Ladies who take estrogen...

[StaceyinLA]

What changes do you see in yourself with the estrogen? I have been fighting it since finding out I've finished menopause, but my mood is just awful, and I am thinking maybe estrogen would help. I've been getting testosterone shots to help with other "issues," but it doesn't help my mood (and if the lip waxing has to become a regular thing, I may have to stop that testosterone). ;-p

 

Anyway, any and all suggestions are appreciated. I have always thought I would fight the hormones because of cancer risk, but I don't think I can live like this (and I think my family would disown me if I chose to).

[marbel]

I am just listening in, hoping you get some responses.  I have been post-menopausal for almost 15 years now (early menopause) and never had any problems at first but they are creeping up on me now.  I was avoiding estrogen due to heart concerns (my mother died of congestive heart failure) but discussed it at a recent doctor visit and she thought given my own health, it would be safe.  I was thinking about estrogen cream but it is $$$! 

[SoCalLynn]

(I'm about to get descriptive, sorry in advance if it bothers anyone.)

 

I take estradiol in the form of a vaginal tablet. I had a hysterectomy 12 years ago. For the first few years I didn't need anything, but after a while I noticed vaginal dryness and pain during intimacy, so I went to the doctor and was prescribed Vagifem. It works great! It is a very low dosage twice a week, and since it is concentrated to the specific area, very little of the hormone is absorbed into the body's other organs. I actually stopped using it for almost 2 years, just to get off the hormones, but went back to using it again about 6 months ago and notice a big difference in my body. When I first started taking it the dosage was 25mcg per tablet, but some governing agency (NIH or FDA, maybe?) decided 10 mcg works just as well and lowers any risks of the possibility of cancer, and I find it does work just as well.

 

Anyway, that's what I've been using.

[Liz CA]

Main goal should be to balance progesterone and estrogen along with testosterone and cortisol. I cannot say I see anything tangible but supposedly it keeps my bones denser, quite possible elevates mood a little, keeps cardiovascular system "younger", cholesterol and triglycerides in check and skin more supple.

 

Here are some pointers:  http://www.bodylogicmd.com/bioidentical-hormone-therapy-for-women

[Moxie]

This is a bit OT so ignore me if you want.

 

Menopause is a very natural part of life.  Has it always been so difficult to manage?  I can't help but wonder if we're doing *something* that is making things worse??  Hormones in our food and water supply?  Longer life expectancy?  Higher quality of life expectations (not that that is a bad thing!!)??

 

[Liz CA]

This is a bit OT so ignore me if you want.

 

Menopause is a very natural part of life.  Has it always been so difficult to manage?  I can't help but wonder if we're doing *something* that is making things worse??  Hormones in our food and water supply?  Longer life expectancy?  Higher quality of life expectations (not that that is a bad thing!!)??

 

Depends on every woman. I have been very fortunate and don't have a slew of unpleasant symptoms, neither did I before my very small doses of prog. which are administered for other reasons.

An older woman once said to me that she would have dropped everything and gotten in line for HRT if it had been available in her day because some days she thought she was going out of her mind.

When you are in that position, you are probably happy to have options.

[G5052]

I went to a talk given by two middle-aged gyn's that really helped me.

 

They said that they believe that women have always suffered at some level, but that people didn't talk about it for many, many years.  Some of the suffering is increased by modern life, but some is not.  Diet and exercise adjustments work for some, but in their opinion, suffering a lot has to balanced against mental health, relationship issues, and sleep deprivation.  

 

If you're suffering a little and have exhausted every possible natural approach including progesterone, they would discourage estrogen.  

 

But if your life and health are falling apart, they might try a little estrogen after trying everything else, and external only at first.  They also believe in backing off periodically to see if you can do with less or none at all.  In other words, they don't discount estrogen, but are very careful with it.

 

I found that adding a little soy (1 c. organic soy milk), additional black cohosh, and red clover in addition to two weeks a month of progesterone cream made me comfortable again.

 

They also said that it isn't something that remains the same year-to-year.  Sometimes you have to adjust things.

