She-Groks Only.......... cuz it works different for us page 172

[PHaselow]

I had a hysterectomy 6 years ago (they took everything out). I stopped my HRT about 2 months ago. Wondering if anyone else has done this and what the results were. I don't want to take it unless I have to but I also don't want my body to go anzy more downhill than it is. I have noticed some hot flashes but not so bad I can't handle him. My hair is really shedding though and I am wondering if that is a side effect.

Ideas? Comments? Help?

Not meant to scare you, but my mother-in-law thinks she developed ovarian cancer because of the HRT. No proof, of course. She says her doctors agreed with her, but she used so many alternative medicine docs in addition to her traditional MD so I'm not sure who said what. I don't know what she used. She died 3 weeks ago.

I guess that is meant to scare you. How can it not?

How old are you? She was well past menopause when she took it (in her early 60s?). What do you mean by going downhill?

_Pam

[tomi]

HRT is not good - we are meant to stop making hormones - and not meant to force feed artificial ones into our cells. Good thing to you stopped taking them! As for the hair loss - have you had your thyroid checked lately? I was slightly hypo and my hair was falling out like crazy! No I'm just slightly hyper, after 6 months on Armour and my hair stopped falling out. I also have lots more energy and stamina!

[valmason01]

Not meant to scare you, but my mother-in-law thinks she developed ovarian cancer because of the HRT. No proof, of course. She says her doctors agreed with her, but she used so many alternative medicine docs in addition to her traditional MD so I'm not sure who said what. I don't know what she used. She died 3 weeks ago.

I guess that is meant to scare you. How can it not?

How old are you? She was well past menopause when she took it (in her early 60s?). What do you mean by going downhill?

_Pam

I am 46. The cancer risk is the main reason I quit taking it. BUt...I am 46. I am worried about my (at the moment non-existent) sex life, what changes my body may go thru that will make me 'old'. I never have thought of my self as vain but...I am still young and want to stay that way. Am I worrying for nothing? Tomi, I actually have lab orders to get my thyroid checked I just haven't been able to. I plan to do it next week.

[marcadav]

HRT is not good - we are meant to stop making hormones - and not meant to force feed artificial ones into our cells. Good thing to you stopped taking them! As for the hair loss - have you had your thyroid checked lately? I was slightly hypo and my hair was falling out like crazy! No I'm just slightly hyper, after 6 months on Armour and my hair stopped falling out. I also have lots more energy and stamina!

I see it differently. I have been on HRT for 10+ years and am still perimenopausal. It saved my life and maybe the lives of my children.

When I went on it I had undetectable levels of estradiol---even women in menopause have some level of estradiol. Even without a detectable level of estradiol I was having regular periods.

I wasn't sleeping, at all, many nights each week. I ached so badly I could hardly move, and I had developed osteopenia.

During this time I was raising three children alone, dealing with a very trying, difficult end of my 20 year marriage and the reasons for it. My children needed a functioning mother. I had so many things on my plate I needed to be able to deal with them.

I sleep better (not perfect) on HRT- still have issues the week before my period. My aches are gone and my bones are denser than women younger than me (almost 56).

HRT gets a bad rap. That bad rap, IMO, is based on studies done on women that took premarin and prempro Those hormones are made from pregnant mares urine and contain many more types of estrogen and progestin than a human produces. THEY were and are not good.

On the other hand, bio-identical estradiol and progesterone can help a woman get through debilitating perimenopausal/menopausal symptoms. IMO, each woman must make the decision to take, or not take, HRT from an educated position with the help and guidance of her doctor.

Labeling HRT as globally bad/unnecessary, IMO, is like telling every pregnant woman that using pain meds during labor is not good. Or that all women should/must/can breastfeed because we are meant to give birth unmedicated and breastfeeding is what we are made to do.

[tomi]

I didn't even think of the extreme cases such as you describe, Marcadav. In you're case HRT was medically necessary. I was thinking more on the lines of the natural progression of age and the normal changes a woman goes through. I think if you've been relatively healthy all your life and get through menopause without too many difficulties - then taking hormones that your body naturally quits making doesn't make any sense.

