Replens, used as directed - every 2-3 days - has been reported to work as well as estrogen vaginal products without the risks and possible side effects. Although the estrogen creams etc are billed as having little or no systemic effect, there has been very little research in this area. While I know of no study which finds a relationship between vaginal/vulvar cancer or cervical cancer and use of these creams, the fact that all steroidal and conjugated estrogens are known human carcinogens should give one pause before using these products in any form.

Vaginal atrophy is actually a rather rare problem. The usually temporary problem with dryness which may occur with menopause is NOT atrophy. It's simply dryness and can be "cured" with otc lubricants. Most fully post menopausal women find that normal lubrication returns once they *are* fully post menopausal. This may not be true for the surgically menopausal or those who have had extensive cervical surgery for dysplasia since such women lose the lubrication provided by the cervical glands. Such women may need to continue using some kind of lubricant for the rest of their lives.

The best way to prevent vaginal atrophy is regular sexual activity with a patient and understanding partner. This is very much a "use it or lose it" matter.

I believed I could outlast perimenopause, and tried to cope with hot flashes every 10 minutes with obvious resulting insomnia, frequent memory problems, and a 12 day period so heavy that I became severely anemic and required prescription iron supplements daily. After 4 years of coping, I decided that my quality of life needed improvement. I've been on Prempro for about a year and a half, and cannot imagine why I held out so long. I just turned 51.

The "natural" estrogen and progesterone creams did nothing to help me. Neither did the pills containg black cohosh, chasteberry, etc. Exercise and diet certainly helped with energy and fitness, but did absolutely nothing to diminsh those miserable hot flashes, etc.

Each woman must conduct research and talk to her MD, and must make her own decision regarding HRT. What works for me may not work for you.

I am 55 years old and I have been going through menopause for 2 years. I have not had a menstral period in over a year. I am a bit leery about taking any kind of estrogen drugs due to the many articles about the increase of cancer and the return of the bleeding. I have been taking soy tablets for the past year (Estroven) and they have eliminated the hot flashes, however I still get the heart palpitations at night which do hamper my sleeping. Does anyone else get these irregular heart palpitations? The doctor says it is due to a low level of estrogen and fairly common during menopause. Are there any "natural" supplements I can take to allieve these palputations? They are driving me crazy.

WOW!!!!!!!!! What a discussion!!!!!!I am going to try not to take my hrt. I honestly think it makes me feel worse!!!!! BUT if the hot flashes come back and I dont get enought sleep I dont know what I will do. Only time will tell. Thanks to you all for your insight..........Shelagh

I am older than most on this forum (62) and I went through menopause about 11 years ago. I didn't even go to a doctor when I went through it and I didn't have any idea what to expect. I was still very young when my mother went through it. Luckily, the worst things I had were insomnia, hot flashes, some memory problems and being always either too hot or too cold at night in bed. There were many nights of off with the covers (too hot), on with the covers (too cold.) It's a good thing that I live alone. I just never thought about going to a doctor. My mother(who was 42 when I was born) never went to a doctor. I was having some emotional problems with someone who had done me a great wrong at the same time and I thought that was why I had insomnia. The hot flashes were an annoyance and came sometimes at the rate of 4 or 5 an hour. They eventually went away as did all of the other symptoms. When I finally did go to a doctor about a thyroid problem a few years later, I asked about hormone therapy but the doctor didn't show much interest. So, here I am going on 63 and never taken any hormones and I guess it's too late to start now. Judith

SUSAN WROTE: Does anyone else get these irregular heart palpitations? The doctor says it is due to a low level of estrogen and fairly common during menopause. Are there any "natural" supplements I can take to allieve these palputations?

Hi Susan, Try Hawthorne Berry. You can get capsules or drops. I found they worked wonderfully well. You should be able to get them at your local drug store, or health food store.

Vivian, thanks so much for the advise. I will definately try the Hawthorne Berry. I appreciate your quick response. Thanks again - Susan.

Oh my gosh! I was put on HRT (PremPro) just one month ago. During this month I decided to do some research. I found the following website....

Take a look. It has great/necessary information for making a decision whether or not to continue taking the HRT. It's ALWAYS OUR final decision. I just thought some of you might find this useful. I was horrified!

