Why does my doctor say HRT for women under 50 is not safe but everyone around me is taking it and feeling good?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Just out of curiosity, for all the posters who insist on HRT to prevent osteoporosis, do you get regular blood work to check vitamin d?

I’m not for or against HRT, but it does shock me that gyns don’t order bloodwork to check vitamin d, b12, magnesium, as well as TSH before prescribing anything. A lot of symptoms can actually be caused by a vitamin d deficiency, which is common.

I think people assume that if they eat a varied diet and eat healthy, they aren’t deficient in anything, but some people do not absorb certain nutrients well — even if they eat all of the right things.

Mine just did. Not for HRT, though. I’m not ready for that but for low-dose BCP. All within normal ranges.

Low dose BCP is still a higher dose of estrogen than HRT provides.

but you're fundamentally misunderstanding what the dr is saying.

if you are still having periods, you are still making estrogen. if you put hrt on TOP of that, you are exposing your body to higher levels of estrogen than if you take the pill. That's because the pill shuts down all your hormones and replaces them. make sense?

Yes, I understand that (not OP). But many doctors do allow women to take HRT while they still have a period.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Most of the doctors are relying on an old poorly designed study from over 20 years ago. The more recent studies show that IF YOU START HRT BEFORE you are fully through menopause it has significant benefits in protecting your heart and brain. If you wait until you are in your 60s, it’s too late because those receptors have turned off and so your body isn’t able to make appropriate use of the hormones and the effect is negative.

This contradicts 14:24.

From my mother's abysmal experience with HRT, I'm not touching it. Also, it doesn't make sense to me for "normal" menopause. And the constantly changing medical recommendations do not inspire me to change my mind.

+1 my mom had a horrific 18 months on hrt and died of ovarian cancer 15 years later.

Most women do not have a horrific experience with HRT. It has also changed a lot over the years. In the WHI study, they were taking synthetic oral estrogen and progestin. Now it’s often given as a bioidentical estrogen transdermal patch with bioidentical oral progesterone, which has lower risks of side effects. There is always a small risk of breast cancer, of course, but often the benefits outweigh the risk. My mother and grandmother both had osteoporosis, and I am in almost in menopause at age 45, so I am taking HRT for now.

This is not conclusive:


From the Mayo Clinic:
Are bioidentical or natural hormones safer and more effective than hormones used in traditional hormone therapy for menopause symptoms?
Answer From Tatnai Burnett, M.D.

"No, they aren't. According to the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and several medical specialty groups, the hormones marketed as "bioidentical" and "natural" aren't safer than hormones used in traditional hormone therapy. There's also no evidence that they're any more effective.

The term "bioidentical" means the hormones in the product are chemically identical to those your body produces. In fact, the hormones in bioidentical medications may not be any different from those in traditional hormone therapy. Several hormone therapy products approved by the FDA and prescribed by doctors or other health care providers contain bioidentical hormones."

https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/menopause/expert-answers/bioidentical-hormones/faq-20058460


From the Cleveland Clinic:
Conventional hormone therapy vs. bioidentical hormone therapy
"Compounded bioidentical hormones are advertised as being a safer, more effective, natural and individualized alternative to conventional hormone therapy. However, these claims remain unsupported. Also, the lack of FDA oversight for compounded hormones generates additional risks regarding the purity and safety of compounded bioidentical hormones."

https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/treatments/15660-bioidentical-hormones


From Harvard Medical School:
Are bioidentical hormones superior to hormone medications?
January 1, 2022
By Toni Golen, MD, Editor in Chief, Harvard Women's Health Watch; Editorial Advisory Board Member, Harvard Health Publishing; Contributor, and Hope Ricciotti, MD, Editor at Large, Harvard Women's Health Watch

"While advertisers may claim that these bioidentical hormones are "natural" alternatives to hormone medications, the truth is that the two are often very similar — but bioidenticals may come with less quality assurance. Many FDA-approved hormone therapies also meet the description of a bioidentical (although they're not usually advertised this way). In some cases, they are actually made using the same ingredients as bioidentical hormones. There's little evidence that bioidenticals are superior to FDA-approved hormone medications, and in fact, bioidenticals may be riskier, because they aren't scrutinized or tested by the FDA to verify dose and purity."

