Wellness

[granddi]

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@Azcowgirl wrote:

 I can’t use any type of estrogen product ( I was on hrt for years prior to getting breast cancer) so atrophy and the issues that accompany it, are a problem.The NP I go to for routine check ups, told me about a laser rejuvenation procedure called Juliet that addresses those issues and apparently has a good success rate.

Its about a thousand dollars per treatment however, and three treatments are recommended. I did a little research on it but have not chosen to get the treatments.

Laser v*g*nal rejuvination goes by severaal trade names such as Mona Lisa. From my experience, it was not effective. It is $1000.00 per treatment with 3-4 recommended. It was painful. A little bit of discomfort could be tolerated if the results were positive. It was a very disappointing proceeedure. 

There are some suppositories with hyloronic acid that give some relief. But this would not address the urinary issues. 

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[Shelbelle]

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@colliemom4 wrote:

If it's a cream form the risk of it being harmful is very low.

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Yes, it is a cream and only gets deposited in the area it is needed, so it is classified as a Topical drug by the FDA. However, if you look on the Premarin site, it does tell you that traces of the hormne does get released into the bloodstream, of course it does, and for that reason I have refused to use it for many years.  My mother in law used it for many years, and ended up passing away from breast cancer. 

Do you mind saying what issues you are having from the atrophy, maybe we can suggest some safer alternatives. 

[Gracies Mom]

I have the same problem with atrophy and dryness--and being uncomfortable. However, I had uterine cancer and can never ever use anything containing estrogen (or soy)--have to keep the estrogen OUT of my body. I take a pill to help with that.

Been using RePlens external cream and it works fine--also recommended was RePlens internal cream (never tried it). RePlens is hormone free, over the counter and worth trying. There isn't anything else I can use anyway. Doesn't really help with the urinary frequency--I just live with that.

All of my doctors tell me that, unfortunately, I'm between a rock and a hard place.

Good luck!!

[Shelbelle]

For the dryness and itching I highly recommend taking 1000 mg daily of Sea Buckthorn Berry Oil in softgels. it helps to lubricate the tissues from the inside, I have been taking them since 2011, and it does help. I dont use anything externally. I use Nu Health brand, get them on ebay.  It should be the Berry Oil, not the Seed oil and not the blend of the 2.  In the brginning you could take 4 softgels per day for the first month or 2, then maintain with 2. 

[Drythe]

I would never used Premarin, because I’m anti cruelty.

However, I do take a plant based product ~ script from my GYN.

[patbz]

I took Premarin thirty years ago when I started menopause.  After about six months later the media made a big deal out of issues surrounding this med.  Although I had no issues, I stopped immediately.  At my next OB/GYN appointment I mentioned I had stopped Premarin ( doctor had no problems with me doing that).  Btw, the original issues for taking drug, never reappeared.

[AuntMame]

Years ago I read a book by some well-known female gynecologist--was it Christiane Northrop? Can't recall. Anyhow she claimed that it wasn't the estrogen in Premarin that was bad news, because women have estrogen in their bodies their whole life, but rather all the mare-specific chemical crapola that tags along with the estrogen and which wrecks havoc on human bodies. 

[Azcowgirl]

@granddi  I’m so very sorry you endured this painful procedure, spent all that money, only to have it be so disappointing. 

I didn’t like the way this was presented to me at my 

drs. appointment, more like a sales pitch. Left me feeling

Like I don’t want to go back there again. This was someone I had gone to over the years, but this time felt

impersonal .🙁

[Shelbelle]

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@AuntMame wrote:

Years ago I read a book by some well-known female gynecologist--was it Christiane Northrop? Can't recall. Anyhow she claimed that it wasn't the estrogen in Premarin that was bad news, because women have estrogen in their bodies their whole life, but rather all the mare-specific chemical crapola that tags along with the estrogen and which wrecks havoc on human bodies. 

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Yes, The Wisdom of Menopause, wonderul book!!

[tsavorite]

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@Anonymous032819 wrote:

When I went in to early menopause (about 12 years ago), my doctor put me on Premarin.

I took it for about a week, then I got to thinking.

My mother would not have taken it, because menopause is a natural part of a woman's life.

It's not a disease that needs to be cured, so why treat like it is one?

It was just starting to come out about the connection between HRT and heart attacks.

And, even then, I knew that Premarin was made from pregnant mare urine. Hence the name.

PRE = pregnant 

Mar = mare

IN = urine

For those reasons, I stopped taking it.

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I don't think anyone in menopause and having issues like the OP mentioned and there are other diseases that do occur after meno are thinking that menopause is a disease that needs a drug to cure.  I know I don't think that way.  BUT some of us have all different kinds of issues that happen that are directly related to the fact that we are in menopause.  I see nothing wrong with using a cream to help with atrophy (if that happens to you) as that can really affect the quality of life one has.  Or if you develop osteoporosis in later yrs...and you take HRT to preserve bone or one of the drugs to treat it as that too is about quality of life.

My MIL never had any of the issues many women do and she had early meno due to surgery...never used HRT or anything else for that matter and had no issues.  She did have bone loss.  It worked for her...for some of us when meno comes we don't fair so well.  

I think each of us must look at all of these things and make the choice that works best for us.