When I told my endocrinologist about the impact of estrogen loss on my lipid levels and bones, she said she had no knowledge about the subject. And my cardiologist continued to push statins like she’s doing a QVC segment on them.
Mention estrogen therapy to her and she recoils as if I’ve told her I want to inject myself with heroin. Her major source of knowledge on the subject is undoubtedly the WHI study, which is sadly the case with the majority of doctors from coast to coast. Estrogen became a dirty word in 2002, and even now that the WHI has fessed up to the flaws in its study, the residual negative impact lingers on….and on…and on. And who pays the price? We do!
Even the pharmaceutical companies that produce local estrogen therapy to help vaginal atrophy (yes, our vaginal tissue also dries up and thins, post-menopause, which can cause itching, pain and bleeding) are required by the FDA to publish warnings on their products that are so forbidding, women are afraid to use them. And many of their doctors still won’t introduce these local estrogen therapies to their suffering patients because they’re living in an alternative universe devoid of intelligence about the subject.
What makes these warnings especially insane is that local estrogen therapy STAYS LOCAL. Forms of local estrogen come in creams, rings and tablets. What goes into the vagina stays in the vagina. It doesn’t travel to your heart, your brain or your bones, Yet millions of women are suffering because their doctors just don’t get it.
Of course, some doctors do get it, such as Dr. Mary Jane Minkin, Clinical Professor of Obstetrics and Gynecology at Yale University School of Medicine, and one of the country’s leading experts on women’s health and wellness. So I decided to write to her about the state of my health and my relationship with estrogen therapy, and ask if I could come to see her about starting it up again. She responded quickly, and I made an appointment to meet with her in New Haven.
0 Responses to “The Most Significant Health Advice All Women 45+ MUST Hear!”
AnneBayer says:
I was taking estrogen as HRT after a complete hysterectomy in my early 40s. With the exception of about a 2-year period in the early 2000s (my doctor referenced the study you mentioned and immediately took me off of estrogen. I suffered horribly with hot flashes and night sweats and begged him to put me back on and he finally agreed.) Last year, at age 55, following minor foot surgery, I had a DVT in the calf of the same leg as the foot surgery and my doctor immediately took me off of estrogen, saying it probably was the culprit. After months of blood testing and scans, I’m permanently on the blood thinner, Xarelto because all of the resting found a specific mutation in my DNA that says I’m prone to clots. My (new) doctor says that because of that, taking estrogen is never going to be possible. Now, after reading your article, I’m worried… I know she won’t put me back on estrogen.
geribrin says:
Hi Anne,
If tests showed that you’re prone to clots, I’m going to guess that estrogen isn’t a good idea. But don’t be worried, please. Maybe bio-identical hormone therapy would be possible. Ask your doc. And, if you need the name of someone who specializes in menopausal and post-menopausal women, let me know and I’ll get the name of an expert in your area. Best, Geri
Dandi says:
I’m 53 and i’m in Menopause….do I just need to ask my doctor to give me the the low dose patch??
geribrin says:
Hi Dandi,
If your doctor isn’t well educated in menopausal women, he or she probably won’t have much of a clue what to recommend, despite the fact he or she is an OBGYN.
You should speak to a doctor whose specialty is menopausal and post- menopausal women. There aren’t many of them now, but their numbers are growing. Let me know where you live and I can get a recommendation for you in your area, if there is a specialist there.
Fondly, Geri
Dandi says:
Hello! and thank you so much for responding. 🙂 I live near Eau Claire, Wisconsin. Thank you again. Regards! Teri (Dandi)
geribrin says:
Hi Teri,
I will get back to you, hopefully with a name of an expert in your area.
Best,
Geri
Shelley O'Hara Plunkett says:
While I agree that estrogen is vital, it’s not the only hormone that we need. Estrogen should always be balanced with the other necessary hormones that naturally occur in our systems when we are younger. I am on a regimen of Tri-est, progesterone, testosterone, and DHEA all delivered in a sublingual troche’ that I put under my tongue at bedtime. This is bio-identical hormone therapy which my doctor believes to be superior to typical estrogen replacement therapy in that it is not “engineered” to be slightly different than my own hormones for the sake of a drug company’s profits. It is exactly the same in molecular structure to my own hormones and because he works with compounding pharmacies, he can design a hormone mix that is exactly right for me. We have tweaked mine a bit over the last year until we have hit on the right combination. For example, at one point my estradiol was too high and was causing sexual problems. Sexual lubrication had become so profuse that neither I nor my husband could feel anything. It was frustrating (and messy). My doctor cut the estradiol in half and the problem was solved. Most OB/GYNs will say that bio-identical hormone therapy isn’t effective or that it doesn’t really differ that much from pharmaceutical hormone therapy. I disagree. Hormones from pregnant horses are not as safe as hormones made from plant compounds. Humans are meant to consume plants, not horse urine. Not only that, I can get a mixture of hormones just right for me. You cannot get that with a pharmaceutical dose. I turn 60 this year. I feel wonderful. I run a mile every day and Zumba twice a week. My bloodwork is that of a 30 year old and my blood pressure still runs 117/65. The only “medication” I take is my hormones. Add to that that I am 40 lbs overweight. The reason my health is what it is is because I’ve taken care of my gut health for the last 20 years and I consider that to be the biggest piece of my health story. The microbiome in your gut is the key to your health, mentally and physically. It breaks my heart to see so many people taking medications and suffering from heartburn, acid reflux, depression, anxiety, high blood pressure, diabetes, severe menopausal symptoms, etc. when the onset and severity of these problems depends on how healthy our gut bacteria and enzymes are. This is being backed up by scientific research and thankfully, is finally starting to come to light. I am just thankful that I found out about it two decades ago.
Geri Brin says:
Thank you, Shelley, for taking the time to write such a thoughtful comment. Doctors do debate about “bio-identical” v. non bio-identical hormones, so I believe each of us has to do what we think best for our body and work with a doctor we respect. Continued good heath and happiness to you. Best, Geri
Laura Gannon says:
Thank you so much for your input. I read every word. It was very helpful. And thank you Geri also. Your article is so appreciated .
Geri Brin says:
Hi Laura,
You are welcome!
Best,
Geri