Menopause/hormone therapy, Pt. 1: Risks & benefits (w/ Avrum Bluming & Carol Tavris)-Get Real Health

[@Bee_Hive_10134]

Excellent video and very informative! I'm so glad I started Estrogen a couple of weeks ago at age 50. I've already been diagnosed with osteopenia and alzheimers runs on my mom's side. I'm grateful I FINALLY found a physician who has educated herself and gave me no resistance whatsoever in starting HRT. Thank you for this video.

[@bluejean-1968]

I was given an estradiol patch from my doctor, but it sat in my drawer for weeks. I was too scared to take it because of all the fear-mongering. I'm on my second week of taking it with progesterone cream and I am feeling so much better. It's making me look younger, too. Thanks for this information!!

[@edithdoron]

I watched this video and felt so good in realizing that almost everything you reported on I had learned through the work of Dr Barbara Taylor. It was a really good feeling--I started studying menopause two years ago through her comprehensive series of tutorials that have been launched 5 years ago. If it weren't for her, I would have been sleepwalking through perimenopause. Thanks to a real education--as opposed to advertisement and ideological biased positions--I learned that I have osteopenia and I have taken action, knowing how to read my results, knowing what my doctor was going to say, defying him, and explaining the difference between prevention and actual treatment options. It's a minefield out there when it comes to menopause, a public health disaster really. --and I look forward to part 2 and to buying the book, 'Estrogen Matters'.

[@crepesuzette5540]

Edith: Thank you for generously sharing your time and thoughtful response. I am most grateful. Hopefully, it helps other breast cancer survivors as well. Thank you so very much!

[@emeritajimenez8521]

I just started watching Menopause Barbie I'm so greatful

[@noramaddy4409]

I believe there are doctors who also have this knowledge but are choosing to play God by not prescribing HRT. Is there too much profit to be made on women with multiple health issues rather than simply attempting to balance their hormone levels? Thank you for sharing your knowledge and I just ordered your book in the German translation. ♥

[@hausacat]

Very good point about the media's role in sometimes skewing the statistics to stoke fear. We can all attest to that these days.

[@sunwithin3247]

Barbara Taylor is the woman we all needed since centuries ❤🙏🏻

[@jneener67]

My Kaiser DR's in Roseville have no problem with prescribing HRT.

[@sandyjla71]

It’s so sad that it’s so little information about this important and real issue in woman’s I went to 3 GYN doctors and all of them told me NO to do hormones No insurance acceptance is so unfair

[@leannac2743]

I wish they would've addressed your question about postmeno women & HRT. Any new info on that?

[@renatalossano9053]

Thank you for this tremendous opportunity to learn about estrogen! I🙏

[@cocosilkworm]

What I really want to know is, what kind of diet and lifestyle was Carol leading all her life to be one of the lucky ones who experienced menopause with no symptoms? and what health issues is she developing now after not having used HRT?

[@iss8504]

It's largely genetic. There are about 25 to 30% of women whose intracrine system can produce enough estrogen at the tissue site that they don't have bad menopause symptoms. These women generally gaslight the other 70 to 75% of us who are not so lucky. Of the women I know in that 25 to 30%, every last one has bad osteoporosis now. If I were part of that group, knowing what I know now, I would still take hrt. Being in a wheelchair for the last 20 years of your life, or dealing with bones breaking all the time does not sound like fun. Dr Avrum's wife's memory issues are exactly what I had. Without hrt, I could not function. I am 54. Hrt is lifesaving.

[@hausacat]

Oh. Science can be wrong? Imagine my shock! Seriously though, when I was researching HRT, it seemed it was the synthesised hormones which were the problem. Premarin which was derived from pregnant mares, springs to mind. Bioidentical hormones are a different kettle of fish. Edit: I'm surprised the differentiation was not mentioned in the discussion.