What do you think????? It's all so complicated, it seems. I don't know what I should do now... :(

Here is a link that might be useful: HRT Stories

Interesting dialogue so far, with the usual polarizing statements.
The short answer to your question, Susan, is that yes, there are many who choose not to take hormonal drugs; in fact the very large majority do not take them.

Women who experience discomfort to a degree they cannot tolerate should explore all options, including but not limited to hormonal drugs, with their physicicans. Hopefully these physicians will not see them as having a "disease".
I cringe when menopause is discussed as a "disease" (like diabetes) that must be "treated" or "cured". It is not a disorder, but rather a natural biological process that happens to every female on the planet who lives long enough. As to the claim that nature "did not intend" women to live to that age, an examination of recorded history of any era reveals that women often lived to menopausal age. The "average life expectancy" is a skewed number, affected by early deaths. Anything about pre-recorded history is a guess; we simply don't know if females normally died pre-menopausal.

lynn

hello, i am 45 years old, and a week ago today i had my utereus, ovaries and tubes removed. i started taking remifemin as my choice of HRT, as i did not want to take any artificial estrogen replacement. i do have a question though about the need for progersterone replacement, which was suggested by my ob/gyn. can you give me any insite as to why that might be necessary? thanks for your help in advance...sherry vogt

Has anyone tried Black Kohash or Evening Primrose oil. If what results.

I'm confused...many people answering the original question say they aren't taking anything and then list umpteen herbs. You may not be taking HRT but you ARE taking what amounts to drugs for the symptoms and some herbs can have as many side affects as a manufactured drug. Many synthetic drugs ARE manufactured versions of the compounds in plants. People make the assumption that herbs are healthy and better no matter what. Not necessarily true. Unless your herbs say "organic" you are probably also getting a fair amount of pesticides, fungicides, herbicides and who knows what else. Over the long term, as has been known for a very long time, certain herbs too can cause severe health problems incl cancer. Herbs are serious stuff and should not be taken any more lightly than doctor prescribed medications.

I agree entirely with you Rose. I don't take anything for menopause because I don't need to. I've had symptoms but have been able to manage them.

Regards
Joan

When I was younger, I noticed that my aunt and my mother-in-law both looked and seemed younger than other women I knew their age. I knew that both of them took estrogen because they had had hysterectomies. I thought I'd get in line for estrogen when my time came.

Now that it's here, things are seem more confusing than ever! If I understand my doctor correctly, they don't prescribe estrogen to people who still have their uterus. So much for my earlier simplistic view and plan for what I would do "when"!

So far, I am trying to stay away from HRT. Mostly because I've read so many posts about people having problems with one kind or another and I am scared of anything that might cause weight gain---that's the last thing I need to do--it's hard enough to lose weight already!

Basically, I am treating menopause symptomatically. The first disturbing problem was despression...so I went to a female psychiatrist who said it was likely caused by hormonal changes and prescribed an antidepressant that is working really well with no side effects. The next issue was hair thinning and loss so I went to a female dermatologist and she said it also was due to hormonal
changes and recommended Rogaine for Men. I've used it since February with excellent results (stopped loss and hair is regrowing). Next were the hot flashes...just when they were really starting to get to me, I tried adding Luna bars to my daily diet (to get more nutrition and less calories for breakfast). They have a little bit of soy protein in them. At any rate, I noticed that the hot flashes have gone away since I started eating Luna bars and I have NO idea if there is any relationship between hot flashes and Luna bars but I'm not complaining.

If the hot flashes had not subsided, I was seriously considering making an appointment for HRT consultation. The hot flashes were very uncomfortable and I was having them on and off all day and night.

So far, so good without HRT. However, if something else pops up that really bothers me and it seems like HRT is the right answer, I will certainly try it and stick with it until I find what works for me.

This whole process is so confusing and hit and miss...as are remedies for it. This forum is really what I am using to get me through. I have resisted getting any books and reading on the topic....probably my form of denial! I'm hoping if I don't dwell on it or pay to much attention to it, maybe it won't be so bad.

Having you all to share with and learn from is wonderful for me! It is a great comfort to know there is a place where I can go and ask anything I want and learn whatever I need to know. It would be far, far worse to be all alone in this. Thank you all!

