NY Times: Women Have Been Misled About Menopause

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Such a great thread! Thanks to everyone for sharing their experiences!

I guess I am in the camp that just stopped having a period in my mid 40’s without any other symptoms. My PCP & gyn were aware and were not concerned and did not recommend any HRT. I am 55 now and have had a few minor hot flashes in the past two years (usually when I drink alcohol) but nothing severe. I also occasionally have trouble sleeping and some restless leg issues but will take half a dose of a mild OTC sleep aid, which takes care of it. My PCP diagnosed me as having early stage osteo and put me on Fosamax for a year. My latest bone scan showed no progression, so I am off it and on calcium/D.

One thing that has stood out to me in this thread is the extreme variation in medical opinions on these issues. One doctor thinks one thing and someone else’s doctor thinks it’s potentially harmful or that a remedy hasn’t been tested enough. Some will readily prescribe meds that others will risk losing patients not to prescribe. It makes it hard for women our age to make an informed decision on what is the best regimen. If we’re lucky, we have long-term PCP’s and gyn’s who we trust - but in this age of out-of-network insurance issues and doctors changing practices a lot, it makes it hard to find someone we believe we can trust. I feel like women’s health issues from age 40 on are just a roll of the dice…

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As someone who did not need any intervention through menopause (I did have a d and c when I was having the early heavy bleeding periods - it was with an OBGYN doc I only had had one appt with - I often wonder if I did not really need that) reading all this is so eye opening and educational to me - and very sympathetic to the issues so many women face. <3

It’s true doctors vary in treatment. But also patients vary in factors. Everyone here is not sharing their entire medical history (TMI!! :slight_smile: ) and sometimes history factors into treatment. But also there is not really conclusive regime treatment - a one size fits (fixes) all.

Medicine is science and science is a lot of trial and error and variables. But fully agree that since this condition - menopause - eventually affects 50% or whatever of the population, you’d think there might be more info at the ready to help us.

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The buildup of endometrial tissue in the uterus can resemble cancer I was told by one provider that I “might have uterine cancer” which was very premature. If we don’t ovulate, and I believe that starts being sporadic, apparently there is tissue buildup and the lining can look abnormally thick.

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So many things can cause horrible period pains. There are adenomyomas, a non-cancerous condition, where the endometrial tissue grows deep into the muscle of uterine walls This is different from fibroids or endometriosis (where the endometrial tissue escapes the uterus and starts growing elsewhere causing excruciating pains). Most adenomyomas apparently can’t be detected by MRI or ultrasound until they get really large and invasive (per my doctor’s); diagnosis is done by tissue biopsy. I’m very grateful to my ortho doc who flagged a small issue on my MRI that most ortho docs would have likely paid no attention since it did not concern their “turf.”

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I am in the asking questions phase as many of my friends are post menopause. Several have opted for HRT using bio identical hormones. One friend loved her pellet but 6 months in and she is having spotting. Her gyn is not the same dr she goes to for pellet. So now her gyn is concerned about the bleeding… she is scheduled for ultrasound/biopsy. The pellet dr is increasing her progesterone but still… she is so frustrated. She said, it was such a relief not to deal with all the symptoms but is the cost that she will have to be more worried about other issues.

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Thank you so much for posting that site! I was dismissed by both my Gyn and my PCP. I just searched and there is a convenient doctor on that list who is accepting new patients and takes my insurance. I’m calling on Monday to make an appointment.

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I went thru menopause in my late forties. Peri menopause was worse than menopause. I had horrible headaches when I had my period and heavy, erratic bleeding. After menopause it is such a relief not to have my period! And no headaches! I was doing a lot of yoga when I went through hot flashes and that helped me get through them. I rarely have them anymore. Right now my only complaint is vaginal dryness but it is manageable. Also my cholesterol is very high (which it never was), but my cardiologist and GP say my risk factors are extremely low.

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All the talk about high cholesterol is very interesting. Mine was never high until after menopause. My good cholesterol is very high, and my bad cholesterol is well within normal range, so my doctor says it’s fine (no other risk factors). I didn’t connect it with menopause, but it seems like there may be a correlation.

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Estrogen protects against high cholesterol. Post menopause women lose that protection and their cardiac risk profile is much more similar to men.

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scorekeeper1 - I’m glad it’s helpful. I did find out that at least a few of the doctors on the site use bioidentical hormones. I’m a bit cautious about this since I also follow Dr. Jen Gunter (OBGYN, author) who is not a fan of these as (per her) they aren’t regulated by the FDA.

She’s got a blog with a lot of helpful info on these and related topics. I also follow her on insta, where she takes down a lot of ‘female wellness’ shlocky stuff.

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I just had one of my 2-3 times a year visits with the ‘hormonee’ doctor.

My missive here goes beyond simply HRT- yes or no? But maybe it can help someone else.

It is such a beautiful, intricate and nuanced dance, this hormone stuff. It so SO beyond just estrogen and progesterone. It is DHEA, it’s all the varied thyroid levels (apparently T3-Free is the best indicator of what is really happening in that area). It is testosterone, it is vitamin levels (D and B being top of the list). it is cortisol – but not just cortisol – it’s cortisol levels during the day – which can vary dramatically.

Throw one out of balance and the rest respond.

We spent most of the half hour discussing the mother hormone – the base system of it all. The adrenals. Given my symptoms these past months – fatigue, emotionally flat, some sleep disturbances and brain fog we’d measured saliva DHEA and cortisol levels over the course of a day. It gave some interesting insights.