https://www.health.harvard.edu/womens-health/are-bioidentical-hormones-superior-to-hormone-medications

Thank you for sharing this.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I'm 39, and after several years of what, in hindsight, was probably perimenopause (periods of decreasing frequency, DOR/secondary infertility) I am now approaching the full year mark without a period. My gyn didn't mention HRT, but I'm wondering if I need to address it at my upcoming annual. Other than the amenorrhea, I can't say I have any real symptoms, so not sure if it's indicated or not?

I had amenorrhea in my early thirties and thank goodness I found Dr. James Simon in DC. He’s a leader in menopause research. He put me on HRT to protect my brain and bone health 10 years ago. I trust him more than any doctor I ever met. He will spend an hour or more each appointment talking about all his research and menopause. He understands the whole body is connected and will talk to you about your mental health, physical health, sexual health, etc. Anyone on the fence about HRT should go see him and pick his brain.

Darn, looks like he doesn't accept insurance. Do you mind sharing what an appointment costs you to see him? How does it work from an insurance standpoint if you need lab work, etc?

I just saw him 2 weeks ago and it cost me $350, they do give you something to submit to insurance if yours will take it. It sucks how all good specialists don’t accept insurance anymore. To minimize costs I have my primary (Kaiser) run the blood work he asks for, do annual paps, order my DEXA scans. Neither has no problem with this set up. Good luck.

[Anonymous]

I'm 34 and wondering when i should start researching this.

[Anonymous]

I’ve been in menopause for a year and am lucky to have had no side effects. But I do already have osteopenia and I’ve wondered if I should explore HRT to prevent further bone loss.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Just out of curiosity, for all the posters who insist on HRT to prevent osteoporosis, do you get regular blood work to check vitamin d?

I’m not for or against HRT, but it does shock me that gyns don’t order bloodwork to check vitamin d, b12, magnesium, as well as TSH before prescribing anything. A lot of symptoms can actually be caused by a vitamin d deficiency, which is common.

I think people assume that if they eat a varied diet and eat healthy, they aren’t deficient in anything, but some people do not absorb certain nutrients well — even if they eat all of the right things.

Mine just did. Not for HRT, though. I’m not ready for that but for low-dose BCP. All within normal ranges.

Low dose BCP is still a higher dose of estrogen than HRT provides.

but you're fundamentally misunderstanding what the dr is saying.

if you are still having periods, you are still making estrogen. if you put hrt on TOP of that, you are exposing your body to higher levels of estrogen than if you take the pill. That's because the pill shuts down all your hormones and replaces them. make sense?

Yes, I understand that (not OP). But many doctors do allow women to take HRT while they still have a period.

Oh my Lord, this is not how it works.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I'm 34 and wondering when i should start researching this.

My goodness, don’t borrow trouble. Enjoy your life!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:No drug is a magic potion.

Grow up.

It takes decades to get cancer, so your friends would not be showing signs yet, of course.
And, I hate to tell you but you and they will grow old. It is inevitable (unless you die).

So be clear eyed about things.

I first got breast cancer diagnosed at 35. No family history. No signs of cancer every year after treatment, there had been no lymph node involvement. It’s 20 years now since diagnosis and treatment and now a tumor was found in my lung and it’s from my breast cancer I had 20 years ago based on the DNA. So women sometimes do have cancer cells not detected or seen in any testing but might start rapidly reproducing with new estrogen coming into the body.

Now I have to take drugs to stop estrogen in the hopes that the tumor will be starved.

So yeah, I look like a twisted old hag like someone said. Burnt looking hair, no eyebrows, dry skin, painful joints.

It totally sucks that estrogen feeds cancer but helps protect your heart. Having to make that choice sucks too.

Were you not in natural menopause at 55? Did you take tamoxifen 20 years ago after your initial diagnosis (it sounds like you did not need chemo due to lymph nodes being clear).

There are new medications every year. Wishing you all the best!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Just out of curiosity, for all the posters who insist on HRT to prevent osteoporosis, do you get regular blood work to check vitamin d?

