Wife Will Be Starting HRT This Week But Worried About Risks.

[SkyWarn]

So I managed to convince my wife to use Defy and the process went amazingly fast and smooth. Based upon her symptoms and labs Defy is recommending T cream, E2 cream and Progesterone. Everything has been ordered and we hope to receive the shipment shortly. But I have some concerns. She is post menopausal by a decade and early 60s. Her main symptom is low libido and energy, also sometimes brain fog and vaginal dryness. But I am a little concerned about the Estrogen treatment. My fear is the cancer risks. I would feel horrible if this somehow triggered cancer (uterine or breast). Do any of your guys worry about that? We are actually considering just starting the T cream for now and getting that figured out, and depending upon on she feels adding the estrogen cream and progesterone down the road. I think we could live with a little vaginal dryness, its really the libido thats the issue. They are also suggesting DHEA.
I am also worried that all these hormones may give her crazy mood swings. I remember during menopause and even prior she had severe moodiness. I don't want to relive that. Her hormone labs are below. Any advice is appreciated.

Total T 2. Range 3 to 41
Free T .05 Range 0 to 4.2
Estradiol 5.0 Range 6.0 to 54.7
Progesteron 0.1
DHEA 39.4

 

[Systemlord]

I could list the diseases caused by estrogen deprivation, alzheimer's disease, cardiovascular disease, heart disease and osteoporosis for starters. Estrogen is an anti inflammatory hormone that protects the brain from inflammation (alzheimer's), the weight gain (visceral fat) seen post menopausal women is by definition inflammatory, cancer is an inflammatory disease.

If I were in her shoes and I was looking at disease from estrogen deprivation and I knew bioidentical hormones could bring me back to a normal functioning state, I would do it without hesitation.

It all depend on what quality of life your wife wants, I wouldn't want to live another second with my testosterone as low as it was previously. Women cases can be more difficult to figure out, so I hope your wife gives HRT a solid chance.

 

[CoastWatcher]

You had a consultation with a member of Defy’s medical staff. In other words, you spoke to someone with the knowledge to help you and your wife through a medical maze. You didn’t turn to a fly-by-night, back-alley medical outfit. You presumably had an opportunity to ask questions and give voice to your anxieties. You report that it went “amazingly fast and smooth.”

But rather than move ahead you are considering buying into only a small part of what has been recommended. It’s her body, her health. But there’s a reason she, with your support, turned to the medical professionals she did. As @Systemlord and @user_joe noted, the misinformation surrounding women and hormonal replacement is staggering. If it were my wife asking for my input, I wouldn’t hesitate to urge her to initiate replacement. I know from my own experience what having my life back feels like.

I wish you the very best.

 

[mooseman109]

My wife is 55 and post menopausal. She also went to defy for dryness, lower libido. Not so much brain fog and energy. They started her on a similar cocktail. Dude I was afarid to close my eyes and sleep thinking she was going to stab me in the gace with a spoon or something! She backed off everythuand just went progesterone and things sorted themselves out. Good lubrication and libido returned. She has blood work due and is pretty sure her estrogen is going to come back near zero based on the level it has been dropping. So she may add some stuff back in.
My advice to her and you, based on my experience with others and defy, is not to start too many things at one time. If things go great or poorly, how do you know which of the additions is responsible. My new philosophy on all of this is start low and go slow. Just my 2 cents. I wish you well

 

[SkyWarn]

My wife is 55 and post menopausal. She also went to defy for dryness, lower libido. Not so much brain fog and energy. They started her on a similar cocktail. Dude I was afarid to close my eyes and sleep thinking she was going to stab me in the gace with a spoon or something! She backed off everythuand just went progesterone and things sorted themselves out. Good lubrication and libido returned. She has blood work due and is pretty sure her estrogen is going to come back near zero based on the level it has been dropping. So she may add some stuff back in.
My advice to her and you, based on my experience with others and defy, is not to start too many things at one time. If things go great or poorly, how do you know which of the additions is responsible. My new philosophy on all of this is start low and go slow. Just my 2 cents. I wish you well

That's exactly what I was thinking. Start first with just T. That seems to have the safest profile with least sides. It made me feel great! Then after a couple months add in the E2. I was thinking this way, if there are side effects it would be easy to isolate the cause.

