Such is the case with HRT. Remember, most practitioners were taught that HRT was a near perfect answer to alleviating symptoms of perimenopause and menopause. There are copious amounts of well documented research among complementary and functional medicine practitioners that can help you make better health choices for yourself. When the study first came out, I heard of many women who dumped their hormones down the drain several days, or even weeks, after the report was made public.
While originally your body could have made its own hormones right through perimenopause and menopause, it cut back production when you began HRT. The good news is that your body is an amazing creation, and it can resume estrogen, testosterone, and progesterone production; it can even develop secondary hormone production sites to compensate for the decrease in hormones from your ovaries. This is the normal and natural order of things, but your body will need time, and your continued support, to develop those sites.
It takes time for those receptors to return to their original form and accept natural HRT, wherever it comes from. Consequently, the type of synthetic hormones that you have taken and the length of time that you have been on them are both very important factors to consider when you stop HRT.
The more severe your original symptoms were, the stronger your HRT would have been; the longer you used HRT, the more likely it is that you will have symptoms of HRT withdrawal when you quit. Talk with your doctor about the risks and benefits. You might also try black cohosh, which is a medicinal root, or dietary soy to manage hot flashes. To reduce your risk of osteoporosis, eat foods that are rich in calcium, and take vitamin D supplements.
These stories are based on information gathered from health professionals and consumers. They may be helpful as you make important health decisions. Since having my uterus and ovaries removed, I've been taking ET. This makes a lot of sense to me, because my ovaries would be producing estrogen until I hit menopause. When I'm the age I'd expect to be menopausal, around age 50, I expect I'll stop or reduce the estrogen I'm taking. That'll depend on what experts recommend by then.
I started taking ET after a radical hysterectomy and spent a number of months struggling with moodiness and feeling depressed. It was probably because of the big changes in hormones after my ovaries were removed.
I worked closely with my doctor to make adjustments to my hormone replacement. She replaced the oral estrogen with a patch. Now, I've been doing well for more than 5 years. I took ET for many years after having my uterus and ovaries removed in my 30s. I figured I'd take it for the rest of my life, since that is what my doctor said I should do. But I recently heard about the latest research on the risks of taking hormones, and my doctor and I decided that I really don't need to take ET.
If I had risks for osteoporosis and needed the estrogen to keep my bones strong, I'd take a low dose, but I don't have any worries right now about weak bones. I had a hysterectomy and oophorectomy in my early 40s, but I didn't take ET because my family has a history of breast cancer that's linked to estrogen.
The sudden menopause after having my ovaries removed was pretty bad, but I took really good care of myself with exercise, a good diet, and a lot of tricks for handling hot flashes, and I got through it after a while. Your personal feelings are just as important as the medical facts.
Think about what matters most to you in this decision, and show how you feel about the following statements. I need something to help me manage hot flashes and other menopause symptoms.
Now that you've thought about the facts and your feelings, you may have a general idea of where you stand on this decision. Show which way you are leaning right now. How sure do you feel right now about your decision? Here's a record of your answers. You can use it to talk with your doctor or loved ones about your decision.
Using ET may increase your risk of: 4. I feel that ET offers me the best protection against thinning bones. Is ET the only way to treat early menopause symptoms and prevent bone thinning? For younger women, do the benefits of ET outweigh the risks? Are you clear about which benefits and side effects matter most to you? Do you have enough support and advice from others to make a choice?
Author: Healthwise Staff. Medical Review: Anne C. This information does not replace the advice of a doctor. Healthwise, Incorporated, disclaims any warranty or liability for your use of this information. Your use of this information means that you agree to the Terms of Use. Learn how we develop our content. To learn more about Healthwise, visit Healthwise. Healthwise, Healthwise for every health decision, and the Healthwise logo are trademarks of Healthwise, Incorporated.
Updated visitor guidelines. Get the facts. Your options Use estrogen therapy ET after hysterectomy and oophorectomy. Don't use ET. Try other treatment for menopause symptoms and to prevent osteoporosis. Key points to remember Until menopause, the ovaries make most of your body's estrogen.
