Hormone Advice

Archive for April, 2010

The Advantages and Risks of Cancer Hormone Therapy

April 15th, 2010

The second leading cause of death for women is breast cancer. Cancer hormone therapy is a common form of therapy which is mainly used to help reduce the risk of cancer from recurring after surgery but it is also used to help breast cancer cells from forming,

The majority of women with breast cancer develop tumors that contain the female hormones estrogen and progesterone which can cause the growth of cancer cells in the breasts.

Cancer hormone therapy is used to prevent estrogen from being produced in the body and to help fight the growth of cancer. This type of therapy is recommended for women who have positive hormone receptors that are either estrogen or progesterone.

The Drug Tamoxifen

Tamoxifen also known as Nolvadex is a pill that is commonly used to treat breast cancer. It has been prescribed for twenty-five years. Tamoxifen lessens the chance of early-stage breast cancer from returning. This drug helps prevent cancer from forming in the breasts and slows down the growth of cancer cells in the body.

Tamoxifen is mainly given to women who are premenopausal and is often given in conjunction with chemotherapy and other treatments for breast cancer.

Women who are pregnant or women who are planning on becoming pregnant should not take Tamoxifen for cancer hormone therapy. Also women who take anticoagulants, have a history of getting blood clots or who have had a stroke should not take this drug. It is important to note that Tamoxifen can increase the chance of developing blood clots and uterine cancer.

The Drug Aromatase

Aromatase blockers are used to treat only women who are postmenopausal. According to recent scientific studies this medication seems to be more effective in treating breast cancer in women who have passed the menopause stage. These drugs are used to treat both early and advanced stage breast cancer.

They work by preventing the production of estrogen. Studies have shown that Aromatase has significantly increased their survival rate of those with breast cancer. It is an effective postmenopausal alternative hormone therapy drug to Tamoxifen.

Common Side Effects of Tamoxifen and Aromatase

The most common side effect of taking the cancer hormone therapy drug Tamoxifen is hot flashes. Other common side effects include vaginal discharge, skin rashes, fatigue, vaginal dryness and/or itching and headaches.

Aromatase is not known for causing many side effects but a serious side effect is its potential to cause osteoporosis which can lead to bone loss and bone fractures. Other less serious side effects include sweating, tiredness, hunger sensation, hot flashes and upset stomach.

If any side effects of either drug are experienced a health care professional should be contacted immediately.

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Bioidentical Hormone Therapy: Treating Menopausal Symptoms Made Easy

April 7th, 2010

Although some women go through the menopausal stage without major incidents, some women are not so lucky when it comes to these things. According to experts, some women are predisposed to severe symptoms of menopause and without proper treatment; some of these women can become really miserable. Fortunately, severe menopausal symptoms can easily be treated through female hormone therapy. Hormone treatment like bioidentical hormone therapy is considered as generally safe by experts and may be used by women of menopausal age to ease their symptoms.

What Is Bioidentical Hormone Therapy

Bioidentical hormone therapy uses hormones that are of the same molecular structure made by your own body. Experts conduct some test to map out your own hormones and then reproduce these hormones in the lab. Since this form of treatment use the same molecular structures of hormones produced by your own body, it is considered as safe to use. In fact, very few people who have undergone this form of treatment reported suffering from any side effects.

Although bioidentical hormone therapy has been around for many years have been very popular in the Europe for sometime, it is not as popular among women in the United States. For the past several years, women in the United States have been using the synthetic hormones instead of bioidentical hormone therapy to combat their menopausal symptoms. You see, bioidentical hormone therapy involves individualized treatment and it can be costly that is why a lot of people shy away from it. By contrast, synthetic hormone drugs are designed as a one size fits all treatment so it can be mass produced at lower cost. Many pharmaceutical companies shy away from the idea of producing bioidentical hormones since the process can be time consuming and costly.

Fortunately, recent developments in the area of medicine have brought bioidentical hormone therapy to the attention of most experts in the United States so many doctors in the country are now slowly switching to this form of treatment. A good number of doctors in the country now suggest to their patients to go for bioidentical hormone therapy instead of using synthetic hormones. Of course it will be quite sometime before people will fully embrace the idea of using bioidentical hormones for treatment because of the cost involved. However, the good news is that with the advancement in technology, it will be a matter of time before experts will figure out a way to reduce the cost of the treatment and make it affordable to everyone.

What Women Should Know About The Side Effects Of Hormone Replacement Therapy

April 3rd, 2010

For years, hormone replacement therapy has been very popular especially among older women around the world. A lot older women who are into the menopausal stage opt for bioidentical hormone therapy to ease off their menopausal symptoms and help them normal lives. Some women start their hormone replacement therapy at the onset of menopause while others opt to have this form of treatment later when their symptoms get worst. In most cases, the treatment usually last for about two to five years depending on the women involved. The results of these types of treatment have been quite encouraging and most women who have undergone this form treatment say that they were happy with the effects of the treatment. In fact, a good number of women all over the world strongly endorse this form of treatment to other women.

Although hormone replacement therapy can be quite effective in reducing menopausal symptoms in most women, it is not without side effects. Recent studies show that women who have undergone this hormone replacement therapy suffer from different types of side effects. Some of these side effects are really not that severe but some of them can be quite scary. To give you an idea of the possible side effects that hormone replacement therapy may have, read on.

Possible Side Effects Of Hormone Replacement Therapy

Different women have different reactions to hormone replacement therapy. Some women do not experience any side effects, some only have mild side effects and some have really adverse reactions to the treatment. In most cases, women suffer mild side effects which include headaches, upset stomach, diarrhea weight gain, nervousness, acne, swelling in the hands and feet, breast tenderness and changes in the menstrual flow. In most cases, the side effects are quite mild and very much manageable. Moreover, the side effects usually go away after a few weeks or months of treatment.

While most women may be able to have this form of treatment without severe side effects, others are not so lucky. Some women reported suffering severe side effects during hormone replacement therapy. These side effects include double vision, severe depression, severe abdominal pain, bleeding, rashes, fever and osteoporosis. Prolonged hormone replacement therapy can aggravate the situation and may lead to even more serious ailments including breast cancer, heart ailments and strokes. Fortunately, severe reactions to the treatment can easily be prevented through proper monitoring and regular medical check ups.

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