Category Archives: Hormone Replacement Therapy

Approximately 80% of menopausal women experience symptoms. While a quarter of those are thought to have severe symptoms, only a small proportion of menopausal women currently take hormone replacement therapy (HRT). Symptoms of the menopause last far longer than most women anticipate. Frequent menopausal vasomotor symptoms, including night sweats and hot flushes, persist in more than half of women for more than seven years[1]. HRT is an effective treatment for the typical menopause-related symptoms. There are also other long-term health problems associated with the menopause - the risk of osteoporosis, cardiovascular disease and stroke all increase after the menopause. HRT can also have a positive influence on these health problems. This article discusses HRT in detail. The separate Menopause and its Management article discusses menopausal symptoms, differential diagnosis and possible investigations (although the diagnosis is usually clinically based on the typical symptoms). It also discusses health problems associated with the menopause and gives an overview of management. See also separate HRT - Initial Consultation, HRT - Follow-up Assessments and HRT - Topical articles. Current guidelines advise that HRT should be considered for troublesome vasomotor symptoms in perimenopausal and early postmenopausal women without contra-indications and after individualised discussion of likely risks … Continue reading →

Hormone therapy (HT) is one of the government-approved treatments for relief of menopausal symptoms. These symptoms, caused by lower levels of estrogen at menopause, include hot flashes, sleep disturbances, and vaginal dryness. HT is also approved for the prevention of osteoporosis. Today, clinicians prescribe much lower doses for much shorter terms (3-5 years) than before 2002. To begin this discussion about the benefits and risks of menopausal HT, here is some background information. There are three benchmark stages of natural menopause: There are two basic types of HT: There are two general ways to take HT: Current prescribing practice: Begin HT with the lowest effective dose for the shortest amount of time consistent with their individual goals. The benefit-risk ratio is favorable for women who initiate HT close to menopause (ages 50-59, typically) but becomes riskier with time since menopause and advancing age. Women with early menopause before age 40 without a history of breast cancer risk can take HT until the typical age of menopause at 51 if there is no reason not to take it. Clinicians will recommend an individualized plan for each woman. There is no one size fits all therapy. Literally hundreds of clinical studies have … Continue reading →

Hormone replacement therapy is given to some women during menopause when the body stops making the hormones estrogen and progesterone. It is used to treat common symptoms of aging and menopause, such as hot flashes, vaginal dryness, mood swings, and even osteoporosis. Menopause occurs when a womans monthly menstrual cycle stops, which causes a drop in hormone levels. Hormone replacement therapy replaces the hormones the body no longer makes and is the most effective treatment for menopause symptoms. * HealthPrep does not provide medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. See Content Disclaimer below. Women who take hormone replacement therapy are usually given a combination of estrogen and progesterone; however, women who have had a hysterectomy do not need progesterone, so their doctor may prescribe estrogen-only therapy. Hormone replacement therapy should not last longer than five years. It may begin as soon as a woman begins to experience menopausal symptoms, which usually occurs around the age of fifty-two. According to the National Health Service, menopause ages in women can range from the early forties to the late sixties. There is no way to predict when a woman will go through menopause. Go here to see the original: Hormone Replacement Therapy Explained - … Continue reading →

Bioidentical Hormone Replacement Therapy (BHRT) Dr Mark Richards Mark E. Richards M.D. Get Started, Call(301) 468-3458 Bio-identical testosterone or estrogen hormones taken by mouth are inactivated in the liver before ever getting into your circulation. Bio-identical creams or injections have large variations in their blood levels and an inconsistency in the amount of hormone they provide to your tissues. Bio-identical pellets have been shown to provide close to a steady state availability of hormone for months. Bio-identical hormone pellets have been used in the United States since 1939. Bio-identical hormones have the exact same chemical and molecular structure as hormones that are made in the human body. The difference between a bio-identical hormone versus a hormone that is not bio-identical is the molecular structure and shape of the hormone. Why is this important? Think of a hormone as a key and the receptor which it activates as a lock. In order for a replacement hormone to exactly replicate the function of the hormone that humans naturally produce, the bio-identical replacement I provide must exactly match the human hormone. It is the structural differences that exist between human bio-identical and non-bio-identical hormones that are responsible for serious side effects and sometimes … Continue reading →

This is a disambiguation page a navigational aid which lists other pages that might otherwise share the same title. If an article link referred you here, you might want to go back and fix it to point directly to the intended page. There are two variants of Hormone replacement therapy for transsexuals: Hormone Replacement TherapyIf you are interested in information about HRT or are currently on HRT and wish to discuss the issues we face this forum is for you. Editor's Note: While discussion of hormone replacement therapy (HRT) and its medications is permitted, discussing the means to acquire them without a prescription, and self medication without a doctors care is prohibited. We cannot in good conscience condone the self administering of these medications. Not only may self medication be illegal there can also be serious health consequences resulting from the taking of these medicines. See a qualified medical professional before taking any prescription drugs. Continue reading here: Hormone replacement therapy - Susan's Place Transgender Resources … Continue reading →

