Wednesday, May 20, 2009

Symptoms of low estrogens: part 3

Headaches are also quite frequent when natural estrogen levels are diminished Most headaches are mild to moderate in intensity and do respond to the usual NSAIDs. Headaches often last a few hours and are worsened by stress, anxiety, excess light exposure and certain smells.

Dry skin is a common complain in most women who are going through menopause. Associated with dry skin is a persistent itch. Dry skin is usually most prevalent on the chest, neck, abdomen and legs. While the dry skin does get better with a moisturizer, the itch is often unrelieved. Some women need topical hydrocortisone to decrease the itching.

Weight gain is a common complaint during menopause. The first sign of increased weight gain is swelling of the feet. Soon women notice that their clothes are too tight and the shoes feel too tight. Fortunately, the weight gain during menopause is due to water and this gradually disappears with time

Mood changes are common in women who are going through menopause. The most common mood disorder is depression but anxiety, extreme irritability, and anger are also common features. Many women complain of poor sleep, find no pleasure in most things in life, and somehow feel that life has no meaning. The fortunate thing about these emotional symptoms is that they are not very intense and do not last forever. Most women get over these symptoms with good family support. It is the rare female who needs medication to help reverse the depression.

Menopause is a difficult time for most women. However, not all women develop every symptoms. In most cases, symptoms are mild to moderate in intensity. When symptoms are intense, it can affect lifestyle, cause social isolation, and persistent melancholy. Women who do develop symptoms during menopause can be helped with a short course of estrogen and progesterone. Menopause in general does not last more than 2-4 years.

Symptoms of low estrogen: Part 2

What are symptoms of low estrogen?

For some unknown reason, some women who have low levels of estrogen just go through life without any real hassles. In others, low estrogen can cause a variety of symptoms including:

Generalized fatigue is one of the most common complaint among women who are passing through menopause. The fatigue is gradual in onset and then become moderate. Most women feel they just do not have the desire to do anything and do not feel motivated.

Hot flashes are also common in women with low estrogen. The hot flashes may occur at any time of the day and can be aggravated by certain foods or emotional stress. The flashes generally last anywhere from few seconds to a few minutes. One may also feel very warm and others may develop an intense facial irritation at the same time. Hot flashes do not last very long and usually disappear after 12-18 months. However, there are women who have hot flashes for many years.

Associated with hot flashes are chills. A sensation of feeling cold and shivering is a common experience in women who have menopause. These chill episodes only last a few seconds but do keep on recurring. Often laboratory investigations are done to rule out an infectious cause.

A number of women complain of aching and stiff joints during menopause. Usually, it is the larger joints in the body that are affected. This includes the hip, back, neck, shoulder, and knees. The pain is constant and many women do require some type of pain medications

symptoms of low estrogen

What are symptoms of low estrogen?

Menopause has become a common topic of discussion for many women. Unlike the past when the topic was considered taboo, many women now feel that speaking about the condition has brought awareness and better treatment. Menopause is a physiological event which every woman will go through in the 4th-5th decade of life. The sex hormones start to decline and many women develop symptoms. Some women develop only mild symptoms, but others who are unlucky develop a variety of physiological and emotional problems.

Can surgery lead to low estrogen levels?

Sure, another common reason why women have symptoms of low estrogen is after a hysterectomy. Hysterectomy is a surgical procedure which removes the uterus and ovaries. Ovaries make estrogen and thus once these organs are removed, no more estrogen can be made.

What are options for females who have low estrogen levels?

Hormone replacement therapy (HRT) with estrogen and progesterone is recommended in some women but the major concern is the possibility of developing breast or uterine cancer.

Thursday, May 14, 2009

Do Celebs take bioidentical hormones? part 3

Is there evidence that these bioidentical hormones work?

One should note that all data on bioidentical hormones are anecdotal and there are no controlled clinical studies or long-term safety reports available. Most reports of bioidentical hormones are from vendors and isolated case reports

The Europeans have been using these bioidentical hormones for many more years and claims that for the short term; these hormones are effective in relieving symptoms of menopause. Most alternative care practitioners recommend that bioidentical hormones should be used in low doses, for a short duration and must be complimented with changes in diet and lifestyles.

Can bioidentical hormone reverse aging?

No dealer of these bioidentical hormones recommends that these products be used for long periods or as a cure for aging.

Who should not take bioidentical hormones?

Women who do have breast cancer or even have a family history of breast cancer should be careful about using such products, Sex hormones like estrogen and progesterone can in fact promote growth of cancer.

What is cost of bioidentical hormones?

The cost of bioidentical hormones is variable but one can expect to pay about $100 a month for these supplements.

Do Celebs take bioidentical hormones? part 2

Are bioidentical hormones useful?

