sex lies and menopause

I've been reading this book by T. S. Wiley and highly recommend it as must reading for all women. It's about the necessity of natural hormone replacement with bio identical hormones taken in rythmic cylical doses.
Her research is impeccable, detailed in great depth covering hormonal functioning, what she thinks leads to cancers, how and why doctors of the past got it wrong and still do...and some very thought provoking material on sexuality. All supported by incredible research.

So I looked up a few you tube clips and found doctors really trying to discredit her because she isn't medical doctor. (That actually surprised me, but it shouldn't have because she is one of the most informed health writers I have ever read. Id even say brilliant)

Anyways, she even mentions in her book about how cigarrettes (exactly what I learned here) improve brain function. Another thing that struck me was how much her writing reminded me of Laura's. The style. A must read ladies.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BWUiqnKC0MM
 
a couple of Dr.s that describe her better than I
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8CUEiPJLdVg
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XhALMLZXeb8&NR=1
 
I've ordered the book. This looks fascinating and timely!

Here's some info about the idea behind this therapy:


Bio-Identical Hormones are only natural if they are Biomimetic–


If you are debating hormone replacement therapy, you’re not alone. Women everywhere are looking for answers and when they can’t find them, they look to their healthcare providers and pharmacists for help. According to the US Census Bureau, there were an estimated 78.2 million baby boomers, as of July 1, 2005, and over 47 million of them are women experiencing discomfort from menstruation to menopause, to loss of libido and beyond.

For those who still do not use any Hormone Replacement Therapy (HRT), the idea of anti-aging and bio-identical hormones has become intriguing. A myriad of products on the market make the right choice difficult.

People have become accustomed to talking about bio-identical hormone replacement therapy (BHRT) in menopause and anti-aging medicines versus synthetic big pharmaceutical products like Prempro from Wyeth. Bio-identical hormone products are usually created from natural sources of plant hormones which match the chemical structure of hormones produced by the human body. The premise is that the body can’t distinguish created bio-identical hormones from the ones the female ovaries produce naturally. The term bio-identical has basically become a catch all phrase for anything that is not a synthetic hormone. However “bio-identical” hormones can only be truly accurately bio-identical if the hormones for replacement mimic, not only those found in the body, but mimic the natural biological process as well.

In other words, natural plant derived hormones can accurately be termed bio-identical only when they are dosed in a Biomimetic fashion; that would be in a rhythm. Biomimetic hormones, the scientifically accurate term, are derived from plant sources and mimic the natural undulating or wavelike rhythms of the hormone blood levels in a normal menstrual cycle in a healthy young woman. It is this natural rhythm that is missing from all other bio-identical and synthetic hormone replacement therapies. It is the absence of this natural rhythm, according to T.S. Wiley, the developer of the Wiley Protocol, that is responsible for the vast side-effects in both camps.

So what exactly is meant by “the rhythm”? The body has rhythms that are governed by a master clock that works much like a conductor. It strikes up one section of the body's orchestra as another quiets down, taking its main cue from light signals in the environment to stay in sync with the 24-hour day. Our body's hormones surge and ebb to this maestro's baton, controlling all endocrine function, predominantly a woman’s health for reproduction.

It is the circadian clock in our cells that measures one 24 hour spin of the planet. For 28 days the moon adds its light to create the menstrual rhythm for the body. The Wiley Protocol uses these natural rhythms in nature to establish the proper doses of estradiol and natural progesterone that mimic the natural hormones which would be produced by your body if you were young. The topical creams and their amounts vary throughout the 28 day cycle to restore the hormone levels of youth because young women, for the most part, don’t have heart attacks, breast cancer, Alzheimer’s, osteoporosis, or type 2 diabetes.

Uncertainty about any HRT began when The National Institute of Health (NIH), sponsored the Women's Health Initiative (WHI). This study of more than 161,000 women was designed to identify the benefits and risks of using hormone restoration therapy to prevent chronic diseases such as heart disease, breast cancer and osteoporosis in postmenopausal women. Many people, including doctors, did not realize that the results of WHI Study dealt with only women over 65 who were taking only synthetic hormone replacement therapy which consisted of the drugs PremPro and Premarin only. The study was ended mid-stream in 2002 when, WHI investigators found that the risks of this approach using synthetic therapy exceeded the safety limits established at the beginning of the study. They never looked at compounded bio-identical hormones in static doses because they are prescribed and dosed too many different ways.

Women deserve something proven to be safe and reliable. A new study, Bio-identical Hormones On Trial, or B.H.O.T., will soon begin at the College of Nursing and Health Sciences at the University of Texas, Tyler. The principal objective of the study will be to examine clinical outcomes and quality of life indicators of patients receiving BHRT at 10 to 12 primary care provider's practices. This study will be the first of its kind to track and quantify outcomes based on dosing and patterns of administration of BHRT.

