topic Re: Hormones in Wellness

Hormones

katie1859 — Fri, 29 Dec 2023 19:37:48 GMT

Ok ladies, I need or would love feedback. Sharing. What are you experiences in your over 55 ages with hormones. Taking hormones.

Testosterone

Progesterone

Either cream, pellets, or tablets.

As I go in for my yearly physical I'm asking bc I'm requesting my hormones levels be tested.

I know I'm not alone in this. I'm wanting optimal health and I know my hormones are key.

Re: Hormones

Ainhisg — Fri, 29 Dec 2023 19:54:04 GMT

I take oral HRT and use vaginal estrogen, too. Watch several of the Menopause Taylor (Dr. Barbara Taylor, MD) videos on YouTube for a wealth of information including benefits, when you should start it, and so forth. There are a LOT of misconceptions and misinformation out there. Even if not having symptoms, there are many benefits to taking it according to my own doctor.

Re: Hormones

Trinity11 — Fri, 29 Dec 2023 20:12:18 GMT

I had breast cancer in my 30's. No way would I ever take hormones. I would not take the risk.

Re: Hormones

curlygirl13 — Fri, 29 Dec 2023 20:23:23 GMT

OK, I have to tell you my experience. I went into full-blown menopause 2 years ago. Decided to do HRT and did it compounded with bio-identical hormones. Fast forward, I woke up in March 2023 one morning bleeding like I was hemorrhaging. It turns out all the hormones created so many polyps and cysts in my uterus and my uterine lining I had to have surgery. My doctor made me stop everything. Now my GYN is not the doctor who was managing or prescribing my hormones. I went to a hormone specialist for that. It was a nightmare. I'm off everything now and it's been hard but mine is a cautionary tale. I was very sick. Everyone is different but be careful. I was using progesterone and estrogen.

Re: Hormones

Shelbelle — Fri, 29 Dec 2023 20:24:17 GMT

I am 71, never took any hormones, whether oral or creams and never will, just my 2 cents.

Re: Hormones

msgb — Fri, 29 Dec 2023 20:52:15 GMT

I am on bio identical progesterone in the brand name pill form. I have been on for over 20 yrs. I am not on estrogen at all.
I am a different case as I developed a DVT and was on blood thinners for almost 3 yrs. I hemorrhaged and had to have some blood transfusions. It turns out I am allergic to synthetic everything and I have something where I do not process vitamin B properly.

Hence the blood clot. The blood clot never went away and even now I have some issue. I will not go on anything synthetic--even vitamins as a result.

The bio identical progesterone helps with all sorts of issues. I look into everything before I fill a prescription and I did a boat load of homework looking into this hormone.

I tried going off and found out that my B/P went up.
With the discussion of my doctor I am on it for some time more and it is fine with me.

You might want to discuss the side effects of synthetic and the bio identical hormones and also the generic vs the brand name. (I have to be on the brand name as I found out that I was allergic to something in the generic).

Look into all you can prior to your decision.

Re: Hormones

Love my grandkids — Fri, 29 Dec 2023 23:13:41 GMT

@katie1859 I'm 75 so it's been some decades for me. When I hit menopause my doctor put me on HRT. I felt so crappy after 2 months (the info was coming out about the ill effects of this) that I called her and told her I was stopping them as of that day.

I didn't like her attitude so switched to another doctor in that practice. He was completely supporitve of my decision.

There's NO way I'd ever go along with HRT therapy for myself.

Re: Hormones

Icegoddess — Fri, 29 Dec 2023 20:55:54 GMT

My gynecologist put me on an estrogen patch and progesterone pills. Can't take the estrogen without the progesterone. For whatever reason, I was finally able to sleep again. Not sure if it's because I wasn't having the hot flashes/night sweats or if there was some other benefit such that the combo helped me to sleep. I highly value my sleep.

Her rule was that I had to be off of them by 65 though, so I started weaning off of them earlier this year and was off of them by April. She did tell me I would hate her at first, and she was right. Not sure I ever stopped hating her since tne night sweats came back with a vengence. I was having to get up at night and change PJ's, AND I was having trouble sleeping.

At my last visit she came in with this brand new wonder drug Veozah. It's different in that it acts on the hypothalamus which is the organ that controls our body temps. I got to try that out for a couple of weeks. Sadly, I couldn't stay on it since it's uber expensive and the manufacturer wouldn't let me participate in their price-cutting program because I'm now on Medicare. So, now I'm on a very small dose of Gabapentin (Neurontin) which keeps the night sweats at bay but does nothing for my sleep issues.

@Re: Hormones

pdlinda — Fri, 29 Dec 2023 21:04:09 GMT

@Shelbelle You speak FOR ME! I will not take any hormones regardless of type.

I have a rectocele prolapse that I "manage" and go for pelvic floor PT to try and maintain it as it is now. The urogynocologist I consulted and my Pelvic floor PT provider mentioned hormones to me but it was a short conversation. It was never mentioned again.

Re: Hormones

SaveTheTurtles — Fri, 29 Dec 2023 21:12:56 GMT

I've never taken any and have no plans to.

Re: Hormones

Still Raining — Fri, 29 Dec 2023 21:18:09 GMT

Don't think you can get testosterone unless your beard is really, really wimpy 🧔🏻‍♂️

Re: Hormones

Pink123 — Fri, 29 Dec 2023 22:11:45 GMT

Yes I do and have for 25 years.

And I do understand those who cannot take it but we have come a long way with "estradiol patches", the dosing and components.

This is my story and mine only. We all have to do what is best for us individually including the research. This is a given of course.

