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Q. I am 61 years old and have taken estrogen for nearly five years. My doctor said that is the limit and had me stop.Do you have information on relieving hot flashes and other symptoms? I have them now in abundance!
Even with extra soy in my diet my hot flashes are still very strong and annoying and interrupt my sleep. My mother died of breast cancer and I really don't want to continue taking HRT if it will increase my risk of cancer. I do hope there is some alternative for these problems.
A. Long-term exposure to hormone replacement therapy (HRT) increases the risk for blood clots and heart attacks as well as for breast cancer. Most experts advise limiting HRT to the lowest dose that works for the shortest time necessary, preferably less than five years.
There are several other approaches to controlling hot flashes, ranging from prescription drugs such as Effexor, Prozac or Neurontin to natural supplements such as black cohosh, Pycnogenol or St. John's wort. We have summarized these in the new Guide to Menopause we are sending you.
Anyone who would like a copy, please send $3 in check or money order with a long (no. 10) stamped (61 cents), self-addressed envelope: Graedons' People's Pharmacy, No. E-50, P. O. Box 52027, Durham, NC 27717-2027. It can also be downloaded for $2 from the Website: www.peoplespharmacy.com.
I use bioidentical hormones - estradial, progesterone and testosterone. Find a doctor or nurse practitioner who knows how to use these hormones. They are prescription only and come in many forms ie patches, creams, pills and so on. Not only did they banish hot flashes and restore sleep, but I look great and my sex life has been rejuvenated! My husband was so impressed that he now takes bioidentical testosterone. We are in our 60's.
I am 67 years old and still have mild hot flashes! I use topical bio-identical estrogen and progesterone. I have them compounded at my pharmacy. The lowest dosage of estrogen which I use is only 1.25 mg. The estrogen's are extracted from the soy plant. I now have only a few hot flashes, I feel 100% better, more energy, not depressed as before. I took synthetic hormones for 14 years, that ended when I read books about how dangerous they were. The bio-identical work very well for me.
Oh, I also tried eating soy products and overdid it, I soon developed a thyroid problem. The soy extracted from the plant in order to compound the estrogen I'm taking is no longer there after compounding.
I have been using Black Cohosh successfully for several years, to deal with hot flushes. Occasionally I stop - just to check it is still necessary - & the flushes are back with a vengeance. I can wholeheartedly recommend your trying this supplement.
I started taking Cinnamon tablets, 500 mg in the morning and evening,
and feel it has reduced my hot flashes. When and if I do experience HF they are not so severe, quite bearable actually, and lasts only a few seconds. I also take Effexor, so between the two it helps a lot.
I'm not sure how long this will be effective, but for now it is working. Worth a try.
I started having very intense hot flashes a few months ago and it was a real problem when meeting with clients. Plus my poor husband was freezing as I cranked up the cool air in the house. I read that the supplement Maca helped with hot flashed so gave it a try. I started out with one pill 2x a day and it was effective very quickly... like within 2 days. I decided to try one pill a day or every other day and it seems to keep the hot flashes in check even with such a low amount. If I go beyond every other day, the flashes promptly come back. The Maca has made a significant difference for me.
I am interested in where you get your black cohosh. I also got off estrogen in the spring and have been having those uncomfortable hot flashes ever since. I was told to take Remifemin, which is black cohosh. That has helped some, but is very expensive compared to the vitamin supplement labeled black cohosh in the drugstore. My concern is the dosage of black cohosh. I had the pharmacist look at the contents of Remifemin compared to the regular bottle of black cohosh, which is 1/3 the price. He couldn't tell me how they compared! Do you know???
Sallie
Has anyone tried wild yam tea for use in menopause?
Rubbing Yam on your body or drinking the tea should not have the estrogenic effect you desire. The substrate used to produce bio-identical hormones that mirror human estrogens and progesterones are taken from yam and other naturally occurring plants (soy, etc.), but MUST be treated in the lab to yield a product that has hormone effects.