[@edithdoron]

Be careful with the terms you are using-- its important to have a full understanding of exactly what is denoted and connoted by some of the language used around HRT -- I found it helpful to really distinguish between : bioidentical, synthetic, conjugated, pharmaceutical, natural, compounded. It can be very confusing. Premarin--while many women are somehow turned off by it either because it's animal-based and they are morally motivated vegans, or because it's made from urine which they find foul, the truth is, while it may not be bioidentical (having the exact same molecular make-up that human estradiol has) it has benefits that bioidentical hormones don't. Premarin is a conjugated estrogen therapy, meaning it has more than one estrogen and there is a specific one that is present in pregnant mare's urine that is found to be especially powerful at protecting our brains from alzheimers disease onset. But to each her own :) That said, the great majority of therapies for menopause are synthetic. Unless you are taking acupuncture or hypnosis, or you are talking about dietary measures, or you are using whole botanicals--all the medical support and even herbal support like isoflavones will have had to go through synthetic production. Again, scientists believed taht bioidentical hormones would be better because theoretically they should 'fit' at the estrogen receptor sites better and therefore be more effective. This is not always the case. Some women respond better to pharmaceutical therapies that are not bioidentical. So, we need to always listen and respect what our bodies are telling us. : ) And I feel your anger when itc omes to the WHI of 2002-- the sheer number of women's lives that disappeared as a result of that sensationalized and deeply flawed report is enough to make you want to call a criminal action suit. But I remember a professor of research methods teaching me a very important lesson: "Statistics never lie. That's why liers always use statistics" It's a statement that makes it impossible to settle on a 'side' of the truth as if it will always be certain.

[@encinosarah]

Thank you for the talk but I wish you would have included some discussion about optimal estrogen levels, at least a range within in which women do best.

[@prxprt66]

Been following you both for a year. Thank you for the honest information. Where does a post DCIS survivor go to find a doctor who would be receptive to prescribing HRT?

[@lauriei6996]

Tula Wellness or women's anestatition places will help you

[@yailynramoscastillo7257]

How do you get a prescription for HRT after being diagnosed with breast cancer?

[@iss8504]

Carol, you are too generous. I see malevolence. Literally class action.

[@ReCenterYourLife]

Thank you for this very informative discussion! I am 55 and just had my last Morena IUD removed…not sure what happened (it has progesterone in it), but the week I got off, dryness took over! I otherwise have no real side effects (my husband might argue about that). Thankfully this subject isn’t as taboo as it used to be. I have a question… does a local estrogen suppository (vaginal) help with heart and bone health?

[@jt8142]

Local, not systemic, vaginal Estradiol cream does not help mitigate heart/bone/brain risks; instead, it’s great for Genitourinary Syndrome of Menopause (GSM) issues.

[@SandandGravelTruth]

I'm a poor estrogen metabolizer and had to quit transdermal estradiol after 5 years. I'd like to continue but afraid of risks.

[@edithdoron]

You may be either not finding the right fit for your body-- 1. try different kinds or at different doses and 2. make sure that it's not the progesterone that's causing the problems. 3. consult with a reputable naturalist of a doctor of functional medicine to see whether your liver or your gut may be missing some nutrient to help it metabolize estrogen well.

[@SandandGravelTruth]

@@edithdoron I was on the lowest dose .025 estradiol patch. The higher dose made my libido disappear. I've developed fibrocystic breasts and made the decision to go off. I have an appointment with an OBGYN next month. Hoping to figure out how to make it work. In the meantime I'm working on liver health and have removed endocrine disruptors from my environment as well as dietary changes.

[@edithdoron]

@@SandandGravelTruth fascinating how things are unfolding for you-- I hope your OBGYN will be able to understand what is going on; it would be great if they would collaborate/consult with an endocrinologist in your case- wish you great health soon!

[@SandandGravelTruth]

@@edithdoron interestingly I added ground flaxseed to help with bowel movements and minor menopause symptoms have subsided! Perhaps the bit of phytoestrogen from flaxseed was enough to balance hormones. Breast pain has subsided and feeling so much better. I'm going to make an appointment with a naturopath too. Thanks!