In 2030 there will be 57.8 million baby boomers living with many of the health issues that we may suffer between the ages of 66 and 84. There’s a chance that those who choose rhythmic replacement, the Wiley Protocol, could age to a healthier more graceful tune. Think about it.
 
chachazoom said:
a couple of Dr.s that describe her better than I
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8CUEiPJLdVg
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XhALMLZXeb8&NR=1

With this couple of testimonials, it is a must know. That is how I felt after studying "static" hormones: "Now, what do I do with all this information?"
 
I feel like I hit the jackpot! Cannot wait to hear everyones feedback. I fully expect to be doing cartwheels and double dutching in the not so distance future.
 
chachazoom said:
I feel like I hit the jackpot! Cannot wait to hear everyones feedback. I fully expect to be doing cartwheels and double dutching in the not so distance future.

I did the bio-identical thing several years ago. Had to go through so much red tape to get the insurance to pay for it, including trying (actuallly, purchasing then throwing in the trash) three "standard" hormone replacement scripts.

Fortunately, there was a compounding pharmacy close to my house. Unfortunately, they did not provide any relief. I'm still not sure I had the right dosages. The only way to tell is an expensive (insurance does NOT pay) saliva test. I did two of them, and the results supposedly supported what I was taking, but still noticed no relief.

I was taking natural progesterone cream with testostorone in it, and an estrogen capsule. The practitioner upped the testosterone dose when nothing was working, but when my hair started falling out, I quit taking everything. I kept telling the practitioner that I wasn't feeling any results, but because the saliva test read that I had adequate amounts of the hormones (equal to the dosage of the prescriptions) in my system, she kept telling me it was all in my head. I frustrated her because I was her only patient that didn't experience any benefits, so she just sort of blew me off. :( That's when I just quit going back and stopped taking them.

She had me on Synthroid too, and even tho the blood tests read that my numbers were better while on it, I felt no different. That also frustrated her. I quit taking that also.

I'm sure there's a reason why the bio-identical hormones didn't work, I probably need to get the rest of my body in order first, as the root of the problems stem from improper diet and stress, I'm sure.
 
Just so you know,
you can have adequate amounts of circulating hormones but not enough receptors or the receptors are dysfunctional. That could be due to a nutritional imbalance or a genetic issue. Short of genetic tests it's hard to tell.
If you have changed your diet and lifestyle since then, it may be worth a go at the bioidentical hormones again and see how it works for you this time.

brainwave.
 
brainwave said:
Just so you know,
you can have adequate amounts of circulating hormones but not enough receptors or the receptors are dysfunctional. That could be due to a nutritional imbalance or a genetic issue. Short of genetic tests it's hard to tell.
If you have changed your diet and lifestyle since then, it may be worth a go at the bioidentical hormones again and see how it works for you this time.

brainwave.

Aha! dysfunctional receptors! May also be why waaaaay back in the day anytime I'd try a few puffs of a certain cigarette people were passing around, absolutely nothing happened! That always puzzled me and astounded everyone else. :scared:

One reason why I never got into any of that scene...
 
Mrs. Peel said:
chachazoom said:
I feel like I hit the jackpot! Cannot wait to hear everyones feedback. I fully expect to be doing cartwheels and double dutching in the not so distance future.

I did the bio-identical thing several years ago. Had to go through so much red tape to get the insurance to pay for it, including trying (actuallly, purchasing then throwing in the trash) three "standard" hormone replacement scripts.

Fortunately, there was a compounding pharmacy close to my house. Unfortunately, they did not provide any relief. I'm still not sure I had the right dosages. The only way to tell is an expensive (insurance does NOT pay) saliva test. I did two of them, and the results supposedly supported what I was taking, but still noticed no relief.

I was taking natural progesterone cream with testostorone in it, and an estrogen capsule. The practitioner upped the testosterone dose when nothing was working, but when my hair started falling out, I quit taking everything. I kept telling the practitioner that I wasn't feeling any results, but because the saliva test read that I had adequate amounts of the hormones (equal to the dosage of the prescriptions) in my system, she kept telling me it was all in my head. I frustrated her because I was her only patient that didn't experience any benefits, so she just sort of blew me off. :( That's when I just quit going back and stopped taking them.

She had me on Synthroid too, and even tho the blood tests read that my numbers were better while on it, I felt no different. That also frustrated her. I quit taking that also.

I'm sure there's a reason why the bio-identical hormones didn't work, I probably need to get the rest of my body in order first, as the root of the problems stem from improper diet and stress, I'm sure.
Get the book!
 