[idnib]

I've replaced progesterone/estrogen but not because of menopause. I found replacing it made me calmer and for me, most importantly, I slept much better. Before the replacement it used to take me 45-60 minutes to fall asleep once I was in bed and I was a light sleeper, waking 2-3 times/night for no reason. A few days after replacement began I found I was falling asleep within a few minutes of lying down and not waking during the night. This was a huge improvement because it gave me more energy and a better mood. I asked my doctor if it was a result of estrogen or progesterone and she said it was a common effect of estrogen.

[SoCalLynn]

This is a bit OT so ignore me if you want.

 

Menopause is a very natural part of life.  Has it always been so difficult to manage?  I can't help but wonder if we're doing *something* that is making things worse??  Hormones in our food and water supply?  Longer life expectancy?  Higher quality of life expectations (not that that is a bad thing!!)??

 

You're correct in that it is a natural part of life. It will happen to all of us. But, indigestion happens. Headaches happen. Toothaches happen. We have medication and treatment for all of those things. Does that mean just because menopause is "natural" we don't find a way to alleviate the suffering and interference with our quality of life?

 

I believe it has always been difficult to manage, from the dawn of man. It's just that in those days women didn't live as long so there were fewer women who made it to that "time" of life, and it was considered a taboo subject until just recently. So many women suffered in silence and thought they were going crazy or had a life threatening illness. Thankfully we have modern medicine, and yes also ancient herbal treatments, too, that can help us through this season of a woman's life.

[DesertBlossom]

This is a bit OT so ignore me if you want.

 

Menopause is a very natural part of life.  Has it always been so difficult to manage?  I can't help but wonder if we're doing *something* that is making things worse??  Hormones in our food and water supply?  Longer life expectancy?  Higher quality of life expectations (not that that is a bad thing!!)??

 

I'm in my mid-thirties, but this is something I think about a lot.  My mother just died of breast cancer and I'm convinced it was because of years of estrogen therapy. I won't take any form of hormonal birth control either. I hope that there's some natural way to get through menopause because the alternative scares me.

[DesertBlossom]

You're correct in that it is a natural part of life. It will happen to all of us. But, indigestion happens. Headaches happen. Toothaches happen. We have medication and treatment for all of those things. Does that mean just because menopause is "natural" we don't find a way to alleviate the suffering and interference with our quality of life?

 

I believe it has always been difficult to manage, from the dawn of man. It's just that in those days women didn't live as long so there were fewer women who made it to that "time" of life, and it was considered a taboo subject until just recently. So many women suffered in silence and thought they were going crazy or had a life threatening illness. Thankfully we have modern medicine, and yes also ancient herbal treatments, too, that can help us through this season of a woman's life.

 

But a lot of those ailments have "natural" remedies too, we're just quick to jump to medications to fix them instead.  

[Kate in Arabia]

My mother had a hysterectomy in her 50's and was on estrogen for a couple of decades (she is now in her mid 70s).  I think she attributes the estrogen to her excellent bone health and good mobility.  She is also, however, dedicated to her exercise routine (swimming, walking, hiking) which I am sure also contributes.  She has been easily able to continue her extensive traveling and road trips.

 

However, three years ago she was diagnosed with breast cancer.  Her dr does not believe the estrogen caused her cancer, but it definitely fed it.  She was taken off the estrogen, I think she feels weaker, to me she looks weaker.

 

I remember maybe ten years into her experience with estrogen the news came out about the side effects of estrogen and her dr was refusing to let her continue on it; she actually switched doctors over that issue. 

 

That has been her experience.  I will be visiting her in a few weeks, I would like to ask her (as I begin approach this time in my own life) whether she felt taking the estrogen was worth what she went through (and is still going through, although the cancer is hopefully gone she is still on meds) with the breast cancer.

 

 

[Liz CA]

I'm in my mid-thirties, but this is something I think about a lot.  My mother just died of breast cancer and I'm convinced it was because of years of estrogen therapy. I won't take any form of hormonal birth control either. I hope that there's some natural way to get through menopause because the alternative scares me.

 

Yes, there are many herbal alternatives. And by the time this issue comes up for you, there will probably be new insights.

[Liz CA]

My mother had a hysterectomy in her 50's and was on estrogen for a couple of decades (she is now in her mid 70s).  I think she attributes the estrogen to her excellent bone health and good mobility.  She is also, however, dedicated to her exercise routine (swimming, walking, hiking) which I am sure also contributes.  She has been easily able to continue her extensive traveling and road trips.

