What is the major risk of taking hormone replacement therapy?
Probable Answer: Some women can take hormone replacement therapy and can safely take it. The Woman’s Health Initiative, however, was a study in the 1990s that indicated an increased risk of heart disease among woman taking hormone replacement therapy. If you have a family history of heart disease or a personal history of heart disease, you shouldn’t take hormone replacement therapy. You should also not take this form of therapy if you have a history of blood clots, stroke, or breast/uterine cancer.
I had my first period late in life. Does this mean that I will have menopause later in life?
Probable Answer: There is no relationship between the onset of menses in your teen years and the onset of menopause. You can have menopause at any time between aged 40 and age 59, regardless of when you began to have your periods.
How long can I take oestrogen replacement therapy?
Probable Answer: Because there are risks to taking this form of therapy, you should not take it indefinitely but should try it for a few months and then try going off it.
Should I just take oestrogen replacement or should I take progesterone along with it when I take hormone replacement therapy?
Probable Answer: If you do not have a uterus, there is no reason to take progesterone, and you can just take oestrogen for menopausal symptoms. Because unopposed oestrogen can cause endometrial cancer in those who have their uterus, progesterone should be taken along with the oestrogen to thin the uterine lining and prevent cancer of the uterus from occurring.
These are tests that I would highly recommend for you during peri-menopause and menopause
Full Blood Panel Ask your doctor to order a full blood panel including:
VAP cholesterol [This is extensive and includes subtypes of LDL and HDL plus lipo (a), VLDL], Iron levels ferritin
Thyroid Test TSH, free T3, reverse T3
Cortisol
DHEA-S
If you have weight issues, also test: leptin, insulin. IGF-1 (growth hormone)
If your doctor doesn't order these tests, you can order some tests yourself:
https://canaryclub.org Order yourself and test at home, then find yourself a good integrative Doctor or Naturopath to implement the recommendations.
Omega-6/Omega-3 ratio Omega 3s are one of the most proven supplements we have, yet most people don’t optimize their level.
UK https://www.forthwithlife.co.uk/omega-6-and-3/
USA https://www.everlywell.com/products/omega-3-plus/
Complete Hormone Profile https://dutchtest.com
The Dutch Test uses dried-urine collections to offer a comprehensive look at sex and adrenal hormones, their metabolites, melatonin, 8-OHdG (an oxidative stress marker), as well as the diurnal pattern of free cortisol and metabolites of cortisol.
This is a very good test to get to figure out how to balance your hormones.
Metabolic Analysis
http://www.gdx.net/product/10051
The complete NutrEval FMV includes:
Metabolic Analysis (urine organic acids)
Urine Amino Acid Analysis (essential and non-essential amino acids, plus intermediary metabolites)
Essential and Metabolic Fatty Acids (red blood cell essential and non-essential fatty acids, including Omega-3 and Omega-6 fatty acids)
Oxidative Stress Analysis (blood and urine biomarkers indicative of oxidative stress)
Elemental Markers (both nutrient and toxic elements)
Available SNPs – MTHFR, COMT, TNF-α, and APOE
Mercury – Heavy metal Home Test Kit Heavy metal testing is good to distinguish if there might be a cause for your fatigue, hair loss, weight gain, low sex drive, and underperforming thyroid.
UK:
https://www.evolutionorganics.co.uk/osumex-heavy-metal-test-kit-general-kit
US:
https://drclarkstore.com/heavy-metals-test-kit-general/
Genetic Telomere Testing – Hormone / Thyroid Testing https://www.spectracell.com
Telomeres distinguish your biological age and help you to optimise your health
It’s also a good company to order your Hormone and Thyroid Tests
Libido Health
Die Test is aimed at your Libido Health
http://www.mylibidohealth.com/laboratorytesting.html
Two tests are offered:
Neuroendocrine Test to figure out your sex hormones
Peri-menopausal and Menopausal Saliva Tests
Genetic Metabolic Testing
This test analyses your metabolism and eating habits. Further, it looks at how your body responds to exercise. This makes it easier to create a tailored plan to optimise your diet, workouts, and lifestyle for a strong metabolism.
https://www.pathway.com/fit-products/
Hormone Saliva Test (get your Doctor to order this for you)
https://www.gdx.net/product/menopause-plus-hormone-test-saliva
This Menopause Plus is going to test your melatonin and cortisol levels and also your oestrogen and progesterone levels.
Some of these tests are costly, but your health is your most precious possession. If I had to prioritise, I would do these tests in that order.
1 Full Blood panel
2 Thyroid Test
3 Dutch Test
To HRT or not to HRT?
What a good question this is! In the 1990s, it was a common practice to give a woman oestrogen and progesterone in order to treat hot flashes and other symptoms of menopause. This was until a comprehensive study was