Ageless: The Naked Truth About Bioidentical Hormones (15 page)

But the big answer to osteoporosis is bioidentical hormone
replacement therapy. There is nothing that can build and revive bones like real hormones.

H
YSTERECTOMY

Do you realize that more than 1 million hysterectomies are performed each year? Now that I am among these statistics—my uterus was removed in February 2005—it makes me wonder how many of these operations are really necessary. Do 1 million women really
need
to have a body part or parts removed? Is that what nature intended?

A hysterectomy is the option that most physicians commonly recommend for women who have fibroid tumors, severe endometriosis, cancer, or constant heavy bleeding. A complete hysterectomy involves surgical removal of the entire reproductive tract, including the uterus, tubes, ovaries, and cervix. According to Dr. Randy Randolph, “Unfortunately, up to 90 percent of the time a woman’s pelvic organs will be removed for benign disease that could have been treated by nonsurgical approaches.” Ninety percent!

It’s unbelievably sad that so many women of any age have complete hysterectomies without being told that their bodies will immediately enter menopause as a result. If hysterectomy is necessary (and there are circumstances when hysterectomy is definitely necessary), a woman needs to be informed as to all the ramifications of removing a body part. So many women are led down this path, trusting their doctors. Worse, they’re often told, “As long as we’re in there, we might as well remove your ovaries and cervix; that way you’ll never have to worry about ovarian or cervical cancer.” What a crock!

Here is where you have got to do your homework, ladies. Unless you find a doctor who really understands bioidentical hormone replacement and puts back the hormones in a template the brain understands, you can be a serious candidate for these cancers that the removal was supposed to correct. Here’s why: No ovaries, no cervix, no uterus, and you are no longer a reproductive woman. I’m sure by now that in reading this book, you know the serious consequences when the brain no longer recognizes you as reproductive.

The job of the brain is to send signals to the rest of the entire system (the body) that all is well. When a full complement of hormones is running through our systems and all the hormones are talking to one another in their unique and brilliant language, the brain recognizes this person as reproductive. The moment the hormones start to decline, it is a signal to the brain that things are amiss and that this person does not have the capacity to reproduce. Then gradual shutdown happens.

Because estrogen and progesterone have bottomed out, the immune system revs up so high that it starts attacking the cartilage and other tissues. This can result in stiff joints, weakened bones, arthritis, and even cancer of the bones. The immune system also attacks the mucous membranes, leading to runny, watery eyes, allergies, sinus problems, and infections, among other symptoms. Without estrogen and progesterone (made in the ovaries, which you no longer have), a host of other symptoms begins to occur. One of these is high blood pressure, though it is just the beginning. Other symptoms can include anxiety, sleeplessness, unbelievable itching, skin rashes, fungus infections, hot flashes, night sweats, depression, weepiness, irritability, foggy thinking, bloating, weight gain, no—and I mean
no
—sex drive, and obvious physical aging: wrinkling, shrinking, and a tired-looking body. As a result of this radical removal of a woman’s organs, the body goes into a kind of shock.

The problem is that most women do not have it spelled out to them like this. If it were, believe me, 1 million women wouldn’t volunteer to walk into that operating room every year.

I’m sorry, but the lack of knowledge and insensitivity of doctors who think that by removing organs unnecessarily, they are protecting women from cancer is truly disturbing! I will not even venture to think that somewhere in this scenario is a financial gain. Let’s hope that has not been a factor.

By having their organs removed unnecessarily, women are not only not protected but they are also left wide open for other cancers, heart disease, and Alzheimer’s. I choose to truly believe that doctors are doing the best they can with the information they have on hand. Unfortunately, many of them don’t know enough anymore about our
changing bodies in a changing world. You must know this and get more than one opinion when you are dealing with something as serious as your own body.

When a woman has a complete hysterectomy, so many doctors make the mistake of prescribing only estrogen. This is a recipe for disaster. If the hormones prescribed are also synthetic and not bioidentical, then forget it. Trouble lies ahead.

Estrogen alone can foster estrogen dominance. When this occurs, it can be very dangerous for the body. After a complete hysterectomy, a woman’s body will need a new and balanced supply of
all
her sex hormones: estrogen, progesterone, and testosterone. Remember, they took out your ovaries and cervix. The sex hormones are made in the ovaries. If you don’t replace these hormones, what do you think is going to happen to your body? Many doctors feel that without a uterus, you no longer need progesterone because you are never going to have a period again. But the
brain
needs the progesterone. Don’t forget: You now have to “trick” your brain into believing you still have your body parts. Without progesterone, reproduction is impossible, and you know what that means. Besides, it’s about the correct ratio. Estrogen needs to be balanced by progesterone. That is how your body did it when you were young and still making a full complement. Without a uterus, without ovaries, without tubes, and without a cervix, you need to refill the tank daily with the hormones that were all a part of your female process. Although you have now been “castrated,” you can still fool the brain into believing you are intact.

Do not let them take body parts unless there is no other recourse. Do read up and learn how your body works so you can ask the right questions. If you must have part of you removed, do not let them take your ovaries or cervix unless there is cancer. This is important. Most often, the only reason to remove your ovaries and cervix is to remove cancer.

