amitymamaThe Attachment Parenting Community

marjen · 11-21-2007, 11:00 PM

...very interesting because I had thought she had a hormonal imbalance in her early 40's and so was treated with HRT for about 5 or so years from mid 40's to early 50's. She is now over 60 and still having hot flashes. She said she was offerred to have her uterus out way back when but declined and used the HRT instead and had lots of D&Cs. She regrets it and says she thinks that those years of HRT actually dragged out her finally hitting menopause and if she had to do it again, she would have had her uterus out, let her body hit menopause and be done with it years and years ago.

Anyone have any comments on this?

pj and the bear · 11-21-2007, 11:25 PM

I don't have any personal experience but the HRT stuff gives me the willies!!! My mom (and my aunt) were on prempro and they both ended up with breast cancer (within a year of each other) and no family history/genetic disposition. I'm convinced that HRT was the contributing factor. Once my mom went off of it she still got hotflashes for a while but rarely complained about them.

I think having a hysterectomy to avoid hotflashes is a bit extreme. Plus "you" wind up instantaneously going into mp and not the gradual process that seems healthier to me. I have had a friend and another aunt suddenly stop menstrating (their version of mp, I guess) and their drs. spent sometime (and drugs) trying to get them "re-started". I suppose that's the reason I think the gradual tapering off of AF is the way to go.

HTH

freedomlover · 11-21-2007, 11:27 PM

My mom was in her late 50's and still mensing due to hormones.

Her dr. took her off them and she finally stopped having periods.

marjen · 11-21-2007, 11:39 PM

Oh she did not have HRT etc due to hot flashes - they were the least of her issues. She was very hormonally imbalanced, almost committed, had severe menses, passes many blood clots, couldn't sleep, etc, etc, etc....I am not promoting HRT whatsoever. The treatment did return her to at least a sane person. My worry is I will follow her in her footsteps as we are so alike- and I am not interested in losing my sanity. What I thought was interesting is I assumed she actually was hormonally imbalanced, then treated, then hit menopause much later. She is thinking that she was hormonally imbalanced and approaching menopause and that while the HRT did restore her balance, it postponed menopause - where she would have hit it at least a decade, if not more, earlier.

Gaga · 11-22-2007, 02:07 AM

Believe me Mama that going through forced MP is no picnic. You still have the hot flashes and loose your sanity a little bit. A year and a half and some wonderful tea from Orgainamama later and I am finally feeling like myself again.

Susannah · 11-22-2007, 07:48 AM

Ladies, may I strongly encourage you to look at the difference between synthetic and natural HRT? There is strong evidence that the use of synthetic HRT, actually aggravates many things, rather than alleviate. Dr. John Lee, the pioneer for natural progesterone cream use for peri-menopause and menopause, has written a number of articles about this, which can be found here ~~> Official Web Site of John R. Lee, M.D.

organicmama · 11-22-2007, 08:31 AM

there is conflicting info on progesterone cream tho too which I have been wading through the past year.

I am sure there are some benefits though but never felt totally sure it was for me.

However you are right, there are synthetic hormones and bio identical hormones. Apparantly the body recognizes bio must better. However you mostly need to get a script fromt he doc to take to a compounding pharmacy.

I dont think you can actually go to a neighborhood walgreens.

Marjen, I really dont have any clear answers. MP can make you feel crazy. For several months I hated my husband. I didn't know why. Now he had let me down in some areas of our life that really upset me. But not enough of a situation to leave him, YK.
So I went out and got a job. It helped me as a woman, kept me busy and not thnking aobut that awful dh I had...lol and when I had enough of that intense physcial work and stress and all, I was cvery greatful for my husband.

But I had to work through all that to get to love again.
Even my kids...I jsut wanted to go away by myself and be me.
And I did a couple times. Once to Santa Fe. I only had my olders who were meeting their dad there.
Then my grandpa died and I stayed 2 weeks with my family.

That is really not like me, but I needed ME time.

MP almsot drives you to it.

see it is reasons like this we need a place like this becuase it is very real, very difficult physically and mentally.

I am so thankful you all are participating.

When you get those books, they will give you good ideas to help.

It is so great you are looking ahead like this to prepare. I think you are very wise to seek out answers to these questions, Marjen.

Susannah · 11-22-2007, 09:31 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by organicmama

there is conflicting info on progesterone cream tho too which I have been wading through the past year.

I am sure there are some benefits though but never felt totally sure it was for me.

However you are right, there are synthetic hormones and bio identical hormones. Apparantly the body recognizes bio must better. However you mostly need to get a script fromt he doc to take to a compounding pharmacy.

I dont think you can actually go to a neighborhood walgreens.

If at all possible, it is best to find a doctor who will utilize BioIdentical Hormone Replacement Therapies, with a Compounding Pharmacy. Monkeying around trying to figure out which hormones one is deficient in, without the benefit of blood work, is a bit like hitting a pinata blindfolded. Sometimes you get it, sometimes you don't. However, even with that said, I still found benefit just using a little natural progesterone cream, which is said to stimulate the other hormones needed for well being. I don't mess around using estrogen or testosterone, because those two have quite a reputation for having a narrow tolerance level.