Hi Barbara, If the Luna bars have some soy in them, that is possibly what has alleviated your hot flashes. Sometimes just a small amount of soy can do the trick. Thanks for telling us about your journey with menopause. I'm glad you've found the help you've needed to feel well.

I have been pretty lucky thus far with this menopause thing. I have hot flushes on occasion, not unbearable. No particular mood swings (did not have these with menstruation cycle, either), no real insomnia (except on those nights when my husband decides to snore or the dogs next door bark), no depression, no swelling. I do have some lines and wrinkles (I'm 50) and I'm thinking that if I can save the money I might otherwise spend on HRT, maybe I'll visit the cosmetic surgeon! In the meantime, I have researched all the side effects of HRT and the side effects of some of the natural products, and I think I will try to do some dietary things and not tip the balance chemically. As one of the other posters pointed out, thank heavens these decisions are subject to change if need be.

Hi Ladies, Guess I should have posted in this thread the other day instead of the Femhrt one. Since I am a recent dropout. I wondered if I would find some of the familiar names pop up again, good to see you Anne M and others-I am menopausal for about 5 and a half years now and after taking several different HRT with various side effects my doctor and I came to the conclusion that HRT prescript. are not for me. Due to bad circulatory etc blood clots quite possible to develop, aching legs etc after about 3 or 4 months using any of the estrogen-progesterone prescripts. I am back to taking only vitamin E 800mg. a day. Maybe I should try soy if that could help the flashes and insomnia etc. Vit.E does help me immensely with vag dryness and that is about all I can really notice. I am really focused on lowering my triglycerides with diet ,reduced sugar intake a great deal, fatty foods etc. and walking a mile a day,best I can do for now anyway. So for health reasons I can say I am doing menopause now without HRT. Hope things level out as I approach my 55th bd in October. All for now Good to hear from you all. Marilyn

Verna - I have had positive results taking Black Cohosh. I take 1 capsule, 540mg of Black Cohosh Root, in the early evening and it quiets the night sweats and hot flashes.
There are different formularies so read carefully. The recommended dosage is 3 capsules a day...but I have heard that it can cause headaches so I use the lowest dose needed to suit my needs.
I was on HRT for 2 1/2 years - very unpleasant experiences and side effects so went off. My life has changed in that now I have to be more in tune and more responsible about my body, diet and mind. HRT seemed like a quick, easy fix when I started and indeed seemed to be what I needed..for a while...then it just seemed to turn on me.
It seems to be one of those things that if it works, it works great, if it doesn't, it makes you miserable.
Maybe that's nature's way of sorting out who will benefit from it and who will not.

Hi! I've read all the interesting discussions on this topic. I'd like to tell you something about my mom. She had a total hysterectomy at age 50 (in China) and never had HRT. It's amazing that she, at age 79 now, still has normal cholesterol, heart condition and bone density. Of course, her life style certainly helps a great deal, e.g. high soy diet, daily exercises(walking), taichi and meditation for 40 years. I recently went back to visit her and found that 99% of women in China have never heard of HRT. It seems they are doing OK.

Now I followed my Mom's steps and had a total hysterestomy five yrs ago (in U.S. though), but put on HRT - Premarin afterwards. In less than 3 years, I developed thyroid cancer, which is non-exist even in my extended family. Besides, I had very bad migraines, disabling me from working. There were probably ten more side effects I experienced from Premarin. It simply destroyed me. I started reading some books/info on net and decided to shoot for a life without HRT, as like my Mom. I started in June. I have had all the things in place, diet, weight resistance exercises, herbs, proGest cream and meditation. So far so good, no hot flashes, no mood swings, no heart irregularity, no migraines, no bloating, no problems.

I believe that anybody who wants to go menopausal naturally should give a try.

Hi all,

I work with many Chinese and I am always amazed at their healthy life style. They don't eat sugar and junk food. They eat wholesome vegetables. They drink green tea that they import from China. As for Chinese herbal medicine, one of the Chinese technicians suffered a serious burn when hot grease hit her face. After seeing the burn, her boss (a medical reseracher) urged her to go to the doctor. Instead she put some type of Chinese herb on it. In 2 weeks that burn on her face was gone and it was impossible to tell where she had been burned. I asked her what the herb was. She said a friend had brought it from China and she did not know the English name for it. Except for smoking cigarettes (many of the Chinese men have this habit) the Chinese have a very healthy life style. Also, they don't feed sweets to their kids either.