 

[mooseman109]

Ot sure what jer labs are, my had a fairly food level of T. The progesterone did the trick for her. Now she wants sex as much as me!

 

[Jesse-Defy]

I'm pretty sure I recognize the situation and I'm glad her consult and experience went well!

 

[Cataceous]

There's a decent-sized clinical trial on testosterone monotherapy: Testosterone for Low Libido in Postmenopausal Women Not Taking Estrogen

 

[Ardoc2]

I just bought a book for my wife that may be of interest (I have not read it) seems to speak a lot to the true risks of HRT. I believe it also discusses the WHI study that scared everyone because of the negative results, but which failed to illustrate that it was not Hormone Replacement but Hormone Substitution. They used Progestin (a patented substance supposedly similar to Progesterone) instead of true Progesterone and Equine Estrogen instead of Bio-identical (human) estrogen. I can not fathom how that "study" would have proven anything about the risks of true HRT?

the book is: "Estrogen Matters" by Avrum Bluming, MD.

 

[SkyWarn]

There's a decent-sized clinical trial on testosterone monotherapy: Testosterone for Low Libido in Postmenopausal Women Not Taking Estrogen

Thats study states that 4 out of 800 women were diagnosed with invasive breast cancer during the first 4 weeks of initiating testosterone therapy. Assuming testosterone does increase the risk of breast cancer, I just can not see how that could possibly happen in less than 4 weeks. Just doesn't sound plausible. Perhaps it was pre-existing.

 

[Cataceous]

Thats study states that 4 out of 800 women were diagnosed with invasive breast cancer during the first 4 weeks of initiating testosterone therapy. Assuming testosterone does increase the risk of breast cancer, I just can not see how that could possibly happen in less than 4 weeks. Just doesn't sound plausible. Perhaps it was pre-existing.

Yes, they were already pretty sure about two of the four:

... one of the four received the diagnosis in the first 4 months of the study period, and one, in retrospect, had symptoms before undergoing randomization.

 

[Bob Lee]

My

Thats study states that 4 out of 800 women were diagnosed with invasive breast cancer during the first 4 weeks of initiating testosterone therapy. Assuming testosterone does increase the risk of breast cancer, I just can not see how that could possibly happen in less than 4 weeks. Just doesn't sound plausible. Perhaps it was pre-existing.

My wife had the genetic testing for the Brachy (sp) gene that predisposed a woman for that type of breast cancer before starting T.

 

[Neil]

The cancer "thing" with women's hormones got started when Premarin (actually made from horse urine, a dumb idea) was prescribed by the truckloads in the 90's. Some women got cancer. The reason is the estrogen from horses is a foreign molecule, it is NOT bio identical, it's an invader to the human body. There were many newspaper articles and it was on the news endlessly. Some stories like this die hard, and people if you mention women's hormones still remember. In fact, Premarin is still made. Sick. But today, bio identical hormones are safe, my wife has been on them for almost ten years. Libido is good, moisture and response is great. Energy is back. I would start on all the hormones. Remember, when your wife was a young lady, she had all her hormones, hormones compliment each other, progesterone and estrogen counter each other in a way, female hormones don't exist without each other in isolation, they all go together. So, jump in, the water's fine!

 

[Tommy Wall]

Would som DHEA cream and Choline improve the basic hormonal balance?

 

[52hoosier]

My wife is with Defy. Same treatment. She feels SO much better. Cancer is always a possibility with or without HRT.

 

[Dasein88]

So I managed to convince my wife to use Defy and the process went amazingly fast and smooth. Based upon her symptoms and labs Defy is recommending T cream, E2 cream and Progesterone. .... They are also suggesting DHEA.
I am also worried that all these hormones may give her crazy mood swings. I remember during menopause and even prior she had severe moodiness. I don't want to relive that. Her hormone labs are below. Any advice is appreciated.

Total T 2. Range 3 to 41
Free T .05 Range 0 to 4.2
Estradiol 5.0 Range 6.0 to 54.7
Progesteron 0.1
DHEA 39.4

Just curious, how much test is Defy putting her on?

