Tag Archives: HRT

Hormone Replacement Therapy: Risks and Precautions

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Considering hormone replacement therapy? Here are some things to think about. The FDA recommends that certain women do not use hormone replacement therapy: Women who might be pregnant Women with a personal history of breast or ovarian cancer Women with a personal history of certain forms of endometrial cancer Women with a personal history of pulmonary embolism, deep vein thrombosis, heart attack, or stroke Women who have active liver disease. (Though women with liver disease may be able to use hormone replacement therapy in patch form.) If you fall into those categories, talk to your doctors about alternative, non-hormonal treatments … Continue reading →

Hormone Replacement Therapy: Side Effects

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If you are considering hormone replacement therapy to relieve menopause symptoms, you might want to know a little bit about the possible side effects. Not all side effects occur in all women, but the following side effects have been reported. In general, side effects are more frequent when taking oral forms of estrogen therapy. With any form of estrogen therapy, you could experience: Irregular vaginal bleeding and other discharge. Headache. Nausea. Fluid retention and weight gain. Breast tenderness. Darkening skin or spotting on the skin, especially on the face. Asthma — newly diagnosed asthma seems to be more common in … Continue reading →

What is Hormone Replacement Therapy?

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Hormone replacement therapy is helpful for easing symptoms of menopause and preventing osteoporosis in some women. You may also hear hormone replacement therapy called “opposed estrogen therapy”. The name basically describes how it works. Hormone replacement therapy increases estrogen and/or progestin levels in a woman’s body. There are several different forms of hormone replacement therapy, including: Estrogen and progestin combination pills (brand name Premphase, Prempro, Activella) Estrogen and progestin patches that continuously release hormones over time (brand name CombiPatch) Oral progestin used with an estrogen-only pill or patch (brand name Provera, Prometrium, Micronor, Norlutin, Aygestin) Progestin intra-uterine device (IUD) used … Continue reading →

Quality of Life not Improved by Hormone Therapy

A study done in Estonia seems to show hormone therapy does not significantly improve the quality of life of postmenopausal women. The interesting thing is that this study was performed on women who have, and don’t have, hot flashes and other menopausal symptoms. Women who experienced hot flashes and night-sweats reported an improved general quality of life. I am not sure what part of this should be a surprise, but the study looked at more than just that. The study investigated the effect of hormone therapy on the use of health care services, illnesses and well-being. The reason why this … Continue reading →