Quote:

Marjen, I really dont have any clear answers. MP can make you feel crazy. For several months I hated my husband. I didn't know why. Now he had let me down in some areas of our life that really upset me. But not enough of a situation to leave him, YK.
So I went out and got a job. It helped me as a woman, kept me busy and not thnking aobut that awful dh I had...lol and when I had enough of that intense physcial work and stress and all, I was cvery greatful for my husband.

YES! I found myself doing the.exact.same.thing about this time last year. I still have my moments, but snap back to reality that it isn't anything to consider getting divorced over.

Quote:

But I had to work through all that to get to love again.

We moms who are family centered, usually don't take time to take care of ourselves. We pour every bit of ourselves into our families, with no regard as to how it is sapping us from our very core. When our children are young, we have no choice but to meet their needs 100%. However, as they get a bit older, it becomes vital for us to give ourselves permission to take care of us. Now that I have older children, I can take a bit of a break from the house by myself, though I feel guilty for doing so, or maybe even paranoid that the house won't be standing when I return!

Quote:

Even my kids...I jsut wanted to go away by myself and be me.
And I did a couple times. Once to Santa Fe. I only had my olders who were meeting their dad there.
Then my grandpa died and I stayed 2 weeks with my family.

That is really not like me, but I needed ME time.

MP almsot drives you to it.

see it is reasons like this we need a place like this becuase it is very real, very difficult physically and mentally.

I am so thankful you all are participating.

When you get those books, they will give you good ideas to help.

It is so great you are looking ahead like this to prepare. I think you are very wise to seek out answers to these questions, Marjen.

Yes, this little nook is awesome! There are SO MANY times that I feel as though you, KR, have either experienced something that I'm going through, or are actually going through it at the same time.

It is a tremendous comfort to know that I'm not alone in my journey of life.

organicmama · 11-24-2007, 10:51 AM

It helps to know you aren't crazy too. i never dreamed I would feel or do what I have gone through. only women there or been there can really relate.

The hormone thing, yes, teh doctor has to do the bloodwork but from what I understand they have to agree to work with you on the compounding pharmacy. Many will jsut want to prescribe vivelle dot or premarin.

So Marjen if you do go that route adn want bio identical, I think you need to be sure your doc will support that choice.
Does anyone know if that is true?

The hormones...all of them in MP-jeepers.
Thyroid issues are not in my family so I have no idea about it really. But one I knew MP was on its way adn that thyroid can be effected, then I started reading about it. However, it still was a mystery of sorts and I am sad so many go through it. and I had a taste of it recently. I have so much more compassion for a few mama's here because I now know their physical symptoms and that it is so hard to work through them.

Adn their experience is so valuable as they wade through it.

Our foremothers really did not have the issues like this-or else they were not discussed.

marjen · 11-24-2007, 11:22 AM

No - I have no interest in going through HRT. I want to learn from my mother and not repeat what she has gone through. I may indeed have my uterus out in the next few or so years (not my ovaries) if it comes to that. My focus is on natural remedies for the hormonal swings. I too want to embrace this time of change, not fight it. I just need to make sure I am proactive.

TeriMomOf4 · 11-24-2007, 12:54 PM

I wanted to interject that having a hysterectomy doesn't necessarily send you into menopause. I had mine a year ago, but he left an ovary for hormone reasons. I haven't had any symptoms of menopause yet because I still have one ovary that continues to cycle. I occasionally have symptoms of pms, but nothing like I was experiencing before the surgery.
My understanding is that I could hit menopause a little earlier than I would have otherwise because of the hysterectomy though.

marjen · 11-24-2007, 04:00 PM

I assumed that by taking out the uterus it would not send me into menopause any sooner than normal due to keeping my ovaries - but I assumed the PMS would be the same - and yet for you it is not? I am curious to know how it is for you from the emotional issue of PMS.

organicmama · 11-27-2007, 06:39 PM

And also, for others that have their ovaries, or at least one, some do go through flashes have dry vagina, feel emotional issues previously not experienced, and need to keep their calcium well to prevent bone loss. (amongst other things)

I jsut want to throw that out there Marjen. Teri is doing great! YAY. Not everyone does so great. I thing it all depends on the individual and how their body works through hormones.
I think had I not gone through radiation, I woudl be like Teri though. did relaly well post hyster until about 3 months after when radiation was doing its work. Soemthing to think about and at least research help before making a strong decision.

TeriMomOf4 · 11-27-2007, 06:47 PM

My PMS symptoms were not the reason for my hysterectomy. I was having SEVERE-stay-in-bed for three days pain during my period, which was lasting for a couple of weeks then reappearing a week later.
I have found though that I do not have the mood swings that I was having, I don't have the weird chocolate/salt cravings every month, no monthly skin issues, no headaches or fluid retention.
I did experience some vaginal dryness in the beginning, but that has gotten better.
The biggest downside is that I have no sex drive whatsoever. But, I think that started before the hysterectomy because it HURT. I just haven't quite gotten past that.
I tried an ablation first, which did nothing for me. I continued to have long painful periods.
My doctor leaves one ovary (if possible). He looked at them and left the "best" one, in his words.

organicmama · 11-30-2007, 07:49 PM

Interesting. I find I dont have those mood swings either. Which I liek that part. Sex is hard although I did have some desire this week and jumped dh bones this week! YES! I AM WOMAN!

How are you Marjen. Doing ok?