 

[NiteOwl]

Hi I am a 58 yo female who has been on pellet therapy since 2005 after a hysterectomy in 2001. It was a rocky road to the testosterone, estrogen pellets, oral progesterone and later adrenaplex. The information on this site is very helpful and there is so much good info. So hopefully, this will benefit those who are fearful of estrogen or even pelvic floor physical therapy for women. The pellets are bio identical. They build up and go back down over a period of months. My doctors tell me some women are very responsive to HRT and others not as much. Currently I am receiving P.T. for the pelvic floor to strengthen the muscles holding my bladder having bunched on one side and weakened on the other. The GU doctor prescribed Estrace cream 8 years ago. At that time I was concerned about cancer and the effect on my husband. The doctor explained that it is bio identical. She also explained that it helps women as it absorbs because that area is similar to the mucosa inside our mouth. It should not effect my husband as he is like the skin on our hand and it should not transfer and be absorbed by him. Something I became very aware of when the bio identical Estrace cream was prescribed was that I could feel the difference in my pelvic muscles immediately and I was not retaining fluid it appeared to help my bladder and kidneys as well. The amount of cream used is only 1/2 the size of an English pea. There are many misconceptions among women regarding the use of this cream. Also the estrodial pellets were not having the same effect as the direct application of the cream on my pelvic area. But the cream did elevate the estrogen in my labwork. Hopefully this will be helpful to some.

 

[SkyWarn]

Hi I am a 58 yo female who has been on pellet therapy since 2005 after a hysterectomy in 2001. It was a rocky road to the testosterone, estrogen pellets, oral progesterone and later adrenaplex. The information on this site is very helpful and there is so much good info. So hopefully, this will benefit those who are fearful of estrogen or even pelvic floor physical therapy for women. The pellets are bio identical. They build up and go back down over a period of months. My doctors tell me some women are very responsive to HRT and others not as much. Currently I am receiving P.T. for the pelvic floor to strengthen the muscles holding my bladder having bunched on one side and weakened on the other. The GU doctor prescribed Estrace cream 8 years ago. At that time I was concerned about cancer and the effect on my husband. The doctor explained that it is bio identical. She also explained that it helps women as it absorbs because that area is similar to the mucosa inside our mouth. It should not effect my husband as he is like the skin on our hand and it should not transfer and be absorbed by him. Something I became very aware of when the bio identical Estrace cream was prescribed was that I could feel the difference in my pelvic muscles immediately and I was not retaining fluid it appeared to help my bladder and kidneys as well. The amount of cream used is only 1/2 the size of an English pea. There are many misconceptions among women regarding the use of this cream. Also the estrodial pellets were not having the same effect as the direct application of the cream on my pelvic area. But the cream did elevate the estrogen in my labwork. Hopefully this will be helpful to some.

Thanks so much NiteOwl! Its great to hear this firsthand from a women. My wife is doing the estrogen cream (on the arms) along with testosterone and progesterone. She is a little older than you. Would you mind sharing your lab values?

 

[SkyWarn]

Just curious, how much test is Defy putting her on?

Maximum of 4 clicks on the T. She is doing 2 clicks and that gets her into a good range on labs. I believe each click of the topiclick is 3.75 mg.

 

[SkyWarn]

The cancer "thing" with women's hormones got started when Premarin (actually made from horse urine, a dumb idea) was prescribed by the truckloads in the 90's. Some women got cancer. The reason is the estrogen from horses is a foreign molecule, it is NOT bio identical, it's an invader to the human body. There were many newspaper articles and it was on the news endlessly. Some stories like this die hard, and people if you mention women's hormones still remember. In fact, Premarin is still made. Sick. But today, bio identical hormones are safe, my wife has been on them for almost ten years. Libido is good, moisture and response is great. Energy is back. I would start on all the hormones. Remember, when your wife was a young lady, she had all her hormones, hormones compliment each other, progesterone and estrogen counter each other in a way, female hormones don't exist without each other in isolation, they all go together. So, jump in, the water's fine!

Yup she is going much better since she added in the estrogen. It took a little time but now it seems to be working. The T by itself wasn't doing anything for libido. Adding in the estrogen and progesterone seems to have made the difference.