Sure, if you take the right dose these hormones can help prevent osteoporosis, reverse some signs of aged skin, improve physical and mental well being.

Do celebs take bioidentical hormones?

This is difficult to answer because many celebs are spokespeople for the companies who market these products. Celebs get paid to talk about these hormones, so the assumption is that they also take them! Most celebrities who take these bioidentical hormones claim that the hormones make them feel young, boosts their energy, and improves quality of skin.

The manufactures of these products do claim that the hormones are natural and much safer than any of the other synthetic prescription hormones.

What is the biggest advantage of bioidentical hormones?

The biggest advantage of bioidentical hormones is that one can get custom designed formulations, which is not possible with the synthetic prescription hormones.

Are there any issues with bioidentical hormones?

Yes, Recently the FDA letters to several pharmacies to cease making compounded formulations and selling them. The FDA has concerns that there is little evidence for efficacy of these hormones and perhaps they may even contain impurities or contaminants. The hormones come in a variety of formulations and the FDA suspects that the quality and quantity of bioidentical hormones may not be safe for human consumption.

Do Celebs take bioidentical hormones?

Do bioidentical hormones have benefits?

Even though menopause is a normal passage in the life of every woman, it sure is a difficult time for many. For decades menopause was a taboo topic. No one ever discussed it, it was a secret time in the life of a woman. This unfortunately led to many women suffering needlessly. Menopause is a time of emotional and physical changes. Each woman experiences different degrees of symptoms. One may starts to feel old, tired, grumpy and depressed. So how do celebs manage menopause? How do these hollywood gals always look cheerful, bright, energetic, and eager for more sex?

Well, this has been the untold secret of the past. For decades, many celebs have routinely been using extracts of plants that contain bioidentical hormones. Bioidentical hormones are very similar to the natural female sex hormones made in the body

Where can one get bioidentical hormones?

Bioidentical hormones were once widely sold all over the internet and in many health supplement stores. Today, the FDA has cracked down on health food stores selling these hormones and mandating consumers get a prescription to obtain these drugs

There are many formulations of bioidentical hormones and one can even get individualized formulations.

How can one tell if I need a bioidentical hormone?

The business of bioidentical hormones is big and now these vendors also market their own testing systems. One of these tests can check hormone levels in saliva. If levels of hormones in saliva are low, you can take them. However, there is a lot of controversy about these saliva tests. They are expensive, not reliable, and certainly not approved by the FDA. The tests would best be described as scams. There are other established clinical laboratory tests that can measure levels of hormones in blood, but these tests are also expensive, take time and do have some variability. However, these tests are more reliable than the saliva tests.

Saturday, May 2, 2009

Black Cohosh 101 part 4

Does black cohosh work?

Well, this depends on whom you talk to. Many postmenopausal women swear that it works and there are just as many who claim that it does not work. Medical evidence based on a few trials indicates that perhaps for a few menopausal symptoms like migraines and hot flashes, black cohosh may work. The duration of treatment should be for no more than 6 months.

Can black cohosh cause allergies?


Yes, black cohosh or other members of the Ranunculaceae (buttercup or crowfoot) family can cause allergic problems. Further Black cohosh should be used cautiously in people allergic to aspirin or to salicylate.

Does black cohosh have any side effects?

Black cohosh is a safe supplement when used at low doses for up to 6 months. High doses of black cohosh have been known to cause headache, dizziness, sweating, or visual disturbances. Other side effects observed in clinical studies include constipation, abdominal cramps, bloating, loss of bone mass (leading to osteoporosis), irregular or slow heartbeat, low blood pressure, muscle damage, nausea, and vomiting. Confusion and tiredness have also been reported in many women. Sometimes, it is difficult to know whether one is having symptoms of menopause or side effects from the drug.

Is black cohosh safe when one has breast cancer?

No one knows for sure if black cohosh is safe in individuals with breast cancer, uterine cancer, or endometriosis. Because its action are not well understood, most health care professionals recommend against its use when such conditions exist.

Can black cohosh reduce stroke risk or improve bone mass?


No one knows if black cohosh can mimic the effects of estrogen on bone or whether it can reduce the risk of stroke

What complications have resulted from black cohosh?

With widespread use of black cohosh, there are now a fair number of complications reported. There are reports of liver failure with use of black cohosh. Some individuals have even required a liver transplant. While the number of patients with liver damage are low, it is still highly recommended that anyone with liver disease first consult a physician before taking black cohosh

Can black cohosh blood clots?

While the answer to this is not really known, black cohosh should be used with great caution in individuals with a history of blood clots, seizures, or high blood pressure

Is black cohosh safe during pregnancy?


The safety of black cohosh has not been established during pregnancy or in females who breast-feed. Black cohosh has been used in the past to stimulate labor. Most physicians recommend against the use of black cohosh during pregnancy.

