Ways to take hormones.

oral hormone intake.

The most common way to use hormone replacement therapy, which is recommended for most women, is oral hormones - the use of tablets.

If the uterus is preserved, estrogens should be combined with other ovarian hormones - progesterone.

Most women undergoing hormone therapy take pills containing the required dose of estrogen..

Hormones are usually taken once a day.

The most desirable option is to take the drug daily, because this hormone intake is closest to the natural pattern of its production in the body, as opposed to when a woman takes estrogens for three weeks and then takes a week off. Some women experience menopausal symptoms again during this week.

Hormones in tablets will certainly enter the gastrointestinal tract. As a result, they can provoke an exacerbation of diseases such as hypertension and thrombophlebitis, cause dysfunction of the gallbladder and liver.. In this case, it is recommended to switch to the use of a skin patch or gel, which will supply estrogens to the body through the skin, bypassing the digestive system..

Taking estrogen through the skin.

Along with oral administration of estrogen, transdermal administration of these hormones is also used - with the help of a hormonal patch.. The patch is applied to dry, clean skin of the abdomen or buttocks.. Thus, estrogens enter the bloodstream directly, through the pores of the skin.. If hormones do not pass through the digestive system and liver, they do not cause an exacerbation of the diseases listed above..

This way of getting estrogen into the body is equally effective in helping to get rid of the symptoms of menopause, prevent deformation of the vagina and urinary system, and prevent the occurrence of osteoporosis or cardiovascular disease.. Women receiving estrogen via a skin patch must also take progesterone - daily or for several days each month.

The hormonal patch causes virtually no side effects..

However, it sometimes causes discomfort - at the point of contact between the skin and the patch, irritation occurs caused by the adhesive.. As a rule, the body adapts rather quickly.. If the irritation does not go away and continues to cause inconvenience, the patch can be removed and rearranged to another place.. Its effectiveness will not be diminished by this..

Sometimes the patch may come off when in contact with water.. Water won't hurt him. Remove the patch while bathing..

Another way to take estrogen transdermally is to use a hormone-containing gel that is applied daily to the skin.. Simultaneously prescribed and taking progesterone. This method also does not exacerbate comorbidities in which oral estrogen is contraindicated..

The advantage of a vaginal cream or estrogen suppositories is that, like a hormonal patch, they bypass the digestive system, which means that they can be used by women with medical contraindications such as hypertension and thrombophlebitis, as well as diseases of the gallbladder and liver.

The vaginal cream has a significant positive effect on the tissues of the vagina and the urinary system.. The cream does not affect the endometrium and does not require the appointment of a progestogen. The most popular remedy among hormonal creams is Ovestin..

However, it can only slightly alleviate the symptoms of menopause, and, unfortunately, this cream will not prevent the development of osteoporosis and will not protect against cardiovascular diseases.. For long-term hormone therapy, it is recommended to take estrogens in the form of tablets or patches..

Another female hormone is progesterone.. It is the second most important female hormone to be taken along with estrogen.. If estrogens cause the uterine lining to thicken, then progesterone is necessary to normalize the thickness of the walls of the uterus - it causes the uterine lining to exfoliate, preventing it from growing and thereby protecting it from cancer..

Usually, the doctor prescribes progesterone for 10-14 days of each month, or once every three months for 12-14 days (t. monthly or 4 times a year). With monthly progesterone, there will be a brief menstrual reaction each month starting on or shortly after the day the hormone is stopped..

This will continue for several years until the endometrium ceases to be active.. Although these periods will be brief and the discharge insignificant, each month they will be preceded by, in fact, a real premenstrual syndrome..

Of course a lot of people don't like it.. Therefore, another method of using progesterone was created: in very low doses every day of the month in parallel with the daily dose of estrogen. A similar schedule after the first two to three months leads to the fact that menstruation stops.. This intake of progesterone has no effect on the ability of estrogens to raise high-density lipoprotein (HDL) levels, lower low-density lipoprotein (LDL) levels, or help maintain bone mass..

If the uterus has been removed, progesterone should not be taken at the same time as estrogens - after all, it is included in the course of hormone therapy solely in order to protect the uterus.

If, after several years of hormonal therapy, menstruation stops in a woman, it means that the endometrium has ceased to be active and there is no longer a thickening of the mucous membrane, which should exfoliate every month.. However, to ensure safety, you should continue to take progesterone for some time..

Contraindications for taking hormones.

Only a doctor can prescribe hormone replacement therapy (HRT). Uncontrolled use of hormones by a specialist can lead to disastrous results.. Starting to take hormones, carefully monitor your condition and body reactions. The response to hormones varies from woman to woman..

Hormone replacement therapy is not prescribed if:.

- the woman has a predisposition to breast cancer or other estrogen-dependent tumors;

- diagnosed with thrombophlebitis and a tendency to thrombotic complications;

the woman has had a stroke or heart attack;

- there is a pathology of the liver or gallbladder.

Sometimes, even in such cases, short-term use of estrogens is recommended to alleviate serious problems associated with atrophy of the vagina or urinary system.. This possibility is provided by the use of local hormonal agents, in particular Ovestin in the form of a cream or suppositories..

