dissapointing news

TUESDAY, Dec. 19 (HealthDay News) -- The popular herbal supplement black cohosh is no better than a placebo at relieving hot flashes and night sweats in perimenopausal and postmenopausal women."Patience and the use of behavioral interventions such as avoiding triggers -- very hot or spicy foods, or alcohol for some women -- keeping a fan or ice water at hand, dressing in layers and sleeping in a cooler room are good options for many women," Newton said.
"For those with intolerable symptoms, we still recommend a discussion with their health care provider about other options," she added.

This news is dissapointing but useful to women who had some hope that this substance helped. It's good to know he truth.

Breast Cancer Risk Treatment

Pros and cons of breast cancer risk treatments:
This is important information for all women who are approaching menopause or who are currently at that stage. Many of us are taking treatments to reduce the risk of breast cancer. These are some of the treatments I know about and their positive and negative effects.

Estrogen
Pros: Women who have had breast cancer or who are at high risk for having breast cancer probably should not take estrogen (estrogen's benefits are discussed throughout this table)
Cons: possible increased risk of breast cancer; increased risk of uterine cancer if estrogen is taken without progesterone; increased risk of blood clots

Tamoxifen
Pros: Lowers risk of breast cancer; reduces risk of fractures
Cons: Increases risk of uterine cancer, blood clots; more hot flashes; irregular vaginal bleeding

Raloxifene
Pros: May lower the risk of breast cancer; prevents fractures
Cons: Increases risk of blood clots; more hot flashes; leg cramps

The Facts About Menopause

Menopause is the medical term for the end of a woman's menstrual periods. It is a natural part of aging, and occurs when the ovaries stop making hormones called estrogens. This causes estrogen levels to drop, and leads to the end of monthly menstual periods. This usually happens between the ages of 45 and 60, but it can happen earlier. Menopause can also occur when the ovaries are surgically removed or stop functioning for any other reason.
Low estrogen levels are linked to some uncomfortable symptoms in many women.

The most common and easy to recognize symptom is hot flashes ÷ sudden intense waves of heat and sweating. Some women find that these hot flashes disrupt their sleep, and others report mood changes. Other symptoms may include irregular periods, vaginal or urinary tract infections, urinary incontinence (leakage of urine or inability to control urine flow), and inflammation of the vagina. Because of the changes in the urinary tract and vagina, some women may have discomfort or pain during sexual intercourse.

Many women also notice changes in their skin, digestive tract, and hair during menopause.
In the long term, some women experience problems linked to the low levels of estrogen found after menopause. These may include osteoporosis and increased risk for heart disease.

What causes menopause?

A woman is born with a finite number of eggs, which are stored in the ovaries. The ovaries also produce the hormones estrogen and progesterone, which regulate menstruation and ovulation. Menopause occurs when the ovaries are totally depleted of eggs and no amount of stimulation from the regulating hormones can force them to work.

Menopause occurs when a woman's ovaries run out of functioning eggs. At the time of birth, most females have about 1-3 million eggs, which are gradually lost throughout a woman's life. By the time of a girl's first menstrual period, she has an average of about 400,000 eggs. By the time of menopause, a woman may have fewer than 10,000. A small percentage of these eggs is lost through normal ovulation (the monthly cycle). Most die off through a process called atresia, which is not well understood.

Menopause, when it occurs between the ages of 45 and 55, is considered "natural" and is a normal part of aging. But, some women can experience menopause early, either as a result of a surgical intervention, such as hysterectomy, or damage to the ovaries, such as from chemotherapy. Menopause that occurs before the age of 45, regardless of the cause, is called premature menopause.

Normally, ovulation is triggered by a hormone called FSH, or follicle-stimulating hormone. As you approach menopause, your remaining eggs become more resistant to FSH, and your ovaries dramatically reduce their production of a hormone called estrogen. Estrogen has effects on a variety of body organs, including the blood vessels, heart, bone, breasts, uterus, urinary system, skin, and brain. Loss of estrogen is believed to be the cause of many of the symptoms associated with menopause.

