Complementary and Alternative Medicine
Some women use medicinal herbs and other supplements to alleviate hot flushes, irritation, mood changes and poor memory, but, black cohosh and other medicinal herbs do not appear to be (such as Dong Kai dong quai and evening spring flower evening primrose, ginseng and St John's plant) medicines sold from prescription debt are more effective than placebo, which works 50% of the time. Such treatments are also unregulated, as is the case with medicines, i.e. manufacturers are not required to show that they are safe or effective, what their ingredients are and how much of each ingredient in the product is non-standard (see overview of nutritional supplements/safety and effectiveness).
Studies on soy protein have yielded mixed results, and one of the soy products called S-equol may help alleviate hot flushes in some women.
Some supplements can be harmful (e.g. kava). In addition, some supplements can interact with other drugs and can exacerbate some disorders.
Concerns about the use of standard hormone therapy have led to interest in the use of hormones derived from plants such as yam and soya, where these hormones have about the same molecular structures as in the hormones manufactured by the body, and are therefore called bioidentical hormones. But hormones used in standard hormone therapy have been tested and approved, and their uses are closely monitored.
Pharmaceuticals sometimes install biologically similar hormones (compounds) commensurate with each woman's need and according to a prescription by a health care practitioner. They are called biologically similar hormones, and their production is not well regulated, so they are likely to come with many doses, combinations and forms, and to vary. Synthesized hormones are often marketed as alternatives to standard hormone therapy, sometimes as a better and safer treatment, but there is no evidence that composite products are safer, more effective or even as effective as standard hormone therapy. Sometimes women are not told that biologically similar hormonal products that are compounded involve risks such as standard hormones,
Women who take into account such supplements should therefore consult a doctor.
Hormonal therapy can ease menopause symptoms ranging from median to severe, such as hot flushes, night sweats and vaginal dryness, but may increase the risk of serious specific disorders.
Hormone therapy improves many women's quality of life by easing their symptoms, but does not improve their quality of life if women do not have symptoms. Therefore, hormone therapy is not routinely given to postmenopausal women. The use of hormone therapy is a decision that should be taken by the woman and her doctor and based on each woman's individual condition.
For many women, the risks outweigh the potential benefits, and therefore the use of this treatment is not recommended, however, for some women, and based on their medical conditions and risk factors, the potential benefits may outweigh the risks.
For example, hormonal treatment may be recommended for women with an increased risk of osteoporosis or fracture in addition to one of the following conditions:
At the age of 60.
Their menopause was diagnosed less than 10 years ago.
Unable to take other drugs (such as bisphosphonates) to prevent osteoporosis and fractures.
Hormonal therapy reduces osteoporosis and the risk of fractures in this segment of women.
Doctors usually do not recommend that women start taking hormone therapy if:
Older than 60 years.
Their menopause was diagnosed more than 10 to 20 years ago.
For this segment of women, the risk of coronary artery disease, stroke, blood clots in the legs, blood clots in the lungs and dementia is higher.
When hormone therapy is used, doctors describe the lowest hormone dose that adjusts symptoms and for the shortest period of time the condition needs.
Hormonal therapy can involve:
Estrogen
Progestogen (e.g. progesterone or medroxyprogesterone acetate)
Both
All hormones used in hormone therapy are made in laboratories, and may or may not be similar to the hormones made by the body, but the way it works in the body is very similar. Similar to progestogen, a female hormone made by the body,
Estrogen and progestogens come in many forms, and estradiol and associated estrogens are common forms of estrogen.
For women with mercury, estrogen with progestogen (combined hormone therapy) is usually given to them, because taking estrogen alone increases the risk of endometrial cancer, and helps progestogen prevent this cancer. You may be able to miss those who no longer have the mercy of taking estrogen alone.
The benefits of hormone therapy risks are based on whether hormones are taken alone or together.
Estrogens with or from progestogen debt: potential benefits and risks
For estrogens many benefits:
Hot flushes and other symptoms: Oestrogen is the most effective therapeutic for hot flushes.
Dehydration and thinning of vaginal tissue and urinary tract: estrogen can prevent these two tissues from dehydration and thinning, so it can reduce pain at intercourse. When a woman's only problem is the dryness and thinning of her vaginal tissue and urinary tract, doctors may describe an estrogen form inserted into her vagina, which involves low-dose oestrogen tablets, a low-dose cycle of estrogen, low-dose oestrogen, low-dose oestrogen thinning and proof. When using a low dose of estrogen, women who still have a womb do not need to take progestogen.
