ClareMc!

[veekcee]

Hi Clare!

I wanted to pass some info on to you that you could consider/discuss with your doctor. My girlfriend, age 46, is taking Premarin 0.3mg for her perimenopausal symptoms. She has been on this for over a year and it literally saved her. Her symptoms were interferring with her relationship with her husband, constantly fatigued due to insominia, etc. She has had no side effects.

She has a girlfriend who's doctor put her on a low dose BC, and she is suffering terrible side effects and getting no relief from her symptoms. The friends doctor won't consider the Premarin for her as he feels she is too young but won't test her hormone levels. She is searching for another doctor.

Take care, Clare.

 

[clareMc]

Vickie:

you are a sweetheart! Thank you for thinking of me and relaying useful information! I truly appreciate it. I now need to make an appointment with my PCP to insist she refers me and then throw myself into the hands of a competent, hopefully female gyne/endocrinologist person, who, here at the U of Michigan hospital, should not be too difficult to find! I am lucky to be based with such a fabulous hospital and health care facility in my town.

I never knew they could precribe HRT for premenopause. That's a newie to me. But it may be worth checking out because I don't want lowering estrogen to up my osteoporosis risk. And your second friend is absolutely doing the right thing: get the hell out from that doctor's grip and find another who will actually listen and take her seriously, no matter how young she may be. Tell her I said so!

Thanks again!

Clare

 

[veekcee]

You're welcome, Clare!

Good Luck!

 

[autumn]

Hi Clare! Glad to hear you are insisting on the referral. Let me know how things go.

Here is some information on HRT that you and anyone else considering HRT may want to review (keep in mind the WHI study was on HRT and POSTmenopausal women, but still info worth reviewing).
http://www.acog.org/from_home/publications/press_releases/nr08-30-02.cfm

This is a link to The North American Menopause Society... click on consumers. This society actually has a Menopause Practitioner Competency Exam, you can locate a provider who has passed this exam by visiting the referral list (this button is on the consumer main page). There are also US, Canadian, and those living outside the US and Canada discussion groups. Let me know what you think.
http://www.menopause.org/

Oh, NCC, who certifies Women's Health and Neonatal NPs, also provides a Menopause Clinician Certification (for NPs, Physician Assistants, Nurse Midwives, and Phsicians) and Menopause Educator certification. I couldn't find a locater on NCC's website.
http://www.nccnet.org/public/pages/index.cfm?pageid=109

Sorry I didn't share these sites and info before, my pregnant brain.

Take care!

Autumn

 

[candi]

Clare,

Just wanted to share my experience since I did try this last year for a couple of months. Not with premarin but with natural estrogen and prometrium.

Went okay at first. My skin looked fabulous. But then my anxiety levels went up and started suffering from mood swings again. My GYN explained that because I was still producing some of my own estrogen, what I was experiencing was added estrogen to the fluctuation raise of my own estrogen. So, in other words, I was going through estrogen overload, which is not a good thing when you think of what too much estrogen can do to your body. That is why I went back on the LD BC pill, because it regulates just how much estrogen and progestin I am getting.

By all means, try this if you are inclined. Hopefully it will work for you.

 

[clareMc]

Candi:

thanks for the testimony. Personal histories always help! You are right, you sound like you completely OD' on estrogen. The female body never ceases to amaze me, it is such a finely tuned machine, a slight imbalance and the effects can be multiple and unsuspected! What to do?

I continue on my search for remedies to suit me, read another two books today in Borders on menopause and premenopause...I am starting to become expert at all this! (Still nowhere near Autumn though!)

Clare

 

[candi]

I wish you the best of luck in your search!!!