Last weekend at the BlogHer gathering, I met Tomima Edmark, a 51-year old Dallas woman, who told me that she’s never had a menopausal symptom. My first thought was, “that’s not fair!” But then she explained. Tomima started taking bioidentical hormones eight years ago, when she first began experiencing perimenopausal symtoms. With the help of a medical professional who specializes in hormone balance, Tomima says she feels and looks better now than she did a decade ago. My second thought? Why didn’t I think of that?
Tomima strikes me as the kind of woman who wouldn’t let anything get in the way of enjoying life, especially hot flashes and insomnia. She was a nationally-ranked synchronized swimmer, the inventor of the TopsyTail (remember that?), and ten years ago, founded the successful, online lingerie store, HerRoom. No foggy brain for her!
So if you want what she’s having, find a medical professional, like Tomima did, who will work with you to test and monitor your hormone levels and customize a prescription that’s right for you. If your own physician doesn’t have the time or inclination, there are integrated medicine specialists and naturopathic doctors who will.
When you Google “balancing hormones,” a lot of products, and people selling products turn up. But if you’re seriously interested in learning more about bioidentical hormone replacement (BHRT), a good place to start is with Dr. John Lee’s website and books, Dr. John Lee’s Hormone Balance Made Simple: The Essential How-to Guide to Symptoms, Dosage, Timing, and More; and What Your Doctor May Not Tell You About Menopause (TM): The Breakthrough Book on Natural Hormone Balance. Dr. Lee, who was an early proponent of natural hormone balance, wrote a number of other informative books on menopause and breast cancer in his “What Your Doctor May Not Tell You About…” series.
Other sources of good information are Dr. Uzzi Reiss‘ website and book, Natural Hormone Balance for Women; and Dr. Elizabeth Vliet’s website and books, including Women, Weight and Hormones, which I wrote about here in December.
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Your reading suggestion of Dr. Uzzi Reiss is a good one. His book is a classic on HRT and a valuable resource that I refer to frequently.
I would also add the Womentowomen.com website to the resources listed here. Lots of great info about hormone balance. This article talks about Dr. Lee’s work (estrogen dominance): http://www.womentowomen.com/menopause/estrogendominance.aspx
and another one about perimenopause: http://www.womentowomen.com/menopause/perimenopause.aspx
Thanks for your comment, Jacqueline. I agree that the womentowomen.com website is a good resource for women seeking information about bio-identical hormones as well as other menopause topics. I’ve provided a permanent link on my blogroll and in several articles already posted here.
Thanks Wendy — I actually didn’t notice your Blogroll before — you’ve got lots of great links there! I am a big fan of Our Bodies Our Blog too.
Are Bio-Identical Hormones Safe?
The WHI study showed that synthetic, chemically altered hormones such as Provera cause cancer and heart disase.
However, the bio-identical hormones do not cause increased breast cancer as shown in the French Cohort study published in Climacteric, Dec 2002.(1)
In addition a recent coronary calcium score study published in the NEJM June 2007, showed less calcification in the premarin only treated arm of the WHI, indicating protection from heart disease. (2)
The 2 arms of the WHI study suggest that the synthetic progestin, Provera is the culprit in the WHI study causing the increased risk of cancer and heart disease.
On the other hand, Bio-Identical hormones have been shown to be safe and quite effective.
For more on the Safety Of Bio-Identical Hormones by Jeffrey Dach MD, click here:
http://jeffreydach.com/2008/06/27/the-safety-of-bioidentical-hormones-by-jeffrey-dach-md.aspx
Jeffrey Dach MD
4700 Sheridan Suite T
Hollywood Fl 33021
954-983-1443
http://www.jeffreydach.com
References:
(1) Combined hormone replacement therapy and risk of breast cancer in a French cohort study of 3175 women.de Lignières B, de Vathaire F, Fournier S, Urbinelli R, Allaert F, Le MG, Kuttenn F. Climacteric. 2002 Dec;5(4):332-40. Service d’Endocrinologie et Médecine de la Reproduction, Hôpital Necker, Paris, France.
(2) Estrogen Therapy and Coronary-Artery Calcification, NEJM Volume 356:2591-2602 June 21, 2007 Number 25 , JoAnn E. Manson, M.D., Dr.P.H., Matthew A. Allison, M.D.,
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