The estrogen and progesterone levels were ‘normal’ but I was clearly not feeling ‘normal’.

As per docs suggestion I started taking daily vitamin C up to 6000 mg in a split dose. Added a broad spectrum high quality vit B complex and Ashwagandha. As per another wholistic therapist which I’ve seen over the course of 25 years – I added Spanish black radish.

I started on an adrenal support/rebuilding supplement. The protocol was to take a high dosage in the a.m and then another high dose mid afternoon…and see how I felt. If I became shaky or jittery it was an indication to reduce the dosage since the adrenals were doing their job. Well, much to both of our surprise, I hit that jittery level the first day and reduced the dosage by 80%. As per the adrenal test results which came in a week later (but taken before supplementation), I was NOT in adrenal fatigue (yes, a term not recognized by mainstream medicine). But, I was hovering on the lower end of the cortisol spectrum in the mid afternoon and then had a spike right before bed. So, dragging in the afternoon and hyped in the evening as my system was trying to make up for the afternoon lows.

In just a few days SO many things leveled.

Based on this thread, I asked Doc her take on HRT and the length of time to stay on this protocol. Given that I have no history of cancer, great blood pressure, great glucose etc. I don’t have any risk factors which would indicate a need to discontinue. She also said something striking (to me). Basically, we are living longer, and thus spending a greater portion of our lives in a postmenopausal state. HRT protects brain health, it protects the cardio vascular system, it protects the bones. It keeps things lubricated and helps our relationships. So the question posed was – given my very low risk factors for cancer how long do I want to protect all those other systems and keep a higher quality of life. My answer – going to keep the HRT going for the foreseeable future.

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Great - when you have the option. I feel exactly as you do. I have no risk factors (that I know of) either. It’s exactly what I would choose to do as well. But, I can already tell that option is not going to be available to me. I guess I could shop and shop for a doc who would let me stay on it.

So, when you write, “going to keep the HRT for the foreseeable future,” I feel jealous because I don’t anticipate being given that choice. Seems that, “My body, my choice,” is not applicable in all situations. I understand that these folks (presumably) have my best interests at heart, but this thread shows there is a wide variety of opinions out there.

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I work with Naturopaths. IMO they are much more informed and able to deal with nuance. Not sure where you live but a search on alternative Womens health providers might help.

My regular western MD’s are really not part of the HRT process.

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I consider the PremPro I am on to be HRT.

We’ll see what I am told when I go see this gyno. Then I will decide from there.

Maybe it won’t be awful being off it

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Thanks for sharing your nuanced discussion, dietz199! Your provider sounds great!

Hoggirl - how frustrating! Have you tried a second opinion? I don’t know that I’d consider that doctor shopping. I wouldn’t like a flat no from a provider like that, either!

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@dietz199 what supplement or action did you take to heal borderline adrenal fatigue? I have, in the past, had actual adrenal fatigue and am feeling that is a possibility now.

To those who say they have no risk factors for cancer, I didn’t either. Most women with breast cancer don’t have genetic risk factors. One out of 8 women get breast cancer and 70% of those cancers are driven by hormones.

You can look at HRT, including bioidentical, two ways. Altering the natural state, or restoring it. We are living longer and at some point we are forced to accept the estrogen-deprived state of old age!

Cancer meds get rid of all detectable estrogen in the body, which, after menopause, comes from the adrenals and fat. That isn’t a natural state at all.

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I’m using

  • AdreCor by NeuroScience for the adrenals
  • B-Complex Plus by Pure Encapsulations
  • Spanish Black Radish - by Standard Process (more of a liver support and I only used that for a couple of weeks)

I will taper of the AdreCor slowly and probably just go back to a high quality multi-vitamin with an additional B12 once I’m confident those adrenals are happily purring away.

I don’t imagine I’ll be on HRT when I’m 80. But who knows. At 63 it is contributing greatly to my quality of life. I think it will be an annual re-thinking.

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I have a 95-year old friend who still take estrogen.

I have an 83-year old friend who still takes Prem-Pro. Though, she does only take it every other day.

I kind of wonder if the issue is the progesterone. It seems those that only need estrogen (because they have had their uterus removed) have more flexibility. All things to ask when I go.

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Speaking only for myself, this process has a lot to do with an inner voice, a 6th sense. Listening to my body is step one. Not saying I can listen for possible cancers - hence those annual checkups.

Maybe I’ll be one of those 80+ year olds who is still on HRT. We’ve got a few years for those experts to collect more data :slight_smile:

H had some ‘plumbing problems’ and we were in urgent care several times. He asked about prostate cancer and was told ‘if you life long enough most men will get prostate cancer and many women will get breast cancer’.

For now, I will rely on my group of varied ‘witch doctors’ as well as the degreed western specialists. And that inner voice of mine.

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Adrecor has ingredients that I already take, but separately. C, B’s (extra folate for me), Mg, D3 (300mg is not enough; I take 2-3,000). ZInc with colds.

Here are the proprietary ingredients: * -L-histidine, L-methionine, L-tyrosine, Rhodiola rosea root extract (5% rosavins), Green Tea leaf extract (70% epigallocatechin gallate).

I eat a lot of protein so some of those amino acids aren’t needed for me. Interestingly, yesterday a friend told me she is taking Rhodiola rosea for depression. I guess she feels it will give her more energy. I will look into it.

I get kind of sad when I read people saying they listen to their body. I did too. I still got cancer. Hope it works for you! IF you have been on HRT for awhile and don’t have cancer, maybe that is a good indicator of safety.

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