Supplements To Help Increase Estrogen And Help Women In Menopause
While many women suffer from too much estrogen, there are still many women who suffer from not enough estrogen.
This usually occurs in patients post-menopause who start to see the signs of low estrogen on their body.
Increased aging of the skin, increased pain during intercourse, increased risk of urinary tract infection and so on.
Many women even suffer from the more debilitating symptoms of having low estrogen such as insomnia, hot flashes, and depression that can really impact quality of life.
Using these supplements can act as a buffer to help balance estrogen levels either directly or indirectly.
While these supplements may potentially help women with low estrogen, they will not necessarily work for everyone.
In some cases, women may benefit from the use of bio-identical estrogen compounding with both estradiol and estriol.
These supplements should act as a first line therapy though due to their low-risk profiles and ease of use.
If, however, they do not work within 3-6 months it may be worth pursuing prescription options.
#1. Flaxseed
Flaxseed does NOT appear to reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease, however, and that should be considered if you are at high risk or have a family history of heart disease.
How to Supplement with Flaxseed
How to Use
My Recommended Brand and Product:
#2. Black Cohosh
Black cohosh is another supplement that has been shown in clinical studies to help reduce the symptoms and severity of menopause .
How to Use
Do Birth Control Pills Increase Or Decrease Estrogen Levels
Birth control pills use synthetic hormones to prevent pregnancies. Synthetic versions of estrogen and progesterone often work together to not only prevent ovulation, but also create undesirable for conditions for fertilized egg implantation. You may question whether or not these man-made hormones actually increase or decrease estrogen levels in the body. Depending on your current needs, this information is necessary when deciding which type of contraception to use.
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Types
There are many variations of the birth control pill on the market today. There are pills that have a constant low dose of estrogen. There are very low-dose, having 20 mcg of estrogen. The next level of low dose typically contains about 33 mcg of estrogen. There are also high dose estrogen pills, which contain 50 mcg of estrogen per pill. Then there are phasic pills that have a different amount of estrogen throughout the cycle, which more closely mimics the bodys natural cycle. Other birth control pills, however, use no estrogen and merely depend on progesterone to prevent pregnancy.
Facts
Time Frame
Considerations
Although birth control pills containing estrogen and progesterone are designed to regulate hormones and prevent sudden surges, small surges happen each day. Every time you take the pill, the body suddenly processes the hormones creating small peaks. Some women very sensitive to these may experience nausea and headaches.
Cautions
Lets Understand Estrogen Dominance First
It can happen due to two main reasons:
Reason #1: You have insufficient progesterone to oppose estradiol, the aggressive estrogen that has been connected to the growth of pathogenic cells like in the case of fibroids, cancers, and endometrial tissue.
Reason #2: The way your body is breaking down estrogens to the various estrogenic metabolites, is not favorable to you. I call them the dirty estrogens.
Due to a poor liver function, inappropriate diet, nutritional deficiencies, gut issues, chronic constipation, and use of conventional skincare and cleaning products, your body is receiving and/or creating too much of the antagonistic or dirty estrogen metabolites that cause harm.
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Demand For Hormone Replacement Therapy And Hormone Replacement Increases
Feminine Forever became a bestseller, causing women who read it to flock to their gynecologists in droves. Although Premarin had not been approved for general treatment of menopause in women who did not have hot flashes, doctors began prescribing it off label to any midlife woman, as they are allowed to do.
Because some research in the 1970s showed that taking estrogen does increase a womans risk for endometrial cancer , women who still had their uterus were given a combined hormone treatment of both estrogen and synthetic progesterone , which would protect her from this problem. Women who had had a hysterectomy were given estrogen alone.
These treatments were initially referred to as hormone replacement therapy , or sometimes estrogen replacement therapy , or menopausal hormone therapy, but this was later changed to hormone therapy .
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What Hormones Are Used To Treat The Symptoms Of Menopause
The hormones most commonly used to treat symptoms of menopause are estrogen and progesterone. . Often, these 2 hormones are used together, but some women are given estrogen alone. Its important to know which hormones you are talking about when looking at the risks.
Common estrogen preparations used to treat menopausal symptoms include conjugated equine estrogens and estradiol, but several forms or types of estrogen are available.
There are also many progestins available, but medroxyprogesterone acetate , is often used with an estrogen to treat menopausal symptoms. Some preparations contain both an estrogen and a progestin.
Androgens are also sometimes used to treat menopausal symptoms. This is not common, though, and because only a few studies have looked at this practice, it isnt clear how safe it is in the long run.
Tibolone is a synthetic hormone drug that can act like estrogen, progesterone, and testosterone in different tissues of the body. Because this drug isnt available in the US, its not discussed here.
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Deer Antler Velvet Supplements
A close cousin to HGH, Insulin-Like Growth Factor, is an endocrine hormone thats naturally produced in the body, primarily by the liver. Its called insulin growth factor because of its structural similarities to insulin.
This hormone is highly anabolic in nature, among other things promoting new muscle cell growth and increasing the overall muscle cell count in the body.
