Hormones and Hysterectomy

A woman who has had a hysterectomy at an early age faces sometimes 10 - 20 years that she may need to be on a hormone replacement regimen to eliminate hot flashes, night sweats, vaginal dryness, short term memory loss. these are only the more bothersome after affects of hysterectomy. There is also bone loss, osteoporosis, and, increased risk of cardiovascular disease.

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Evidence that estrogens increase the risk of carcinoma of the endometrium in humans (*note that progesterone helps to offset the risks associated with estrogen use, why would the medical community think it was not needed?) This from a synthetic hormone product, I will not use the brand name, but it is a combination of esterified estrogens and methyltestosterone:

	premenstrual like syndrome
	vaginal candidiasis
	cystitis like syndrome
	breast tenderness
	nausea, vomiting
	abdominal cramps, bloating
	jaundice's
	loss of scalp hair
	intolerance to contact lenses
	headache, migraine, dizziness
	increase or decrease in weight
	mental depression
	edema
	changes in libido
	increased risk of emdometrial cancer
	abnormal blood clotting (which can result in stroke)
	2-3 fold increase in the risk of gallbladder disease.

Of Methyltestosterone:

	deepening of the voice
	hirsutism, male pattern of baldness and acne
	retention of sodium chloride, water
	nausea, alterations in liver function
	suppression of clotting factors
	increased or decreased libido, headache, anxiety, depression
	increased serum cholesterol

F A C T S

Here are some of the things I know for sure:

Women are not getting the clear, concise, information they need to make informed choices and decisions regarding hormone replacement.

Five different doctors will give you five different opinions on hormone replacement.

Most doctors won't even discuss any validity in natural hormone replacement options.

There are many pro's and con's to synthetic and natural hormone replacement

INTERNET SITES

• Emerita http://www.emerita.com (manuf. of ProGest a natural progesterone cream)
• An interview with Dr.John Lee:
http://www.bluemoon.net/~blm/mp_art14.htm
• Women's International Pharmacy
http://www.wipws.com/
• Transitions http://www.transitions.com
• Dr. Lee ( an informative transcript on Progesterone)
http://www.itsnet.com/~rpowell/lee.html

Having been a member of The Phenomenal Women Of The Web woman since September 9, 1997, I have read thousands of postings from women of all walks of life. there is a very common thread in them all. All are having great challenges getting their hormone therapy "squared away", and feeling "good" and like themselves again. Very few have written that only Premarin has restored their feeling "good" again, yet doctors continue to almost automatically prescribe "only Premarin" for women post-hysterectomy.

The most positive results from attempts at hormone replacement I have seen from these women and the doctors who were open-minded and progressive enough to believe the trio approach, is a complete approach. Meaning when all three hormones are replaced with natural hormone replacement therapy, otherwise known as (NHRT). Many women have had relief of many lingering problems from a combination of estradiol, progesterone, and testosterone. Which makes perfect sense to this writer. Getting your doctor to believe in this and prescribe this is another struggle. Then there are insurance battles, they will not cover this type of natural hormone therapy.

Reading the experiences of hundreds of women in this small forum alone has made a believer out of me. Their reports of negative side effects from synthetic hormones. Increase in headaches, bloating, depression, irritability, weight gain, muscle and joint aches, this cannot be good for us and leads to poor quality of life.

The trade off for using synthetic hormones is as bad as not using any. Have you ever read the possible side effects on a prescription for birth control. It scared me to death the first time I read it. The list of possible side effects on synthetic hormones is much the same.

Are the supposed cures worse than the illness? Some of these associated risks are the very things we're trying to prevent. Doctors have been widely prescribing synthetic hormones to women for fifty years now but the incidence of reproductive cancers and diseases are on the rise, as is heart attack and osteoporosis. Natural hormones are not associated with all these risks.

Do It Yourself Hormone Replacement In the 90's By:Jeannah Newman

An odd title you must be thinking! It has been my experience and that of untold hundreds of thousands of women that hormone replacement in the 90's can be exactly that! Hormone replacement is a much discussed subject, little understood, and even less valued by the mainstream of the medical community.

Since my hysterectomy in July of 97', I have discussed, thought of, researched, spoken of, listened to, and read any information I could regarding hormone replacement be it natural or synthetic.

I've read books, pamphlets, PDR's, leaflets from hormone products, and searched on the internet. I've spoken with doctors, nurses, women who've had hysterectomies, some , like me who's operations have been recent, and some who are "hyst veterans" that have been grappling with the issue of hormone replacement for years, and my friends, I still have no clear, concise information.

There are two events when a woman will find herself in need of hormone replacement.

1. After a partial or total hysterectomy.
        or
   2. with the natural progression into menopause.

   Along with finding herself at the arrival of either of these "events", a woman asks herself....what is the best choice for me ? I Find it amazing that most doctors will immediately prescribe estrogen replacement therapy after a hysterectomy without even checking a woman's hormone levels.

   Especially with hysterectomy, we have lost the process of producing the three hormones that have been circulating in or bodies and are needed for optimal health, estrogen, progesterone and testosterone.

   It makes sense to me that all three would need to be replaced in some form. Sadly, too little research has been done into the encompassing effects all three hormones play into a woman's total health. These hormones are not only needed for reproduction. Researchers are finding daily how hormones or the lack of them effect many organs and bodily functions

The GoodWill Seals
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   I subscribe to a digest on the internet facilitated by Sans-Uteri, an organization based in California, founded by Beth Tinnier, who herself had a hysterectomy at a young age. At this writing, the Sans-Uteri digest has 567 members from across our country and a few others, women of all ages that have had hysterectomies or a capsule, or sublingual tablets that are dissolved under the tongue. Many women report very good results in using this form of NHRT.

   Let us hope in the very near future we come to the awareness that long term use of synthetic hormones, and/or hormones extracted from animals urine as is Premarin, are foreign substances to the human body. Use of them, is not proven to be safe to our health, too much is unknown.

   Let our doctors and medical associations open their minds and realize that a natural approach, while not profitable for the big drug companies, is much safer for human bodies. Let our insurance companies realize that a natural approach will assure better long term health for their insured, thereby reducing the spiraling cost of health care in this country.

For Further Reading on Natural Hormone Replacement:

Dr. John Lee: "What Your Doctor May Not Tell You About Menopause"
Dr. Susan Love's: "Hormone Book, The need to tell the truth"
Dr. Betty Kamen: "Hormone Replacement Therapy Yes or No?"

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