At the time of menopause, the ovaries also may decrease their production of testosterone—a hormone involved in your libido, or sexual drive.

Remifemin

If you develop hot flashes and sleep disorders, the most common complaints of perimenopausal women, try some simple maneuvers like layered dressing, and avoiding hot and particularly caffeinated beverages. Some women benefit by adding soy to their diets. Remifemin, the world’s most thoroughly researched black cohosh product, developed and used in Germany for over 50 years, has been found to reduce menopausal symptoms including hot flashes, night sweats and irritability by 70 percent.

Depression and mood changes

Depression and mood changes treatment Pros and Cons

Counseling
Pros: Can be empowering to understand your physical and mental challenges at this time of life and discuss them with a mental health expert
Cons: Can be expensive

SSRI drugs
Pros: Shown to be effective for hot flashes and also for depression
Cons: May cause mood changes; can affect sex drive; some types such as paxil may interfere with effect of tamoxifen

Estrogen
Pros: Very effective at preventing bone loss and preventing fractures; very effective at preventing hot flashes; prevents vaginal tissue thinning; may reduce the risk of dementia (in younger menopausal women taking HT for 10 years or more)
Cons: Increased risk of dementia; increased risk of breast cancer; increased risk of uterine cancer if estrogen is taken without progesterone; increased risk of blood clots; increased risk of dementia (in women 65 years and older taking HT for five years or less)

Chemical Early Menopause

Radiation Therapy and/or Chemotherapy

With the rise in cancer treatments has come a rise in premature menopause due to these treatments. Unfortunately, the significant doses of radiation or chemotherapy used to kill cancer can also damage the ovaries -- resulting in premature menopause. In some cases -- especially when you've received low dose/short term treatment, you may experience temporary menopause due to chemo or radiation therapy. Your ovarian function may stop working regularly for a few months after treatment, but then return to normal after four months or so. But often, even when your periods return, you remain infertile.

Tamoxifen
Tamoxifen used to be prescribed after you were diagnosed for breast cancer -- and, as with other forms of chemo, you would run a risk for premature menopause as a side effect. But recently doctors have begun prescribing Tamoxifen as a preventative to women with a high risk for breast cancer, since it cuts breast cancer rates by about 45 percent.

While the media has focused on the positive aspects of this drug (and there are many), there is an important potential side effect to Tamoxifen that hasn't been played up a great deal: it can send you into premature menopause. This happens because Tamoxifen takes the place that estrogen would and so acts as an estrogen-blocker. Since your body isn't getting the regular amount of estrogen it would naturally get -- and since low estrogen levels signal your body to produce more FSH -- your body ultimately may react by entering menopause prematurely. One important point: Often this is a temporary effect and regular ovarian function returns.

I wanted to post this information because it is really depressing but informative. I know many women my age that are using this treatment and I have already warned them. Now I want to warn all others that might be under the same circumstances.

bone loss treatment

Many menopausal women get treated for bone loss. I know some. Here is some useful info on bone loss treatment pros and cons.

Vitamin D
Pros: Helps body absorb calcium
Cons: Large amounts of vitamin D can cause build-up of calcium in blood, which could lead to heart and lung problems and kidney stones

Calcitonin
Pros: Slows bone breakdown
Cons: Headaches, dizziness, diarrhea, lack of desire for eating, nose bleeds (with nasal form)

Bisphosphonates
Pros: Very effective against bone loss
Cons: Common to have gastrointestinal problems when taking these drugs; can cause injury to esophagus unless taken with lots of water while sitting upright or standing

Tamoxifen
Pros: Lowers risk of breast cancer; reduces risk of fractures
Cons: Increases risk of uterine cancer, blood clots; more hot flashes; irregular vaginal bleeding

Raloxifene
Pros: May lower risk of breast cancer; prevents fractures
Cons: Increases risk of blood clots; hot flashes; leg cramps

Estrogen
Pros: Helps prevent vaginal tissue from thinning; also helps prevent bone loss; very effective against hot flashes
Cons: Increased risk of breast cancer; increased risk of uterine cancer if estrogen is taken without progesterone; increased risk of blood clots

FAQs on Menopause

Does menopause cause bone loss?
When a woman is young, estrogen helps to keep bone strong. When estrogen levels fall at menopause, bones weaken. When bones weaken a lot, the condition is called osteoporosis. Weak bones can break more easily.