I read this book - got it from the library so don't have the book anymore to post excerpts. i have to say she seemed to have some very good research and makes a convincing argument for bio-identical hormone replacement. The book actually scared me because she says that if you are not taking enough hormones to fool your body into thinking you are still young enough to reproduce, that you can expect to get cancer or heart disease.
Particularly if you have not given birth to several children and nursed them for extended periods or have taken birth control pills for any length of time. :scared:

Of course - the thing she does not discuss is the role that diet and detoxification plays in health. But - i was concerned enough to finally go to the doctor. I found one who was listed on her web site and who I knew about from a friend who has been going to him for years. He is very much into alternative medicine, proper diet and detox, so I felt I could trust him.

My test results are not back yet, but since i am well past menopause and no longer have any symptoms, he did not think i needed hormones. Said he would be willing to prescribe them - but it was up to me. He did say that his wife tried the Wiley Protocol and did not like it at all. He believes Wiley's dosages are just way too high. Quite frankly, I did not like the idea of revisiting that part of my youth, mood swings and libido i don't need anymore!!

So right now - i am still on the fence about this. I wonder if i could take "some" hormones - but not as much as she prescribes. i just don't feel like i have enough information to make a decision. Was really hoping to hear others recommendations on this.
 
well from what I understood the dosages, with the exception of a couple of days which are needed to peak the estrogen so they turn off and create progesterone receptors for the second half of the cycle, the dosages are well within the FDA range (and safe unlike the synthetic crap) I live in Ontario, Canada and finding a knowledgeable provider isn't going to be easy. Here is a clip explaining dosages

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BWUiqnKC0MM
 
My friend, who is 56 is at the end of a long and very unpleasant menopause experience--severe hot-flashes, sleeplessness, radical mood swings, has been taking some high quality bioidenticals for a few years now and reports a tremendous amount of relief. She went off of them a year ago I think for a few months and had some unpleasant hot flashes come back so she went back on them. She says she is taking the "lowest dose possible, but again I am sorry I do not know exactly what that means.

I always had normal to light periods, and had a short transition to menopause with mild side effects. I do not miss the monthly mood swings that did get a little more intense as I got older. I would have for a day or two before my period that "everything is the end of the world" feeling; it would take hold of me and it would immediately leave when I started. The weirdness of it all never ceased to amaze me--how powerful these hormones are and how they can so rapidly and radically affect our emotions and outlook on the world. Do to the mildness of my menopause symptoms and the inhumane way regular HRT hormones are produced, I never had any desire to use them.

Now that I know about bio-identicals from my friend, I still feel I do not need or want them. Since I have made radical relationship, diet, breathing, emotional/mental health changes over the last few years, I feel and look better now at 56 than I have since my early forties. Also, there is something peaceful about being on the other side--a calmness and clarity that I know was not there during my reproductive years. Doctor and author of, "The Wisdom of Menopause," Christiane Northrup, calls it the "lifting of the hormonal veil." I am at peace and do not want to go back to what now feels like hormonal interference with the real me.
shellycheval
 
aleana said:
So right now - i am still on the fence about this. I wonder if i could take "some" hormones - but not as much as she prescribes. i just don't feel like i have enough information to make a decision. Was really hoping to hear others recommendations on this.

The book is pretty good, and I noticed that it was heavily referenced, almost half of the book or so is references. I checked for some of the things that sounded somewhat out there for me, only to realize that she indeed is into something. It is as if she is able to make sense of the whole hormone confusion because she can give an evolutionary fresh perspective about it as an anthropologist.

I'm willing to give it a try.
 
shellycheval said:
Now that I know about bio-identicals from my friend, I still feel I do not need or want them. Since I have made radical relationship, diet, breathing, emotional/mental health changes over the last few years, I feel and look better now at 56 than I have since my early forties. Also, there is something peaceful about being on the other side--a calmness and clarity that I know was not there during my reproductive years. Doctor and author of, "The Wisdom of Menopause," Christiane Northrup, calls it the "lifting of the hormonal veil." I am at peace and do not want to go back to what now feels like hormonal interference with the real me.
shellycheval

I feel the same way. The only thing that slightly disturbs is that I might be missing something critical by not using the hormones. I know that just feeling OK does not necessarily mean all is well on a cellular basis. It's a difficult decision and one I think really changes depending on your age. I feel comfortable now - and at peace myself. There is just this nagging doubt - am I possibly doing harm by not replacing "some" of the hormones?

I have put the question aside for now - continuing with all the other supplements and diet and detox....and waiting for others of us in this age category to weigh in!

aleana
 
aleana said:
I have put the question aside for now - continuing with all the other supplements and diet and detox....and waiting for others of us in this age category to weigh in!

Well, I'm about to turn 49 in a few weeks, and a friend asked me what I wanted for my birthday.... I said "a box of hormones"

You know it's getting bad when you swipe your 17 year old's zit cream. :cry:
 
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