Without getting too technical, the effects of IGF-1 basically result in the stimulation of cell growth as well as increasing cell life-span. IGF-1 levels are at their highest during adolescence and puberty, and decline with age.
However, remarkable results can be achieved when these levels are increased in adults. Some of the many truly anti-aging benefits resulting from increased IGF-1 production include:
- Increased muscle mass
How Do You Know Which Treatment Option Is Right For You
Determining the type of treatment option right for you depends on a few factors. For example, what is the dosage ideal to treat your symptoms? If you have more symptoms or require greater levels of testosterone, then topical treatments might not work for you. Your age and physical ability might also be factors, as well as the symptoms you are seeking treatment for. We will help you determine which treatment option is the best fit for your particular needs.
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Is Femodette A Good Pill
Femodette® They are one of the most reliable reversible methods of contraception if used correctly. They slightly increase the risk of having a blood clot in the veins and arteries, especially in the first year or when restarting a combined hormonal contraceptive following a break of 4 or more weeks.
What Are The Benefits Of Hrt
Benefits of hormone replacement therapy for post-menopausal women, include:
- Increased elasticity of the blood vessels, allowing them to dilate and let the blood flow more freely throughout the body
- Improved short-term symptoms of menopause such as hot flashes and mood swings, as well as vaginal dryness, dry skin, sleeplessness and irritable bladder symptoms
- Possible decreased incidence of Alzheimers disease
- Possible improvement of glucose levels
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Synthetic Hormones First Used For Menstrual Cramps
Once estrogen was discovered, it was only a matter of time before scientists figured out how to turn it into a drug.
The first commercial preparation of estrogen was called Emmenin. It was an alcohol-soluble substance derived from extracts of human placentas. A paper published in 1935 in the Canadian Medical Association Journal described this oral solutions value for treating painful menstrual cramps, which goes by the medical name dysmenorrhea.
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What Happens When The Estrogen Level Drops
The estrogen levels might drop either due to genetic defects or poor nutrition, the most common risk factor for low estrogen level is age. When there is a decrease in levels of estrogen, progesterone, and testosterone in the body, it can increase the risk of various diseases like It can disturb sexual functions and increase the risk of obesity, cardiovascular disease, and osteoporosis. These reiterate the fact that estrogen is essential to maintain good health.
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Will Medicare Cover Bhrt
Medicare is known for having limited prescription drug coverage under the original Part A and B plans. It will likely not cover hormone therapy at all under these plans. Although, if you have a Part D Perscription Drug Plan it will cover your prescription drugs including hormones.
If you are covered by an original Medicare plan, but still want coverage that will pay for bioidentical hormone replacement therapy you can opt for a private insurance plan, or add a stand-alone Part D Perscription Drug Plan to your existing one.
If BHRT is something you are considering you can ask your doctor for a list of medications that your plan does cover. If your doctor prescribes a medication or hormone that is not on the list you can ask for a substitute for it that it will cover.
Estrogen Therapy And Cancer Risk
Endometrial cancer
In women who still have a uterus, using systemic ET has been shown to increase the risk of endometrial cancer . The risk remains higher than average even after ET is no longer used. Although most studies that showed an increased risk were of women taking estrogen as a pill, women using a patch or high-dose vaginal ring can also expect to have an increased risk of endometrial cancer.
Because of this increased cancer risk, women who have gone through menopause and who still have a uterus are given a progestin along with estrogen. Studies have shown that EPT does not increase the risk for endometrial cancer.
Long-term use of vaginal creams, rings, or tablets containing topical estrogen doses may also increase the levels of estrogen in the body. Its not clear if this leads to health risks, but the amounts of hormone are much smaller than systemic therapies.
Breast cancer
ET is not linked to a higher risk of breast cancer. In fact, certain groups of women taking ET, such as women who had no family history of breast cancer and those who had no history of benign breast disease, had a slightly lower risk of breast cancer.
Ovarian cancer
The WHI study of ET did not report any results about ovarian cancer.
To put the risk into numbers, if 1,000 women who were 50 years old took estrogen for menopause for 5 years, one extra ovarian cancer would be expected to develop.
Colorectal cancer
Lung cancer
ET does not seem to have any effect on the risk of lung cancer.
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Reducing The Cancer Risks Of Hormone Therapy
If you and your doctor decide that MHT is the best way to treat symptoms or problems caused by menopause, keep in mind that it is medicine and like any other medicine its best to use it at the lowest dose needed for as short a time as possible. And just as you would if you were taking another type of medicine, you need to see your doctor regularly. Your doctor can see how well the treatment is working, monitor you for side effects, and let you know what other treatments are available for your symptoms.
All women should report any vaginal bleeding that happens after menopause to their doctors right away it may be a symptom of endometrial cancer. A woman who takes EPT does not have a higher risk of endometrial cancer, but she can still get it.
Women using vaginal cream, rings, or tablets containing only estrogen should talk to their doctors about follow-up and the possible need for progestin treatment.
For women who have had a hysterectomy , a progestin does not need to be a part of hormone therapy because theres no risk of endometrial cancer. Adding a progestin does raise the risk of breast cancer, so ET is a better option for women without a uterus.
