If TV commercials for pharmaceuticals are a true reflection of what ails our population, then I have to conclude that a good percentage of people – men and women – suffer from Gerd, often called acid reflux or heartburn. It has been commonly believed that lifestyle factors such as BMI (body mass index), diet, smoking status, alcohol consumption and the use of certain medications are the culprits. But recent research has shown that if a post-menopausal women is complaining of Gerd-like symptoms, it’s very possible that her use of hormone therapies, or raloxifene (prescribed for osteoporosis prevention) or even over-the-counter soy estrogen products are to blame.
Researchers wrote last year in the Archives of Internal Medicine (9/8/08) that hormone use was associated with 37% to 66% higher risk for Gerd symptoms, depending on the preparation used. They concluded that “physicians prescribing hormone therapies should inform patients about possible Gerd symptoms, and those evaluating patients with new Gerd symptoms should ask about hormone therapy use as a possible contributing factor.” Characteristics of Gerd include:
- Heartburn
- Acid regurgitation
- Chest pain
- Dysphagia (difficulty swallowing)
- Indigestion
- Estraesophageal symptoms (chronic cough, wheeze, laryngitis)
If any of these symptoms look familiar, and you’re using hormone therapies, you should discuss this possible linkage with your physician.
{ 4 comments… read them below or add one }
Great. Just when we thought there couldn’t be more that menopause brought on…. Great blog. Keep up the good work getting out information on menopause just like we are trying to do. Surely there is some natural help out there!
One of the reasons woman are so confused about hormone replacement is because when studies like this are done they do not say whether they are talking about HRT synthetic hormone replacement or BHRT bioidentical hormone replacement.
Sue, thanks for your comment. I enjoy your blog too and have added it to my blogroll (I encourage others to check it out – (http://changemenopause.blogspot.com). )
Sheila – I agree with you. I also was wondering about whether this study (and others) used synthetic of BHRT. I will try to find out.
It has been shown that bioidentical hormone therapy does not have any side effects. Therefore, women who have low levels of estrogen can take the bioidentical form of this hormone without having to worry about also dealing with heart burn and other side effects. If you are interested in learning more about estrogen, then click here:
http://www.bodylogicmd.com/for-women/bioidentical-hormones-estrogen
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