[valmason01]

Thanks for the other perspective marcadav. It is a good reminder and I am glad you were helped. I confess I do tend to see HRT as evil. I used to see meds as just part of life but I am finally figuring out there can be other ways to fix the problem. So my goal is to be off as many of the meds as possible. So far I have eliminated one BP med and the HRT. I don't wan to add it back unless I absolutely have too.

[Silvergirl]

I too am in the middle of Peri and full menopause. I had stopped altogether for 6 months but since starting this diet, I have started again and had full periods now for 5 months. All my menopausal symptoms pretty much went away from being very strong. Massive hot flashes, migraines, etc etc. Regular HRT is not something I could take because I have two sisters with breast cancer, but it is estrogen that is the main problem from what I gather. Progesterone in studies actually helps in a lot of ways. Also possibly Testosterone and DHEA. I have just had my saliva test sent off and will see what it comes back with. My naturopath really wants to make sure that my estrogen isn't high. But also wants to see that I can feel and be the best I can be. I am 54 now.

[PHaselow]

I too am in the middle of Peri and full menopause. I had stopped altogether for 6 months but since starting this diet, I have started again and had full periods now for 5 months. All my menopausal symptoms pretty much went away from being very strong. Massive hot flashes, migraines, etc etc. Regular HRT is not something I could take because I have two sisters with breast cancer, but it is estrogen that is the main problem from what I gather. Progesterone in studies actually helps in a lot of ways. Also possibly Testosterone and DHEA. I have just had my saliva test sent off and will see what it comes back with. My naturopath really wants to make sure that my estrogen isn't high. But also wants to see that I can feel and be the best I can be. I am 54 now.

I am only 47, but I've had the same experience as you since going Primal: periods are now every 28 days apart. For the entire year prior to PB (started July 2012) I had my period every 3 months. I never had the hot flashes, but I no longer get the crazy meltdown angry intense feelings the few days prior to my period! I love it. I was not ready for menopause.

My estrogen is normal but my progesterone is low. That still makes me estrogen dominant. I tried a bioidentical progesterone cream about 3 years ago and it was horrible; even at a 1/2 dose. I felt like I was in shock. I'm sure my already low BP tanked. I will not do it again unless I have a severe medical need.

[marcadav]

Thanks for the other perspective marcadav. It is a good reminder and I am glad you were helped. I confess I do tend to see HRT as evil. I used to see meds as just part of life but I am finally figuring out there can be other ways to fix the problem. So my goal is to be off as many of the meds as possible. So far I have eliminated one BP med and the HRT. I don't wan to add it back unless I absolutely have too.

My suggestion is to have your hormones tested. Read/learn about what might happen when hormones are too low. Monitor those things regularly and if things take a down turn (one thing to watch is bone density) then re-evaluate your stance.

I too, was and am anti-medication--was never on anything other than BC. Thyroid disease changed things for me as I had to take that hormone replacement.

Four years ago, under medicated for thyroid and suffering from bone on bone knee arthritis I was on slew of meds. sleep aids, pain meds, thyroid, HRT, muscle relaxers, etc. All but thyroid, HRT and an occassion muscle relaxer (I have spastic cerebral palsy) are now history.

[PHaselow]

I am 46. The cancer risk is the main reason I quit taking it. BUt...I am 46. I am worried about my (at the moment non-existent) sex life, what changes my body may go thru that will make me 'old'. I never have thought of my self as vain but...I am still young and want to stay that way. Am I worrying for nothing? Tomi, I actually have lab orders to get my thyroid checked I just haven't been able to. I plan to do it next week.

There are some parts about aging you cannot change without consequences. I have to stop comparing my aging process to others and take the best care of myself that I can 'naturally'. That means eating well, exercising and taking steps to reduce stress.

I would not take hormone replacements to avoid getting old. I think our age (mid to late 40s) is a tough one for many: still young enough to identify with the 20-30s and not wanting to identify with the 50s-60s but unable to really blend in well with either group. We are really 'tweenies!