 

However, three years ago she was diagnosed with breast cancer.  Her dr does not believe the estrogen caused her cancer, but it definitely fed it.  She was taken off the estrogen, I think she feels weaker, to me she looks weaker.

 

I remember maybe ten years into her experience with estrogen the news came out about the side effects of estrogen and her dr was refusing to let her continue on it; she actually switched doctors over that issue. 

 

That has been her experience.  I will be visiting her in a few weeks, I would like to ask her (as I begin approach this time in my own life) whether she felt taking the estrogen was worth what she went through (and is still going through, although the cancer is hopefully gone she is still on meds) with the breast cancer.

 

It would be interesting to know if she took bio-identical estrogen, the synthetic version, the full estrogen package or just components like estradiol, estriol or estrone?

 

[Moxie]

You're correct in that it is a natural part of life. It will happen to all of us. But, indigestion happens. Headaches happen. Toothaches happen. We have medication and treatment for all of those things. Does that mean just because menopause is "natural" we don't find a way to alleviate the suffering and interference with our quality of life?

 

I believe it has always been difficult to manage, from the dawn of man. It's just that in those days women didn't live as long so there were fewer women who made it to that "time" of life, and it was considered a taboo subject until just recently. So many women suffered in silence and thought they were going crazy or had a life threatening illness. Thankfully we have modern medicine, and yes also ancient herbal treatments, too, that can help us through this season of a woman's life.

 

But a headache or indigestion means something is wrong with your body.  I still think that these extreme menopausal symptoms aren't right.

 

And, I do agree that we're talking about it more now.  Literature is full of crazy old ladies living in the attic.  Maybe they were having a rough time with menopause and didn't understand it??

 

 

 

 

[Moxie]

Yes, there are many herbal alternatives. And by the time this issue comes up for you, there will probably be new insights.

 

I'm also hoping there is an alternative to the colonoscopy before I have to have one.  Come on science!!

 

[Kate in Arabia]

It would be interesting to know if she took bio-identical estrogen, the synthetic version, the full estrogen package or just components like estradiol, estriol or estrone?

 

 

She was taking Premarin, I don't know much beyond that...

[LizzyBee]

My FSH was 37 the last time it was tested, and my doctor doesn't like to start HRT until it gets up to 50. So I'm taking an estrogen based birth control pill instead of HRT. It has made a world of difference. I was having debilitating symptoms in 2012. Besides being an emotional wreck, I had brain fog, and some days I could barely get out of bed. One day I was up for two hours, started a load of laundry and homeschooled a little bit, and went back to bed crying with exhaustion for the amount of effort it took to do that little bit of work. I work outside the home, and I was sure I was going to end up on disability.  I saw five different doctors during that time, got tested for anything and everything, and my oncologist is the one who told me he thought it was hormones. I didn't really think it was until I went 90 days without a period, and as soon as it started I could feel the fog starting to lift and I was feeling better with each passing day. My oncologist discussed the risk/benefit with me. He said the risk is relatively small, i.e. it took 30 years and a large pool of women to discover the risk; I've had a DNA study and don't have the BC gene; my closest relatives with BC were a great aunt and a cousin; and I'm not a smoker. Because I don't have any of the major risk factors and the severity of my symptoms, I'm comfortable with the decision to use bcp, and later on I'll switch to HRT.

 

It may be that the reason my symptoms were so bad, and early in the process at that, is because I have chronic leukemia. Everything hits me harder now than it did pre-leukemia.

[Guest]

I always figured I'd breeze through it, looked forward to being just like Ruth Gordon in Harold and Maude, and rehearsed all the inspiring things I would say to encourage younger women to embrace the change and skip the HRT while wearing purple..

I could make you hate me with a laundry list of all the "girly" things I've done well but they are currently too controversial for me to want to go into more detail than four homebirths no formula no hormonal birth control and med-free conception at 42.

 

Please don't be blindsided like the woman who spent her entire life savings on medical tests because she thought she was dying until she had no choice to believe her doctors and start HRT. 

