The menopausal period affects each woman differently, but most experience the change at around fifty years of age. Some women have no symptoms, some have mild symptoms, and others are affected more deeply. Going through menopause can take up to five years and although estrogen levels do drop during the post-menopausal period, the hormone does not ever disappear altogether. The adrenal glands, fat cells, and other cells in the body take over production of estrogen as the ovaries slow down and finally stop production.

As researchers continue to study the human body, its physiology and biochemistry, one thing continues to challenge science, and that is the complexity of the human being. Menopause can create many complex changes in a woman's body, impacting many systems in the body such as the digestive, definitely the endocrine, including thyroid, adrenals, pituitary and hypothalamus, and the cardiovascular and neurological/emotional, but again, it is a natural process, one which women went through for thousands of years without any "help" from the pharmaceutical companies. Native American women especially bore knowledge of herbs, which nourished them and eased childbirth and their transition through menopause.
Allopathic medicine, with its primary focus on treating symptoms, offers estrogen replacement therapy, or hormone replacement therapy, recently given the more friendly (?) designation of HRT. And, in fact, the concept of replacing something that is waning or lacking altogether does make sense, BUT it is not that simple.

Premarin, the primary drug prescribed by doctors is HORSE ESTROGEN. The word "Premarin" is an acronym derived from pregnant mare's urine. Besides the subtle and not so subtle variations among species and their byproducts, estrogen therapy has significant risks, which are often downplayed by doctors. There is increased risk of several types of cancer; breast, endometrial, and cervical, and a significant risk of thrombosis, or blood clots. Some doctors are putting postmenopausal women on the birth control pill, which causes many additional problems, such as resumption of monthly bleeding, bleeding and spotting throughout the artificially induced cycle, vitamin deficiencies, and all the other side-effects of the birth control pill. These are synthetically produced hormones and their action in the body is unpredictable. The reasoning behind putting women on the pill who have already gone through menopause is that recent studies have shown that progesterone seems to play a more important role in preventing osteoporosis, but the pill contains the synthetic progestin. Synthetic progesterone has many side effects ranging from depression, weight gain, water retention, high blood pressure, thyroid dysfunction, headaches, asthma and thrombosis! Women beware!! Beware of three page drug ads promising the "cure" for osteoporosis. Many of these new drugs have not been tested in long-range studies and they can suppress vital functions of the skeletal system. Many women are frustrated by the treatment they get at their doctor's offices because their options are so limited. The choices seem to be pharmaceutical hormonal therapy, and when the complications of such therapy, such as abnormal bleeding and hemorrhaging, tumor development, or cancer develop, of course, hysterectomy with continued hormone replacement seem to be the only avenue left. This is just one of many illustrations of what has gone wrong in medicine today.

Estradiol, or E2, and in the case of Premarin, horse estradiol, is the strongest form of estrogen. In fact, the ovaries actually secrete this extra strong form of estrogen every month at ovulation time to create the most fertile environment for a potential fertilized egg. Mucus changes, the endometrium (the inner lining of the uterus) thickens, and the liver is employed to conjugate or clear this stronger form into a form 80% milder called Estriol or E3. There is a special subset of women; women who have had only their ovaries removed, and women who have gone through chemotherapy for breast cancer or other cancers and gone through "chemical" menopause, who may be candidates for some short term hormone replacement therapy to help their bodies get through the shock of having ovarian function suddenly cease. But even in their cases, the milder form, Estriol, would be preferred. Also, if the cancer for which they were treated happens to be estrogen sensitive, no HRT should be undertaken whatsoever.

In fact, the drug Tamoxifen, which has been around long enough to have had studies performed and statistics well-documented, can be helpful in cases where estrogen production is still excessive, and continues to feed a cancerous condition.
Most recently, the myth that estrogen HRT can prevent cardiovascular disease, as was previously suggested, was debunked by doctors themselves performing a study on menopausal women. In fact, the study was halted, when several of the women participating died from cardiovascular accidents. Recently, also, a special alert was sent to all practicing pharmacists and most doctors from the Wyeth pharmaceutical company, makers of Premarin, Prempro, and other hormonal medications, WARNING that treatment with these hormones should be limited to short duration, that women taking them should be closely monitored, and that prolonged use is NOT RECOMMENDED!

ALTERNATIVES
The good news is that there are natural substances and a variety of products made from these substances on the market and available through your naturopathic physician or informed holistic medical doctor that are safe, non-toxic, and every bit as or more effective than HRT. There are even foods which can enhance estrogen-like activity.

First of all, soy beans and soy products like tofu, soy milk, and soy cheeses all possess analogs of estrogen in their chemical makeup. Some other foods which can support the changing needs of women going through menopause are blackstrap molasses for minerals, kelp for proper thyroid function, broccoli for fiber and vitamins and minerals, dandelion greens in salads for liver support and as a mild diuretic, and canned salmon and sardines for calcium. If hot flashes are a particular problem, limit dairy and meat (unless it is certified organically grown), because synthetic hormones are often fed to cattle and can affect the delicate hormonal balance in humans. Refined sugar has also been implicated in contributing to hot flashes.

Specific nutrients that may be included in the diet are:

There are also transdermal skin creams available for women who wish to have a little more control over their dosage of estrogenic and progesteronic substances. This is in contrast to the patch, which continuously sends estrogen into the body. Some of the creams can be applied directly to the area needing the estrogen as in the case of vaginal dryness. These creams are made from plant substances as mentioned above, and some have natural progesterone added for an enhanced effect. Your naturopathic physician can tailor-make any number of herbal preparations specially formulated for specific symptoms. For example, if heart palpitations are a problem, an herb like Motherwort can be added to a formula to address this. Also, homeopathic medicine can help alleviate problems.

© 2003-2008. All trademarks and registered trademarks are property of their respective owners.

Return to Articles Page Email Doc Eva