Black Cohosh 101 part 3

Can black cohosh be used to treat arthritis?

There are only anecdotal reports, which claim that black cohosh is useful in arthritis. At the moment there is no clinical evidence that black cohosh is useful for any type of arthritic disorder. There are many isolated reports which claim that black cohosh does not provide relief from arthritic pain.

Is black cohosh useful for Menopausal symptoms?

Even though black cohosh is a widely popular supplement among postmenopausal women who want treatment for their symptoms, the clinical evidence is not easy to interpret. Most women use black cohosh to treat menopausal symptoms such as migraine headaches, sleep disturbances, hot flashes, mood problems, sweats, heart palpitations, and vaginal dryness. There are some studies in humans that do suggest improvement in symptoms with black cohosh, however, not all women experience the same relief of symptoms, and the symptom relief is not sustained. Some reports indicate that black cohosh does work well for about 3-6 months. Currently, some health care providers only recommend black cohosh for short-term use. Because of the variability in quality of product, many women will have to try out a few products to determine which is the most effective. In the end, all women should understand that black cohosh only works in less than 50% of individuals.

Does black cohosh relieve menstrual migraine?

Nearly 30% of women develop menstrual migraines. Many women do report relief of headaches after ingesting back cohosh but this relief is not seen in all postmenopausal women. Further, after a few weeks or months, black cohosh fails to work. Of all the postmenopausal symptoms, menstrual migraines may be the one symptom that is amenable to treatment with black cohosh.

What is dose of black cohosh?

No one really knows what dose of black cohosh to take. Every herbal store sells a different product with different formulations and a different dose. The British herbal commission recommends a dose of 40-200 milligrams of dried rhizome daily in divided doses. However, there are women who take nearly 300-400 mg three times a day.
The liquid formula does is also variable and ranges from 0.4 to 2 milliliters of a (1:10) formula dissolved in 60% ethanol. This tincture does taste bitter and acrid. Most reports indicate that a dose of 40 mg for 12 weeks if effective

Black Cohosh 101 part 2

How many varieties of black cohosh are there?
There are many varieties of this supplement in Europe. They include:

Actaea macrotys
Actaea racemosa
Amerikanisches Wanzenkraut (German)
Baneberry,
Black cohosh roots
Black snakeroot
Botrophis serpentaria
Bugwort, cimicifuga
Cimicifugae racemosae rhizoma
Cohosh bugbane
Ethanolic aqueous extract
Herbe au punaise (French)
Hydroxytyrosol
Isoferulic
Isopropanolic black cohosh extract
Macrotys
Phytoestrogen
Ranunculaceae (family)
Rattle root
Rattle snakeroot
Rattle top
Rattle weed
Rhizoma actaeae richweed
Rhizome of black cohosh
rich weed
schwarze Schlangenwurzel
snakeroot
solvlys
Squawroot
squawroot
Thalictrodes racemosa
Traubensilberkerze
Wanzwnkraut (German)

Each European country has its own brand of black cohosh. The quality and quantity of the actual active ingredient varies from product to product. Not all of the above products work and not all of them have been evaluated. The only evidence for the majority of the black cohosh products are anecdotal reports by individual women and folklore tales from grandmas.

Is black cohosh same as blue cohosh?

No, one should not confuse black cohosh with blue cohosh, which contains chemicals that have been shown to damage the heart and even increase blood pressure. Further, do not confuse black cohosh with Cimicifuga fetid, bugbane, fairy candles, or sheen ma; these extracts of black cohosh are from the same family (Ranunculaceae) but have drastically with different effects.

Black Cohosh 101

Many postmenopausal women take black Cohosh. The vendors who sell this product make it sound like this product is a remedy for every medical symptom after menopause. One of the major reasons why black cohosh has gained popularity is because it is deemed to be a better alternative to hormonal therapy in menopausal women. Black cohosh is sold as a treatment for:

-hot flashes
-mood disturbances
-diaphoresis (sweating)
-palpitations (fast heart beats)
-vaginal dryness

Is there any evidence that black cohosh works?

There have been a few studies, which have looked at this product, and some studies have revealed an improvement in menopausal symptoms. However, not all studies show the same degree of improvement in symptoms.

How does black cohosh work?

The exact mechanism how black cohosh works is unknown but is believed to be related to either a direct effects on the estrogen receptor or alteration of hormonal levels

Is black cohosh safe?

The supplement has been studied for up to 6 months and appears to be safe for this time period. Long-term safety of black cohosh is not known and caution is advised until more long term data are available

Can black cohosh be used in women with breast cancer?


Use of black cohosh in females with breast or uterine cancer should be used with great caution. Most physicians do not recommend it but if one does use the supplement, it has to be under the supervision of a health care professional