Is Hormone Therapy Treatment Safe for Menopause?

The question of whether hormone therapy treatment is safe or not for menopause didn’t seem to be a bother for many women, until researchers in the Women’s Health Initiative in 2002 associated this treatment with increased risks of diseases like heart attack, stroke and breast cancer, among others. Out of fear, the announcement saw millions of women do away with their hormones, drastically affecting its prescription and consumption. 2 years later, Women’s Health Institute would further establish that women making use of estrogen alone were not at high risk of developing heart attacks and breast cancer, save for blood clots and strokes.

To help in answering whether it’s still safe or not to use, we will briefly review what HRT is, and then the benefits and the risk factors.

Understanding HRT

When a woman gets to menopause (widely ranging from 30s to 50s), her body reduces the production of female hormones, known as estrogen and progesterone. With this development, her ovaries can no longer produce eggs, her monthly periods stop, and she can no longer become expectant. This change in the female life comes with a lot of short term and long term symptoms, including moodiness, irritability, sleep disturbance, hot flushes, sweating, vaginal pains and dryness, among others.

Administration of HRT

To relieve menopause symptoms, doctors prescribe HRT, which works by replacing either or both the depleted estrogen and progesterone. HRT is taken in various forms: in form of tablets, as implants (appropriate places as guided by the doctor), or by rubbing it into the skin as a gel or spray. Creams or vaginal rings can be administered for women dealing with vaginal dryness.

Types of Hormone Therapies

There are two major types of hormones therapies. Estrogen Therapy is where estrogen is taken alone, and is usually taken in low doses on a daily basis, for the purposes of relieving symptoms of menopause and for the prevention of osteoporosis, and is largely recommended for women who have undergone hysterectomy (removal of the uterus). The second one is generally referred to as a combination therapy, because ideally it is a combination of doses from estrogen and progesterone. Others may call it Estrogen Progesterone or Progestin Hormone Therapy.

The Do's and Don’ts of Hormone Therapy Treatment

Hormone therapy remains the most efficient and successful menopause treatments for hot flashes and vaginal dryness.  Vaginal estrogen should be the preferred treatment for women whose only issue is uncomfortable sexual intercourse because of vaginal dryness. Estrogen pills, cream, gel or spray remain the most reliable treatment for both night sweats and hot flashes, in addition to symptoms like itching and painful intercourse. You should therefore not suffer in silence with “internal global warming”, given the effectiveness of
HRT in fighting hot flashes.

It should be noted that unless advised otherwise by your doctor, HRT is a lot safer for women in their late 40s and early 50s. Younger women experiencing the early stages of menopause and undergoing hormone therapy have very low risks of contracting cancers, strokes and blood clots, compared to their counterparts in their 60s and 70s. Other benefits of taking HRT include reduced loss of teeth, decreased chances of suffering bone breakage and developing osteoporosis, and average improvement for pains in the joints. For peri-menopausal or menopausal women, use of hormones may be very safe for the control of irregular bleeding. Further, WHI agrees that hormones can significantly reduce the chances of women suffering from colon cancer and osteoporosis.

It’s imperative to point out that you cannot be safe using hormone replacement therapy in the prevention of chronic diseases, especially because there are increased risks of cancer and cardiovascular risks for women in postmenopausal stage. More particularly, for some older women the risks include gall bladder disease, blood clots, strokes and heart attack, breast cancer, and cancer of the uterine lining for women with a uterus. Even so, these risks are subject to many other factors like family history, the state of health for individual women, and the amount of estrogen or progesterone dosage, and whether the hormones are combined or not.

Hormones should only be introduced to older women (those who have not had periods for more than 10 years) in this category for very particular functioning, and under close supervision to avert more crises. It should however be noted that there are many women (young and old) who get breast cancer even when they are not on hormone therapy.

Every woman considering use of hormones should remember hormones are not a permanent medication, just like all other medications. Close consultations with a gynecologist or family doctor would help assess individual health situation and related risk factors for the development of a personalized formula.

A major disadvantage of the Women’s Health Initiative findings of 2002 is that majority of the women in the study were older women in their mid-60s. Those below the age of 60 were no more than 10%, who indeed had fewer risks and more benefits from hormone therapies.

