Hormone Replacement Therapy E4 Women

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Julie G
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Re: Hormone Replacement Therapy E4 Women

Post by Julie G »

Wow, Starfish! You constantly amaze me. You've avoided the pitfalls of your 4/4 status without the benefit of hormones. There are many reasons that some women can never take hormones; yours is certainly one. It's interesting that you noticed cognitive changes during the falling off period....but ultimately regained memory deficits. I'd love to know how that compensation occurred. From what I've been able to learn, estrogen facilitates glucose uptake and an abrupt shortage can have profound neurological effects. You are amazingly resilient and proof that we can overcome our apoE status even in dire circumstances :D happy dance for YOU.

Spunky, that's awful you can't further explore your testosterone levels. I know there are certain advantages to higher levels...but disadvantages too- like heart and BP issues. Others here are struggling with testosterone level issues. Maybe we should start a separate thread :?:
circular
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Re: Hormone Replacement Therapy E4 Women

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I'm 51. Also had the meno crash last fall a year ago. Hormone levels didn't yet justify supplementation. Got better during the winter, then began crashing again at the end of Aug. My hormone levels were finally "there" and I got on bioidenticals. But I can't take progesterone due to excess joint laxity, which it makes worse. My doc said it's okay to leave it out and we'll check the endometiral lining with ultrasound every six months and make sure it's not growing. If it does, she says, a short round of progesterone will cause it to return to normal. I hope this plan works for the next 50 years!

It's also important to note that studies are now suggesting (suggesting) that it's important, when possible, to get on HRT soon in menopause, not to let the brain sit there without it for long.
ApoE 3/4 > Thanks in advance for any responses made to my posts.
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Re: Hormone Replacement Therapy E4 Women

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Hi Starfish,

I wonder about this situation where estrogen sensitive breast cancer rules out HRT. I can see where it would be so true when it comes to conventional HRT, and I if I were in your shoes I'd be very cautious too. But something maybe to research and ask your doctor about ... There is a less well known estrogen called estriol that's used sometimes in bioidentical HRT. It's the weakest of the 3 and used to be thought to not be very useful for that reason. But apparently (and I'm no expert) they are beginning to uncover it's virtues. I don't know if this would hold up to scrutiny, but it's said that one is it doesn't raise the risk of breast cancer while still offering other benefits. This list doesn't include cognitive benefits, but the part about MS and brain lesions and immune alteration is sure interesting...

http://www.lef.org/magazine/mag2008/aug ... gth_01.htm

My OB/GYN has been treating patients with BHRT for 18 years. All her customized patient formulas contain estriol in addition to the estradiol. I really wonder what she's say in situations like yours. Maybe all estriol?

On the other hand, according to Juliegee (since I don't know ya) you seem to be doing well ANYWAY! :D
ApoE 3/4 > Thanks in advance for any responses made to my posts.
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Julie G
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Re: Hormone Replacement Therapy E4 Women

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Hey Circ, I deal with EDS too & had great difficulty with progesterone prescribed during perimenopause. My BP would drop so low, I would literally walk into walls trying to get to the restroom at night AND I kept throwing my hips out when I ran. (I had to spend 3-5 mins before each run, popping them back in place.) It made me feel awful. INTERESTINGLY, once I got on a bio-identical estrogen patch, I was able to tolerate oral natural progesterone at night. Your supplemented estrogen (over time) MAY make it easier for you to tolerate the progesterone. After a while, you might want to give it another try with a really small dose :idea:
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Re: Hormone Replacement Therapy E4 Women

Post by circular »

Interesting, I did try them together for a couple months to see if the estrogen would offset the progesterone, but no luck. Maybe after a while. How long would you wait?
ApoE 3/4 > Thanks in advance for any responses made to my posts.
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Re: Hormone Replacement Therapy E4 Women

Post by Julie G »

No idea. My guess is that it would be pretty individualized...maybe re-try in a few months. I just didn't want you to totally abandon the idea. Things evolved and my tolerance changed after a few years :?:
circular
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Re: Hormone Replacement Therapy E4 Women

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So happy to hear it! The only thing I've ever seen in EDS circles is don't ever use progesterone.This is good to know. I wish others would try too.
ApoE 3/4 > Thanks in advance for any responses made to my posts.
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Re: Hormone Replacement Therapy E4 Women

Post by Starfish77 »

Hi Circular,
Thanks for the interesting information about estriol. It is 33 years since my ovaries disappeared from chemotherapy. Except for the short term memory loss that happened right after chemo, I didn't get any of the other menopause
symptoms like hot flashes etc. The only time I had those symptoms was when I was trying to take Arimidex and
Arimicin as cancer recurrence preventives. I didn't take them for very long because the symptoms were so bad I
wasn't willing to put up with them.

I'm having hernia surgery Jan. 2. Once I get that out of the way I will ask my doctor if estriol would be of benefit
for me.
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Re: Hormone Replacement Therapy E4 Women

Post by circular »

Hi Starfish,

When you talk to your doc, make sure you give him/her a printout of the article in the first link in this thread. Most docs won't see any reason to take hormones if you have no symptoms, but we ApoE4s may be in a different boat, even if more studies need to be done, as long as s/he thinks there's no harm.
ApoE 3/4 > Thanks in advance for any responses made to my posts.
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Re: Hormone Replacement Therapy E4 Women

Post by Starfish77 »

@Circular
Thank you. I will print a copy to take with me.
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