HRT: Women urged to do own research before making very personal decision

Barbara Ringeman, in her 50s, experienced awful symptoms as she went through menopause.

She was sluggish, moody and felt like she had lost her vitality. She decided that hormone replacement was right for her.

ALSO: New Therapies Sought For Triple-Negative Breast Cancer

Now, "I am happy," she told WPBF 25 News. "I'm just overall a new person."

Her doctor, Gloria Hakkarainen, prescribed the HRT.

"Hormones are something that have always been in your body," Dr. Hakkarainen said, "so unlike a new blood-pressure pill, or something you take for diabetes. There is a receptor for your estrogen progesterone in your hormones, so it's really not quite as scary as you think."

MOBILE/TABLET USERS: Watch The Video

HRT is for perimenopausal or menopausal women dealing with hot flashes, weight gain, mood swings and problems with sleep and memory. About 80 percent of women will experience those symtpoms.

But in 2002, women everywhere stopped taking hormones after a study showed they did more harm than good. They increased the risk of breast cancer, heart attacks, strokes and blood clots, according to the research.

But Hakkarenain said data just released this year reveals some surprising results about how long some women can stay on hormone replacement therapy.

Read the original post:
HRT: Women urged to do own research before making very personal decision