[@crepesuzette5540]

I was taking Divigel (FDA Estradiol gel) and Micronized Progesterone for debilitating meno symptoms (mainly severe intellectual decline, major depression and no motivation, etc) that came on at 52 and after 4 years got stage 1 HR+ invasive ductal carcinoma and I'm being told to use Aromatase Inhibitor after Lumpectomy & APBI Radiation and that if I use HRT I will have approximately 30% greater risk of breast cancer recurrence. I'm so confused. I can't be a productive functional women anymore due to what seems way worse than brainfog. My oncologist told me that HRT used with a history is not the same as the without a breast cancer history for HR+ breast cancer survivors. Where can I go to get solid medical advice? I don't know who to believe and I don't want to live my life being useless and I want to limit breast cancer risk.

[@edithdoron]

Thank you for sharing your story-- I am only just embarking on what will be months of study of breast cancer medical cases in relation to menopause but here's my inclination: 1. breast cancer is not caused by HRT or by Estrogen. We know this to be a fact. The VAST majority of women with breast cancer are not on HRT, nor have they ever been on hormone pills. 2. we also know that progesterone has a mot more to do with breast cancer than estrogen. So many women opt for localized progesterone in teh form of an IUD or vaginal ring to ensure its protection of the uterus while not instigating cancer of the breast. 3. You have to be clear of the context and qualifictaions of statements like the ones you have been dealing with that seem in conflict. For example, we can say that HRT produces a higher risk of heart attack. and we can say HRT reduces and protects women precisely from heart attack. We can say both these statements: why? BEcause of what is known as the window of opportunity. If a woman has left her body to go through menopause/estrogen deficiency for over a decade without any support, her body has most likely aged at an alarming rate both inside and out. Taking estrogen when she is in her sixties may prove to be more of a risk than a benefit and would actually bring on heart disease because the body simply cannot use it anymore in the proper way that it used to. However HRT , if taken as soon as a woman enters perimenopause and takes a high enough dose, it would not only relieve symptoms (brain fog, vagina dryness, night sweats, mood disorder, joint pain, etc) but actually protect her arteries by keeping bad cholesterols down and artery walls supple and soft and free of plaque. So I wonder if your situation of seemingly opposing statements are due to being delivered in a 'soundbite' way instead of a deeper understanding of the entire picture. You need the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth when it comes to estrogen and the three major deadly diseases that its lack or deficiency brings on versus the risk of breast cancer-- which is far, far lower and is simply not caused by estrogen. It could be that once the cancer starts, estrogen plays a role-- I have yet to learn and I have many questions. But estrogen has been with you all your life, and has given you life. It's not your enemy. Cancer takes 7 years to get from one cell to a detectable mass and since we know its rate of growth through decades of extensive studies-- we can say for certain that your HRT did not cause your cancer.

[@iss8504]

Go to menopause taylor on youtube and do a comsult with her. She's good.

[@shelleyjack1579]

@@edithdoron awesome breakdown and I agree with you. 100 percent

[@theresageiger584]

I wish I had known about fixing my hormones

[@kardste8114]

Hoping to hear about endometrial cancer.. which can grow and travel to cervix and more if not caught early. Can low dose HRT estradiol and progesterone for 15 years cause Advanced Uterine Cancer?

[@CarmQ]

I’d like to know what happens if a women DOESN’T use HRT. What are the numbers for things like breast cancer, heart disease, lifespan etc…

[@orionthearcher]

Heart disease is the number one killer in America. Data on elderly people breaking a hip is a very, very high 1 year mortality. Meaning, 40% of elderly breaking a hip die within 1 year.

[@janetleephoto59]

I’m wondering since Carol knows the benefits of HRT, has she started taking it even though she had no obvious symptoms.

[@angelas.9717]

Carol posited a hypothetical... She said if she were menopausal *now* and were asymptomatic, she would take HRT. She is long past menopause. And yes she did and does take HRT