When your ovaries are removed oophorectomy during a hysterectomy, your estrogen levels drop. Estrogen therapy ET replaces some or all of the estrogen that your ovaries would be making until menopause. Without estrogen, you are at risk for weak bones later in life, which can lead to osteoporosis. ET lowers your risk by slowing bone thinning and increasing bone thickness.
Brand names Other names. Talk to your doctor regularly about the risks and benefits of using transdermal estradiol. Each brand of estradiol transdermal patches should be applied following the specific directions given in the manufacturer's information for the patient. Read this information carefully before you start using estradiol transdermal and each time you refill your prescription.
Ask your doctor or pharmacist if you have any questions. The following general directions can help you remember some important things to do when you apply any type of estradiol transdermal patch. Tear open the pouch with your fingers. Do not use scissors because they may damage the patch. Do not open the pouch until you are ready to apply the patch. Remove the patch from the pouch. There may be a silver foil sticker used to protect the patch from moisture inside the pouch.
Do not remove this sticker from the pouch. Remove the protective liner from the patch and press the sticky side of the patch against your skin in the area you have chosen to wear your patch. Some patches have a liner that is made to peel off in two pieces. If your patch has that type of liner, you should peel off one part of the liner and press that side of the patch against your skin. Then fold back the patch, peel off the other part of the liner and press the second side of the patch against your skin.
Always be careful not to touch the sticky side of the patch with your fingers. Press down on the patch with your fingers or palm for 10 seconds. Be sure that the patch is firmly attached to your skin, especially around its edges.
Wear the patch all the time until it is time to remove it. When it is time to remove the patch, slowly peel it off of your skin. Fold the patch in half so that the sticky sides are pressed together and dispose of it safely, so that is out of reach of children and pets. Some brands of patches may leave a sticky substance on your skin. In some cases, this can be rubbed off easily. In other cases, you should wait 15 minutes and then remove the substance using an oil or lotion.
Read the information that came with your patches to find out what to do if a substance is left on your skin after you remove your patch. Ask your pharmacist or doctor for a copy of the manufacturer's information for the patient. Other uses for this medicine. What special precautions should I follow?
Before using transdermal estradiol, tell your doctor and pharmacist if you are allergic to any brand of transdermal estradiol, any other estrogen products, any other medications, or any adhesives.
Ask your doctor or pharmacist if you are not sure if a medication you are allergic to contains estrogen. Be sure to mention any of the following: amiodarone Cordarone, Pacerone ; antifungals such as itraconazole Sporanox and ketoconazole Nizoral ; aprepitant Emend ; carbamazepine Carbatrol, Epitol, Tegretol ; cimetidine Tagamet ; clarithromycin Biaxin ; cyclosporine Neoral, Sandimmune ; dexamethasone Decadron, Dexpak ; diltiazem Cardizem, Dilacor, Tiazac, others ; erythromycin E.
Your doctor may need to change the doses of your medications or monitor you carefully for side effects. John's wort. If you become pregnant while using transdermal estradiol, call your doctor. Quitting Hormone Replacement Therapy Some gradually decrease estrogen and progesterone doses over time. Others decrease the number of times a week patients take the HRT, along with lower doses.
Depending on what type of HRT you are taking and how high the dose, it can take from 3 to 6 months to completely taper off. E1S levels rose from mean basal levels of 1. The apparent half-life of E2 after discontinuing a transdermal E2 patch is 2. NEW YORK Reuters Health -Though long-term hormone replacement therapy has serious health risks, going off the medication may lead to a return of menopausal symptoms and increased risk for high blood pressure, according to a new study.
The increased risk of breast cancer falls after you stop taking HRT, but some increased risk remains for more than 10 years compared to women who have never used HRT. Most symptoms will pass within 2 to 5 years, although vaginal dryness is likely to get worse if not treated. Stress incontinence may also persist and the risk of osteoporosis will increase with age. Going Off Menopausal Hormone Therapy. As women who have been diagnosed with breast cancer know firsthand, it is possible—and from a medical perspective, perfectly okay—to stop hormones cold turkey.
In fact, about half of all women who stop taking hormones cold turkey will do just fine.
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