Wellness

[tends2dogs]

I have use bioidentical hormones for approximately 8 years.  Recently I have some gyno problems and have had to go off.  It has been about a month now.  Yes, I am seeing a doctor, have had tests done, etc. 

I am just wondering what others have experienced with this.  So far, I feel great, but being a 62 year old woman, this has drastically changed me physically - I think you know what I mean.  Has anyone found a real answer for this?  K-Y is NOT  a remedy for a severe case of atrophy.  If you are menopausal and this is all you need, you should thank God.

Ladies, have you found something that actually works?  The hormones worked so well for this problem, but alas, they have caused new problems.

[bebe777]

tends2dogs, I'm sorry to hear that you're having issues wiht menopause. Below I've reposted something I posted in another forum. The middle section is about MACA which may be of interest to you. 

As always, run this by your doctor first. -- bebe

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I'm post-menopausal but my menopause time was a roller coaster. 

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I had hot flashes galore until I switched over to an organic diet and cut out a lot of meat/chicken in favor of organic dairy products from grass fed cows. I wasn't trying to stop my menopausal symptoms, I was just listening to PBS specials and trying to eat a healthier diet. I was so surprised when my hot flashes completely disappeared in a few weeks (and never came back). 

In retrospect, I'm guessing that I probably could have eaten some meat/chicken as long as it was organic (no growth hormones) and the animals were grass fed (good Omega-3 profile versus bad Omega-6 profile). 

-- 

While I haven't tried it, Andrew Lessman (Procaps Labs) has a product called Positive Passage which has gotten some great reviews. HSN sells his Ultimate Women's Wellness and Evening Primrose products which gets great reviews, but I think the Positive Passage (available through Procaps Labs) may be more effective for menopause. -- You may want to give his coustomer service department a call; they're very knowledgeable.

--

Right up until the very end of menopause it was smooth sailing for me... until one day I fell right off the cliff. My moods were off the scale, I would cry for no reason and I thought that maybe I was having a breakdown. I knew a fair amount about nutrition and supplements by then and I kept trying new products without any success. I never suspected menopause because my other symptoms has all vanished. 

One day I tried a supplement that had a tiny amount of pregnonelone in it and my body did a happy dance. I had to go through all the ingredients in the supplement before I understood that my body was reacting to the pregnonelone which is a precursur to progersterone which is key to making the adrenal glands work (when the ovaries finally close shop, your body uses the adrenal glands to keep hormonal activity fluid).

I started taking Royal Maca by Whole World Botanicals. Maca is a key factor to making pregnonelone, which is the precorsur to progersterone, etc. I worried about not getting the right dosage of bio-identical hormones, so I thought that if I gave my body enough of one of the precursurs I would be less likely to be using an incorrect dosage. I basically trusted my body to take what it needed and it worked. 

Within about 10 minutes after my first tieeny tiny Maca dose I started to feel better. I was back to normal in 2-3 days (really!!). -- My rapid hair loss stopped inside of 2 weeks (I lost 1/3 of my hair in about 6 weeks) and about half of it grew back. If I remember correctly, there is an overproduction of a particular enzyme that helps creat  male pattern baldness. It can have the same effect on menopausal women. Maca has the ability to counteract it. Clearly, it worked with me. -- Maca (along with nattokynese) helped literally crumble my fibroids. -- To this day, I still take Maca daily.

If you decide to try Maca make sure you use a cooked maca (more bioavailable), start very small and increase very slowly. Start with 1/16 of a teaspoon daily and titrate up to a max of 1/2 teaspoon daily over a period of 6 weeks. When you feel balanced then just maintain that dosage. Maca is an adaptagen and overdosing can have an opposite effect. 

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I also stopped eating starch carbs (grains) and sugar products (cakes, candy, even high sugar fruits). My feeling was that most carbs -- with the exception of the rainbow of veggies -- break down into simple sugar fairly easily and just aren't good for the body (for more on this, check out Doug Kauffman's Know The Cause). Essentially I switched over to an Atkins diet... and, no, Atkins never advocated eating a pound of bacon a day.

