Explanation of why the side effects and risks from estrogen therapy?

Has anyone gotten an explanation of why the estrogen therapy can cause back pain? And why taking ET puts you at risk for heart attack, stroke and blood clots, when estrogen is something the body produces naturally? Is it because of the constant levels, or does it have to do with it being synthetic and how the body metabolizes it?

Good question...
I'd like to know why too.
hope someone can answer your question so I can get the answer.

'Natural Hormone Balance" by Uzzi Reiss answers all the questions...

Thank you for the name of the book Crystal Blue.
This will be a big help.
Can this book be purchased from any bookstore? OR maybe if I'm lucky, a library might have it?
Where did you get your copy?

I think most of the warnings come from the WHI (Women's Health Initiative) study that was stopped early back in 2002 because of an increase in heart attacks, strokes and breast cancer. The estrogen arm only continued for a few years after and actually had a lower rate of breast cancer than the placebo group. A lot if not most of the women in the study were over the age of 60 and where many years past menopause. One theory is that the plaque build up happens pretty quickly after meno and when they added back the estrogen so long after the artery walls became more flexible as estrogen is a vasodilator and some of the plaque broke off causing the heart attack or stroke. There appears to be a critical timing window for HRT. That's a very simplistic explanation but the best I can do.

I am so with you! WHY???? I was told I had to because of my age..?
If I wasnt producing it in doses that my body needed before my TAH, why now?
When you find out the answer, let the rest of us know!!

OK, read "What Your Doctor May NOT Tell You About Menopause" and it explained why there are side effects from HRT and ET. Mainly has to do with the fact that some HRT is synthetic and that estrogen isn't supposed to be present in the body without the other sex hormones present. Definately doing natural progesteron cream when I begin my HRT.