References:

https://www.glozine.com/lifestyle/health/supplements-to-ease-menopause.html

http://www.enkivillage.com/is-hormone-therapy-safe-for-menopause-treatments.html

Progesteril Users Get Their Questions Answers

1. It is good and advisable to take soy for menopause hot flashes? How much it is recommended? It is harmful to the body? We must rest seasonally or you can take then?

Soy is great. Chinese women have taken it since time immemorial and interestingly they do not have a word for hot flashes. We take soy, because it has a high percentage of protein, has phytoestrogens, decreases the amount of calcium lost, which also comes in handy for osteoporosis. In addition, it is also good for memory and mood. What I advise you is to find a product that besides giving you the soy ingredients it has something to deal with other symptoms of menopause. A good example of such a product is progesteril. Progesteril menopause cream is all natural and judging from the many progesteril reviews, the product is also affordable.

2. Is there a relationship between subclinical hypothyroidism and premature menopause?

Yes there is a direct relationship. It is very common, most women have little thyroid failure within the physiological resolves with the hormonal adjustment. In cases of early menopause you will not be forced to supplement with hormone replacement therapy.


3. Are there are differences in relation to serious side effects, from HRT administered both orally and by other means? What is the maximum time that you would recommend to take them?

It is best to take the estrogen in patch form, together with progesterone. Progesterone is always oral. To take care of the symptoms of menopause it will be three years with the therapy, if it is an early menopause or if you can have your ovaries removed, the time varies, depending on age and other factors.

4. If menopause is a normal stage of the physiology of women would it not be better to not take any medication?

I agree. The first thing is to get used to the stage and adjust your exercise and diet. But sometimes it is not enough, so we need help with supplements, some Chinese herbs, homeopathy ... And in other cases, administered therapies. Delivery is also natural and some women require cesarean sections. Blessed be the cesarean. Each case is different. If you do not need drugs, perfect.

5. How can you recognize a first stage of early menopause? What are the symptoms? Can it be early menopause related to endometriosis?

It is not related to endometriosis. If you have not had your periods for one year, you might be experiencing menopause. The gynaecologist is the one to tell you.

6. I am Mary and I am 53 years and I experience many hot flashes. How long does it take to disappear completely? What I can do to overcome them? .Thanks
Theoretically it will take two years for them to disappear. Take care of your diet and exercise, to see how it goes.

7. What causes late or early menopauses?

There are many factors. One is genetics. Another is, according to the Chinese, if there has been a significant energy loss and the context of women, have had many children, prolonged lactation, stress etc... Another important one is thyroid failure, which sometimes is familiar.

8. Good afternoon, what preventive measures - in general can be taken duringmenopause

It is a change that youcannot escape, but that does not mean it must be bad. You will emerge stronger. You have resources to cope with change, such as diet, exercise, introspection techniques, non-conventional medicine and, above all, practice the joy of living, meet and participate in peer groups that share the same experience and enjoy. You have already raised children, now you have to enjoy, travel, sign up for courses you had outstanding ... now is the time. With these resources faces this time, knowing that the discomforts are not forever, but only last a season.

9. If menopause occurs abnormally soon, are there methods to delay it?

If menopause has arrived and it is premature, you may need to do hormone replacement therapy, there is no other way out. If you do not take hrt, osteoporosis can occur very soon. And keep moving on with normal life, without thinking all day about your menopause.

Parting shot
During and after menopause, everything changes. And it is in the hand of every woman to always look for better life. Menopause is a new stage of fullness with much energy as any other stage of life. It is true that we have many undesired symptoms but that doesn't make us lesser women. We should embrace it and live with it like it doesn't mean anything.

Hot Flashes Common Before Menopause

Most women expect hot flashes as a part of the "change of life", but more than half start sweating before menopause has actually begun, according to a survey.

The study and others "indicate that women start having hot flashes and night sweats, the primary symptoms of the menopause transition, before they have their final menstrual period, contrary to the perception of many clinicians", according to Ellen Gold, of the University of California, Davis School of Medicine.

Previous studies put the number of women with hot flashes at 15 or 20%, but those specifically asked about hot flashes in the past two weeks, which may be a better measure of early onset menopause symptoms than the current study, which asked, "Have you ever had a hot flash?", said Gold, who was not involved in the study.

