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O/T For Those of You Older Ladies. . .

thinkthrice's picture

Submitted by thinkthrice on Wed, 07/23/2014 - 3:40pm

I just want to say that Bioidentical hormones are GREAT!! I went into perimeno around the age of 47. Then around 49 the hot flashes, night sweats and sleeplessness hit with wild abandon.

I tried premarin but that made me feel like I was carrying a rock in my stomach (go figure)

Then I tried the "natural" approach. Soy milk, supplements, you name it. Nada. I was told that a total vegan diet would help but I wasn't willing to go quite that far as of yet.

The symptoms continued to be insufferable.

After several months of research, I found an OBGYN doctor in the closest major city that advertised prescribing bioidenticals. I had to jump through many flaming hoops, take a blood test, wait for over a month and lots of pestering to actually get the prescription. They work out to something like $33 a month (without insurance)

Now that I've been taking them for a few months, it's been GREAT! Sleeping has improved remarkably. Took about 3 mos for libido to increase (I've found myself finding men attractive again--not Chef though LOL)

ZERO hot flashes and night sweats!!

The compounding pharmacy is great! It's a mixture of two types of estrogten (E1 and E2) Progesterone and Testosterone. Awesome!

Comments

Willow2010's picture

Submitted by Willow2010 on Wed, 07/23/2014 - 3:48pm

UGH!!! I started hot flashes at 46. I am now 47. I get hot flashes for about a month, then I stop for about 3 months. And it cycles that way.

I am a little leery of the estrogen so I don't take anything yet because it is not unbearable.

Does it give you any energy. I have noticed I am really run down when I have the hot flashes.

thinkthrice's picture

Submitted by thinkthrice on Wed, 07/23/2014 - 3:59pm

Yes, the hot flashes wear you down as well as the obvious lack of sleep because of them. It was totally unbearable for me so I had to do something.

thinkthrice's picture

Submitted by thinkthrice on Wed, 07/23/2014 - 4:15pm

I've heard of that! Some women were discussing this in the office a few months back.

misSTEP's picture

Submitted by misSTEP on Wed, 07/23/2014 - 4:04pm

I just got a hysterectomy and ovaries removed in June. MY (female) doctor said they'd put me on the patch. The MALE doc who discharged me said we would "wait and see" when I told him that. OF COURSE. If it was HIM who had to put up with the hot flashes etc..He would have been knocking on the pharmacy door 15 minutes before they OPENED!

Hanny's picture

Submitted by Hanny on Wed, 07/23/2014 - 5:48pm

I'm on a combi patch, my Dr said it was better than the pill because it absorbs into your skin and doesn't go through your liver. I love it, easy to use, and no more hot flashes. I've been on it a while now, and I'm in my early 60's, so thought a couple of months ago, I would try to go off it and see how I feel. (No need to be on something if you no longer need it) Thought perhaps hot flashes would be gone. At first, I felt no different, but then when about the 30 day mark approached, I started having hot flashes again and couldn't sleep, so went back on. Just think what you have to look forward to, it doesn't stop like they say it does, I have a friend who is 70 and she still has hot flashes! My thyroid Dr was actually the one who told me to tell my primary to put me on the combi patch.

thinkthrice's picture

Submitted by thinkthrice on Thu, 07/24/2014 - 8:52am

Well I think they are just generally classified as "bioidenticals" It took me almost a year and a half to find a obygyn that would do blood tests and prescribe them.

I know darn well that I would probably have symptoms well into my fifties. My diet is so-so. I know that has a lot to do with it--I stress eat sometimes because of Chef Boyardumb's stupdity.