Urgent need for urination and recurrent urinary tract infection: estrogen forms introduced into the vagina (hampers, tablets or rings) help alleviate these problems.
Fragility or ostrogen: Oestrogen with or from progestogen debt helps prevent or slow down ostrogen fragility or osteoporosis But doctors are not usually advised to take hormonal therapy only to prevent fragility or osteoporosis, Instead, most women can take bisphosphonate or other medication to help prevent fragility or osteoporosis (although these drugs have their own risks). Bisphosphonate increases bone mass by reducing the amount of bone that the body dismantles when it reconfigures bones, and the body continuously dismantles and remodels bones to help bones cope with the changing requirements they are exposed to and with; Getting older, the bones are dismantled more than reformed.
Oestrogen taken from progestogen debt increases the risk of endometrial cancer in women with wombs, and this risk increases with high doses and long use of estrogen. Taking progestogen with oestrogen almost eliminates endometrial cancer and reduces this risk so that it becomes lower than the risk faced by women who do not take hormonal therapy. However, doctors assess any vaginal bleeding in women taking hormone therapy to exclude endometrial cancer.
Estrogen, whether taken with or from progestogen debt, increases the risk of the following problems:
Fragility or ostrogen: Oestrogen with or from progestogen debt helps prevent or slow down ostrogen fragility or osteoporosis But doctors are not usually advised to take hormonal therapy only to prevent fragility or osteoporosis, Instead, most women can take bisphosphonate or other medication to help prevent fragility or osteoporosis (although these drugs have their own risks). Bisphosphonate increases bone mass by reducing the amount of bone that the body dismantles when it reconfigures bones, and the body continuously dismantles and remodels bones to help bones cope with the changing requirements they are exposed to and with; Getting older, the bones are dismantled more than reformed.
Oestrogen taken from progestogen debt increases the risk of endometrial cancer in women with wombs, and this risk increases with high doses and long use of estrogen. Taking progestogen with oestrogen almost eliminates endometrial cancer and reduces this risk so that it becomes lower than the risk faced by women who do not take hormonal therapy. However, doctors assess any vaginal bleeding in women taking hormone therapy to exclude endometrial cancer.
Estrogen, whether taken with or from progestogen debt, increases the risk of the following problems:
Fragility or ostrogen: Oestrogen with or from progestogen debt helps prevent or slow down ostrogen fragility or osteoporosis But doctors are not usually advised to take hormonal therapy only to prevent fragility or osteoporosis, Instead, most women can take bisphosphonate or other medication to help prevent fragility or osteoporosis (although these drugs have their own risks). Bisphosphonate increases bone mass by reducing the amount of bone that the body dismantles when it reconfigures bones, and the body continuously dismantles and remodels bones to help bones cope with the changing requirements they are exposed to and with; Getting older, the bones are dismantled more than reformed.
Oestrogen taken from progestogen debt increases the risk of endometrial cancer in women with wombs, and this risk increases with high doses and long use of estrogen. Taking progestogen with oestrogen almost eliminates endometrial cancer and reduces this risk so that it becomes lower than the risk faced by women who do not take hormonal therapy. However, doctors assess any vaginal bleeding in women taking hormone therapy to exclude endometrial cancer.
Estrogen, whether taken with or from progestogen debt, increases the risk of the following problems:
Breast cancer: The risk of breast cancer begins to increase very little after taking oestrogen plus progestogen for about 3 to 5 years, but if oestrogen alone is taken at the beginning of menopause, this risk may only begin to increase from 10 to 15 years later.
Stroke
Blood clots in the legs (deep intravenous thrombosis) and blood clots in the lungs (pulmonary embolism)
Gallbladder disorders, such as gallstones
Incontinence: Taking oestrogen increases the risk of incontinence and aggravates pre-existing incontinence.
For specific disorders, it is difficult to determine whether the risk is increased by estrogen alone or by estrogen with progestogen (combined therapy);
Although hormone therapy increases the risk of all the disorders mentioned above, the risk remains low in healthy women who take hormone therapy for a short period during or after the age of despair. Most of these disorders increase in risk with age, especially 10 years or more after menopause, whether or not hormonal therapy is taken. For older women, taking oestrogen with progestogen may increase the risk of coronary arterial disease as well.
Doctors believe that the risk of hormone therapy is low when low doses of oestrogen are used. For estrogen forms that are introduced into the vagina (such as oestrogen-containing hampers, tablets, or oestrogen rings), they are often in low doses compared to tablets taken through the mouth.
