Hi ladies!

I hope I can shed a little light on the problems you are experiencing. I had a total hysterectomy (oopherectomy) in 1999 & have been on natural hormone replacement therapy for about 3 years now. Since mine is a surgical menopause, you and I are going through virtually the same thing. I'm 41.

The journey I have taken has been a long one with alot of trial & error, but I have to tell you...............synthetic hormones are the ones they have studied & found side effects, not natural hormone replacement therapy. Since women create 3 estrogens & usually only receive one kind from your doctor, you really need to have 2 (one of the estrogens we create when younger is utilized only during pregnancy & not so necessary when not) - so I take what's called bi-est. It is compounded for me by a pharmacist - like they used to do in the old days! It is not any more expensive than regular medications. I also take Prometrium because if you're going to take Estrogen, you really need progesterone in order to be in balance - gets rid of the hot flashes. The herbal remedies you find will slightly alleviate some of your symptoms, but you can't possibly take enough to really help your situation - you need bio-identical hormones. With the nasty hormones they give women (Premarin - pregnant mare's urine, by the way), your body does not recognize it as bio-identical (meaning able to synthesize it like the real thing), your body tends to only absorb minute traces & it can actually cause damage. Hence the way to be healthy going into menopause or having a surgical menopause like myself is to have your natural hormones made just for you. So, as I said earlier, I take bi-est, progesterone & a testosterone cream (testosterone is vital for a woman's overall fitness level as it maintains your strength, sex drive & feeling good about yourself). Without estrogen, you will gain weight & your bones weaken, plus you leave yourself wide over for heart disease. I also have found out that my thyroid was desperately malfunctioning. Since I eat alot of protein, I too eat quite a bit of soy, but come to find out too much soy can cause your thyroid to dysfunction. I figured out that since I didn't have any more equipment, it made perfect sense I would be missing other hormones as well as the "girl" ones. I was experiencing hair loss, weight gain, dry skin, cold feet. I checked out Dr. Joseph Mercola online and he is an incredible source for subclinical thyroid difficulties. I had found that my mind was just not quite as quick as it should be, even with NHRT. My thyroid was not functioning at a full level, so I added it to my daily regimen & feel so much better. My bicycle rides are stronger & my fitness level is increasing.

As women, we have been ignored for a long, long time when it comes to health issues. Get online and really check things out. This discussion board is such a benefit for everyone because we can all share our experiences and help one another!!

Just because you're aging, doesn't mean you have to fall apart! Doesn't it make perfect sense to give your body the hormones it had when you were 30 - 35 & let it operate at peak levels? One excellent benefit by using estrogen - my breasts are nice & firm!! Like when I was 25!! No kidding!!

Check it out!!!!