The Women's Health Initiative: An unforgettable decade

The Women's Health Initiative: An unforgettable decade

You are seeing articles like this and similar out of just about every news outlet lately. Do not forget, the "hormones" used in the WHI study were not hormones at all, but drugs (Premarin and Prempro). Premarin and Prempro are made from the urine of pregnant horses, so they are hormones only if you are a horse! Additionally, this study made no effort to balance all three of the sex hormones (estrogen, progesterone and testosterone). To my knowledge no testosterone was used in the WHI study, and progestin (which is synthetic/fake progesterone) was only used in women who still had their uteruses, as was the common clinical practice of the day (and actually in mainstream medicine is still the standard of care). I do not have a uterus, and yet progesterone cream was the first of the hormones that I had optimized, and it made a HUGE difference in the quality of my life. Cured my hot flashes in less than three days, and my restless leg syndrome, acid reflux and seasonal allergies in less than two weeks. My doctor, John Carr, doesn't have a uterus either, and he certainly takes progesterone!

The WHI study is now thought to be seriously flawed, and sadly, many peri/post menopausal women have suffered needlessly because of it. Bioidentical hormones, synthesized in a lab but molecularly identical to what is in the body, offer a far safer alternative. This goes way beyond the discomfort of hot flashes and menopausal weight gain, don't forget that hormones affect every system of the body (and my seasonal allergies being cured by hormonal balance proves it!) Talk to your doctor, and if your current practitioner is not on board with bioidentical hormone optimization (or doesn't know anything about it), then don't be afraid to seek alternate care. You are always welcome to contact me through the blog if you need a list of resources to help you find bioidentical hormone care in your area.