Hormones for Menopause

I lived through menopause and the thing that worked the best was a pill called "soy care" from Kaiser. You don't have to be a member to buy it, just may cost a bit more. They are still not expensive and worth trying before the heavy hormone stuff.

Pro-gest by Emerita. It's natural. It works and the telephone support folks are awesome! Can be bought at local health food store. Good luck.

You can get great results from plant hormones, even better most of the time.
You have to really know what you're getting though. Most supplements on the market are not quality and don't work. I've been through a ton to find the best myself. We owned a health food store and after selling it, I've worked in other stores - there's a ton out there and almost none deliver.
When eating plant hormones you get much more than just relief, you get strong bones, better muscle tone, clarity of mind, improved well being, stamina and healthier glands and organs. All of these things are run by our hormones. All humans have at least 87 hormones and they run everything organ, pressure, digestion, bones, joints, muscles, on and on.
It's about creating a strong, vibrant, healthy body.
Blessings,
C.

I had perimenopause for about 10 yrs and would have lost my mind w/o hormones. I went on low-dose estrogen birth control pills and that did the trick. Very inexpensive because they are covered by insurance. Good luck!

You may want to check out the book called "What Your Doctor May Not Tell You About Menopause" by John R. Lee. His prejudice is definitely against synthetic hormones, but it will give you a better idea of what's out there and what the issues are.

Because of this book (or actually, the Perimenopause version of it), I started on natural progesterone cream during perimenopause and it helped me TREMENDOUSLY. When menopause finally hit and I started having hot flashes, I also noticed that my moods were really up and down. A friend who works at Pharmaca recommended a product called "Transitions" from Pure Essence Labs, and it has helped a lot. She said that most people who buy it at her store really like it.

FYI, I've tried a lot of different brands of natural progesterone looking for something inexpensive, and most of them seem to work pretty well. Just go to your local health food store and ask for something good, or look for an online seller with reviews and you should be able to get something that will work for you.

Good luck!

You REALLY need to have this conversation with your OB/GYN so you understand all the risks associated with hormone replacement therapy.

A few years ago, it was found to have a possible link to certain cancers. Then, another study contradicted it, and it's really hard to find what the current thinking among leading scientists/physicians are.

So, the biggest hormone change is estrogen. Whether or not it's best to give orally (Premarin, for example), topically through a lotion or gel, vaginally, etc. is up for debate.
But, only your OB/GYN can tell you for sure what is safest at this time and carries the lowest risks for developing certain side effects.

Also, many of the biosimilars are NOT FDA approved, so you don't have any safety net regarding the claims of effectiveness, safety or quality of ingredients used.

Good luck!

I would recommend a natural solution. I have a great supplement that balances out the hormones. It makes a difference.

If you want more info let me know.

Have a great day.

N. Marie

Had I known there were natural things you could take when I went through menopause, I would have gone that route. Check with your health food store. If you are in Sacramento, I would recommend either Sunrise on Douglas in Roseville or Sunshine on Fair Oaks & Madison in Fair Oaks.

My personal experience was that I was miserable taking the hormones. Had terrible mood swings and made myself and my family miserable. My own final solution was to go off the hormones and onto a good daily vitamin regimen. So if you're not taking vitamins, that might be a place for you to start. Each of us is so different that I can't say this is necessarily for you, but it is another alternative.

First of all..........Talk to your Dr. Only a Dr. can give the advice you need and know what might be right for your body.

Right after my complete hysterectomy about 8 yrs ago, my Dr. put me on the Vivelle Dot patch. I've been on it ever since and never had any issues. In the beginning I switched the patch out twice a week. Now I use 1 a week.

No weight gain - still a petite size 2, no loss of sex drive, my boobs did go from perky 34C to perky 34 DD and I LOVE that side effect.

I completely agree that you should research the pros and cons. I use Arbonne's Bio Identical Balancing Cream which I started using for Migraine Headaches(that went away after suffering for my entire life) I didn't know at that time that I was right in the middle of the Big M. I never had any of the symptoms. I sent you a private message with my contact info. Good Luck
Kay

Well for what's it's worth I treated my menopause symptoms exclusively through acupuncture and chinese herbs. Early on I used progesterone cream which was really helpful. For the hot flash symptoms I used Three Immortals which you can buy online without a practitioner. The third leg of the stool so to speak was really the monthly treatments. I never worried about side effects and I had limited symptoms. I found that when my alcohol and caffeine consumption went up the symptoms were worse; exercise helped. If you decide to pursue acupuncture I strongly recommend that you find a chinese doctor who practices "5 Elements". It is the ancient form of acupuncture that was outlawed when Mao came into power and it is having a resurgence especially here in the states. If is far more effective than the contemporary version.

Good luck - it's a frustrating period to live through (no pun intended) but it's great on the other side.

I have taken hormones for a few years and I use the Vivelle dot (0.5) which is a tiny patch I change twice a week and out it on my butt and it is easy. I also use Prometrium (100mg ) at night which is a pill. I have had no problems at all and have not had to increase my dosage since I started.

I will tell me what my doctor had told me........if you are pre-determined for cancer...then you are. My GYN always told me hormones keep your skin, hair, boobs and everything else in good shape coz your body needs them. He told me one day if I wasn't on hormones my boobs could be fine and then next day down to my waist (I'm sure he exaggerated, but.....). Good luck on this decision. I know at least only one pill is going through my liver and the other...the tiny patch.....which by the way stays on amazingly....does not.

R.