Hormone Hype - to supplement or not, that is the question???

Hi all - many of us have woken up from surgery having to investigate HRT and there is lots of controversy out there. Some of the research was based on studies of woman already post menopause and older than we are. Results of those who have surgical menopause and in our late 40's seems to be different. I am trying to make my own informed decision and find it very confusing, Premarin? Bio-identical HRT? Imact of choice on future breast cancer, bone and cardiac issues, etc. and on and on it goes.
I would appreciate hearing about the choices others have made, the type of hyst you had and your age.... also, how did you make your decision.... thanks for your support at this time

Hi! I would love to start this convo and hear what others have to say. Right now I'm on the vivelle dot and feel pretty good, although weepy this morning. My dr. wants to add premarin (progesterone) and estrace ( a progesterone cream) so I am very confused about why I need to take all of these things.
The administrator may ask you to move this to the hormone section...anyway, I am interested in all of this, and I hope you get some answers.
Blessings.
Grace

I am on Premarin. So far things are good. I have had a few hot flashes at night but I have been have small ones for at least a year since all my problems started.

I didn't take anything till after my 10 day post op appt. Then I started on Norethindrone (progestin) because of nights sweats and insomnia. We were afraid to start estrogen because of endo. After 6 months, I was switched to Premarin (estrogen) because the progestin wasn't helping like we had hoped. Now I am 16 months post op and seriously rethinking the estrogen. I have to see the GYN on Monday because my GP thinks the endo is flaring up again.

I am on estraderm(estrogen) and norethindrone(progestin). I am 31 and usually they don't give women w/ adenosarcomas HRT but since neither of my grandmothers lived past 45 due to heart attacks and my mother who is 54 has heart and bone issues, so they say I am taking them. They said I can't fight cancer if my heart stops beating! Anyhow, I am also confused about all the studies. My doctor says that it is only for women who were much older. Not for women who under normal circumstances would still have hormones anyways! I hope so. Good luck and I hope everyone feels better.
Janelle

I am on Climara .1mg TAH/BSO and 46 yr old I have endo but Doc said not enough risk to not have HRT so far no hot flashes no sleepless nights...first day without narcotics so we will see how I start to feel. I change the patch tomorrow they placed one on me Morning after surgery....My doc explained the study and she mentioned it was done on post meno older women that already had hardening of the arteries so that HRT had more significant reactions not enough studies on us mid 40's surgical menopausal mostly healthy women. Lions and tigers and bears o'my

Hi!

Whether or not to use hormones is a personal decision and it's best to research to reach the best decision for your own circumstances.

I was 46 at the time of my surgery and still years away from menopause. I started on hormone therapy the day after my surgery and now, over five years later, I'm still using hormones. If I still had my ovaries they would still be producing hormones so to me it makes sense to put back in what would naturally be there. I won't give them up my hormones unless there is very compelling reason not to use them anymore. My doctor has told me I can take them forever for quality of life--and that's very important to me. I am very diligent about keeping up with my well woman care which for me includes an annual Pap, pelvic exam, breast exam and mammogram. So far all is well.

I use a combination of bio-identical hormones. Some are manufactured by pharmaceutical companies (Vivelle Dot and Vagifem) and the others come from a compounding pharmacy (progesterone and testosterone creams). It takes all four to keep me feeling my best but of course what I need isn't necessarily going to be what everyone else needs. Some women do very well on nothing, some do well on estrogen alone and others need one or more additional hormone. It's not a one size fits all deal though it sure would be easier on us all if it were!

I do want to clarify something from a reply on this thread. Premarin is not a progesterone, nor is Estrace. Premarin is a conjugated estrogen which is used to treat the major menopause symptoms and Estrace cream is a low dose estrogen cream which is used vaginally either to treat vaginal dryness/atrophy and/or to promote healing of the vaginal cuff.

There are good resources on this site to use to help you with your decision. Check out the Resource Database and also this link to the Hormone Jungle Articles.

I hope this helps!

s

Thank you so much for your insight. Sometimes as a patient we feel like there are answers out there we just don't know what they are; therefore, making it more difficult to advocate for ourselves. As I type I am waiting for my GYN to call back. Over the Christmas break I scoured the internet as well as this site trying to find something or someone who was about my age and experiencing or had experienced some of the same post-op symptoms. After hours of searching I found someone on this website that shared several good suggestions to discuss with my doctor. Without this site (I live in a very small town) I feel like I wouldn't know about many of the choices out there; my GYN probably practices with what she knows. I am nervous about her return call b/c I am worried that I won't articulate clearly enough that I have thoroughly researched my HRT options and I no longer (actually since October) think Cenestin is working. If I am correct in my research Cenestin is only FDA approved for a 6 month use and promotes osterporsis (sp?). I voiced my concerns in October, but the nurse intercepted my call and stated that I should remain on Cenestin. (In our town other doctors in the community will not take you as a new patient if you have been seen by another doc in town, unless insurance warrants it; it's like a gentleman's agreement and everyone follows! So it's almost impossible to change!!) Not used to that since I am originally from Nashville.
Now that more time has passed I am determined to have a hormonal blood pattern done. At minimum, switch HRT until we know the results.
Please keep me in your prayers as I attempt to effectively articulate my body's needs! I have a wonderful family and the best husband in the world and I just want to get back to some sort of "normal".