Um, Quinz, you do realise that when you say your mother had a "high soy diet" and you are using "herbs, proGest cream" that both of you are using hormones, don't you? Just because they are not pharmaceutical grade hormones does not mean they are not exerting hormonal effects. I'm not saying that's bad, at all. I'm simply echoing my post way up at the top of this thread in which I said there are many ways to obtain hormones, but most successful menopausal strategies seem use them in one form or another. That said, I think it's great that you and your mother have developed a strategy that works for your own bodies' needs.

Most successful menopausal strategies for intact women do not use hormones in some form or another beyond those which are produced within the woman's own body after menopause. The intact human female body is perfectly capable of maintaining itself after menopause, just as it is capable of doing so before menopause. It does not need the assistance of drug companies, doctors, or healthfood stores.

Leigh these are you opinions only, maybe you should consider using a disclaimer.

Why would I post a disclaimer for what is well-known fact even in the US but certainly in the rest of the world and has been true throughout history? Intact postmenopausal women do not have a disease. They do not need medical treatment of any kind and most don't seek any treatment for this normal life event.

Is Leigh's new word of the day "intact", she seems to be using it on all her views today, also, she seems to have to follow every post that Framboise post. Do I sense a jealousy here? In all sincerity, keep posting Leigh, we thoroughly enjoy the laughs you give us.

Still here and not on any hormones, but I now have the vaginal dryness. So far this has been the worst sympton. All the rest I have been able to put up with. I am glad to hear that someone said this might go away after we get through menopause. Another thing I don't like is the way my skin looks. Any help for either of these areas? Anyone out there that can tell me the dryness will go away just like many of my other symptoms? I think I am stuck with the skin, but many people say that HRT improves the look of our skin. Any thoughts on this? I don't want to go on hormones just for my skin, but I sure don't like the way my skin looks.

Hi all. I'm still in the peri. stage, have been for a few years I think. Tests a few years ago showed that my progesterone dropped off too soon in my cycle, so I started on the cream and my cycles improved, as well as my mood swings. I don't like to use drugs unless absolutely necessary becuase my system is so sensitive to them, especially narcotic drugs. I've had reactions to some meds that weren't very pleasant, to say the least. It was after a couple of times like that that I started looking into alternatives and finding help without the side effects. I don't know if I'll do any hrt or not at this point, but I do know I'm not anxious to after seeing what my mother has gone through. She was taken off estrogen a couple of years ago as a trial to see if her hemorhaging in her eyes would stop and so far it has (knock on wood!). I don't recall the name of this condition, but it's usually associated with diabetes and 1 other disease, which she had neither one. She lost some vision as a result and went through a few laser treatments for it too, which didn't stop it, just bandaged it. She's not convinced it was the estrogen, but it's the longest time she has gone without any hemorhaging.
She resumed menopause after stopping it too, which I thought was interesting. I think she took it for 3 decades.She had a hysterectomy in her 40s. She kept telling me she was going to go back on it becuase she couldn't stand the hot flashes and I had to ask her every time if it was more important than her eyesight and she usually settled down. I told her it's probably her body finishing the process that was halted before. She's doing better now.
Homeopathy has helped me with hormonal problems many times before, so I'm hoping it will ease me through menopause too. I'll be starting on a remedy again soon that will help with my energy and mental symptoms. What I like the most about it is that it's prescribed based on a persons own symptoms, not on the name of the condition, since every person exhibits some different symptoms for the same condition. Every womans hormone balance (or lack of!) is different during this time and I feel that if a woman is just given hrt without testing for hormone levels, then she might develop some adverse effects. I'll get off my soapbox now. I hope all of you make informed decisions and do what you're most comfortable with.