At age 43 my GYN discovered a HUGE ovarian tumor and we are talking grapefruit size. He ordered me to the hospital next door immediately. The CT scan guy tech asked if I was born in Texas thats how big it was. Some might get this joke. Everything is big in Texas so they say.

I was sent to a cancer specialist for GYN specialty and since he could not tell if it was cancer we set the date for Thanksgiving day 2 weeks later. Of course I said yes.

He is reknowned in the US so I felt comfortable with him and his reputation he had.

It turned out to be benign, thank God. I stayed in hospital 8 days. A few hours later I started flushing and it was hot flashes (it's called a surgical menopause as they took my ovaries as well)

My husband called the nurse and she came back and slapped a patch on my arm. *today they are tiny miniscule clear patches the size of a dime)

I asked the surgeon how long I woud be on it as it was estradiol (a plant related estrogen) and he said "life".

I recovered after 8 weeks. I went to my GYN and we had the talk.

It all depends how long you should stay on it after full hysterectomy. Mind you it was a "total hysterectomy" which I had.

Most recommend 5 years and wean it off slowly. This is a miniscule .025 strentgh patch. Strong enough to barely get me through a normal woman in her 30's. (No progesterone like the old days for those that took pills, yes they were dangerous and very, very strong dosage back then. So all you need is the estradiol .025 patch. No "progesterone" necessary.

Ok, back to GYN's office after I healed. What are we going to do here? He said let's weigh the positives and the negatives.

The number one question was that I was tall and quite skinny and it protects from bone loss. A big factor for me as I was young. It also is a factor in mood, skin tone, mid belly weight gain, etc. Mood was a big factor for me as I had seen it in menopausal women.

I decided to take it for 5 years and I was very happy. The "clear little patch" now is so tiny and so I decided to keep on taking it.

Oh I also put a little "premarin" cream directly inside my ****** to keep it lubricated for sexual health and it works. Twice a week. The Doctor can see it on annual check ups for sure. Dryness is another miserable factor to live with. Bladder infections, urinary problems, sexual, etc.... All kinds of problems take place with the shrinkage.

What is my number one factor now that it's been 25 years? My mood is number one as well as my bones. (I was already close to ostopenai back then)

My best advice for you OP is talk with a good GYN who is up to date on the newest science. Your history on health, everything.

Weigh it all out. Hear them out.

Best of luck.

PS. I did not have familial history.

Re: Hormones

Ainhisg — Fri, 29 Dec 2023 21:59:38 GMT

@Pink123 what a well-written response you wrote. My favorite part of your thoughtful response was the part where you recommended women find a good gynecologist who is up-to-date on the latest science and research. HRT has come such a long way and provides so many benefits for those of us who can take it without issue. It helps your bones, cardiovascular system, brain, as well as female issues. Like you, I have to use vaginal cream, because I have vaginal atrophy. For me, that was worse than any of the other symptoms of menopause.

Re: Hormones

Pink123 — Fri, 29 Dec 2023 22:09:03 GMT

Oh your welcome @Ainhisg We are here to share our personal journey's that's all .

Find a good knowledgable GYN. Dosing, everything is so different today.

Oh yes, vaginal atrophy is a big side effect of estrogen loss and even if you refuse to take the patch a little "premarin cream" even once or twice a week will help so much.

My Mom passed away 2 years ago at 95. She took "premarin" cream for over 40 years. Mom stopped about 10 years ago and after two years of bladder infections, etc went back on the cream.

It helped her when she restarted and the infections stopped.

Re: Hormones

Shelbelle — Fri, 29 Dec 2023 22:10:58 GMT

I have had the atrophy and drynes for the last 14 years, I deal with it naturally with only use of certain body washes for that area, some moisturizers for that area and I take Sea Buckthorn Oil caps daily for the last 12 years, which help to lubricate tissues from the inside. All in all it works for me and keeps me comfy.

Re: Hormones

Meowingkitty — Fri, 29 Dec 2023 22:12:59 GMT

I took Femhrt for several years when I started having hot flashes. Worked great. My periods stopped immediately and forever as did my hot flashes. I came off of them very very gradually. It probably took me 6 months. The first time I tried cold turkey my cramps came back with a vengeance so I took them for another year or so. The second time I tried I cut the pills in half for a couple of months, then I took half a pill every other day, then I cut the half in half and took that every other day and finally I stopped. No negative side effects.

Re: Hormones

ellaphant — Fri, 29 Dec 2023 22:14:03 GMT

My mother and grandmother both had Breast Cancer . Was told never to use oral birth control. I had no problems with menopause and even if no family history would never want to use hormones.

Re: Hormones

wagirl — Fri, 29 Dec 2023 22:24:55 GMT

I don't have to worry about all that anymore---however, when I was going thru menopause at around age 45 I did take hormones for a few years which caused eventually caused the breast cancer I got at age 58--am 69 now. I know hormones have changed now, but please be careful----

Re: Hormones

Natureluvr — Fri, 29 Dec 2023 22:26:24 GMT

Funny this topic came up because I was just at my GYN yesterday. I’m in my 50s and just starting to go through menopause. I had a lengthy discussion with my doctor, who is a member of the North American menopause society. We went over all the advantages and disadvantages of HRT. She gave me paperwork to read through and it specifically says it is not recommended for people with certain health conditions. I agree with others that it’s important to find a good doctor and get as much information as you can.

Re: Hormones

CelticCrafter — Fri, 29 Dec 2023 22:31:52 GMT

@Shelbelle wrote:
I am 71, never took any hormones, whether oral or creams and never will, just my 2 cents.

@Shelbelle I'm a few years younger than you and didn't take them. My thinking, your body stops making them for a reason.