Why take Hormone Replacement?
This was a HUGE week for Hormone Replacement Therapy. The Journal of American Medicine published a review of the study done in the 1990's. In essence, they are now telling us it's okay for our doctors to prescribe HRT (Hormone Replacement Therapy) if we are under 60 years of age.
The original study was supposed to last for nine years but was stopped 3.3 years early in 2002 because the risks outweighed the benefits. What many didn't realize is that the average age of the women in the study was well above the new recommendation of staring HRT before age 60. The average age of the participants in the WHI study was 63.3 years. The study was showing evidence of breast cancer harm, along with evidence for some increase in coronary heart disease, stroke and pulmonary embolism. Today, we are not at all surprised of the risks found, knowing most of the women who started HRT because of the trial were much too old to be starting Hormone Replacement for the first time.
The May 1, 2024, article is telling us they support Hormone Replacement Therapy to manage vasomotor and other menopausal symptoms. Common vasomotor symptoms include hot flashes and night sweats. It goes on to further explain that findings of the study don't support HRT for prevention of cardiovascular disease or other chronic diseases.
At least that they have given us the green light! For years, the misunderstandings of this study have caused many OB/GYN's and others to discourage the use of HRT and made it almost impossible to find a doc who was willing to think outside the box and at the least have the conversation and allow us as patients to make the decision for ourselves.
When should I consider HRT?
The JAMA article goes on to support the use of Hormone Replacement Therapy for women under the age of 60 for "bothersome" menopausal symptoms. As the study found, starting HRT after age 60 brings its own set of possible outcomes.
You are technically in menopause when you have gone one-year+ without a menstrual period. The 8-10 years leading up to that moment in time for a woman is called perimenopause.
Is it better to go through menopause without HRT?
Some women are lucky enough to breeze through menopause with barely a blip in their lives, for others it's a major life event that can last for years.
There are many supplements being promoted to help improve your symptoms, but as a woman who tried everything from lifestyle changes, diet restrictions or additions and even things like valerian root supplements, none of that worked for me. The only thing I found that worked for me was bioidentical hormone replacement therapy.
I've talked with women who took HRT for a few months, then stopped and never experienced a symptom again. That wasn't my experience when I attempted to stop back in 2023. I had been on HRT since 2019 and toyed around with the idea of stopping, that lasted about 10 days. I started having the night sweats again and opted to go back on HRT. I did adjust the formulations, however. I went from a troche pill to creams and patches. Click here to see my full bioidentical HRT story.
Benefits of HRT Therapy
I have written many, many blogs that tout the benefits of Hormone Replacement Therapy. The benefits can go way beyond helping with night sweats and hot flashes. They can help with:
Skin
Clearly enough studies have been done to allude to the other benefits that Hormone Replacement Therapy may provide. This list is likely the tip of the iceberg and as time goes on, even more discoveries will made on all the benefits of adding estrogen, progesterone and testosterone in the form of HRT.
What is also interesting is that since so many doctors, for years were fearful of prescribing HRT, is that many pop-up telehealth, online clinics who provide Hormone Replacement Therapy are emerging. They provide consultations, testing and prescriptions which can all be done via telehealth appointments. They have partner testing facilities and partner relationships with compounding pharmacies, which means you never have to leave your home. It can all come directly to you.
If you don't have a supportive doctor in your life who will have a meaningful conversation with you about Hormone Replacement Therapy, you can visit our website for a list of preferred providers as well as HRT provider reviews with pricing and my experience with several different companies.
Now that The JAMA has given us the go-ahead to feel confident that our decision to want to try HRT has been blessed, there are no longer any obstacles in your way as your forge ahead. If you are trying HRT for the first time and are under age 60, you have lots of options and providers who would be more than happy to help you explore the therapies and formulations that would be best for you.