Hi Ladies,

I've been sitting here for over an hour reading the different posts on the pros and cons of taking HRT. I've had a few giggles in the process...:o) I hope you don't mind if I add my story to the list. I'm 46 years old and had a complete hysterectomy (uterus, ovaries, & cervix) last April due to large 6 & 7cm fibroids that caused me an unbearable amount of pain every month. After my uterus was removed and sent away for biopsy it was found that I also had the beginning stages of uterine cancer. I'm very grateful that this was found at such an early stage. This meant that I didn't have to have any chemo or radiation treatments. I do however have to have a pap test every 3 months until my Oncologist feels that it's safe for me to go back to my regular yearly schedule. My OBGYN and I had discussed HRT before I went in for my surgery and I made the decision to give it a try because my doctor was convinced that the benefits outweighed the risks. I trusted her opinion and went on HRT a couple of weeks after my surgery. For me this was a very bad decision. I was placed on Premarin in the beginning and by the 4th day I thought I was literally going to die. The side effects from the Premarin were so severe and debilitating that I immediately stopped taking them. I really believe that if I had not stopped taking them when I did that they would have killed me. I had developed breathing difficulties by the 3rd day and my body was retaining so much water that I had actually gained more than 10 pounds. I was so sick I could hardly hold my head up. I found out later that Premarin was made from Pregnant Mare's Urine and contained 10 other ingredients not produced naturally by a woman's body. What is natural for a horse isn't necessarily natural for a human. This didn't stop my doctor from prescribing me yet another form of HRT, because she sincerely believed that the benefits still outweighed the risks. The second prescription was a Generic form of Estradiol. I eventually ended up with similar symptoms but to a lesser degree. Once again my doctor insisted that I needed the HRT because of the risks of heart disease and osteoporosis. This time she prescribed a low dose Vivelle Dot patch. In the beginning I thought that maybe the patch was going to work, but after two months I started to develop bad headaches lasting 2 days with the application of each new patch. My vision was blurred and my heart felt like it was going to jump out of my chest all day long. I also suffered from nausea nearly every day. I stopped wearing the patch and I've stayed away from my OBGYN since because I'm NOT going to try another form of HRT no matter how great the benefits are. I love my hot flashes and mood swings. I wouldn't trade them for another HRT drug even if I had to suffer with hot flashes for the rest of my life. At least I know that neither one of them will kill me with blood clots or strokes. My Grandmother never took HRT and and she lived to be 86 years old. She had occasional hot flashes, but for the most part she was happy and healthy. Some people should never take HRT no matter how beneficial it may seem. I've done allot of homework these past couple of months and there's still no real proof that HRT prevents heart disease. Osteoporosis can be avoided by taking Calcium and eating a balanced diet with regular exercise. I'm sure that for some people HRT is helpful, but for me it was like taking poison. I will never let anyone talk me into taking something without researching it for myself again. If menopause wasn't a "natural" part of getting older, then why did God make it part of a womans ageing process?

Sincerely,
Sandy

my doctor told me that there is a direct link between breast cancer and HRT. She was a foreign doctor and she said foreign studies prove this. American studies say it is not linked but the American studies are done by the company that makes the medications. She also told me that if you have had a hysterectomy you don't need to have a paps test, there is no drainage from the uterus to test. Also all the pamphlets your gyn gives you are published by the company that makes the HRT meds. Only one says "proven to" the rest of them say things like "may", "being studied", etc....

A pap test tests the cervix for cancerous cells. If you have had a hysterectomy and kept the cervix, you continue to have the same need for this monitoring as you did pre-operatively. If you did not retain your cervix, many practitioners still encourage the test because they feel that since there is not a clearcut line between cervical and vaginal tissue, some could still be left to develop cancer, and the test would also catch early vaginal cancers.

A pap test really has nothing to do with your menstrual flow or any other uterine, cervical or vaginal secretions.

My OBGYN Oncologist requires a pap test every 3 months for a year after my Hysterectomy. I've had my uterous, ovaries, & cervix removed. I don't believe he would make me go through this if there wasn't any need for it. He's making sure that my cancer cells did not spread outside of my uterous before it was removed. He told me it's important to do this for the first year and then every 6 months for another year after that. He's a specialist in these types of cancers and I trust his judgement completely. I thought a pap collected tissue cells. If there's even a remote chance that I could develope cancer of any kind down there, I'll continue to have the tests every year. I would rather be safe than sorry...:o)

Sandy

Sandy,
I totally agree with you about refusing to obey your GYN. They are working for the profit of the phamaceutical companies and at the same time for their own rebate - a big retirement nest as long as a lot of us take HRT drugs for rest of our lives.