Women should follow the American Cancer Society guidelines for cancer early detection, especially those for breast cancer. These guidelines can be found in Breast Cancer Early Detection.
Comparison Of Hormone Levels In Birth Control Pills
Last updated on By Jing J.
If you have to take birth control pills, what would be the best ones to take? Check out the comparison of hormone levels and side effects of various birth control pills.
Recently some of you asked me about birth control pills: If you have to take birth control pills, what would be the best ones to take, i.e., which birth control pill has the least side effects?
First, I think this is a conversation you ought to have with your healthcare provider since he or she would have the most intimate knowledge regarding your health condition and could recommend the best option for you.
That being said, I think it would be helpful to compare the hormone levels in various birth control pills, so you can be educated and ask the right questions when you discuss your options with your doctor.
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How About The Intrauterine Device Or Iud
The modern IUD began to take shape in the United States in the 1950’s, however the first marketed IUD was not effective due to its large size. 1962 brought a much smaller, plastic IUD, and toward the end of the 60’s, a plastic-cased, copper-based IUD came along which was even smaller. Finally, the second generation of plastic/copper IUD’s came out in the 1970’s, and it is a design which remains essentially the same today, other than the small amounts of hormones which are built into the Mirena IUD. The Mirena IUD and the Paragard IUD prevent the fertilized egg from implanting in the uterus by significantly thinning the uterine wall. Like the pill, the IUD also creates thicker cervical mucus, making it much less likely sperm will ever enter the uterus. While the IUD is the number one contraceptive device in the rest of the world, less than one percent of American women who use birth control choose an IUD. There are certain fertility risks when using the IUD, as well as accidental expulsion and worsened periods.
Are Bioidentical Hormones Any Better
Questions raised after the 2002 WHI results caused some doctors and women to advocate for bioidentical hormones those compounded in a pharmacy from plant sources. One major voice for bioidenticals at that time was the actress Suzanne Sommers, whose 2004 book, The Sexy Years, claimed that natural bioidentical hormones were the secret to Sommers youthfulness. Or, as the subhead claims, fabulous sex, great health, and vitality.
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But as ACOG makes clear, there is no scientific evidence that compounded hormones are safer or more effective than standard hormone therapy. Whats more, because many bioidenticals are compounded in local pharmacies that are not tightly regulated, They have the same risks as hormone therapies approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, but they also may have additional risks because of the way they are made.
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How Does It Work
Most birth control pills are “combination pills” containing a mix of the hormones estrogen and progesterone to prevent ovulation . A woman cannot get pregnant if she doesn’t ovulate because there is no egg to be fertilized.
The Pill also works by thickening the mucus around the cervix, which makes it difficult for sperm to enter the uterus and reach any eggs that may have been released. The hormones in the Pill can also sometimes affect the lining of the uterus, making it difficult for an egg to attach to the wall of the uterus.
What Should I Know About Storage And Disposal Of This Medication
Keep this medication in the container it came in, tightly closed, and out of reach of children. Store it at room temperature and away from heat and moisture .
Unneeded medications should be disposed of in special ways to ensure that pets, children, and other people cannot consume them. However, you should not flush this medication down the toilet. Instead, the best way to dispose of your medication is through a medicine take-back program. Talk to your pharmacist or contact your local garbage/recycling department to learn about take-back programs in your community. See the FDA’s Safe Disposal of Medicines website for more information if you do not have access to a take-back program.
It is important to keep all medication out of sight and reach of children as many containers are not child-resistant and young children can open them easily. To protect young children from poisoning, always lock safety caps and immediately place the medication in a safe location â one that is up and away and out of their sight and reach.
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Is Hrt The Same As Birth Control
No. Although women who take birth control pills are also taking estrogen and progestin, the effect is not the same. Women who take birth control pills have not been through menopause and need higher levels of hormones to prevent ovulation. HRT is not a high enough strength to stop ovulation.
After menopause, estrogen levels are low and HRT is used at a low dose to restore hormone levels to a more normal level.
What Causes High Estrogen
Having too much estrogen is probably more common than having too little estrogen .
High estrogen levels are quite common in many patients simply due to the biochemistry of the body.
As women gain weight several factors occur that lead to high estrogen:
1. Weight gain contributes to insulin resistance which causes further weight gain.
2. Insulin resistance causes high androgens and high testosterone .
3. High levels of testosterone can be converted into estrogens through aromatization.
4. Weight gain reduces thyroid function leading to reduced circulating thyroid hormone contributing to low progesterone and thus higher estrogen levels.
This process occurs as a result of weight gain, but these steps can happen whether you are overweight or not.
As a result, many women have a higher than normal estrogen level and a condition known as estrogen dominance .
Aside from these very common hormonal changes, other factors can increase estrogen levels like the standard American diet, a diet high in soy-based foods, exposure to chemical xenoestrogens and even high levels of stress.
This constellation of conditions and syndromes usually occurs in pre-menopausal women , but even menopausal women can have more estrogen than they need due to excess weight gain.
Excess weight after menopause can act as a reservoir for estrone production through the fat cells.
So women can end up with higher than normal estrogen levels before and after menopause.
Causes of high estrogen levels in women:
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