Menopause

While current research has shown that hormonal therapy doesn't seem to contribute to the growth of uterine fibroids, there does seem to be an exception to this statement. Normally, when a woman goes through menopause her production of estrogen shuts down and her fibroids shrink and her symptoms virtually disappear.

Unfortunately, many postmenopausal women with fibroids then begin taking hormone replacement therapy (HRT). I write the word "unfortunately" for a reason. Several studies have now shown that abnormal bleeding in post-menopausal women can occur when fibroids resume growing with the introduction of HRT into a woman's system.

Many women find themselves at odds dealing with either menopausal symptoms or continued fibroid symptoms. Furthermore, any abnormal bleeding in the post-menopausal years invariably always leads to a recommendation for hysterectomy due to the higher risk of the presence of cancer. This is true even when it is quite possible that HRT taken to treat menopausal symptoms may have simply invoked regrowth and symptoms of the fibroids which, without the use of HRT, might not be symptomatic at all due to the menopausal reduction of hormones. Should you find yourself in the midst of this dilemma, don't be afraid to have a thorough discussion of your cancer risks and treatment options available with your physician.

For instance, if you are taking HRT to treat menopausal symptoms but find a sudden reintroduction of fibroid symptoms as a result, perhaps switching to natural or alternative remedies will give you the menopausal relief you need without the corresponding fibroid growth/symptoms. You won't know, however, without a little bit of trial and error and this, of course, always takes time. Carefully consider all of your risks and options before making a decision and, once again, always seek out a second physician opinion prior to agreeing to any surgical remedies.

Link	Site Name/Author	What You'll Find
www.menopause.org/	North American Menopause Society	Founded in 1989, The North American Menopause Society (NAMS) is a nonprofit organization dedicated to promoting understanding of menopause, and thereby improving the health of women as they approach menopause and beyond.
www.nih.gov/nia/health /pubs/menopause/	National Institute on Aging	What is menopause? What to expect, how to manage it, long term effects.
www.earlymenopause.com /index.htm	EarlyMenopause.com	The premature menopause book/website by Katheryn Petras.
www.froedtert.com/grandrounds/ janmar99/page5.html	Froedtert Memorial Lutheran Hospital Vanessa M. Barnabei, M.D., Ph.D., Associate Professor, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Medical College of Wisconsin	Menopause. Grand Rounds Case Presentation. Jan/March 1999.
www.project-aware.org/	Aware	Project AWARE is a not-for-profit organization that provides menopausal and pre-menopausal women information on resources, therapies, and research data. Excellent source of information on hormones and compounding pharmacies.
/thriveonline.aol.com/health/ menopause/connect/ jacobowitz2.html	Thrive Online and AOL.com	Dr. Ruth Jacobowitz (author of 150 Most-Asked Questions About Menopause : What Women Really Want to Know) answers questions about hormones and menopause.
/thriveonline.aol.com/health/ menopause/connect/love2.html	Thrive Online and AOL.com	Dr. Susan Love (author of Dr. Susan Love's Hormone Book : Making Informed Choices About Menopause) answers questions about hormones and menopause.
/thriveonline.aol.com/health/ menopause/connect/vliet2.html	Thrive Online and AOL.com	Dr. Elizabeth Lee Vliet (author of Screaming To Be Heard: Hormonal Connections Women Suspect and Doctors Ignore) answers questions about menopause.
www.medicineuptotheminute.com/ hormone.htm	Charles A. Bertrand, M.D., FACP, DIM-CD Associate Clinical Professor of Medicine Medical University of South Carolina	Post Menopausal Hormone Therapy - The Pros and Cons
my.webmd.com/content/ dmk/dmk_article_6462962	WebMed, Inc.	Short-Term Effects of Menopause; excerpt from the Taking Charge of Menopause Workbook
alt.medmarket.com/library /articles/symptoms.html	The MEDMarket Network	Symptoms and Mental States of Menopause (and common sense solutions)
www.menopause- online.com/	Menopause Online	Health resource site addressing menopause and symptom treatment. Message board.
www.life-extension.com/ epregnenolon.html	European Life Extenstion Institute	Pregnenolone: Background Information
www.mothernature.com/ ency/Supp/Pregnenolone.asp	mothernature.com HealthNotes, Inc. Portland, Oregon 97214	Pregnenolone: What, Where, Who, How Much?
www.ama-assn.org/insight/h_focus/ wom_hlth/menopaus/hrt.htm	American Medical Association	A practical guide to hormone replacement.
www.nhlbi.nih.gov/health/ public/heart/other/hrt_pepi.htm	National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI)	Facts About Hormone Replacement Therapy and Heart Disease: The PEPI Trial
www.kirlian.org/ life_enhancement_products/ dheatest.htm	Energy Works	Aeron's Salivary DHEA Test Kit and other info on hormonal remedies.
cancernet.nci.nih.gov/clinpdq/risk/ Menopausal_Hormone_Replacement _Therapy.html	National Cancer Institute	Menopausal Hormone Replacement Therapy (Cancer facts/risks)