Find answers to common questions about hormone replacement therapy. The answer depends on how long you've been taking hormone replacement therapy, and why. HRT is very effective at helping to control menopause symptoms. However, HRT causes a small increase in a woman's risk of developing breast cancer, endometrial cancer, ovarian cancer and having a stroke. As well as risks, there are other benefits. HRT can also reduce a womans risk of developing osteoporosis, colon cancer and cancer of the rectum. The NHS says that used for no longer than 5 years, the benefits of HRT outweigh the risks. Anyone taking HRT for longer should discuss the risks and benefits with their doctor. There are several alternative remedies you may want to try to reduce menopausal symptoms such as hot flushes or night sweats: Soya: Soya seems to be an effective, short-term treatment to suppress hot flushes and night sweats. For instance, a 2002 study published in the US journal Menopause, concluded: Soy isoflavone extract may help to reduce the frequency of hot flushes in climacteric women and provides an attractive addition to the choices available for relief of hot flushes. It can be difficult to get enough soya from food, … Continue reading →

Find answers to common questions about hormone replacement therapy. The answer depends on how long you've been taking hormone replacement therapy, and why. HRT is very effective at helping to control menopause symptoms. However, HRT causes a small increase in a woman's risk of developing breast cancer, endometrial cancer, ovarian cancer and having a stroke. As well as risks, there are other benefits. HRT can also reduce a womans risk of developing osteoporosis, colon cancer and cancer of the rectum. The NHS says that used for no longer than 5 years, the benefits of HRT outweigh the risks. Anyone taking HRT for longer should discuss the risks and benefits with their doctor. There are several alternative remedies you may want to try to reduce menopausal symptoms such as hot flushes or night sweats: Soya: Soya seems to be an effective, short-term treatment to suppress hot flushes and night sweats. For instance, a 2002 study published in the US journal Menopause, concluded: Soy isoflavone extract may help to reduce the frequency of hot flushes in climacteric women and provides an attractive addition to the choices available for relief of hot flushes. It can be difficult to get enough soya from food, … Continue reading →

Dr. Donna Block opened Clinic Sofia in Edina in 2004 to nurture women to stay healthy and strong for their families and their community. (Submitted photo) Clinic Sofia provides care for women By Cynthia ParsonsContributing Writer In 2004, when Dr. Donna Block founded Clinic Sofia, an OBGYN clinic, she envisioned a better approach to womens health care by giving women the nurturing, insight and guidance they need from adolescence to obstetrics to menopause and beyond. Named after the Greek goddess of wisdom, Clinic Sofia focuses on women because they are the primary pivot point in their family. We offer a non-judgmental environment that welcomes and provides answers to questions, Block said. We give you the tools to stay healthy. We provide a safe and healthy culture. I get women who have been elsewhere who were treated rudely by the front desk with no eye contact. At Clinic Sofia, we are engaging and calm, Block continued. We are welcoming from the front desk to the back of the clinic. Focus is on our patients needs, and patients dont feel rushed. If you have an ultrasound, for example, we go over the results right away. The Edina clinic recently ranked sixth among … Continue reading →

NICE guidelines on menopause Guidelines from the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) offer a unique perspective on diagnosis and management of menopause, designed to help women stop suffering in silence. Aimed at health care providers in the UK but also relevant to US ob/gyns, the recommendations focus on ways to determine if menopause has started, what drug and non-drug options might be useful for a patients physical and psychological symptoms, and clarifying the risks and benefits of hormone replacement therapy (HRT).The NICE Guideline: Diagnosis and Management of the Menopause contains 10 key messages: Management of estrogen deficiency needs to be individualized because women respond differently to the condition and to treatment for it. Inappropriate use of testing of FSH for diagnosis of menopause in women older than age 45 should be eliminated. The testing is rarely required and expensive. Women need information about menopause in a variety of formats. Key topics for counseling include the stages and consequences of menopause and about use of contraception during perimenopause. For management of symptom sof menopause, diet and lifestyle should be considered. HRT should be offered for vasomotor symptoms with full consideration of benefits and risks. Clonidine or antidepressants should … Continue reading →

(Reuters Health) - Using vaginally applied estrogen to ease menopause symptoms likely doesnt increase a womans risk of heart disease or certain cancers, a U.S. study suggests. Many women have been reluctant to use hormone replacement therapy (HRT) for menopause symptoms since 2002, when the federally funded Womens Health Initiative (WHI) study linked pills containing man-made versions of the female hormones estrogen and progestin to an increased risk for breast cancer, heart attacks and strokes. Some women have also been reluctant to use vaginally applied estrogens, which can ease symptoms like dryness and painful intercourse. For the current study, researchers examined data on 45,663 women in the WHI study who didnt take HRT pills. After an average follow-up of more than six years, there wasnt a meaningful difference in the odds of cancer, stroke or blood clots based on whether or not women used vaginal estrogen. The results of the study suggest that the use of vaginal estrogen may not actually carry the same health risks as the use of estrogen pills, said lead study author Dr. Carolyn Crandall of the David Geffen School of Medicine at the University of California, Los Angeles. These results are reassuring, Crandall said by … Continue reading →