Guest guest Posted February 15, 2001 Report Share Posted February 15, 2001 Hi Florie: Something that will help a great deal with reducing the problems associated with weaning off prescription hormones is to increase the amount of soy in your diet. It is a natural replacement for estrogen and can help keep your transition smooth. I don't know if I'd just quit cold turkey before I had something to sustain me in case of withdrawal symptoms. Remember that hormones and their effects are complicated, affecting more than one system in your body. You also might go to an herbalist and check out some of the other natural substances that have been discussed here, like Dong Quai and Wild Yam. If at all possible please try to avoid medicating yourself without proper guidance from someone educated in these substances. Another thing you can do is to support yourself energetically and emotionally by doing a regular daily practice that is supportive of balance in your system, such as Yoga, Tai Chi or Qi Gong, and Reiki or a similar energy technique on yourself. You might also do an acknowledgement ritual surrounding your passage into the wisdom era of your life. Women managed for centuries before prescription hormones with herbs and ceremonies; you can, too. :-) " Richard M. Gray, Ph.D. and Florence Tomasulo Gray " wrote: > I've been on Hormone Replacement Therapy for 18 months. In retrospect, I think > that the doctor used a 'cookie cutter' approach to the situation. I had a few > hot flashes, next thing you know, I'm on daily meds. It seemed like a good idea > at the time... > > I've decided to go off the meds--and have asked the advice of my internist who > tells me that I can simply stop taking the pills. I thought that there was a > tapering off period required, but she tells me that many people simply stop > taking the stuff. > > Does anyone know what, if anything, I can expect in the way of side effects, > and what can be done to minimize these? Since beginning the HRT, I've > experienced more frequent migraines and worrisome leg cramps. > > Thanks in advance for the info. Unless I get a warning from the list, I'll just > go ahead and stop the medication immediately. > > Florie -- Blessings, Crow " Look for Rainbows in the Darkness " -- -- Caroline " Crow " Abreu Healing Touch * Reiki * Hypnotherapy * Chios AIM: CaroCrow : NRGbalance URL: http://www.geocities.com/nrgbalance Nam Myoho Renge Kyo " We see things not as they are but as we are. " The Talmud " We can't solve problems by using the same kind of thinking we used when we created them. " Albert Einstein " A master is like an ocean. Ocean is there, readily available. It does not reject anybody. " Sri Sri Ravi Shankar When seeking a guide for a path, choose someone who also walks it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted February 15, 2001 Report Share Posted February 15, 2001 Thanks for the good advice. I'll ask an herbalist friend of mine for advice. Another thing you can do is to support yourself energetically and emotionally by doing a regular daily practice that is supportive of balance in your system, such as Yoga, Tai Chi or Qi Gong, and Reiki or a similar energy technique on yourself. F: Got 'the word' that it was time to quit the meds during a Reiki session. Confirmation of what I was thinking for some time. You might also do an acknowledgement ritual surrounding your passage into the wisdom era of your life. F: I've been looking forward to Cronedome for quite a while. What a lovely reward for getting through the first fifty relatively unscathed! Appreciate your good advice! F " In the province of the mind what one believes to be true is true or becomes true. There are no limits " . ---John Lilly, M.D. - Caroline Abreu Thursday, February 15, 2001 2:22 PM Re: Stopping HRT Hi Florie: Something that will help a great deal with reducing the problems associated with weaning off prescription hormones is to increase the amount of soy in your diet. It is a natural replacement for estrogen and can help keep your transition smooth. I don't know if I'd just quit cold turkey before I had something to sustain me in case of withdrawal symptoms. Remember that hormones and their effects are complicated, affecting more than one system in your body. You also might go to an herbalist and check out some of the other natural substances that have been discussed here, like Dong Quai and Wild Yam. If at all possible please try to avoid medicating yourself without proper guidance from someone educated in these substances. Women managed for centuries before prescription hormones with herbs and ceremonies; you can, too. :-) " Richard M. Gray, Ph.D. and Florence Tomasulo Gray " wrote: > I've been on Hormone Replacement Therapy for 18 months. In retrospect, I think > that the doctor used a 'cookie cutter' approach to the situation. I had a few > hot flashes, next thing you know, I'm on daily meds. It seemed like a good idea > at the time... > > I've decided to go off the meds--and have asked the advice of my internist who > tells me that I can simply stop taking the pills. I thought that there was a > tapering off period required, but she tells me that many people simply stop > taking the stuff. > > Does anyone know what, if anything, I can expect in the way of side effects, > and what can be done to minimize these? Since beginning the HRT, I've > experienced more frequent migraines and worrisome leg cramps. > > Thanks in advance for the info. Unless I get a warning from the list, I'll just > go ahead and stop the medication immediately. > > Florie -- Blessings, Crow " Look for Rainbows in the Darkness " -- -- Caroline " Crow " Abreu Healing Touch * Reiki * Hypnotherapy * Chios AIM: CaroCrow : NRGbalance URL: http://www.geocities.com/nrgbalance Nam Myoho Renge Kyo " We see things not as they are but as we are. " The Talmud " We can't solve problems by using the same kind of thinking we used when we created them. " Albert