Isoflavones - Menopause - help!

[tiva]

Wow, you sound like you've got knowledge galore.

Thanks, but not really. I did recently write a book on the first synthetic hormone replacement therapy and what it tells us about other synthetic estrogens (TOXIC BODIES, Yale University Press, 2010).

Here's a question for you. I was on the pill for most of my life and only stopped last fall when we figured out I was probably menopausal. The hot flashes started when I went off the pill. What is the difference between the hormones in the pill and the ones given for menopause?

Lots of different hormone formulations are available for contraception, but most of them are MUCH higher dose than the estrogens give for menopausal symptoms. And none of them are bioidentical.

If was I never worried about taking the pill, why should I be worried about taking hormone replacement?
Thanks

Timing means a lot for hormones. Low doses at certain times (ie, during fetal development) can cause more problems than high doses at other times of your life. That said, for many women, bioidentical, transdermal hormone replacement is probably no riskier than the contraceptive pill. If you weren't worried about the pill, and if night sweats are really disturbing your sleep, it's worth talking with your health care provider about the potential risks and benefits, for your particular situation, with hormonal and nonhormonal approaches. One size doesn't fit all (ie, the WHI 2002 study that radically reduced the # of women taking HRT applies to some, but certainly not all, women!)