I’m not for or against HRT, but it does shock me that gyns don’t order bloodwork to check vitamin d, b12, magnesium, as well as TSH before prescribing anything. A lot of symptoms can actually be caused by a vitamin d deficiency, which is common.

I think people assume that if they eat a varied diet and eat healthy, they aren’t deficient in anything, but some people do not absorb certain nutrients well — even if they eat all of the right things.

Mine just did. Not for HRT, though. I’m not ready for that but for low-dose BCP. All within normal ranges.

Low dose BCP is still a higher dose of estrogen than HRT provides.

but you're fundamentally misunderstanding what the dr is saying.

if you are still having periods, you are still making estrogen. if you put hrt on TOP of that, you are exposing your body to higher levels of estrogen than if you take the pill. That's because the pill shuts down all your hormones and replaces them. make sense?

Yes, I understand that (not OP). But many doctors do allow women to take HRT while they still have a period.

Oh my Lord, this is not how it works.

Why do you think that? I personally still have a period and my doctor allowed me to start the estrogen patch plus progesterone (after checking bloodwork). I follow some menopause forums and many women use HRT during perimenopause to alleviate symptoms. It seems more common in the UK and Australia.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Just out of curiosity, for all the posters who insist on HRT to prevent osteoporosis, do you get regular blood work to check vitamin d?

I’m not for or against HRT, but it does shock me that gyns don’t order bloodwork to check vitamin d, b12, magnesium, as well as TSH before prescribing anything. A lot of symptoms can actually be caused by a vitamin d deficiency, which is common.

I think people assume that if they eat a varied diet and eat healthy, they aren’t deficient in anything, but some people do not absorb certain nutrients well — even if they eat all of the right things.

Mine just did. Not for HRT, though. I’m not ready for that but for low-dose BCP. All within normal ranges.

Low dose BCP is still a higher dose of estrogen than HRT provides.

but you're fundamentally misunderstanding what the dr is saying.

if you are still having periods, you are still making estrogen. if you put hrt on TOP of that, you are exposing your body to higher levels of estrogen than if you take the pill. That's because the pill shuts down all your hormones and replaces them. make sense?

Yes, I understand that (not OP). But many doctors do allow women to take HRT while they still have a period.

Oh my Lord, this is not how it works.

Oh my lord yes it is. My 52 year old friend still has periods ands just started HRT.

[Anonymous]

https://www.instagram.com/drmaryclaire/

I follow Dr. Mary Claire Haver on instagram. She shares the latest research on Menopause and the benefits of HRT.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:https://www.instagram.com/drmaryclaire/

I follow Dr. Mary Claire Haver on instagram. She shares the latest research on Menopause and the benefits of HRT.

I have found her extremely helpful. She posts peer reviewed studies and explains them.

Dr. Kelly Casper is a urologist and also very helpful.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:https://www.instagram.com/drmaryclaire/

I follow Dr. Mary Claire Haver on instagram. She shares the latest research on Menopause and the benefits of HRT.

I have found her extremely helpful. She posts peer reviewed studies and explains them.

Dr. Kelly Casper is a urologist and also very helpful.

Agree

[Anonymous]

Medicine goes in phases. Right now it's all about HRT, push HRT on everyone. I think the push will likely right itself again.

Personally, sex hormones are some dangerous crap to mess with in a woman. They are much more related to cancer than other things.

I would put off using them as a last resort. Going on levothyroxine, and a few supplements righted the ship. Like the posters that said if there are cancer cells there--the hormones (just like a pregnancy) will really ignite them. With dense breasts, I'm not going to risk it.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Medicine goes in phases. Right now it's all about HRT, push HRT on everyone. I think the push will likely right itself again.

Personally, sex hormones are some dangerous crap to mess with in a woman. They are much more related to cancer than other things.

I would put off using them as a last resort. Going on levothyroxine, and a few supplements righted the ship. Like the posters that said if there are cancer cells there--the hormones (just like a pregnancy) will really ignite them. With dense breasts, I'm not going to risk it.

Like everything else, it's a business. Pharma.