 

It's a better option than having your kids taken away from you when your husband divorces you and winding up on the streets or in an insane asylum.

 

I still like granola more than epidurals, but I'm very interested in EVERYBODY'S story and no way am I lying to the twentysomethings and thirtysomethings about this.

[Guest]

  Literature is full of crazy old ladies living in the attic.  Maybe they were having a rough time with menopause and didn't understand it??

 

Exactly! Our society routinely dismisses older women as silly and unimportant.

 

OP, thank you for having the courage to start this "hen party" and encourage these "old bags" to "waste time sitting on their fat butts gossiping when they're supposed to be picking up their husband's dry cleaning and scrubbing the waxy yellow buildup off the undersides of their kitchen cabinets".

 

I'm on Power Surge too, just not as chatty as I am here. I'm not on estrogen, so please forgive me for my grief and rage.

[Guest]

I'm in my mid-thirties, but this is something I think about a lot.  My mother just died of breast cancer and I'm convinced it was because of years of estrogen therapy. I won't take any form of hormonal birth control either. I hope that there's some natural way to get through menopause because the alternative scares me.

 

There is this:

 

http://tokesignals.com/cannabis-calming-the-crazy-bitch/

 

if it is legal in your state and if you can get past all the emotional baggage and stereotypes that some of us who grew up in the '70s simply can't.

 

It's a process that takes many years. I began noticing symptoms in my early 40s when I was still able to conceive and seven years later I still have irregular periods. I think you are already ahead of the game just by being aware of it and not running your body into the ground for what turns out to be trivial reasons.

 

I have heard that it takes awhile for your hormones to settle down after your periods stop. I've had mine stop for months at a time and restart so many times that I don't even keep track any more since the point is feeling better, not throwing away the diva cup. ;)

 

I sure wish I'd started talking to real people about this embarrassing word I can't even bring myself to type when I was in my mid-thirties! Go, you!

[G5052]

I'm also hoping there is an alternative to the colonoscopy before I have to have one.  Come on science!!

 

 

I'd take a colonoscopy over pre-menopause and menopause.  One very unpleasant day of your life, and you're done for 5-10 years.  Mixed-up hormones are every day  :laugh: .

[Alicia64]

This is a bit OT so ignore me if you want.

 

Menopause is a very natural part of life.  Has it always been so difficult to manage?  I can't help but wonder if we're doing *something* that is making things worse??  Hormones in our food and water supply?  Longer life expectancy?  Higher quality of life expectations (not that that is a bad thing!!)??

 

I think it's very possible that our great grandmothers and grandmothers just had a different expectation of quality of life. My great grandmother -- who was alive the first 12 yrs. of my life -- had a rough life. I doubt that menopause bothered her.

 

After 11 pregnancies she was probably just glad that was over. (I'm not projecting. My grandma helped her attempt to get birth control because she was still having babies into her mid-40's.)

 

Alley

 

[Guest]

One more question and then I promise I'll shut up or take it over to P-S or private message:

 

Is the biggest issue with estrogen breast cancer? Have any of you had any luck explaining the connection between formula feeding and breast cancer to doctors? I have well over seven years of breastfeeding experience under my belt and my relatives who had breast cancer all weaned before a year if they nursed their kids at all.

 

Okay I lied. I have two more questions.

I took OTC progesterone when I was TTCing ds in early perimeno and I had to stop because the morning sickness and other early pregnancy symptoms were so much worse than an actual pregnancy that they were affecting my ability to do my job. My then-eighteen year old made me promise not to use it for the cycle where ds was actually conceived because she said it made my a hormonal wreck.

This completely conflicts with the stories I'm reading here. Can anyone give me a scientific explanation or even just a pat on the head and a promise to talk to me if I try it again?

 

Has anyone seen any positive effect from just lightening up on avoiding soy? I can't afford to eat all the tofu I want, but this might be a good time in life to learn how to make my own.

TIA

 

Actually I lied again. Soy isolflavinoids were called "poor man's clomid" on the TTC boards and I've seen people talk about using them for the embarassing word I can't bring myself to type too. Any experiences? Are they easy to stop taking or do you need to wean yourself off the same way you do prescription estrogen?

 

And I lied again.

