Q. I am 61 years old and have taken estrogen for nearly five years. My doctor said that is the limit and had me stop.
Do you have information on relieving hot flashes and other symptoms? I have them now in abundance!
Even with extra soy in my diet my hot flashes are still very strong and annoying and interrupt my sleep. My mother died of breast cancer and I really don’t want to continue taking HRT if it will increase my risk of cancer. I do hope there is some alternative for these problems.
A. Long-term exposure to hormone replacement therapy (HRT) increases the risk for blood clots and heart attacks as well as for breast cancer. Most experts advise limiting HRT to the lowest dose that works for the shortest time necessary, preferably less than five years.
There are several other approaches to controlling hot flashes, ranging from prescription drugs such as Effexor, Prozac or Neurontin to natural supplements such as black cohosh, Pycnogenol or St. John’s wort. We have summarized these in the new Guide to Menopause we are sending you.
Anyone who would like a copy, please send $3 in check or money order with a long (no. 10) stamped (61 cents), self-addressed envelope: Graedons’ People’s Pharmacy, No. E-50, P. O. Box 52027, Durham, NC 27717-2027. It can also be downloaded for $2 from the Website: www.peoplespharmacy.com.
