspost)

[Kathy B]

I posted this on Healthy Living, but thought I might get a better response on this board since it gets more traffic. (So far I've had no response over there....)

Just thinking ahead when my MD decides I need to stop BCP. He has mentioned possibly transitioning to an estrogen patch for a few years, then weaning off.

I have heard ads for Amberen, and I am intrigued. When I looked it up, I saw several similar "natural" meds, and I wondered if anyone has used any of them and can offer input.

Here is one site I found...

http://www.medlinereports.com/Common...source=Amberen

If you scroll down, it lists 10 different meds and rates them.

Is anyone familiar with one or more of these?

[wallycat]

I'm curious why you think you need meds for a natural process.
I grant you that some women experience a very marked amount of symptoms (hot flashes, vaginal dryness, memory loss, mood swings, night sweats, etc.), but not every woman goes through it and not every woman will have the symptoms so severe that meds are warranted.
Why not see how your body does before anticipating the need for drugs. Just my 2cents.
I'm on tamoxifen for breast cancer and I am having some severe symptoms and I cannot take HRT and am managing.
Just know that HRT holds its own problems.

[blazedog]

I would also be curious as to whether you have a specific medical condition that necessitates hormone therapy.

I went through a fairly early menopause and it was actually during the time when estrogen treatment was being widely pushed. I just never got around to getting a prescription and just dealt with the symptoms.

I had occasional hot flashes which were annoying but chiefly my thermostat was broken internally so I would be hot and then cold - shrug shrug - I just dressed so that I was always able to take off a layer and then put it back on. I even had a miniature fan in my office.

I also got hot at night and then cold -- but I would just sleep in a cool room and when I woke up hot, I would take off the covers.

I would agree with wallycat to see what symptoms you actually are having with menopause and then deal with the symptoms in as non-invasive a way as possible -- my understanding is that natural hormones are hormones and have the same potential drawbacks that that Predimare (or whatever) has in terms of health risks.

[JackieO]

Originally Posted by wallycat

Just know that HRT holds its own problems.

Anecdotal, but my sister was diagnosed with b/c almost six years ago and TOTALLY attributes it to HRT. Granted, she is 68 now, but her doctor put her on some sort of HRT regimen in her late 40s, before she even went through menopause, and she stayed on it up until her diagnosis at age 62! WTF?

I am 14+ years younger, and am happily, certifiably, post-menopausal! Honestly, I had way more mood swings in my late 30s and in that weird peri-menopause stage in my late 40s. Hot flashes/night sweats are an occasional thing, more often than not triggered by my environment (dog sleeping on/near me or in between the a/c kicking in at the office). The memory loss I attribute to my wine habit; I routinely do crossword puzzles, word searches and a "concentration-like" memory game on the internet that keep me mentally sharp and I almost always score higher than the "average".

Neither my sister nor I were on b/c pills for any great length of time, and certainly not after our 30s. So I don't know if that is a factor.

Just wanted to add my two cents that it is possible to get through this without chemicals.

Good luck. With so many other life changes going on at this age, it's hard to keep everything in balance.

[Minky]

I totally get wanting something to ease the he!! that is perimenopause. Or maybe mine is just worse than average BTW, I haven't taken BCP for 10+ years. The last six months I have alternated between *intense* hot flashes and cold chills. I sat at DS1's HS graduation peeling my cardigan off, fanning frantically, then pulling it back on, wishing I had a parka to add to the layers They seem to have eased dramatically, which is saying alot since it's been over 100 degrees here (70s overnight) for a while. Good thing, or one of the men in my house may have suffered my Mighty Wrath.

I have friends who swear by progesterone cream (can't remember the specific brand) that is applied on the wrist/inner arm, but I have also read (I want to say Health or Veggie Times magazine) that much of the relief is a sort of placebo effect.

You have lots of company! I am looking forward to what others have to say.

Sheila

[Kathy B]

Oh, I don't necessarily "think I need them". I am just looking ahead, and I have wondered about the ads I keep hearing on the radio.

Certainly some symptoms are probably more nuisance than anything, but I think it would be nice to know of some ways to deal with any that are more troublesome. If that should be the case.

The impression I have gotten from the site above as well as the radio ads I have heard is that Amberen is more like a naturopathic supplement that is NOT HRT and has no dangerous side effects. So I wondered if anyone has tried it (or any of the other similar ones listed). And if so, what are your thoughts.

[donleyk]

Originally Posted by Kathy B

The impression I have gotten from the site above as well as the radio ads I have heard is that Amberen is more like a naturopathic supplement that is NOT HRT and has no dangerous side effects. So I wondered if anyone has tried it (or any of the other similar ones listed). And if so, what are your thoughts.

My thought is they want to separate you from your money. Seriously, if you want to look into something natural I'd look toward adding more soy to your diet or at least reading up on soy's benefits.