Einstein " A master is like an ocean. Ocean is there, readily available. It does not reject anybody. " Sri Sri Ravi Shankar When seeking a guide for a path, choose someone who also walks it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted February 16, 2001 Report Share Posted February 16, 2001 Florie, If you've been on prescription hormones that are probably mostly estrogen you may have some wild swings when you stop. But there are many natural solutions you may want to experiment with. Vitamin E in large doses, 800 units or so can sometimes handle hot flashes. Also there is an inexpensive chinese herb, schizandra that I've found very useful for hot flashes and sleeplessness. Natures'Sunshine has several products, I sometimes take Sarsparilla and CX. Most health food stores have progesterone creams and there are several good books about how many {but not all} of us acually need progesterone more than estrogen. {will paw through my stacks and see if I can find them and give you ISBN numbers} There are also estrogen creams and many of my friends use a combination of them. I take natural individually compounded hormones from Womens International Pharmacy 1-800-279-5708. These have to be prescribed by a doctor but can be tweaked to fit each person. I muscle test these as every supplement and often only need one a day instead of the prescribed two. This stage of life is an adventure and it's sometimes hard to see what's real in the midst of million dollar ad campaigns for Premarin and the irritating way the media deals with every female process as a disease----and still feeling all of whatever we do feel. There are very real changes happening in our bodies, with a whole range of physical and psycological reactions, that are very individual. Personally not having periods is worth the hot flashes to me, while my best friend is is mourning for the closing of the door of not being able to ever have children again. It's not that she wants another child, it's just part of her identity she misses. Welcome to the adventure! MJ Get personalized email addresses from Mail - only $35 a year! http://personal.mail./ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted February 16, 2001 Report Share Posted February 16, 2001 Argh - so I begin. Menopause is a comletely natural thing in life. When you are in " balance " it just happens - when out it hurts. I made a BIG mistake awhile back and started taking herbs for another reason and threw my endocrine system off - and I should know better being a practitioner. I can't tell you that just stopping is okay or not. There might be mood swings or swellings but frankly I believe now (who knows if I will change my mind later - I am 43 - but I DON'T THINK SO) I will not go on HRT period. Why? Mother nature. I am a woman and my body does - evolves the way it should - why do I want to " trick " it? My mother-in -law (Oh I did have fights with my husband - Mr.. read everything on health man) had arguments on this. She is in an HMO. The practitioner there decide since she was old and she must therefore have bone density problems that putting her on HRT would help her. HELLO - did anyone ever do a density check on her -NO - so let me get this straight - the PRESS has this HRT in their craw and sells this idea to the practitioners and they push it on people. This is what happened - you can tell I am a bit ticked - I like my mother-in-law. She was 74 or 5 - put on HRT for her bones - started spotting - that is what she first told me - spotting HELL - she had to wear pads -at 74. She was getting periods. Then - god my husband still wants to argue this with me but has stopped - there is no history in his family and he is Japanese American (no dairy - lots of soy) his mother got breast cancer. HUGE link between estrogen and breast cancer. Take it as you want but I do not plan on ever taking HRT Period. Period. There is one thing in living the best that you can and eating well, thinking well but to go for chemicals whether they are " natural " or not - hey. I WILL get older - gracefully and with a great deal of fun - but better living through chemicals does not mean my body. I don't know what to say to add to your diet - actually I DO as I am quite well read on the subject - but as a practitioner I would NEVER suggest on symptoms. That I am a sticker about. Everyone is different - symptoms can appear for different causes - I hear things in the post and so want to rush in but can't. I am not looking for more clients - I am all over the world now speaking and have little office time but ....grrr .........it is good you want to know and seek and find ways to help yourself ..... if only more people could be totally trained so that they could be in everyone's area that would be fantastic - just not reality right now. Keep asking, searching. Sorry this probably didn't help much. I know how I would treat but it is technical. You can email me off the list at gilmore and I will try to help you out . Patricia Gilmore, C.M.Ht. Pan American Whole Health Alliance http://www.PAWHA.org http://www.BeBest.com Be the Best That You Can Be Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted February 16, 2001 Report Share Posted February 16, 2001 Hormone Replacement therapy is banned for horses -- so why give it to women. I have been in menopause 5 - 6 years . Except for ST. John's Wort I don't use replacements. I am too sensitive for the newer medications. Reiki and a few old stand bys. That way if I get seriously ill there is something to treat me with like Theophyline or Tylenol #3 for pain. @ Namaste and Makia The Reiki Lady North Texas and South West Oklahoma ______________ GET INTERNET ACCESS FROM JUNO! Juno offers FREE or PREMIUM Internet access for less! Join Juno today! For your FREE software, visit: http://dl.www.juno.com/get/tagj. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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