Oestrogen, which is administered through adhesive to the skin (through the transdermal dermis), appears to be a lower risk of blood clots, stroke and gallbladder disorders (e.g. gallstones) compared to oral shapes.
Generally speaking, women who suffer from breast cancer, coronary arterial disease or blood clots in the legs, who have been at risk of arrest or who have risk factors for these disorders, should not take oestrogen therapy.
Combined hormone therapy reduces the risk of the following problems:
Fragility or osteoporosis
Rectal cancer
Progestins: Benefits and Risks
Progestins have some benefits:
Endometrial cancer: Taking progestogen with oestrogen almost eliminates the risk of endometrial cancer in women with wombs.
Hot flushes: Progestogen can be reduced by a high dose of hot flushes. But it's not as effective as estrogen.
Progestins may increase the risk of the following problems:
Increased levels of LDL cholesterol: Progestins may have this effect, however, micronized powdered progesterone (a natural rather than synthetic progesterone) appears to have a lower negative effect on levels of low-density lipophilic cholesterol than artificial progestin.
Blood clots in the legs and lungs.
It is unclear the effect of progestogen alone at the risk of other disorders.
Side Effects
The side effects of estrogen and progestins, especially in high doses, may involve nausea, breast pain in the body, disturbances, fluid retention and blending changes.
Hormonal Therapy Forms
Estrogen or progestin can be taken in many ways:
Oral oestrogen or progestogen tablets (oral shape)
HBDs, tablets, oestrogen rings or loadings of this hormone which are inserted into the vagina (vaginal shape)
Oils, spray or oestrogen gel which are applied to the skin externally (topical shape)
Oestrogen skin stickers or synthesis of oestrogen and progestogen (transdermal skin form)
Like oral tablets, estrogen and progestogen may be taken as disks or as a disk containing a combination of them. Oestrogen and progestogen are usually taken daily, and this table may lead to irregular vaginal bleeding during the first year of treatment or more, (however, if the bleeding lasts more than a year, the woman should consult a doctor). Another therapeutic option may involve taking oestrogen daily, with progestogen being taken for 12 to 14 days per month. In following this schedule of use, most women suffer monthly vaginal bleeding in the days after taking progestogen.
Vaginal forms of estrogen are introduced into the vagina, and these forms involve:
Rahim is inserted into the vagina by means of plastic dishes applicator
Pharmaceutical disk inserted through plastic dishes
An oestrogen ring (resembling a female insulator)
Upload containing estrogen
There are many different products that come in different doses and contain different types of oestrogen. If a high dose of oestrogen is used in vaginal form, progestogen women are also administered to reduce the risk of endometrial cancer, usually the low dose is sufficient to alleviate vaginal symptoms.
Using the vaginal form of oestrogen may be more effective than taking oral oestrogen to alleviate symptoms that affect the vagina (such as dehydration and thinning), and such treatment helps prevent sexual intercourse from being painful, reducing urinary urgency and the risk of bladder infection.
In the form of lotion, spray or gel, estrogen can be applied to the skin.
An adhesive containing oestrogen or oestrogen with progestogen can also be applied to the skin.
Selective Estrogen Hormone Receivers SERMs
Selective estrogen hormone receptor modulators (such as raloxifene and tamoxifene) work like oestrogen on one side, but on the other hand help to heal the effects of oestrogen. Raloxifen is used to treat fragility or osteoporosis and to prevent breast cancer, and tamoxifen is used to treat breast cancer. Ospemifene can be used to alleviate vaginal dryness.
When a woman takes one of her selective oestrogen hormone receptor modulators, her hot flushes may temporarily worsen.
bazedoxifene is a selective oestrogen hormone receptor and is taken with oestrogen in a synthesis disc, which can relieve hot flushes and symptoms of vaginal atrophy; It reduces breast pain, improves sleep and prevents lack of bone density. It is similar to estrogen, where it increases the risk of blood clots in the legs and lungs, but may reduce the risk of endometrial cancer and its effect on the breast is lower.
Dehydro epi androsterone dehydroepiandrosterone
Dehydro epi androsterone dehydroepiandrosterone is a steroid that is produced in the adrenal glands and is converted into sexual hormones (estrogens and androgens), and is available as a vaginal bearing. Dehydro epi androsterone appears to mitigate vaginal dehydration and other symptoms of vaginal atrophy. It is also used to reduce pain during intercourse due to vaginal atrophy.
