Angelina Jolie on Hormone Replacement Therapy for Menopause
This week, Angelina Jolie Pitt announced in a New York Times article that she recently had another preventive surgery, a laparoscopic bilateral salpingo-oophorectomy, which is the removal of her ovaries and fallopian tubes. This procedure put her into surgical menopause, and she discusses the options she chose for hormone replacement therapy for menopause.
What does it mean to be in surgical menopause?
Unlike natural menopause, surgically induced menopause causes an immediate decline in progesterone, estrogen, and testosterone production, rather than the natural, gradual decline that occurs in these hormones over the years. As a result, a woman will feel a dramatic change in her body as she experiences the symptoms of rapid hormonal decline.
What are some common symptoms of menopause?
Hot flashes
Night sweats
Fatigue
Sleepless nights
Depression
Reduced libido
Loss of enjoyment of sex
Increased incidence of urinary incontinence
Frequent urination
Cessation of periods
What are women’s options for the menopause treatment?
Angelina is on the right track by researching alternative medicine and estrogen and progesterone hormone replacement therapy for menopause. It is critical that women are informed about the types of hormone replacement therapy that are available, because their health and quality of life depend upon it. There are synthetic hormones, which are foreign to the human body, and bioidentical hormones, which are identical to the hormones made by your body. You can probably guess which one is the right choice.
Solutions Offered by Conventional Doctors
Conventional doctors will typically offer synthetic hormone drugs such as Premarin, Prempro and Provera as menopause treatment. They will also commonly offer antidepressants, anti-anxiety and sleep medications, none of which resolve the underlying cause of symptoms and have many adverse side effects. All of these options are drugs that are foreign to the human body.
Angelina mentions that there are other options for women, such as birth control pills, however we want to caution against this choice. Before you decide on your menopause treatment, take a look at the dangers of synthetic hormones:
Premarin – Premarin is made of horse estrogens derived from pregnant mare urine, hence the name, “Pre-mar-in”. Premarin has serious side effects that include blood clots, breast tenderness, fluid retention, gall stones, headaches, high blood pressure, impaired glucose tolerance, increased risk of diabetes, increased risk of endometrial cancer and breast cancer, increased risk of heart attack and stroke, leg cramps, nausea and vomiting, vaginal bleeding, worsened uterine fibroids and endometriosis.
Provera – Although its generic name (medroxyprogesterone) makes Provera sound like it is a form of progesterone, it is not. It is a progestin, a drug that exists nowhere in nature. Progestins increase risk of breast cancer, blood clots, and prevent pregnancy (clearly the opposite of progesterone).
Prempro – A combination of Premarin and Provera.
Birth Control Pills – These contain progestins. Oral contraceptives pose far greater health risks even beyond potentially fatal blood clots such as increased risk for developing certain types of cancer, including breast cancer.
The right solution is simple. The best option for menopause treatment is to replenish the estrogen and progesterone that your body is missing with bioidentical hormones which are identical to the hormones made by the human body. Why take a risk with synthetic hormones that can harm your health? It makes no sense to prescribe a drug to treat a symptom of an underlying hormone deficiency when the deficiency itself is so easily remedied by replacing the natural hormone.
Knowledge is power.
We agree with Angelina that knowledge is power. The more you can educate yourself on safe, natural solutions for your health, the better off you will be. To find out about natural, safe solutions for menopause, click here. Taking charge of your health naturally will help you live a long, healthy life!
Linda Pickwick
My granddaughter and daughters take birth control pills to control terrible periods–my granddaughter actually throws up every month if she doesn’t take the pill.IT frightens me to know they are putting something unnatural in their bodies. As someone who is an ongoing senior citiizen Hotze client and takes bioidentical hormones, what would my granddaughter and daughters ask their gynecologist for in stead of synthetic hormones found in birth control pills. they do not live anywhere near Texas, so they must work with someone local to them.
Please advise the best approach. Thanks, LP, The Villages FL
Jennifer Johnson
Dear Linda,
Young women are often placed on birth control pills to treat the symptoms of PMS and heavy cramping. These symptoms are caused by a hormonal imbalance and the right solution is to replenish and balance their hormones with bioidentical hormones so that their symptoms go away. They need to work with a doctor who takes a natural approach and who will work with them on balancing their progesterone, which is commonly the cause. We would be happy to help them. As you know, they would only need to come to our center for their initial visit, and all follow up visits may be done over the phone. If we can be of service, please call a wellness consultant at 877-698-8698. Thank you!
JB
I find all of Dr. Hotze’s information so helpful and enlightening . His book and ebooks really made the light bulbs come on for me about me being “estrogen dominance,” why and what can be done about it, and my hypothyroidism. Thank you so much. I would love to read the ebook on “how menopause can effect you, ” but the link does not work 🙁
JB