 

Please forgive me for being judgemental or brushing you off with an "I don't do pharmies". I get it now.

[Kate in Arabia]

Is the biggest issue with estrogen breast cancer? Have any of you had any luck explaining the connection between formula feeding and breast cancer to doctors? I have well over seven years of breastfeeding experience under my belt and my relatives who had breast cancer all weaned before a year if they nursed their kids at all.

 

Wow, this is the first I've heard of this possible connection, I'd be interested to read further about it.  FWIW, my mother did not breastfeed my brother and I.  Actually, she tried briefly with my brother but disliked it so strongly she stopped; with me, she had them give her some kind of meds in the hospital to prevent lactation, IIRC. 

 

[Guest]

Wow, this is the first I've heard of this possible connection, I'd be interested to read further about it.  FWIW, my mother did not breastfeed my brother and I.  Actually, she tried briefly with my brother but disliked it so strongly she stopped; with me, she had them give her some kind of meds in the hospital to prevent lactation, IIRC. 

 

 

 

This is what I read:

 

http://www.parenthood360.com/index.php/when-to-stop-breast-feeding-your-child-2-31030/

 

 

 

 

[Laura Corin]

My mother had a hysterectomy in her 50's and was on estrogen for a couple of decades (she is now in her mid 70s).  I think she attributes the estrogen to her excellent bone health and good mobility.  She is also, however, dedicated to her exercise routine (swimming, walking, hiking) which I am sure also contributes.  She has been easily able to continue her extensive traveling and road trips.

 

However, three years ago she was diagnosed with breast cancer.  Her dr does not believe the estrogen caused her cancer, but it definitely fed it.  She was taken off the estrogen, I think she feels weaker, to me she looks weaker.

 

I remember maybe ten years into her experience with estrogen the news came out about the side effects of estrogen and her dr was refusing to let her continue on it; she actually switched doctors over that issue. 

 

That has been her experience.  I will be visiting her in a few weeks, I would like to ask her (as I begin approach this time in my own life) whether she felt taking the estrogen was worth what she went through (and is still going through, although the cancer is hopefully gone she is still on meds) with the breast cancer.

 

I'm sorry about your mother.  It's a difficult decision.  My mother was on HRT for decades.  Until very recently, she moved like a middle-aged woman.  She was riding a motorbike and climbing onto her roof to clean out gutters until she was 86.  Only in the last couple of years has she become frail - she is 90 this year.

 

She has luckily had no major health problems, and has had decades of strong bones, good muscle mass and great flexibility.  I'm currently on Vagifem.  I don't know whether I will go on oral meds in the future.

 

L

[Laura Corin]

FWIW, I found this page helpful in considering the risks.

 

L

[DesertBlossom]

One more question and then I promise I'll shut up or take it over to P-S or private message:

 

Is the biggest issue with estrogen breast cancer? Have any of you had any luck explaining the connection between formula feeding and breast cancer to doctors? I have well over seven years of breastfeeding experience under my belt and my relatives who had breast cancer all weaned before a year if they nursed their kids at all.

 

Okay I lied. I have two more questions.

I took OTC progesterone when I was TTCing ds in early perimeno and I had to stop because the morning sickness and other early pregnancy symptoms were so much worse than an actual pregnancy that they were affecting my ability to do my job. My then-eighteen year old made me promise not to use it for the cycle where ds was actually conceived because she said it made my a hormonal wreck.

 

This completely conflicts with the stories I'm reading here. Can anyone give me a scientific explanation or even just a pat on the head and a promise to talk to me if I try it again?

 

Has anyone seen any positive effect from just lightening up on avoiding soy? I can't afford to eat all the tofu I want, but this might be a good time in life to learn how to make my own.

 

TIA

 

Actually I lied again. Soy isolflavinoids were called "poor man's clomid" on the TTC boards and I've seen people talk about using them for the embarassing word I can't bring myself to type too. Any experiences? Are they easy to stop taking or do you need to wean yourself off the same way you do prescription estrogen?

 

And I lied again.

 

Please forgive me for being judgemental or brushing you off with an "I don't do pharmies". I get it now.

