Menopause

WHI, Five Years Later–WHY no Change

It has been five years since the Women’s Health Initiative (WHI) Estrogen plus Progestin (E plus P) trial was prematurely stopped because it caused harm (1). Until the Estrogen in women with hysterectomy arm (E only) of the WHI was also halted prematurely in 2004 (2), progestin was blamed for the lack of heart disease…
Estrogen Deficiency: The Wrong Idea About Menopause

The largest and best-controlled trial testing whether hormone “replacement” therapy prevented heart disease was stopped three years early in July 2002. The Women’s Heath Initiative (WHI) study included over 16,600 healthy menopausal women without symptoms. These women were randomized to daily conjugated equine estrogen (Premarin, 0.625 mg) plus medroxyprogesterone (Provera, 2.5 mg) or an identical…
Daily Menopause Diary©

CeMCOR’s Daily Menopause Diary© is meant for women who have gone at least 12 months without a menstrual period. The Diary is available in both print and digital formats, with instructions provided. You will need the free Adobe Acrobat Reader to read and print the PDF of the Diary with instructions. We have also developed…
Ovarian Hormone Therapy for Women with Early Menopause

We hear a lot of things about hormone therapy (often wrongly called Hormone Replacement Therapy or HRT) (1). Most of the time when “HRT” is used it is referring to the treatment of women who had natural (not surgical) menopause at a normal age. Before about 1998 we believed that estrogen made everything better, but…
Mood Swings & Depression in Menopause

I’m wondering if my mood shifts are perhaps due to menopause. I had my last period about nine months ago. So my question is this: would estrogen therapy also help with emotional stability or should I go for the anti-depressants?
Topical Testosterone for Improvement of Libido

The local compounding pharmacy is now faxing us, asking us to prescribe topical testosterone for improvement of libido. Is this useful? Are there risks?
Vaginal Dryness

I am 57 and three years since my last period and am feeling fine except for one thing—my vagina hurts with sex. I’ve tried all of the over-the-counter-things I’ve heard about from my friends and pharmacist. I hate pelvic exams so I’ve not yet been to my doctor about it! Any suggestions?
What Are Bio-Identical Hormones?

I keep hearing about “Bio-Identical” hormones. What does Bio-Identical mean? Should I be taking them?
Concerned About HRT and Dementia

Am I wrong to be concerned about HRT and dementia?
Decreased Sex Drive After Ovariectomy

My question relates to concerns of a close friend. She recently had a complete hysterectomy (ovaries also removed). She’s 48 years old. She was immediately put on a Vivelle-50 estrogen patch (twice weekly). It’s now almost 12 weeks later and she finds herself to have a much reduced interest in sex (compared to before the surgery). She wonders if this could be due to hormonal changes, physiological (will improve with healing/ time), or psychological. I mentioned your expertise in the hormonal area. Do you have any thoughts on this issue that might help or that she could discuss with her GP?