Ailments and Situations - Menopause (and Related Issues) - Hormone Replacement Therapy - Pharmaceutical Hormone Support

Hormone replacement therapy (HRT) began in the 1940's and 1950's, when estrogen was widely prescribed to relieve menopausal symptoms. As of the 1970's, estrogen replacement therapy (ERT) became the medical norm when dealing with menopause. It is now well known that ERT leads to a four to thirteen-time increased risk in developing endometrial (uterine lining) cancer. Today, pharmaceutical ERT combines estrogen with progesterone. This combined approach is known as hormone replacement therapy.

The majority of women are prescribed, Premarin. Introduced in 1949, the drug contains twenty different conjugated equine estrogens derived from pregnant horse urine. Indeed, the name "Premarin" is really an acronym for the phrase "pregnant mares' urine". One drop of water on a Premarin tablet will confirm this. This is the pharmaceutical estrogen employed in most laboratory studies. Typical "blanket" dosage is 0.625mg.

Premarin causes a number of side effects, including bloating, cramps, headaches, heavy periods, and sore breasts. The hormones present in Premarin also do not match those of the human body, as they are derived from horses.

If a woman has not had a hysterectomy, she may also be prescribed a synthetic progestin that works with Premarin and supplements naturally occurring progesterone. Provera (medroxyprogesterone) is the most common. The synthetic progestin prevents Premarin from inducing excessive uterine lining tissue growth, which can increase the risk of uterine cancer. Natural progesterone accomplishes the same goal and is free of the Provera side effects, including symptoms mimicking that of premenstrual syndrome.