 

 

Wow, this is the first I've heard of this possible connection, I'd be interested to read further about it.  FWIW, my mother did not breastfeed my brother and I.  Actually, she tried briefly with my brother but disliked it so strongly she stopped; with me, she had them give her some kind of meds in the hospital to prevent lactation, IIRC. 

 

 

 

My mom had 7 kids and breastfed all of us. I don't know what her total breastfeeding time was, but until her diagnosis I always hoped it was true about breastfeeding reducing the risk of cancer. (I've nursed for a total of 5 1/2 years so far)  My mom mentioned that her mother suggested to her that she take estrogen when she started menopause. I have no idea what kind. However, she said that at one doctor's appointment she discovered she should have stopped taking it years before.  I have no idea how long she was on it though. (I do know the longer you take it, the higher your chances of BC)  My mother's cancer was an aggressive type, although she was having no symptoms when she was diagnosed. Both times she stopped chemo, her cancer came back even more aggressively than it had been before. Because of that I'm also very jaded about chemotherapy because I'm pretty certain it just killed my mother faster than if she hadn't done anything at all.  So currently I'm not convinced I'll ever get a mammogram either.  But my mother died 6 months ago, so the feelings are still very raw.

[Princess Ariel]

This is a bit OT so ignore me if you want.

 

Menopause is a very natural part of life.  Has it always been so difficult to manage?  I can't help but wonder if we're doing *something* that is making things worse??  Hormones in our food and water supply?  Longer life expectancy?  Higher quality of life expectations (not that that is a bad thing!!)??

nt

[Guest]

I can't remember where I read it, maybe in Passages  by Gail Sheehy.  I remember reading that some women were sent to mental hospitals back in the day.  They were thought to be losing their minds. It just was not talked about!  If I find the source I will come back later.

 

Perimenopause was pure torture for me.  I had no idea this was what it would be  like.  I take both progesterone and estradiol (spelling?) in bioidentical forms.  Tried to cut back last year but found I still needed it and so the CNP who handles that for me at a menopause focused center has  kept me  on it. That and nutritional changes were a life saver for me.

 

I'm pretty sure that's what happened to my grandmother. She was treated with electroshock therapy and was there for at least a few years. Her son was told it was a "nervous breakdown" but there were things about the story that didn't make any sense to him until we talked about it last night.

 

Yay, modern medicine; estradiol sure sounds like an improvement to me and I  birthed on cloth chux and breastfed preschoolers and see my herbalist and naturopath more often than my MD. ;)

 

My own mother said she went med free, that she talked about it with her sister, and that she thought someone should write a book about it. She was also one of those '70s vegetarians who worried about getting "enough" protein so she probably ate a ton of soy and yes, she is a breast cancer survivor and has had enough other cancers to convince me that the doctor is a better source of estrogen supplements than the grocery store.

 

So to get back to the OP's question....what happened? Are you yourself again or a flakier version of yourself or a more tolerable version of the raging babbling hysterical hag from hades I was when I flooded the board and this thread yesterday?

[Liz CA]

She was taking Premarin, I don't know much beyond that...

 

As far as I know this is a synthetic version derived from the estrogen rich content of a pregnant mare's urine. It's been around for a long time and many women are / were on it. Our aunt, who died at 87, was on it for almost forty years without any issues with breast cancer. It's difficult to predict how someone will react to it. Every individual body is different to some degree. Too many variables.

[Laura Corin]

As far as I know this is a synthetic version derived from the estrogen rich content of a pregnant mare's urine. It's been around for a long time and many women are / were on it. Our aunt, who died at 87, was on it for almost forty years without any issues with breast cancer. It's difficult to predict how someone will react to it. Every individual body is different to some degree. Too many variables.

 

Yes - my mother was on Premarin for decades with no ill-effects.  It's impossible to know.

 

L

[kiwik]

I have the BRACA mutation and am looking at get my ovaries removed. The specialists say it is possible to use hormones without increasing the risk of breast cancer provided it is done selectively and carefully to ensure you are getting the minimum you need.

 

I am just not quite ready to do it yet but I must soon as my children are too young to lose me to cervical or breast cancer.

[Penguin]

I was diagnosed with breast cancer at age 41. I am 50 now, and the chemo forced me into early menopause at age 41. There is no way that I would take estrogen, but I do worry about my bone density.

