menopause

[tish]

hello fellow aper's, is anyone dealing with menopause symptoms while on ap?  I need help.  have tried soy shakes, which seemed to help alot but then found out soy could mess up my hypothyroid.  any suggestions?  if not one thing it's two.  thanks for any input.

[linda]

There's a new hormone called Evista that also prevents osteoporosis but does not act on breast tissue or the heart. If you don't want to use hormones, you can try black cohosh. You need to do something to prevent bone loss, weight bearing exercise for 30 min every day is good, and will prevent weight gain which is also an issue. Dress in layers so you can peel off clothing when you have hot flashes, drink cold drinks, avoid caffeine (it pulls calcium out of the bones). There's just not a whole lot that can be done without the help of estrogen, but there are those nasty potential side effects to worry about.

I had a complete hysterectomy 9 yrs ago- no gradual adjustment to mood changes, hot flashes, etc; I was fine for 3 days following the surgery, then whamo, I got all the symptoms full blown. Because the surgery was for endometriosis, and estrogen causes that type of tissue to grow, I had to wait 2-3 months before starting HRT to make sure any endometrial tissue that was outside of the uterus would atrophy. If not, the tissue would just keep growing and attach to other organs. I waited 3 mos, but it was a long 3 months. I carried around a little handheld fan everywhere I went. They even come with little water bottles attached for a cool mist!  I now take a low dose of premarin every other day or so, as I get older my symptoms have calmed down a bit. I still need it for hot flashes, and it does help maintain bone density, a must for me since I'm on prednisone and that med causes osteoporosis.

You should definitely get a baseline bone density scan, and repeat it every 2 yrs or so. Most gynos will tell you to take calcium and vit D, but again, that's a controversial treatment when dealing with AI dx.

Estrogen carries risks, but not as much as estrogen and progesterone combined. You'll have to decide whether the risk outweighs the benefit for yourself. I always feel guilty when I think about the way they treat the horses used in obtaining the hormones. At one point I tried plant estrogens, but didn't get any real relief. Just as with arthritis, there are many “remedies” out there- be careful of those, esp the ones that say they have a “proprietary blend” (always a bad sign).  You could still use the soy shakes, but in moderation. Everything carries some level of risk, it's a personal decision as to how much we're willing to accept. Good luck, stay cool! :dude:

linda

[DianeWI]

Hi Tish,

Like Linda, I had gone through it because of a complete hysterectromy at 42.  I got on HRT soon afterwards and it caused me rectal bleeding for the whole 18 months until one day, it scared me enough that I got off of it.  I took a Chinese formula for menopausal women instead.  After a short time of that, I quit.  I have been just fine since. 

I think the best place to go for some of these issues, is to the herbal books and figure out what may help and make a trip to the health food store and get on it.  It beats the HRT and is a lot safer too.

I have noticed that in the last ten years, there are new things out for many different ailments.  I used to know the product lines quite well and now much of it is Greek to me.  The combination formulas might be a good start…something with Red Raspberry, Dong Quai, Black Cohosh, White Oak Bark etc….

Do you have any Natural Remedy books to look at?

Diane

[Parisa]

Perhaps a naturopath?  They have more experience with the herbs and can tailor it to your condition and can also order lab work to see what you have too little of and too much of hormone-wise.

[lynnie_sydney]

Tish – I have been on bio-identical Progesterone Cream 4% for 5 years. You can also get in a sub-lingual troche. You need a doctor's script for it. I get mine from a compounding pharmacy across town. I have found it wonderful. It stopped my night flushes, I lost excess fluid, started thinking better. Progesterone (not the pharm manufactured one though) is also better than any of the oestrogens (which prevent bone loss) because it not only prevents calcium leaching from the bones, it also promotes bone regrowth. Given that pregnant women end up with 1000 times the progesterone in their systems during pregnancy (generally what makes them feel good), it is not something that presents a danger to the body. I also think the suggestion that you try and get tested to see what you might be missing in terms of hormones a good one. I'd also suggest reading up some info on bio-identical hormones online. Lynnie   

Be well! Lynnie

Palindromic RA 30 yrs (Chronic Lyme?)
Mino 2003-2008 100mg MWF - can no longer tolerate any tetracyclines
rotating abx protocol now. From Sep 2018 MWF - a.m. Augmentin Duo 440mg + 150mg Biaxsig (roxithromycin). p.m. Cefaclor (375mg) + Klacid 125mg + LDN 3mg + Annual Clindy IV's
Diet: no gluten, dairy, sulphites, low salicylates
Supps: 600mg N-AC BID, 1000mg Vit C, P5P 40mg, zinc picolinate 60mg, Lithium orotate 20mg, Magnesium Oil, Bio-identical hormones (DHEA + Prog + Estrog)

[Donna RA]

Tish,

I have used bio identical hormones as well, progesterone, DHEA, and hdro-cortisone for inflammation, all with pretty good results. 

Made it to menoupause much easier once I started them.

Good Luck,

Donna RA

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