[DebGo]

another vote for *no meds!*

at 49 i am not "through" menopause yet, but well into it.

i've been able to control the hot flashes/sleeplessness, etc. with acupuncture and diet change (go soy!) that's not to say i NEVER have them... they are tollerable

haven't had any mood swings -- at least i don't THINK i have! (just don't ask my DH that question! )

with so many controversies over which meds work and which are cancer causing i'm more inclined to try to make it through without using any (if possible!).

i know some experience these symptoms at a far less tollerable rate then i.

[Valerie226]

It's a different road for everyone. my symptoms (47)were completely debilitating... insomnia, hot flashes, cold sweats , heart palpitations, beyond anything I had imagined. I had close friends who didn't notice anything! my sxs were beyond inconvenience or taking off a sweater. I crawled to the doctor and begged for prempro. I tapered the dose after a couple years. at 61 I'm still on a miniscule dose. I've tried to stop entirely but insomnia returns.

I tried nutritional supplements. soy, estroven, primrose oil and a few others. none made the slightest dent in my symptoms.
HRT used to automatically be given whether they needed it or not. many women don't need it but if you're one that does, quality of life is important too. use it if you need it with the goal of getting onto reduced dosage or off when your symptoms allow.

[blazedog]

I agree that menopause is a continuum in terms of symptoms.

What I was responding to (and what is my sense of some other respondents) is that one should automatically assume that menopause is a "disease" with "serious symptoms" that need to be medically dealt with.

I think going in with an attitude that one will get through it without drugs provides a better mindset because then one can experience the symptom (or not experience it) and try to find the least "invasive" way of dealing with the symptoms.

I think there are of course women who seem to have debilitating symptoms but I do believe that most women have milder experiences -- annoying but able to be gotten through with a shrug, minor adjustments in environment and perhaps trying some non-invasive stuff.

[Kathy B]

So I guess no one has tried any of them.

That's OK, I'll just keep my eyes and ears open for info. I still have a few years (I think!). Thanks for your thoughts on the subject. All warnings duly noted.

[JulieM]

Kathy, I have heard of several of those products but haven't taken any of them. I can tell you that the current wisdom from the medical community seems to be that it's safe to take low doses of estradiol (orally or in a patch) and progesterone in the form of prometrium which is oral for about 5 years to help you through menopause. They seem to think that it takes about 5 years for menopausal symptoms to subside. That said, they will also say not to take HRT unless you need it.

The decision is a very personal one and all the information out there can be extremely confusing. A lot of people swear by progesterone cream applied to the inner thigh, etc. instead of prometrium.

I've researched it rather extensively and am currently taking estradiol and prometrium, mainly because I was having trouble with vaginal atrophy. (That sounds really awful, doesn't it? It's not fun either, and not a lubrication issue so much as a non-elasticity problem.) Anyway, they have a number of vaginal suppository estrogen creams that do an excellent job, but if you still have your uterus, you may be increasing your risk of uterine cancer if you don't also take progesterone of some kind to balance it. They say the vaginal cream is not systemic but that didn't make sense to me. If it's being absorbed in the tissue then it seems to me at least some of it is being absorbed into the blood stream.

Not everyone has problems like vaginal atrophy (though it's pretty common), and in my case, I had both ovaries removed so I didn't have the benefit of the small amount of hormones my ovaries would continue to produce after menopause.

It's very wise for you to try to learn about this now because the volume of confusing and conflicting information is daunting. Then you will know what to look for and be prepared to deal with it if it becomes a problem. Just remember this as you read and learn... menopause is not a disease but a natural process. It is not the beginning of the end. The books and literature are scary and depressing. So remind yourself of all the beautiful, healthy, vibrant woman you see every day that are well past menopause. Every woman's experience is different. And you may be one of many that have few symptoms and pass through the change with little trouble.

[Gumbeaux]

Mrs. Gumbeaux is a member of this site which has some information on Amberen and this information on natural hormones.

[LakeMartinGal]

I did actually try Estroven, but my doc scolded me, because it's not (or wasn't then) a standardized dose, and contained phytoestrogens which, for me, were contraindicated. The same thing went for Remifemin...

[blazedog]

Originally Posted by LakeMartinGal

I did actually try Estroven, but my doc scolded me, because it's not (or wasn't then) a standardized dose, and contained phytoestrogens which, for me, were contraindicated. The same thing went for Remifemin...

I think a lot of people get into trouble because they make the same assumption about OTC drugs or "supplements.

Many of them have harmful "active" ingredients or ingredients that are harmful to people with certain conditions.

I think some OTC or "natural" remedies give people a false sense of security -- i.e. well they can't hurt because otherwise they wouldn't be sold without a prescription.

[Kathy B]

Thank you for the links and additional input...very helpful!

Originally Posted by JulieM

Every woman's experience is different. And you may be one of many that have few symptoms and pass through the change with little trouble.

We can only hope! Thanks Julie!