 

I feel compelled to mention that many people said stupid things to me after my diagnosis, but one of the worst was " Did you breastfeed your kids?"

[Penguin]

Dp

[readinmom]

She was taking Premarin, I don't know much beyond that...

 

My mom also developed breast cancer after taken Premarin.  It's because of this that my doctor refuses to give me any type of hormones for my symptoms. 

 

I haven't hid myself away in the attic, but there are times when I definitely could use a little something to get me through. 

[Guest]

I'm getting scared reading people talk about whether or not they are helped by such TINY portions of Silk brand overpriced and absurdly wastefully packaged prefabricated convenience factory manufactured ready-to-pour soy beverage---not so much that I've already doomed myself to breast cancer and congestive heart failure by brushing off the initial warnings about limiting soy as yet more anti-vegetarian poopycocky for as long as I did and then choosing to take the middle of the road route instead of giving up my favourite goodies altogether as I am that you animal milk lovers might feel so much worse than I do and I don't even know it. :(

I very much admire a local activist who makes Ruth Gordon in Harold and Maude look like a whiny nursing home patient. She used to laugh it off as "because there's no such thing as mad tofu disease". I bet that (expletive denoting female dog deleted) is high as a kite off the stuff. I hate her.

 

Penguin, I would never, ever intentionally do that to you but I guess I kind of did by not remembering that this is a very large public site on the internet and people who read it have had all sorts of different life experiences. I apologize and I changed my post.

[Starr]

I felt so much better. I took it for a couple of years and it got me through the worst of it.

[Penguin]

Iron Ethel Flint: No problem. I did not feel personally offended anyway. It is just that breast cancer risk factors are complex, and questions about my personal history (breastfeeding is just one example) never seemed like anything but a hope that I had a risk factor that the questioner did not have.

 

If I had been older, someone who did not use estrogen would have probably said " Did you take HRT?" hoping that my answer would be yes.

 

I certainly think that women should be proactive and lower disease risk factors if they can do so.

[PrincessMommy]

Been up since 3 am so this thread is timely.

[rjand6more]

My mom was on HRT since a hysterectomy following cervical cancer right after I was born.  She took HRT for 28 years and she stopped right after some research linked it with tumor growing rates.  The damage was already done though. She had lung cancer(quit smoking 25 years before).  The oncologist at Vanderbilt  said likely some cells from her cervical cancer had found their way into her lung and once they were there, they grew rapidly(too fast to be detected-probably just a matter of months).  He attributed the rapid growth that followed to the HRT.  He told me never to take it.

 

Apparently small masses grown very very quickly with HRT.

[Guest]

Stacey, are you getting the answers you need and okay with the way this thread is wandering around? You touched a nerve here and a lot of us needed a safe place to share experiences. Thank you.

[Alicia64]

I was diagnosed with breast cancer at age 41. I am 50 now, and the chemo forced me into early menopause at age 41. There is no way that I would take estrogen, but I do worry about my bone density.

 

I feel compelled to mention that many people said stupid things to me after my diagnosis, but one of the worst was " Did you breastfeed your kids?"

 

For crying out loud. . . people never cease to amaze me.

[Alicia64]

I don't entirely get the tie between soy (tofu?) and cancer. Don't tons of people in China and Japan eat lots of soy? Wouldn't their cancer numbers be higher?

 

I'm vegetarian. I don't eat as much tofu as I'd like because it's a pain to prepare. And I drink almond milk instead of soy milk.

 

Alley

[StaceyinLA]

I am sorry for not responding sooner. I appreciate all the responses, and am glad everyone has been able to vent frustrations if needed. My dh and I were gone for a few days, so I'm just getting back to reading this now.

 

I feel like I'm going insane. After bloodwork, my doc gave me the premarin (vaginal cream) to help with dryness and pain. I used it for a short time, but was having something similar to a yeast infection, had to stop it to treat that. I had never had one in my life, and it was frustrating to me; turns out it can be a side effect of the premarin (not yeast per se, but vaginosis or something along those lines).

 

Anyway, I am no longer using it, but I recently got a second testosterone shot to help me in the desire area (well, to help my husband because frankly I couldn't care less if I ever have sex again), and I really thought I would lose my mind.