The findings, published in the journal Menopause, shouldn't be a concern for women, but it may change how researchers look at hot flashes, according to lead author Dr Susan Reed who studies women's mid-life health at the University of Washington in Seattle.

Oestrogen mimic

Usually associated with menopause, hot flashes and night sweats occur when hormone changes cause blood vessels near the surface of the skin to open rapidly. Women with regular menstrual cycles should have enough oestrogen to stave off hot flashes, but they may have to re-evaluate that idea, Reed told Reuters Health by email.

Reed and her co-authors sent questionnaires to 18500 women between 45 and 56. About half responded. Of the 1500 who still had regular cycles and weren't taking medications such as antibiotics or hormone replacement, 55% reported having experienced a hot flash or night sweat at some point in their lives.

More than half of white, black and Native American women reported the symptoms, compared to 30% or fewer of Asian and Hispanic women. The study was funded by Otsuka Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd., which is developing S-Equol, a compound that may mimic oestrogen and could be a potential treatment for menopausal symptoms. Many women have hot flashes but don't find that they disrupt daily life, said Ellen Freeman, of the University of Pennsylvania Perelman School of Medicine in Philadelphia.

Women who experienced hot flashes

"Note that only 22% were 'bothered', so more than half of the women who had experienced a hot flash weren't troubled by it," Freeman told Reuters Health by email. Though it wasn't their primary aim, the researchers also looked at how much soy the women reported eating. Soybeans contain weak oestrogen-like compounds, which are not as strong as oestrogen but have been linked to reduced fertility and early puberty in women.

Among white women, those with menopausal symptoms seemed more likely to eat soy regularly, while white women without symptoms were more likely to never have eaten soy. There was no relationship with soy in the other ethnic groups. Though a recent study found that eating soy doesn't alleviate hot flashes, "given the design of the study, it is possible that those women with hot flashes had increased soy intake to try to manage their hot flashes -- we don't know which came first", Reed's co-author Katherine Newton told Reuters Health.

Article Source - http://www.health24.com/Medical/Menopause/News/Hot-flashes-common-before-menopause-20130624

3 Alternative Treatments for Hot Flashes

Hot flashes are common to women who are undergoing the menopausal stage. It is a condition wherein you will feel intense warmth or hot feeling all over your face down to your neck and chest. Some women find this unbearable and too uncomfortable which can make them fret. Its episodes may occur from as little as few times in a week to more frequent like several times in a day.

Some of its common symptoms include a feeling of strong heat or warmth spreading on face all throughout the upper body. It is also characterized by flushed appearance and red skin. Rapid heartbeat, perspiration and chilled feeling are also included in its symptoms.

There are many treatments being offered today for this kind of menopause symptom. However, most women who are experiencing it often opt to choose alternative treatments or natural remedy as it is more effective and safe. Included in these are the following:

1. Black Cohosh – This is one of the most popular alternative treatments that are being used today by most women. Aside from menopausal symptoms, Black Cohosh is also being used to treat various medical disorders such as malaise, malaria and rheumatism. It is also called “macrotys” by a group of alternative doctors.

2. Plant Estrogen's – It is believed that the reason why women who live in Asian countries are less likely to suffer from hot flashes is because they are getting more estrogen compound through soy products and plants.

3. Ginseng – Though there is no concrete evidence that proves ginseng to reduce episodes of hot flashes, many women are still using it as they are claiming it to work wonder on their hot sweats. Ginseng is also known to treat mood swings and insomnia.

Other options:
You can also find relief from hot flashes through the following ways:

* If you are a smoker, you might want to quit if you want to relieve yourself from night sweats as it can worsen your hot flash episodes.
* Alcohol must also be avoided.
* Learn a rhythmic breathing exercise that will help you calm and relax your mind during episodes of hot flashes.
* Short-term, low-dose estrogen can also be used as treatment.

Aside from these alternative treatments, you may also opt to visit your doctor to ask for his advice on the best treatment that will work for you. Remember, you can always trust your doctor’s advice on things like this.

There are tons of ways you can choose from in order to free yourself from discomfort brought by excessive night sweats. But you certainly need to understand clearly yourself or your body to see the best remedy that can definitely help you treat your hot flash episodes.