Hormone replacement 
Bob Filice,M.D.

A study just completed by Express Scripts and reported by Reuters compared the usage of hormone replacement prescriptions before and after last summer's "surprise" announcement that such prescriptions increase the risk of heart disease, stroke, and cancer.

The results showed that 36% of women had stopped taking their prescriptions, while 57% continued taking them.

The reported adverse effects occurred in the original study in patients taking Prempro, a popular estrogen/progestin (Premarin and Provera) combination. Despite that fact, 26% of women taking pharmaceutical company estrogen preparations without the progestin component also stopped taking their medication.

I emphasized the "surprise" nature of these findings because they were no surprise to natural medicine physicians who have been advising their patients for years to avoid the pharmaceutical company versions of human hormones. Why? Premarin comes from horses, it contains a preponderance of the stronger estrogens and therefore may be more likely to induce breast and uterine cancer, and it is not balanced in the way that nature balances a woman's hormone production. The story on Provera is even worse. It is added to Premarin with the intention of reducing the risk of estrogen dependent cancers being induced by the Premarin.

This is a perfect example of a bad idea (unnatural and unbalanced estrogen being prescribed instead of identical to natural hormone replacement) being made even worse by adding a synthetic hormone (Provera) with a host of side effects (weight gain, depression, increased risk of heart disease) of its own in an attempt to counteract the side effects of the first drug. This type of thinking is surprisingly common in traditional medicine today. It seems as though as long as the treatment they come up with is a pharmaceutical company drug, no one blinks an eye if another drug has to be added to the first one to manage unwanted side effects. I have even heard that some gynecologists minimized the concern about uterine cancer from prescribed unopposed estrogens by telling patients "not to worry", because uterine cancer is easily diagnosed and removed surgically!

I am glad that this study was done. It was long overdue however. I remember 20 years ago giving a talk to a breast cancer survivors group and being told by the patients to be sure that I warned patients about traditional hormone replacement medications. The victims knew even then what had happened. I have been warning women ever since, and I gladly take this opportunity to do so again.

Women should not take pharmaceutical company hormone replacement drugs. They cause serious problems, they are either not identical to natural molecules, or they are prescribed improperly and out of balance, and not all relevant hormones (such as testosterone and natural progesterone) are tested for and replaced. The danger implied by the quoted study is that women will throw the baby out with the bathwater. The released adverse statistics caused a huge dent in the consumption of one of the most prescribed drugs in this country. That product deserves a bad reputation. All of the women who continued taking their Prempro after the adverse study report was released should stop taking it under a doctor's supervision. But the danger is that women will generalize from the report, and assume that any and all hormone replacement therapy is dangerous. This is not true.

Identical to natural hormones prescribed in the proper doses, guided by proper hormone level testing, and formulated to include all relevant hormones in the proper balance will bring huge health benefits beyond just the control of menopausal symptoms. Every cell in the body has hormone receptors, and will be positively impacted by healthy hormone levels. Reduction in heart disease risk, osteoporosis, cancer, and powerful anti-aging and cosmetic benefits await those who forge ahead under the direction of an experienced natural medicine physician.

More Evidence - 
Hormone Replacement Therapy NOT HELPFUL
Already made known in March, but published in the May 8, 2003 issue of the New England Journal of Medicine, researchers at the Center for Women's Health at Baylor College of Medicine in Houston compiled information from over 16,000 test participants between 50 and 79 years old. Their findings, for the vast majority of women, Hormone Replacement Therapy was not beneficial to improving quality of life.

BUT I NEED MY HORMONES!

Hormone Replacement Therapy
NATURAL Hormone Replacement Therapy
Women were and are often given synthetic hormones or hormones that are derived from horse urine. Because the exact hormones naturally produced by the body are now available, synthetic hormones do not have to be used. The natural hormones used in Natural Hormone Replacement Therapy (NHRT) include the following: Estriole, Progesterone, Thyroid, DHEA, Growth Hormone, and Testosterone. These may be given in capsule or cream form.

How we get patients started on Natural Hormone Replacement Therapy (NHRT)
The first step is to determine which hormones require supplementation - replacement. 

Checking the hormone levels in the body through testing provides this information. We also perform Metabolic Typing to better assess individual dietary and nutritional needs.

As with any medical therapy, every person is different and has different needs. Within the first several months of NHRT, people often notice that they have more energy, a happier outlook on life, feel sexier, and start slimming down. It often takes several months to determine the optimum dosages for NHRT. During this time it is possible to experience some unwanted side effects such as bloating, menstrual bleeding, and others, but the long term effects are well worth it. Any person not feeling quite right on their prescribed NHRT should contact their physician as soon as possible so that the dosages can be adjusted. A yearly pap smear is recommended for women on NHRT and a prostate exam for men on NHRT.

Read more about hormones at caringmedical.com