Those Raging Hormones (part 1)

Around the age of 40 I started having moderate hot flashes and night sweats, which, obviously affected my sleep patterns. I ran into an old friend who shared her same experiences and told me about some over the counter, natural remedies, which contained black cohash and soy. I experimented with a few different ones to see which would have the best effect. The regular strength seemed to be the best. I used this for a number of years, and it worked in the beginning but as I got closer to 50 the hot flashes, skin crawling, and anxiety got considerably worse. I had been asking my gynecologist each year to test me to see where I was in the world of menapause but I was continuously told that as long as I was still having periods, I was not in menapause, only peri (early) menapause. As you can imagine, this was frustrating for me, knowing how much worse I was feeling and getting no real answers.  About 2 years ago I felt so bad that I called my doctor in a panic. In my quest to just feel human everyday, I was willing to do just about anything. We all want to rely on our healthcare professionals, as I did. Immediately, I started taking the ever popular drugs that have been relied upon for many years, but eventually cause cancer. I was told that I could not stay on this for more than 5 years due to the risk. This did not sit well with me, but at the time I would have done anything to feel better. Ultimately, I did get rid of the hot flashes and night sweats, and slept better as well. The downside was that I gained weight uncontrollably, and bled every other week. I tried another version which was stronger, under my doctor’s care, and there was really no change. I was finally at the point of no return. I realized, as many of us do, that we are dealing with the lesser of two evils. Do I enjoy the taming of the hot flashes, night sweats,and anxiety, at the risk of getting heavier, feeling bloated all the time, and bleeding every other week, not to mention the cramps and other lovely PMS symptoms that go along with it. My answer was clear. I forgot to mention that when I asked my doctor about bioidentical hormones, he was so opposed and negative about it that I dropped it like a hot pancake. I trust this doctor and respect his opinion as I have been going to him since my kids were born. It was time to take me and my hormones into my own hands. I immediately stopped taking the cancer causing hormones and made an appointment with a new doctor who had been recommended by a friend at work. My point here is that even though we feel that we are in the hands of our doctors we must take charge of our own destiny. There are no other choices for FDA approved hormones other than the ones I was offered, as far as I know. This new doctor was in the early stages of learning about hormone replacement therapy and bioidentical hormones, which was just what I had been looking for.  I have been under his care now for about a year and a half and I feel great. He is a bone density and weight loss specialist as well as an MD. After a complete physical, bone density test, blood tests, saliva tests, colonoscopy, and the sharing of much info about any and all symptoms I have and have had, we are very close to getting it right. In other words, this is not a quick fix process. It takes time to get the right combination of each hormone. This was explained right from the start. We have repeated blood tests, and saliva tests a couple of times now to see what the change in hormone levels are after taking the recommended doses early on. Changes were made each time to adjust the hormone levels. I am not an expert on this subject but I do know that you need to have the correct combination of estrogen, progesterone, and testosterone in order to function properly and feel healthy. Please continue to Part 2

Those Raging Hormones (part 2)

What I do know is that I have never gone to the doctor so much in my life but I feel that my needs are truly being addressed. With my gynecologist I took the first set of hormones for 6 months because I was told that I needed to get them in my system for at least 90 days. It took me at least 6 months to get rid of them, if not longer.  Now when I have a problem with any new doses of hormones I am told to stop them immediately as they should not be making me feel bad which is also indicating that the dosage is not correct and needs to be adjusted. The differences in approaches between the two doctors is unbelievable. This new doctor is not a gynecologist so I was advised to keep my original GYN for that purpose or I would have to find a new one. I thought it was weird that my GYN was not taking care of my hormones, and that the doctor who was taking care of my hormones was not my GYN. I noticed the next time I went to my GYN that on their questionaire they ask if you are under another doctor’s care for hormone replacement. This only solidified the fact that hormone replacement alternatives are becoming very popular. When I started with my new doctor he did not put me on any hormones right away. My overall health was a bigger concern, hence all the tests mentioned before. This doctor believes in a more holistic, homeopathic approach. He immediately told me to start taking supplements that were necessary for healthy body function: fish oil, calcium, a thyroid supplement, and a PMS supplement. After test results he also increased my vitamin D quite a bit. There are many sources for these supplements, but I chose to go with the company he uses as I knew he was using supplements himself. I thought, if he trusts this source for himself, it must be good. I had also done some research on menapause and how it affects your body, and everything I read he supported with his information and knowledge. That made me feel much more confident that I had found the right doctor and we were on the same page. What a great feeling that is!! By the way, all of the supplements I take are completely natural, with ingredients such as rosemary extracts, broccoli extracts, etc. On the other hand, it is important to take these under a doctor’s care. Even natural products can have adverse affects depending on your body. Everyone is different and unique, and it is important that you understand that the right combination for one may not be the same for someone else.

In closing I just want to say that there are many approaches to this problem. This is just my experience and what works for some may not work for others. Try and be smart about your choices, listen to your body, and if you are not comfortable with your current treatment, seek an alternative. Realize that a healthy diet and exercise always play a part in the total body experience.

Good luck and happier hormones