Menopause Matters Forum

Menopause Discussion => All things menopause => Topic started by: Meeka on September 28, 2015, 09:52:23 PM

Title: Daily Mail feature about natural HRT
Post by: Meeka on September 28, 2015, 09:52:23 PM
I read this article in the Daily Mail today about 'natural' HRT.    She states that if you are menopausal or have had a hysterectomy your GP may prescribe Oestrogen only HRT?    Women past the menopause still have to take Progesterone. right?    I think it must be a mistake or I am reading it wrongly.

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/femail/article-3251354/Could-natural-HRT-transform-life-No-woman-facing-menopause-miss-natural-way-end-hot-flushes.html
Title: Re: Daily Mail feature about natural HRT
Post by: Pollie on September 29, 2015, 05:58:58 AM
At the top of the article it says by Dr Schwartz for the daily mail.

At the bottom of the article its says - Adapted by Louise Atkinson from The Hormone Solution by Dr Erika Schwartz, published by Warner books.

Dr Schwartz appears to be based in the states and the book was published in 2002...

You're not reading it wrongly but Louise Atkinson is a journalist for the Daily Mail so it must be true  ;)

Title: Re: Daily Mail feature about natural HRT
Post by: CLKD on September 29, 2015, 02:19:00 PM
What's 'natural' here …… I think one needs progesterone if one keeps their womb?
Title: Re: Daily Mail feature about natural HRT
Post by: Dancinggirl on September 29, 2015, 04:55:12 PM
If you have had a hysterectomy then progesterone isn't usually necessary. Most oestrogen in HRT is bio identical/natural anyway - it's only the older style HRTs that contain equine oestrogen that would not be deemed natural. Women who still have their uterus must sill use progesterone.
Articles in newspapers seem to latch onto certain concepts that can seem ground breaking or newsworthy but can be taken out of context and blown up in the wrong way.  What about the all the scares back in 2002 when it was declared that all women on HRT will get breast cancer - totally out of all proportion and this completely ignored the data that showed that women who had had a hysterectomy were actually less likely to develop breast cancer if they used oestrogen?  How many women are now suffering with osteoporosis because their GPs took them off HRT too soon after they had a premature menopause?
I often feel quite cross about the way things are reported on BBC news - they don't always give a balanced view.
Sorry for the rant but I feel very strongly about this as I came off HRT at 49 because of the scares in the papers and put up with 3 years of awful meno symptoms. When I was 53 I was having dinner with a lady who was 80 and she told me very firmly to go back to the doctor and get back on HRT - her gynae had informed her "the risks were small and she was still on HRT!!!!!"  DG x
Title: Re: Daily Mail feature about natural HRT
Post by: CLKD on September 29, 2015, 06:06:56 PM
It does depend too on how funds the 'research' ……… i.e. years ago sugar was declared good for us, funded by the British Sugar Corporation  ::) and we should be drinking at least 2 litres of water daily: bottled water companies funded the research  ::)
Title: Re: Daily Mail feature about natural HRT
Post by: lancashirelass on September 29, 2015, 07:46:14 PM
It depends you can have oestrogen only after hyst if your.cervix.is.removed or you dont have endometriosis history.  I have to take both because of my history.