Q. Why are doctors so determined that menopausal patients should take estrogen?
When I told my doctor that I am reluctant to take Premarin for fear of cancer, she actually said that cancer is no big deal. It is just a way of life now: get cancer, get treatment and get over it, is pretty much what she said. I was appalled and have found a new doctor.
A. We share your indignation. Cancer is a big deal, even when treated successfully.
The controversy over hormone replacement therapy (Premarin, Prempro, Estrace and others) has raged for decades. The FDA requires warnings about both breast and uterine cancer in the official prescribing information.
We are sending you our Guide to Menopause, with a discussion of many alternate approaches to managing hot flashes and night sweats. A combination of black cohosh and St. John’s wort might ease menopausal symptoms. French maritime pine bark extract (Pycnogenol) may also be helpful (Acta Obstetricia et Gynecologica Scandinavica, Aug. 2007; Panminerva Medica, Suppl. 1, Sept. 2011).