The benefits of hormone therapy are lost as soon as a woman refuses it.. The advantage is that during the entire time that hormones were used, they protected the woman from bone destruction and cardiovascular diseases, and also kept the tissues of the vagina and the urinary system in good condition..

You can not abruptly stop the introduction of hormonal drugs. This again can cause the manifestation of menopause symptoms.. It is better to phase out hormones gradually: take estrogen every other day for the first month, twice a week for the second month, and then once a week for the third month, all the while taking the usual rate of progesterone.

If hot flashes or other symptoms of menopause do not reappear, both can be completely ruled out..

Those who refuse hormone therapy due to unpleasant side effects should consider using hormone replacement therapy with a different combination of hormones..

Women prone to osteoporosis after a long cycle (at least 5-7 years) of HRT should switch to other (non-hormonal) methods of treating osteoporosis, because the cessation of hormone replacement therapy can trigger the process of accelerated bone loss. In particular, you should start using vitamin complexes containing calcium..

Surgical menopause is the case when the use of HRT is most justified and even necessary.. We have already mentioned surgical menopause, now we are returning to this conversation again, but in connection with the description of the principles of hormone replacement therapy.

The reason for the onset of natural menopause is a decrease in the production of hormones by the ovaries, and this usually occurs between 48 and 52 years.. When people talk about surgical menopause, they are talking about the removal of the ovaries at childbearing age..

The reasons for bilateral ovary removal are tumor of both ovaries, cancer, trauma, pelvic inflammatory disease. This surgery can be done with or without the removal of the uterus (hysterectomy)..

A woman's ovaries produce female sex hormones (estrogens and progesterone) and a very small amount of male sex hormones (testosterone). In natural menopause, the decline in ovarian function occurs gradually, and specific symptoms appear over several years..

A sudden deficiency of all sex hormones after surgical removal of the ovaries is manifested by severe menopausal syndrome. Classic menopausal symptoms - hot flashes and night sweats begin to bother women soon after surgery.

Vaginal dryness, pain during intercourse, episodes of urinary incontinence may appear during the first year after the intervention. It should be noted that the removal of one of the two ovaries does not lead to a sharp drop in hormone levels and such pronounced symptoms of menopause..

After bilateral ovary removal, doctors pay special attention to the high incidence of cardiovascular diseases and osteoporosis..

With surgical removal of the ovaries, the most effective treatment is hormone replacement therapy, since it can completely replace those hormones that the body is deprived of.. The appointment of hormone replacement therapy immediately after surgery prevents the appearance of early symptoms and long-term consequences. Against the background of taking hormonal drugs, sexual desire is maintained, the cognitive functions of the brain are preserved, and skin aging slows down..

If treatment was not started immediately after surgery, the classic early symptoms subside by the end of the first month of treatment, regardless of how long after the operation HRT is prescribed, and practically disappear after three months of hormone replacement therapy..

Well treatable symptoms associated with atrophic processes of the vaginal mucosa. Dryness in the vagina, painful sensations during intercourse cease to disturb on the 4th-6th month of treatment.

Incontinence problems that have already occurred are not treated as successfully as early symptoms, which is why it is important to start taking drugs in the first postoperative months.. However, the beginning of the use of estrogens 2-3 years after the operation also has a beneficial effect on the genitourinary system..

It is possible to prescribe estrogens to patients who, in addition to removing the ovaries, have undergone a hysterectomy.

In women with a preserved uterus or supravaginal hysterectomy, the use of estrogens in combination with progesterone analogues is recommended.. In childbearing age and premenopause, the preferred choice of drugs for HRT that mimic the menstrual cycle.

The duration of hormone replacement therapy depends on the age at which the operation was performed.. Given the high risk of developing late complications, it is recommended to take hormonal drugs until the age of 50-55 years (the age of natural menopause) and then for at least 5-7 years..

When prescribing hormone therapy for six months, a woman should be under the supervision of a doctor and consult with him, discussing any side effects. The need for further additional examinations is determined by the doctor..

Hormone replacement therapy is based on the use of natural estrogens. The activity of natural estrogens is much lower than synthetic ones.. Therefore, they do not have a contraceptive effect.. Synthetic estrogens are mainly used as contraceptives.. In hormone replacement therapy, a progestogenic component is added to estrogen, which allows you to simulate the natural ovarian cycle.

homeopathic remedies.

An alternative to hormonal preparations is homeopathic preparations made on the basis of the cimetifuga plant, which contains a hormone-like substance.. True, such drugs are less effective and can save a woman only from some of the symptoms of menopause..

The most famous homeopathic remedies are:.

- klimadinon,.

- climactoplane,.

- menopause,.

— remens.

Grandaxin helps to effectively cope with psycho-emotional disorders. Sometimes it is prescribed as an additional drug in the first week of HRT use, until the hormones begin to work.. It is better to prepare for the onset of menopause in advance. But even after the onset of menopause, it is not at all too late to start taking active steps for the benefit of your body..

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