Tag Archives: premarin

Ask the anti-ageing doctor with Dr John Moran

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Dr John Moran is a specialist in hormone replacement therapies for the treatment of symptoms of the menopause, andropause and sexual disfunction
 
Here he answers some of your questions:
 
 
What can I do to stop these dreadful menopausal night sweats?
 
This is one of the most unpleasant symptoms of the menopause and can last for years.  Its caused by a decline and imbalance of hormones. You may also  want to consider a blood test to see what your hormones are doing – and depending on the results whether you need hormone replacement therapy (HRT) either from your GP or bioidentical hormone replacement which is one of the most effective ways of treating the menopause.
 
I have heard about the male menopause – it is true that men go through this as well? 
 
Yes – once thought to be fiction rather than fact, medical research has now established that there is a slow decline in androgens, including the male hormone testosterone, in men from the age of 50 onwards.  Its also called the male climacteric or andropause.
 
Here are six easily recognisable symptoms of the andropause:
 
1.  Low sex drive and reduced erectile quality, particularly at night
2. Mood changes, irritability, fatigue and depression 
3. Decrease in lean body mass with associated loss of muscle strength
4. Decrease in body hair and skin elasticity
5. Decreased bone mineral density resulting in osteopenia, when small amounts of bone are starting to be lost, can be dectected by testing in a hip and spine bone density scan.  Osteopenia is the stage prior to full-blown osteoporosis and is an amber light warning.  A urine tesr can also detect bone turnover
6. Increased abdominal fat may put men at risk of coronary heart disease and diabetes                
Since I reached my 40s I have started to gain weight is there anything I can do outside of a diet and exercise to get rid of these extra pounds around my middle?

 
First of all you need to look at your lifestyle.  Are you eating healthily?  Are you taking enough exercise? The amount of abdominal fat around the middle is an indicator of several diseases of ageing including cardiovascular disease, stroke and diabetes.  As people age they become more sedentary and a decline in hormones which help with energy doesn’t help.  Get a checkup, including dietary advice.

I keep getting up in the middle of the night to urinate – do you know what could be causing this?
 
It may be nothing but frequent urinating at night can be a symptom of diabetes.  This may also be linked to prostate problems. Ask your doctor for a blood/urine tests.
I used to have beautiful soft skin and shiny hair but my skin is getting dry and my hair lacklustre?
 
The cause may be a number of conditions – most likely not very serious – depending on your age and general health.  Its likely a simple dietary deficiency.  Are you taking enough Omega 3 – ie fish oils, eating nuts and seeds – these not only help our skin and hair but also feed our brain, helping to protecting against neurological damage.
I’ve heard about bioidentical hormones – what are they?
 
They are made from plants and are bioidentical to those made by our body and may include estrogen, natural progesterone, testerone and DHEA.  Whereas the HRT prescribed by most doctors, at least on the NHS, is artificial and made from  synethetic substances and mare’s urine, branded Premarin, for example. 
I am a 50-year-old man and know I should be more active but I feel tired all the time and my sex life has gone out of the window? Is there a natural solution to this such as vitamins and supplements?
 
The answer may be as simple as changing your diet and exercise but older men often feel this way because of the decline in hormones.  You should seek advice and get a full checkup.
Is is good for older people to have sex or should they stop at a certain age?
 
There is no reason to stop having sex has we get older providing that is what you and your partner both want.  It stimulates us mentally and physically – assisting the release of beneficial hormones – and its a form of exercise so good all round.
I want to loose weight, can hormone replacement help?
 
It depends.  If you have put on weight recently then you need to look at your lifestyle and diet.  A blood and/or urine test to see what is happening with your hormones may help.  Many older woman do suffer from an underactive thyroid and supplementation may help but you would need to have tests to determine this.
 
Contact Dr Moran
 
To contact Dr Moran with a health query email him at including contact details. Dr Moran cannot enter into personal correspondence.  His replied cannot apply to individual cases and should be taken in a general context.  If you do have a health concern you should contact your own professional doctor/GP.
 

Doctors condemn FDA decision to ban estriol following pressure from drug lobby

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A coalition of gynecologists, internists, allergists, ER physicians and general practitioners responsible for treating thousands of women today criticized the US’s Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for taking action that threatens to deny hundreds of thousands of women access to customized medications they take for symptoms of menopause.

The FDA last week announced that the hormone estriol can no longer be used in estrogen medications customized for women by compounding pharmacies. Estriol is a component of 90 percent or more of these customized preparations.

The FDA action is in response to a “citizen petition” filed by the giant drug maker Wyeth Pharmaceuticals. Wyeth is the maker of Premarin and Prempro, two hormone treatments for women that have been linked to cancer, heart disease and stroke by a 2002 Women’s Health Initiative, National Institute of Health (NIH) study. Millions of women have discontinued taking Wyeth’s hormone products as a result of the WHI study, which was halted because of the serious health risks that were discovered in 2002.

“The FDA has succumbed to pressure from Wyeth in its attempt to clear the market of safer alternatives to its unsafe products,” said Erika Schwartz, M.D., a co-founder of BHI, the Bioidentical Hormone Initiative (www.bioidenticalhormoneinitiative.org), a not-for-profit medical organization comprised of conventionally trained, practicing physicians who have successfully treated patients with bioidentical hormones for years. “The FDA should protect the interest of women, not the profits of Wyeth.”

Estriol has been used by women for decades as a component of customized estrogen hormone drugs, most commonly known as Biest and Triest. It occurs naturally in the human body and, according to the FDA, has never been associated with adverse events or other health and safety issues. Estriol is also in a phase II/III clinical trial pending FDA approval for treating women with Multiple Sclerosis (MS). It is approved for use and widely used in Europe and is a component of medications that have been commercially available in the U.S.

“There is no evidence that anyone has been harmed by estriol,” said Kent Holtorf, M.D., also a co-founder of BHI. “The FDA has even admitted that safety concerns are not the reason behind their decision to try to remove estriol from the market. Instead, they are responding to Wyeth’s blatant attempt to remove medicines that provide an alternative to their flawed horse hormones that are foreign to a woman’s body.”

“FDA’s actions are clearly misguided,” said David Brownstein, M.D., another founder of BHI. “They have no legitimate reason or even the legal authority to limit a licensed physician’s use of a safe and effective bioidentical hormone. There are numerous positive studies and countless successful outcomes with estrogen treatments containing estriol.”

The FDA claims that it is taking estriol off the market because it is not a component of any FDA approved drug, despite the fact that the hormone has been used for decades without problems. Estriol has a long standing United States Pharmacopoeia monograph, an accepted standard for drug ingredients absent significant health risks. Other common drugs that are not components of FDA approved drugs include aspirin.

“There are no legitimate medical, scientific or legal reasons for the FDA to take this action,” said Dr. Schwartz. “It would require countless women to return to their doctors and alter the medications they have used both safely and effectively for years. If the FDA has its way, since estriol is available in Europe, a woman will need a passport, not a prescription to get her medication.”

The citizen petition filed by Wyeth with the FDA requested that estriol be removed from the market, along with other requests to remove customized medications that compete with their flawed products. The petition created a tremendous backlash from women, doctors and pharmacists. Over 77,000 comments, a near record, were filed with the FDA in response to the petition, all but a handful opposing Wyeth’s request.

“The few comments in support of the Wyeth petition were filed mostly by organizations with substantial financial ties to Wyeth,” said Dr. Schwartz. “The FDA has chosen to protect Wyeth’s wealth rather than women’s health. This is a shameful act for this agency to take.”

For more information on the Bioidentical Hormone Initiative, visit www.bioidenticalhormoneinitiative.org