HRT

[Eskenazi]

Aren't we getting a bit off topic? Original question was about getting HRT in France. As for the rest - ladies, ladies! What a collection of ...... - you know, some of you really need HRT! How old are you, Gay? I don't know from that photo - 60 or so? I just love those assertions that some of you are still gorgeous without HRT, and some of you even imagine - for that's what it is - that you have no wrinkles at all despite being past middle age, which is a physical impossibility since even 28 year olds have small wrinkles!

Personally, I just don't want to join the bent crones at my local Champeon so I'm staying with it. Of course HRT brings into question all kinds of other issues about women in France & the antiquated way they are treated (huge subsidies for whelping loads of sprogs, but always referred to by maiden name only in legal terms etc etc...) - which may go some way to explain how 'heated' some of you get at the mere suggestion that you're not baby-bottom smooth without some help! Lighten up, y'all!

[Iceni]

Hi Janey

If you read my posts you will see that I too took HRT for many year for medical reasons - my hormones went on holiday and I lost my memory. HRT got me back to normal in two weeks and it was fantastic. I stayed on it for a long time and when I needed an emergency hysterectomy I convinced them to 'whip out the lot' as my mother had ovarian cancer. Her sister had breast cancer and I knew the risks but still I stayed in HRT until my body got used to the shock you mention. I came off HRT when I could. I did not take it for good skin or lack of wrinkles, I like you, took it because it was prescribed as a necessary drug.

I did a lot of research on Soya products - women in countries who virtually live on the stuff have lower rates of breast cancer than western women. I do not use many products with soya in them, I actually cannot think of anything apart from soy sauce. With my family history I take care but for 6 months it got me through some nasty symptoms that bounced back and I did not want to go back on the patches as I had become allergic to the glue.

I am sure Dr Eskenazi would prescribe another form for me as I obviously need it in her opinion but I am a big girl and can make up my own mind.

My husband thinks I am gorgeous - and I am thankful to say that his is the only opinion I want or need, what anyone else thinks is irrelevant. He even offered to take a picture today to prove I am telling the truth but I am stuffed if I am going to play games with someone who does not know me but is willing to call me a liar.

[Alexis]

You are obviously the same age as me Gay....twenty nine and some months

[Russethouse]

Quite Alexis

[Catalpa]

I'm in a holding pattern over (the age of) 37, have been for some years, and have no intention of coming in to land.

And also... middle age is *always* 10 years older than you are at the time.

The doctor's remark that opened this thread: that women should grow old (or age, was it?) gracefully... maybe (a generous!) interpretation of the intention behind that remark was more that we should appreciate ourselves - whatever our age - for what we are, what life has made us - and not be totally focussed on or obsessed with halting the aging process. Though delaying tactics are obviously okay!!

I'm not anti-HRT and I'm not saying that osteoporosis, aligator skin and anything else that goes with ageing should therefore be embraced as more life-enriching experiences. Unless medical opinion comes out otherwise I'll be knocking back the calcium supplements, taking weight-bearing exercise (zimmer frame with weights!) and wearing sunscreen when I'm 90. But ageing is natural and I think we sometimes choose to ignore that.

And thinking about it, I'm uncomfortable with the thought that we're ambling through supermarkets and judging other women by whether we think they're on HRT or not. How liberated of us is that? Or will we always be bitches at heart??

[Jon 1]

I do not wish to revive some of the heat that was engendered on this thread but to elaborate slightly on my previous comments and hopefully debunk the mythology surrounding HRT, and ORT in particular.

Please also excuse me for straying into this domain, but as the husband of someone who in my opinion was treated abysmally by what can only be termed an ignorant local NHS system I feel compelled to comment.

My wife received a hysterectomy and oopherectomy for fibroids.  Subsequent developments suggest that this may have been the wrong option, but that is another matter.

Pre and post operatively she was given no counselling, and was expected to go totally ‘cold turkey’ after the op.  This was the same approach to a woman in her early 40’s in an adjacent bed.  This is despite the fact that this group would be at the highest subsequent risk from osteoporosis.  The absolute lack of specialist advice and the ignorance of so called medical professionals was lamentable. We had therefore to educate ourselves in the intricacies of HRT. 

There is not enough space to go into the various aspects here but I recommend the following link http://www.studd.co.uk/p_hrt.html as it contains in some detail the case for ORT that I would wish to present.

I would also wish to reiterate that I consider the use of soya based and other phyto oestrogenic substances to be potentially more dangerous and haphazard.  Not least because they are normally distributed through unsupervised and uncontrolled methods of production.  It is well known that many vitamins and supplements etc are adulterated and misrepresented by unscrupulous manufacturers.

Soya and related products are hugeagri-business.  There is great concern over the many dangers in these products. Follow link http://www.nexusmagazine.com/articles/soya.html Finally to summarise there is plenty of evidence to support ORT as providing the following benefits:  Prevention of - osteoporotic fractures and general degeneration of the skeleton, dementia, Alzheimer’s and general brain fog, heart attacks, skin and tissue degeneration etc.  There are some papers that suggest ORT may even inhibit the development of aggressive breast tumours.  Where breast tumours have developed (for whatever reason) they have been found to be more contained and manageable.

I often wonder how many females following the ‘HRT scare’ rushed to terminate their usage of HRT, yet blithely carried on with the significantly harmful practices of smoking, over-eating and drinking.

Whilst in this particular territory can anyone comment on the benefits and experience of a female cystocele operation undertaken in France?  Please send a private e-mail if you wish.

 

 

[Iceni]

I can only comment on cystocele operations in the UK which have had good effects.

I am always amazed at the anti soya comments which arise when this subject is bought up. Many many women in the world eat huge amounts of soya, I think I am correct in the fact that the Japanese women have no word for menopause as they have no symptoms. Another piece of research is that women in Hong Kong who work on boats and so only breastfeed on one breast never get breast cancer in that breast - you can draw what you like from that.

There are as many sorts of breast cancer as causes and prolonged usage of certain hormones 'can' be one cause if taken over a long period. I keep hearing that those on HRT get a 'different' form of cancer which is easily treatable - I would tell that to my aunt if she was still alive. Believe what you like if it helps you sleep at night. There is even one school of thought that thinks that regular mamograms ups the lifetime risk of breastcancer.

With our family history I spent many years looking at the options and made up my mind I would never take HRT - I got so ill I had no choice. I also decided that I would never take a diazopene type drug again BUT after a diagnosis on Friday it is either that or pain that is unendurable.  We make and take our chances - how it turns out is down to us but we should not allow our personal opinions and views to stop others making reasoned judgements.

In reply to the latest post - there is no real proof that HRT does prevent dementia - depends on what papers you read. There are better drugs for osteoporosis, to the best of my knowledge the idea that something that 'could' cause breast cancer 'might' inhibit aggressive breast cancer does not make sense - again this depends on which drug company paid for the research.

Finally lets not forget that some HRT (not patches produced from estrogen mimics) is made from tethered mares urine - the horses have the life from hell.

This is a very deep and complicated subject and one which I spent many years researching. Most of what you read is either suspect or simply wishful thinking.

I am just greatful that I am off that drug but the other one I now have to start to juggle with to find a way of taking it, being pain free and being able to stay awake long enough to have a life.