Menopause Matters Forum
Menopause Discussion => All things menopause => Topic started by: shakilla on December 03, 2024, 10:39:58 AM
-
Hi
Does anyone take phytoestrogens along with their Hrt. In particular soya milk.
There's so much competing information when I've googled.
Just want to check that it doesn't stop hrt working properly.
-
Sorry can't help. MayB ring a Pharmacist?
-
Not in the slightest if you are using it in your normal diet for example wherever someone else might use cow's milk.
If you were drinking gallons of it or taking it in pill form, it MIGHT, theoretically compete with estrogen at your receptors, weakening the estrogen's effects.
Even then it would not be harmful.
-
Thank you both x
-
Bumping this topic up to see if there's anyone with additional thoughts/experience on this question. Could soy products interfere with HRT (and thereby cause lower efficacy of treatment)?
I posted yesterday about my ongoing struggle with Oestrogel not working properly and while browsing through different sources, ran into a (theoretical?) possibility that soy products could 'block' oestrogen by attaching to the same receptors. Not sure if this is in any way accurate or scientifically proven.. but I realised I've been reqularly (almost daily) consuming soy yogurt during the past months, which is also the period my estrogen therapy has stopped working. Understand this is highly likely to be just a coincidence.. but I'm desperate so leaving no stone unturned ;D
-
A few years ago I was taking Benecol products regularly to reduce cholesterol and noticed my vaginal atropy worsening even though I'd not changed dosage. The only change was the Benecol which contains plant stenols. I researched this:
Some phytoestrogens are weak estrogen mimics, meaning they can bind to the receptor but don't activate it to the same extent as regular estrogen. Others can even block the receptor from binding to estrogen, effectively preventing estrogen's effects.
I stopped using Benecol but it took a few weeks to get my atrophy under control again. I posted my problem on here and surprisingly a few had had the same problem but not realised the connection.
-
Thanks Dierdre, this is so helpful! I'll look up the discussion on Benecol. Glad to hear stopping it helped with VA.
I've had no idea of such possibility of phytoestrogens messing with HRT before. And I thought I'm knowledgeable about all things HRT ::)
-
A few years ago I was taking Benecol products regularly to reduce cholesterol and noticed my vaginal atropy worsening even though I'd not changed dosage. The only change was the Benecol which contains plant stenols. I researched this:
Some phytoestrogens are weak estrogen mimics, meaning they can bind to the receptor but don't activate it to the same extent as regular estrogen. Others can even block the receptor from binding to estrogen, effectively preventing estrogen's effects.
I stopped using Benecol but it took a few weeks to get my atrophy under control again. I posted my problem on here and surprisingly a few had had the same problem but not realised the connection.
Omg Deirdie - I use biocol milk & pro active margarine to lower my cholesterol - I have been using these for around a couple of years now (probably not long after my VA started) they will be going in the bloody bin so they will ... I am sure this is defo not help my problem - thanks so much for that info :thankyou:
-
I had exactly the same with Benecol. Horrible stuff.
I had a huge flare up of GSM symptoms within a few days of starting Benecol that took weeks to resolve.
-
Really?!
:o
never heard about this before and based on the several comments, it may not be that uncommon.
Would love to hear someone like Dr Currie weigh in on this.
-
Some cultures that use soy milk all the time are known to have less menopausal symptoms so I suppose there must be some connection to hormones. There's lots of info online about various studies on this and phytoestrogens.