These days it's been rebranded as the Paleolythic diet.  Now I eat eggs (from organically raised chicken who eat worms and seeds) in the morning. And have 4 oz of meat in the evening (from organically raised, grass fed cows). -- I have a Vitamix and blend about a quart of green smoothie a day, and snack on nuts and seeds. It sounds extreme but my body actually craves these foods. And, of course, Andrew Lessman's supplements.

Best of luck with your menopause journey!! 

-- bebe 

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[lime1]

 Girl I know just what you mean, I'm 65 and have had this problem for years.  I also did the same hoemone treatment for a few years, after retirement too expensive and not covered under my insurance.  I went for a visit to my Gyno. and she suggested Estrace cream.  It works well but is very expensive and also not covered by insurance.  I have tried Premarin cream works well not as expensive.   So many have this problem, not fair that precriptions are so costly.  A friend also suggested olive oil or coconut oil, have also tried them too not as good as expensive cream but it did bring some relief.   If your insurance will cover the Estrace that is what worked the best and it only takes a small amount.  Good luck and will be anxious to here other womens comments and suggestions.

[willdob3]

Smoky Mountain Naturals. Check them out on Amazon. Hundreds of rave reviews.

I won't use the drugs because I value my health. I find the creams from SMN work perfectly for me. I tried them with my gynos blessing & he confirms what I know - that things are very much improved. Eliminated hot flashes, too. 

There has been no time when I could stop using them. The side effects of hormonal imbalance are still there even after years and very noticeable if I stop using the creams. 

[esmeraldagooch]

Actually the creator of bioidentical hormones does have a sugestion in his book if you don't choose to go on them or are getting off.  Panax ginseng for two to three months. 100 milligrans of standardized Panax ginseng extract three times daily  After confort has returned and sympoms dimished lower  dose for maintenance level that works for you.

Page 251-252 
Treasury of natural cures by Jonathan V Wright

[Reba055]

I've been struggling to find a HRT that works for me now. I have significantly lowered it, but the dry eyes are driving me crazy. To the point of feeling like sand is in my eyes. Any suggestions on that? I'm using drops but I can't stand this.

[Shelbelle]

I am same age as you, I refuse to use any estrogen creams for fem dryness. Did my own research. Take 4 Sea Buckthorn Berry Oil softgels daily, read up on this, it lubricates memebranes from the inside. I buy NuHealth brand on ebay.  Also try using a daily moisturizer in the area like Sliquid or Good Clean Love Restore. Can also use plain Vitamin E oil or coconut oil.  I also use Sliquid Fem Wash which has no sulfates, no glycerin or parabens. Not a cure for the issue, but a huge comfort improvement in my daily life.

[sidsmom]

I really don't think supplements are the answer.

If I'm understanding what you're saying...K-Y could BE the answer no matter what degree of atrophy. Just like any muscle, the vaginal wall is made up of small muscles. Atrophy begins commonly when estrogen is reduced, but also when blood to those muscles is reduced.

The fix to this is...the obvious. The more your supply blood to that area, the fewer issues of atrophy. Also incorporate Kegels (instruction online). Any type of stimulation with/without a partner is beneficial to increase the blood flow.

I would suggest using coconut oil instead of K-Y. OTC lubricants have chemicals and can cause dryness in the long run.

But probably the best 'cure' is understanding from your partner. Explaining your wants & needs while working through this is just a different chapter of our lives.

[morganjen]

Check into DHEA.

[tends2dogs]

Thank you to everyone who took the time to answer.  I will look into each and every suggestion.  I hope more will share here and as I go through this I will report back. 

This is a common problem that doesn't seem to have a stock answer, unlike, Viagara.  If this was a male problem,  I feel there would be a safe solution.  In the long run it really is a man's problem LOL.  I also realize that Viagara has it pitfalls......

Thanks again....