Would you take hormones if you were me? (info in post)

[Anonymous]

I would just like to point out that if estrogen truly caused breast cancer, the rate would be much higher among pregnant women and young women. In fact, the most common time to get breast cancer is 50s and beyond, after you have gone through menopause and basically have no estrogen in your body.

[Anonymous]

I would, and I do. They help the most with sleeping through the night and energy during the day. They also helped with weight loss but I think that was most related to sleep and energy.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I don’t have your osteopenia issue and I am 51 and went thru memo at 48-49. I had some hot flashes but they have calmed way down now. I get ocular migraine but way way less since meno. I have gained 10 lbs I can’t lose which makes me barely in overweight bmi. I have 3 lbs to lose to be “normal”. My mother and grandmother died of bc (mom was estrogen positive) both developed post meno and a cousin had estrogen positive bc also post meno but caught super early and she is fine. As a result of this I get mammo and mri alternating every 6 months which I hate. I do have no sex drive and that is a challenge I do just suck it up sometimes.

My dr said that if my life is really affected we can have a discussion. But I don’t think it has? I feel pretty good to be honest. I have not taken hormones and will not.

I feel like just maybe the pendulum has swung the other way on hormones. All this stuff out there makes me feel like a freak that will turn into a crone early and die earlier if I don’t take hormones. It almost seems a bit of trying to make all women young and sexy forever and it seems kinda controlling that way. I get if you have reallly bad meno symptoms and need it that is one thing - but it seems like the message is everyone should be on hormones. I am “all natural” and fine with that!

NP. I can’t even…that is SO misogynistic to say women are taking hormones to be “young and sexy forever.” Truly appalling.

Many of us have done the research and have talked to our doctors about ALL the risks including osteoporosis (which nearly every women eventually gets and is a cause of death because so many women end up dying after a fracture). Also, heart disease, not breast cancer, is the leading cause of death for women and while HRT is not prescribed for that, there is interesting research coming out. Also, vaginal estrogen protects from atrophy and UTIs, which can negatively affect health outcomes. This is all in addition to lessening symptoms, including depression which is scarily on the rise in midlife women.

It’s not for vanity.

[Anonymous]

I’m pp. and not advocating for it one way or another, just making the medical case for why some women choose it with their doctors, especially those who give you agency to assess your risk for everything and decide.

[Anonymous]

It was probably not DCIS which is generally curable and stage 1 when found. If mom had Her2 positive or triple negative, I would be more worried.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:With that breast cancer risk? Absolutely no way. You are in the one group that shouldn’t even consider it (so am I).

Gyn said risk is an extra 2/1000 people

I am the pp you are responding to. I am watching a relative succumb to BC right now and I would not add to that risk by 1/1000000. Things add up when you are already at an elevated risk.

On of my best friends died of breast cancer at 52. So horrific.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I would just like to point out that if estrogen truly caused breast cancer, the rate would be much higher among pregnant women and young women. In fact, the most common time to get breast cancer is 50s and beyond, after you have gone through menopause and basically have no estrogen in your body.

This post has some misleading info.
First post meno women with estrogen positive cancer do take an estrogen blocker usually aromatics inhibitors. While you have much less estrogen in menopause you do have some.

There is also a spike in risk after giving birth. https://unclineberger.org/news/study-finds-higher-risk-of-breast-cancer-for-women-after-childbirth/

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I would just like to point out that if estrogen truly caused breast cancer, the rate would be much higher among pregnant women and young women. In fact, the most common time to get breast cancer is 50s and beyond, after you have gone through menopause and basically have no estrogen in your body.

It doesn’t cause it. It causes the cancer cells to grow and multiply. Your body produces mutated cells. A lot of times you body is able to handle them and kill them off. Sometimes it cannot. Estrogen helps the mutated cell survive and cause problems.

You do have estrogen post-menopause. That is why your adipose tissue matters then. It is how your body produces estrogen when your ovaries do not. Which is why aromatase inhibitors exist.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:age 54- menopause just started
Migraines (no aura)
Risk of Breast cancer - 21% (mother had DCIS and I have dense breasts)
Osteopenia
No or minimal hot flashes
anxiety - nothing new
zero libido
gained 20lbs over 2 years but was 100 lbs before
fall asleep fine but wake up middle of night a lot (to pee or from stress)

I am likely going to try them and see if I feel better (low dose bio identical)

Concerns are BC, stroke, migraines worse. Pros bones and other protective measures

why no libido at this weight? Are you taking anything for it?