A friend of mine developed breast cancer two years after she was put on HRT by her GYN. After the surgery, she has never taken any HRT. It's been more than 10 years and she is doing just fine healthwise at the age of 70.

Sandy, I use black cohosh and the natural progesterone cream for my hot flashes. They seem working pretty good.

Can anyone taking HRT say they've NOT gained weight since starting it? I've read a lot of menopause forums, and though I haven't taken notes, it seems weight gain with HRT is quite common. Personally, having fought weight battles all my life, I'd rather deal with occasional hot flashes, insomnia and depression. Weight gain would only make me more depressed. I'm 51, active, and slender but have no libido whatsoever. DH's is waning as well so maybe we're a good match, but this change is a definite negative for us both. I hope resolvng his sleep apnea will help him but continue at a loss about how to increase my own. And I'll remain HRT-free until a new study guarantees it won't cause me to gain weight.

There has been an occasional post about not gaining weight and even losing weight while taking HRT. But mostly on the forums, you hear from the women with problems, so it's not a representative sample. If you can get some help for your depression, that may relieve your insomnia and low libido.

This is such an interesting discussion. I'm 42 and have been reading up on peri-menopause and menapause in an effort to be informed BEFORE any symptoms start. I am reading a wonderful book (mentioned earlier in this thread) call "What your Doctor May not tell you about menopause" by Dr. John Lee. The book makes so much sense to me, and many of the above posts seem to confirm exactly what this doctor is saying, that estrogen replacement is not the miracle cure for all, and may be a detriment to some. I think we all should research before we take the word of our doctors as the end all-be all, remember there is a reason they call it a medical "practice". Just my two cents, but I intend to start lifestyle changes now - and when/if I ever start seeing signs of menopause, I believe at this point I will look first to natural progesterone instead of man-made products. Jerri

"Natural progesterone" is also man made. The only natural progesterone for your body is the stuff your own body secretes. Lee's book is full of biological absurdities. It is normal for one to have occasional anovulatory cycles before menopause and that the numbers of these will increase as menopause approaches. An anovulatory cycle means no progesterone for that cycle which will probably affect some aspect of the next period or even prevent it entirely. Lee's "research" was done on 100 women many of whom were taking some form of estrogen. There wasn't even a semblance of any kind of scientific trial. Lee is now very wealthy, has given up his medical practice and makes a handsome living allowing manufacturers of so-called natural progesterone cream to quote his supposed "research." He also goes about the country giving seminars at which he stages empty chairs which were reserved for doctors (the same one who won't tell you the "truth" about menopause) who have decided not to attend. He proclaims himself a voice crying in the wilderness trying to tell the real story. What he is is a charlatan who is selling the modern version of Lydia Pinkham's Syrup for Ladies.

If you're interested in menopause issues try Dr Susan Loves Dr Susan Love's Hormone Book: Making Informed Choices about Menopause. There you will find a great deal of information all of it cited to peer-reviewed journals. Love provides information about the normal menstrual cycle and then discusses the changes that take place with age and approaching menopause. Once you've read Love, you'll be able to find the serious flaws in Lee's book.

Why is Lee's information "flawed", but Love's is so accurate? I believe this to be YOUR opinion, not proven fact.

Because Lee's book is full of biological absurdities unless one subscribes to the notion that the post menopausal woman and the prepubertal girl along with the reproductive woman in the first half of her menstrual cycle are diseased. This strikes me as an obvious absurdity. YMMV.

Leigh, I see your point about Lee's assertion that today's woman is suffering from both external influences caused by technology, and internal influences from our eating habits; thus we are "ill".

I do however still like the information in his book about eating healthier, exercising and vitamins.

I was also wondering if in fact he had a stake in the natural progesterone industry!

Your input on this thread has been very insightful.

