Posted by zinya on July 12, 2003, at 16:00:12
In reply to Re: Anyone had success on Effexor XR? » sierra1, posted by CherC68 on July 11, 2003, at 21:29:08
hi Cher,
gosh, when i read of what you've gone through and is still unresolved for you in this horrible saga of cysts and hormones, I can't imagine how I would be reacting. I assume you mean the patch you were put on was Estraderm, so you've already tried that? Gosh, is there any chance you could find a specialist to see? I would try to insist on seeing some more expert person who might have some better idea about all these lingering cysts, etc. It seems sooo possible that what you are dealing with that led you to Effexor is related to either this unresolved cyst situation or the lack of HRT or some such.Did you try the all natural estrogen that is sold wihtout prescription in little boxes - I think it's called Estroven or something like that?
and to both Cher and Sierra and anyone,
The major alarm so far with new HRT tests is all focused on the role of progesterone for those still with uteruses (and especially those starting HRT after age 60). While the jury's still out on estrogen alone as to other cancer risks, it seems like one is wise to proceed cautiously but to not yet assume that estrogen alone will be proven to have those same risks either.
Also, a friend just sent me this reference, which seems very interesting - I've read some of it but not the whole article yet - It's an article on "'Natural' Isomolecular Hormone Replacement: An Evidence-Based Medicine Approach." at this website:
http://www.islandpharmacy.com/natural%20hormones.html
She excerpted some paragraphs I've read and it discusses all the different forms of estrogen and one in particular (which isn't contained in premarin at all) which can impact frequency of urination, something both my friend and I have had troubles with for some time.
Which just adds to the sense of how incredibly interrelated everything is in our bodies. The first clue to me in recent years if a doctor is someone I will trust is whether he/she recognizes all these interactions. When I still hear a doctor say things like "Oh, no, estrogen only affects x in your body" I know he/she has WAY too limited an understanding of things. Our hormones affect virtually every system in us - and such things as hair growth, sweating, skin, carpal tunnel syndrome, now to learn urinary frequency, etc. The connections just keep getting more and more extensive.
(Sometimes i think we need to have been born about 20 or more years later - maybe they'll finally know this stuff. Although i dare say it's also required a 'baby boom generation' to get to this stage in life for enough more people to start seriously researching it.)
In case you or anyone missed it, this is a relevant portion of a post I sent to Bridget above about hormones:
Too many doctors (imo) prescribe Premarin as if it were the only option. Especially for long-term use, which presumably will be your case too, I think a much healthier route is Estraderm patches - It's a more natural form of estrogen - estradiol -- and there are other newer even more natural forms now getting developed which i'm just learning about which use more of estriol .. Using a patch is more efficient (transdermal) and it also protects the liver from having another daily drug to break down which, over time, can lead to liver function problems. I switched to using Estraderm in 1988 and have been very pleased overall, but again, as with ADs, each body is different and responds differently to doses and products.
But your latest post seems to raise this as a second thing that makes me curious (although you don't have to answer these Qs if you would rather not and i'll understand) ... There's a book I've recommended to women here before which I'll re-recommend to you re women's hormones if you haven't heard of it. I discovered her (a gynecologist somewhere in New England as i recall) on PBS when she did special programs. Her name is Christiane Northrup and the book is "Women's Bodies, Women's Wisdom".
my 3 cents' worth,
zinya
poster:zinya
thread:13781
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/20030708/msgs/241245.html