Hormone Replacement Therapy? How To Increase Your Stroke Risk
Monday
Aug 18, 2008
Hormone Replacement Therapy or HRT is an option that many women consider when dealing with the signs and symptoms of menopause.
For some, the decision is based on the degree of “miserableness” the effects of menopause is having on them. Hot flashes and night sweats seem to be the most uncomfortable demon in the mix and many reach a point of no return in getting relief from these symptoms.
A new hormone replacement therapy drug has emerged lately to provide women the relief they are seeking. Now available in over 90 countries, the drug Tibolone manufactured by Organan, a subsidiary of Schering-Plough of Kenilworth, NJ. The drug has not been approved for use in the U.S.due to the risks of stroke.
The drug is a synthetic that behaves like estrogen and progesterone in relieving the symptoms of menopause.
A new study just release Aug. 14th in the New England Journal of Medicine warns of an increased risk of stroke associated with the use of Tibolone.
Dr. Steven Cummings, of the California Pacific Medical Research Institute in San Fransisco conducted the study involving 4,538 post menopausal women giving them a 1.25 milligram dose of Tibolone over a 34 months period. The study found that the risk of stroke was 2.2 times greater in the women taking the drug over placebo.
Although the study did find a decrease in bone fracture and a reduced risk of colon and breast cancer, the study was halted because of the increased risk of stroke.
“It will not be available in the U.S. because the company is not asking the U.S. FDA to approve it” Dr. Cummings was quoted as saying in the report.
The stroke warning was specifically targeted at women 60 years of age or older and were cautioned to either stop taking the drug or not consider starting treatment with it altogether.
Dr. Cummings also stated that tibolone may be a good choice for the relief of menopausal symptoms in younger women.
Most prior studies concerning HRT with estrogen determined increases in the risk of stroke no matter what age the women were when taking the hormones.
The bottom line? The risks associated with tibolone are apparent and in reality all drugs being used to treat the signs and symptoms of menopause have their negative and positive effects.
The goal of any drug manufacturer is to discover therapeutics that do not present any potentially harmful side effects. Until then the degree of risk is certainly different for every woman and a complete physical check up and discussion with your doctor is necessary to determine which treatment is best for you.
Many women may want to consider a more natural approach in controlling the symptoms of menopause with herbal treatments (Have you tried our Menozac Free Trial!) that show promising results when taken early on and taken on a consistent basis. Depending on how severe your symptoms are this may be a very good approach in getting relief at least to a tolerable level without all the potential side effects inherent with HRT.
Again, this is something you should consider consulting with your physician with if your symptoms are severe and getting the best of you. Having a health diet and getting adequate exercise is also very important and starting a natural treatment program incorporating all three of these things may be the solution you are looking for.
Could Your Hormones Be “Out Of Tune“?
Symptoms Of Menopause: Are Hormones All In Your head? [FM82601-19]
Wednesday
Aug 6, 2008
Are the symptoms of menopause driving you nuts? You’ve heard it all your life, right? Life begins at 50!
For Janet, that is what she was so looking for. “My mother always told me that when 50 got here I could begin to forget about periods, cramps and mood swings” she told the Menopause Signs And Symptoms Blog recently.
“Now I feel like my life is out of control as my fuse gets shorter by the day, and omg, the night sweats are horrible.”
For many of you women out there I can already see you nodding your head in agreement as you read Janet’s story.
Unfortunately, this story is all too common as the symptoms of menopause begin to creep into the lives of premenopausal women.
Unlike PMS where mood swings and emotion are the main demons you must deal with each month, the change of life can bring on a whole new realm of little nasties that can make life miserable.
Hot flashes are a main issue as at one point you can seem cool, even a little chilly at times when all of the sudden your thermostat goes completely nuts.
At night, these symptoms of menopause can have many far reaching side effects as it begins to play with your sleep patterns which then leads to all kinds of other problems as well.
For many women, the hormone imbalance actually causes them to consider that maybe it is all in their heads. Janet confided these facts to us in the interview.
“So many times I caught myself thinking that the way I felt and acted was all in my head. I mean, it even went beyond the physical symptoms of menopause that I knew I could not control.”
Hormone imbalances can and do affect your thinking. The same imbalances that your body experiences is also being felt in your brain and it reacts as well.
To correct the problems brought on by hormones, the usual course of treatment is hormone replacement therapy. I will write on this in another article but for many women this approach is the first to be rejected.
“An all natural approach is the only way I wanted to start out with in trying to deal with the problem” Janet stated. “For me, I had to give it a try before going for the big guns.”
Many women experience fantastic results with all natural menopause remedies and every woman should at least try this route at first.
The important thing to remember is that the natural approach does take some time and patience.
Remember, you are not loading up on the hormones you are trying to replace. Your are trying to reset your bodies thermostat by giving it a natural push in the right direction.
Janet found relief after trying the all natural way in about 3 weeks after beginning her program. “I was a little apprehensive at first taking the natural approach but after several weeks it’s like my thermostat is back on track. I haven’t had any hot flashes for several days now.”
If you are thinking that the signs and symptoms of menopause are all in your head or realize that they are a reality in this time of life, consider your treatment options.
Remember to consult your physician before starting any type of serious treatment plan and make sure to inquire about the new inroads being made in prescription natural remedies that are now available.
