Re: O.T.........Hormone Replacement Therapy

[Guest guest]

My mother has been taking synthroid for years and continues to take it. If

we take her off it, her thyroid levels go all out of whack and she feels

miserable. She also still takes premarin (synthetic estrogen). I was

actually told recently that there are new studies showing that premarin

might have neuro-protective properties.

 

Gladys Stefany

Milford, Pike County, PA

Caretaker to Mom (Grace) age 76 - appears to be in between stages 3 and 4

Diagnosed with " probable " Diffuse Lewy Body Disease

Current Meds: Benadryl, Exelon Patch, Lunesta, Namenda, Nexium, Parcopa,

Premarin, Synthroid, Vytorin, and Zoloft

-- O.T.........Hormone Replacement Therapy

I would LOVE to hear what everyone's opinion is about H.R.T.

I have been taking Estradiol and Medroxyprogesterone for about 15 years.

And

Levothyroxine for about 30 years for my Thyroid.

I guess because of all the discussions over LBD med's I decided to take a

look today at the Prescription Information sheet when I picked up my

prescriptions and almost fainted when I read the " warnings " ! I remember

about 5 years

ago there being a huge controversy over H.R.T. but my Dr. said that because

I

went into early menopause and was still under 50 years of age that I had

nothing to worry about.

I go every year for a female exam as well as a Mammogram and he does a

blood

test on my to check my cholesterol and thyroid level. Just had it done and

all is good but I do feel like I am having " heart " issues. I told my family

Dr.

that I was having heart palpitations (started right after the first of the

year, just after both my parents became ill and I had to move in for a few

months). Doc. had me wear a portable EKG thingy-ma-giggy for 24 hours and

it

came back fine. She said it was probably stress but gave me a prescription

for a

Beta Blocker (Zebeta) which I did not fill. I really don't want to take

anymore med's, especially if they are not 100% necessary, which is how the

Doc.

made me feel.

I expressed my concerns to a nurse friend of mine who works for a Hospice

agency and she signed us both up for this " special " that Intergris Hospital

is

doing, a buy one get one free Ultra Sound of the heart. It will cost me just

$50.00 so we are scheduled to have it done on the 28th. I am scared to

death

to find out how much blockage it will show....sigh.... I get very little

exercise, and I drink and smoke socially, so basically every weekend.

Baaaaad

me....

It has helped me doing exercises with Mom everyday during the week but I

need to make my fat a$$ walk around the block when I get home. But I am

soooooo

tired and all I can think about is getting on the computer and selling so I

can make money to help cover our bills. I was really, really doing well,

well

enough to retire early from my job of 15 years in Feb '07 and run my

businesses full time. And then " LBD " happened.

I sit for long periods of time in the evenings in front of my computer

trying to run my two Internet businesses and have found that my calves feel

like

they need to be " stretched " or " rubbed " , but they DO NOT hurt or tingle or

feel numb. Now, sometimes the bottom outer half of my left foot goes numb,

and

has for years, but the Doc said that was from my Syatic nerve and that I

should count myself lucky that this did not cause me pain as it apparently

does in

most other people. She said I must have injured it long ago when my Mom and

I used to do " Beanie " shows every weekend (we would drive all over Oklahoma

and Texas to attend shows) and I was lifting bunches of heavy boxes to and

from the truck.

I have also noticed that here lately I will wake up with the outer half of

my hand (either one) numb and sometimes it even happens when we are driving

to

or from the lake on the weekends (2 1/2 hour drive one way).

Well, I guess I ended up getting off of the topic of the " off topic " of

H.R.T., didn't I? LOL!

Hugs, Pammie

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[Guest guest]

Well, about HRT...

I started taking premarin when I was about 42 years old because of early

menopause and then a hysterectomy. By that time, my ovaries had atrophied and

were not producing any estrogen at all...

I took it for a long time, and then about 8 years ago decided that I didn't

need it any longer. In that period of time, I feel that I went downhill

physically very quickly. I have fibromyalgia, and hurt ALL the time.

About three weeks ago, when I went in for a checkup for stress-related

psoriasis (yes, it can be caused by stress), I asked the doctor to put me back

on estrogen. I've had yearly mammograms, and have had all my heart tests

(including an ultrasound of my heart which I got to watch), and my doctor

couldn't see any reason to not let me start taking it again. I FEEL 100%

BETTER! I'm only on .5 milligrams of estradiol per day, but that small amount

has made a huge difference!

I was feeling as if I were depressed all the time, and I can't take

antidepressants of any kind, and the estradiol has relieved those feelings. I'm

actually smiling a little more, and have more energy and more desire to get up

and do things and go places. Who knows...I might even start dancing

again...*LOL*

Jannis

" They that wait upon the LORD shall renew their strength; they shall mount up

with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; they shall walk and not

faint. " -- Isaiah 40:31

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