What about so-called "natural" treatments for menopause?
Some women decide to take herbal or other plant-based products to help relieve hot flashes. Some of the most common ones are:
Soy. Soy contains phytoestrogens (chemicals that are like estrogen). But, there is no proof that soy--or other sources of phytoestrogens--really do make hot flashes better. And the risks of taking soy--mainly soy pills and powders--are not known. The best sources of soy are foods such as tofu, tempeh, soymilk, and soy nuts. These soy products are more likely to work on mild hot flashes.
Other sources of phytoestrogens. These include herbs such as black cohosh, wild yam, dong quai, and valerian root. Again, there is no proof that these herbs (or pills or creams containing these herbs) help with hot flashes.
Products that come from plants may sound like they are safe, but there is no proof they really are. There also is no proof that they are better at helping symptoms of menopause. Make sure to discuss these types of products with your doctor before taking them. You also should tell your doctor about other medicines you are taking, since some plant products can be harmful when combined with other drugs.

How much physical activity should I do?
A woman should first talk to her doctor to see what's best for her. The goal is to exercise regularly so you can lower the risk of serious disease (such as heart disease or diabetes), and maintain a healthy weight. This usually takes at least 30 minutes of exercise (such as brisk walking) on most days of the week.

the definitiOn Of menOpause

Menopause is the end of menstruation. The word comes from the Greek mens, meaning monthly, and pausis, meaning cessation. Menopause is part of a woman's natural aging process when her ovaries produce lower levels of the hormones estrogen and progesterone and when she is no longer able to become pregnant.
Unlike a woman’s first menstruation, which starts on a single day, the changes leading up to menopause happen over several years. The average age for menopause is 52. But menopause commonly happens anytime between the ages of 42 and 56.
A woman can say she has begun her menopause when she has not had a period for a full year

What are the symptoms of menopause?

Menopause affects every woman differently. Your only symptom may be your period stopping. You may have other symptoms, too. Many symptoms at this time of life are because of you getting older. But some are due to menopause. Common symptoms of menopause include:

Change in pattern of periods (can be shorter or longer, lighter or heavier, more or less time between periods)

Hot flashes (sometimes called hot flushes), night sweats (sometimes followed by a chill)

Trouble sleeping through the night (with or without night sweats)
Vaginal dryness

Mood swings, feeling crabby, crying spells (probably because of lack of sleep)

Trouble focusing, feeling mixed-up or confused

Hair loss or thinning on your head, more hair growth on your face

weight after menopause

AccOrding tO studies cOnducted at Harvard School Of Public Health, gaining weight after menOpause increases a wOmens chances Of develOping breast cancer and lOsing weight after menOpause decreases a wOmen's chances Of develOping breast cancer>Women who never used postmenopausal hormones also havve a lower risk, especially those who also lost weight after the menopause>

Vitamin D

An aunt Of mine was tOld tO get a lOt Of vitamin D in her system bacause it helps prevent bOne lOss> I was dOing sOme research On menOpause and I fOund Out that vitamin D is Often given tO wOmen whO are experiencing bOne lOss during menOpause>The infOrmatiOn I fOund alsO said that excessive vitamin D intake can cause build-up of calcium in blood, which could lead to heart and lung problems and kidney stones >SO, I tOld my aunt tO limit the amOunt she takes> >I recOmmend anyOne else whO takes Vitamin D tO dO the same>