 

SO, long story short, I wonder if a regular estrogen dose or patch would solve more issues than the cream. Would it help at all with my desire for sex? Would it help with the pain during? Would it help my mood? My anxiety? My RAGE?

 

I just need help. I don't know what to do; what natural options I have, if any, or what the risks really are with the estrogen. I am looking at some of the links posted here, and I really appreciate them.

[SwallowTail]

I didn't even know they could give testosterone shots to women for that.  Does it help?

 

I am not enjoying the perimenopausal road.  I need to find a good doctor who can help me navigate all of this.

[Alicia64]

Ok you have hit one of my pet peeves...  I HATE all of those commercials that show the food fighting back and all you have to do to help your indigestion is just take that pill then you can go back to eating the food that is so incredibly bad for you.  YOUR BODY IS TELLING YOU SOMETHING!  YOU SHOULDN"T BE EATING THAT STUFF.  But taking a pill is so much easier...

 

Rant over.

 

 

It's not always about a pill or "what your body is telling you."  I had an epidural with my twins. (Some don't and that's okay too.) I use numbing agents before having dental work. I have out of the normal reactions to mosquito bites and I have a fantastic anti-itch cream -- and, yes, I use bug spray and stay in at dusk (but I can't always).

 

I put on sunblock before going into the sun. I will be getting my boys special soap to deal w/ their pimples (acne hurts).

 

I could go on and on. I think we're mixing apples and oranges in this discussion.

[Doodlebug]

I am sorry for not responding sooner. I appreciate all the responses, and am glad everyone has been able to vent frustrations if needed. My dh and I were gone for a few days, so I'm just getting back to reading this now.

 

I feel like I'm going insane. After bloodwork, my doc gave me the premarin (vaginal cream) to help with dryness and pain. I used it for a short time, but was having something similar to a yeast infection, had to stop it to treat that. I had never had one in my life, and it was frustrating to me; turns out it can be a side effect of the premarin (not yeast per se, but vaginosis or something along those lines).

 

Anyway, I am no longer using it, but I recently got a second testosterone shot to help me in the desire area (well, to help my husband because frankly I couldn't care less if I ever have sex again), and I really thought I would lose my mind.

 

SO, long story short, I wonder if a regular estrogen dose or patch would solve more issues than the cream. Would it help at all with my desire for sex? Would it help with the pain during? Would it help my mood? My anxiety? My RAGE?

 

I just need help. I don't know what to do; what natural options I have, if any, or what the risks really are with the estrogen. I am looking at some of the links posted here, and I really appreciate them.

 

My issues off of estradiol and progesterone are: rage, general irritability, fatigue, anxiety with heart palpitations, insomnia, and of course the issues with physical intimacy.

 

Because I was very young when all this began with no concerning medical history, hormone replacement was, and remains to be, the best thing (I'm in my thirties).  When I was placed on bioidentical estradiol and progesterone, I was my old self again.  It was wonderful and startling all at once.  So yes, it was as simple as hormone replacement for me.

 

I participated in an HRT study at NIH for early meno-ers at the same time the Womens Health Initiative study linked estrogen to breast cancer.  My physician at NIH's take was that extending exposure to estrogen past the age of menopause isn't a good idea.  But that age isn't a hard and fast number... the average age is 52 if I remember correctly.  He suggested that I consider tapering my estrogen and progesterone around age 50.  By age 55, I hope to be off completely.    

 

My goal is to live comfortably for as long as it's safe for me to do so.  Age and medical history (cancer/stroke) are the biggies in determining if and how long you should consider hormone replacement.

 

 

[Guest]

Stacey, thank you so much for posting and I started a spinoff thread to keep this one from being zombified at the worst possible time for you.

 

I bumbled across this forum:

 

http://menopausesupport.proboards.com/

 

which is moderated by this blogger:

 

http://menopausemillitancy.blogspot.com/

 

who is pro-HRT and perhaps too extreme for some of you, but I am taking a great deal of comfort in her sense of humour and getting a better idea of what estradiol can do and how much worse things are for some ladies than they are for me.

Hugs all around. I just don't GET how something like this happens to all of us and yet we have this conspiracy of silence about it. How can this even BE in the 21st century?