Jerri

Dr. Lee claims he has no stake in the production of OTC progesterone cream, and does not recommend any particular brand. Granted all of the information in his book is anecdotal evidence, but to me it says: this is something to look at. My question at the end of the book was, "If he believes in it so strongly, why didnt he pursue authentic research?" He claims no drug company will back research on natural progesterone because they can't patent it. However, there are other sources for funding research if a person wants to do it. Of course you won't see doctors at his seminars; the medical profession in America has labeled him a quack. I believe he has some valid points. Some women do need progesterone and for too long doctors have not acknowledged this. They have been too ready to hand out prescriptions for Premarin and Provera in doses that are beyond what is needed, to any woman who comes in asking for help with menopause related problems. Too many of them have also routinely handed out hormomes to women who have no problems; apparently the doctors were buying into the "forever feminine" myth put forth by the makers of Premarin. Well, that's my two cents worth.....again. It still boils down to each and every woman needs to educate herself, advocate for herself, and make choices for herself.

At his seminars he reserves chairs at the front of the room for doctors. Then during the seminar he uses these empty chairs as props to demonstrate that other doctors won't tell you the truths he is about to reveal. He is a *paid* speaker at these seminars in which he urges women to use some version of THE CREAM. He is also paid by the companies who use his book to promote their version of this product.

If there are post menopausal women who *need* progesterone (and other than the intact ones who take estrogen I don't believe there are) then they need it in amounts large enough to actually be detectable in the blood, since that's the only way it's going to get to the receptors. The otc cream does not supply that.

You are presenting this as a choice between premarin/provera or progesterone. The realistic option for most women is nothing at all.

Doctors, whether promoting alternative treatments or prescribed medications, are subject to propaganda and are well paid by the corporate companies. I would guess less so by the alternative manufacturers since they don't have the millions of dollars to spend. But as the consumer we have to go with our educated guesses. I have resisted hrt after a hysterectomy (uterus, ovaries, cervix) although my oncologist offers it every time I see him. Even though my cancer was estrogen receptive and my mother had breast cancer. And my symptoms are very mild infrequent hot flashes, night sweats and vaginal dryness. Since he is one of the best gyn oncologists in NYC I trust him for the oncology side but use my endocrinologist for hrt consultations - tomorrow we review a recent bone scan. And by the way - Replens seems to work well for the vaginal dryness and is cheapest at Walmart.

Why do you think alternative companies don't have millions of dollars to spend? This isn't really David and Goliath although the supplement manufacturers would like you to believe that it is. They spend nothing on research, and their raw materials are cheap. Since they have no quality control and can pretty much do as they please - no one makes sure the bottles and tubes contain what's claimed in the amount claimed - they can hire minimum wage or even undocumented workers to run their blenders and fill their jars and bottles and tubes. It's a highly profitable industry.

You're not considering the the publics' right to sue over practically anything nowadays. One hefty lawsuit against a company could put them out of business, no more profit. I really would think it is in their best interest to be accurate with their claims.

I've been on low dose HRT (Activella) for the past three years, since my bloodwork showed I was post-menopausal.

It initially got rid of my hot flashes, but I've gained what I think is too much weight; my anxiety/bad moods have recently gotten worse; am extremely fatigued.

While I don't know if the weight gain is from the HRT, or just that my metabolism slowed down to a crawl, I'm going to see if my GYN is agreeable to taking me off them when I see her in November.

I am 55 and have been suffering terribly with symptoms on and off for 5 years. I never really considered taking HRT primarily because I just don't like taking medicine of any kind except for the occasional headache or cold pill. I had a very painful period last month so I am still not in menopause. I wonder now if HRT might have been a good idea though the idea of it still scares me a great deal. I believe that it should be considered when the symptoms interfere with your sense of well being. I believe now that I will emerge from this ordeal in a much better place but I would never tell another woman that toughing it out is the best approach either.

Both my gynecologist and family physician have stated that HRT is safe, and the media hype against is just that. Even Dr Oz is a beleiver in HRT!

link to Dr OZ view of HRT

Here is a link that might be useful: Dr OZ view of HRT

Today I had an appointment with a new Doctor that is putting me on HRT. I had a complete hysterectomy 6 years ago at 32 years old. I thought I was doing great because I don't have hot flashes any longer, however the side effects I have been having are so much worse and no other doctor told me it had to do with my hormones. I have been in complete misery for the last 5 years. Painful sex, bowel problems, chronic bladder infections.
I did not know...the last doc I went to 3 years ago told me he didn't see anything wrong and it was my duty as a wife to have sex with my husband.
I feel like I have a second chance after today, I hope this HRT works...

Please someone tell me how you are all doing now. I am at this crossroads. I am so confused after researching it for months.