I believe my condition required removal of my uterus. I have no regrets over it. My doctor and I felt we had no other recourse. I certainly didn’t want cancer again. But be cautious. Question and read. Go forward only if you feel sure. It costs a lot more to do a hysterectomy than to replenish lost hormones with bioidentical ones. Hysterectomy
is big business. Imagine: 1 million hysterectomies a year! Imagine the profits!

Hysterectomy is life-saving when cancer is present. You have no choice. But do know that you can put yourself back together again after removal with hormones in the right template. Loss of your female organs does not have to be the end of your life as you know it. You can be put back together again, but make sure you are with a knowledgeable doctor.

According to Dr. Randy Randolph, “I believe that every gynecologist should make it standard protocol to attempt to intervene medically before reaching for a knife. I first try treating my patients with noninvasive measures, including bioidentical hormone therapy. Often, I find that these nonsurgical interventions prove successful in shrinking fibroid tumors, reducing uterine bleeding, and improving pelvic pain. Surgical intervention is always my last resort.”

That’s the kind of doctor to look for: forward-thinking doctors who are trying to save your body parts.

Incidentally, “hysterectomy” comes from the word
hysterical
. Unfortunately, when hormones are not put back correctly after a hysterectomy, a woman often becomes hysterical. Life quality goes downhill, and it is not gradual. It happens immediately.

Now here’s another thing: Artificial menopause can also occur as a result of radiation or chemotherapy or by the administration of certain drugs that catalyze menopause (such as to shrink fibroid tumors). Dr. Randolph points out, “Because there is no opportunity for gradual adjustment to the hormonal drop-off, the symptoms of artificial menopause can be sudden, severe, and debilitating, requiring an immediate intervention of supplemental hormone therapy.”

There is no expendable body part or “accidental” organ. We were given all of them for a reason. A woman’s female organs serve many purposes beyond reproduction. Remember that the ovaries play a crucial role in producing the sex hormones long after your reproductive years. Estrogen, progesterone, and testosterone are produced in the ovaries and play a huge role in maintaining your health, vitality, and sex drive.

Removal of the uterus is downplayed, as though “you’re not
going to miss it,” but the uterus and cervix (the tip of the uterus) serve a purpose beyond housing a fetus in pregnancy. They also provide an ongoing blood supply to the ovaries through the uterine artery. When this artery is cut, blood flow to the ovaries reduces the production of hormones.

The uterus has another role within the body that shouldn’t be overlooked: It contributes and intensifies a woman’s sexual pleasure. Dr. Randolph says, “During sexual intercourse, penetration can stimulate uterine contractions. The consequent rhythmic response has been found to contribute to an enhanced feeling of sexual pleasure. Many women report that after removal of their uterus, they experience less satisfying orgasms.”

Dr. Randolph’s point is serious, and any woman facing hysterectomy should give it a lot of thought. As I said, if it’s cancer, then you have no choice. But if you can try to correct the problem with hormone replacement, that is always the best way to go at first.

Fibroids, heavy and endless bleeding, endometriosis, and unrelenting pelvic pain are symptoms that can change the quality of your life. These are the other reasons for hysterectomy, but first try to treat the problem noninvasively. If you do not respond to natural treatments, at least weigh your options and know the consequences and ramifications of hysterectomy. You don’t want to be sorry later on.

Keep in mind that we live in a society where Western medicine is disease-oriented, meaning that we wait for the disease to take hold and then treat the disease. Fortunately, cutting-edge medical thinking urges us to start living a healthy life as early as we become informed and to focus concentration on staying well so that we live in an optimal “well state” and disease and other effects of aging do not have to be a part of our future.

CHAPTER 5
B
IOIDENTICAL
H
ORMONES AND
A
GING

Getting old is when getting a little action means you don’t need fiber today.

A
ging can be difficult. But it doesn’t have to be. Bioidentical hormone replacement makes aging and its stages simply “passages,” and enjoyable ones at that. When your hormones are replaced in perfect balance, you look, feel, and act younger, plus you are protected against some of the worst diseases and effects of old age.

“Bioidentical” means biologically identical to human hormones—exact replicas of what we make in our own bodies. Made from soy, wild yam, and other plant extracts, bioidentical hormones are synthesized in a lab to exactly replicate human hormones. Bioidentical hormones are not drugs, however. They are completely different from synthetic hormones, which are made from the urine of pregnant mares and have nothing to do with what we make in our own bodies. In times past, your doctor would simply give you a prescription for Premarin or Prempro—a one-pill-fits-all type of regimen—and tell you to have a nice life. On these synthetic hormones, you would get fat and/or have brittle bones, lose your sex life, and get depressed and bloated, among other symptoms. Great, huh?

These synthetic hormones are not hormones; they are drugs that
have been proven to be harmful to our health by creating hormonal imbalances. Synthetic hormones do not replace lost hormones. Instead, they simply cover up some of the nastier symptoms of menopause and other issues related to aging. Remember, hormonal imbalance is an opportunity for disease to proliferate, especially cancer. This is why synthetic hormones are dangerous to our health. It’s not just me saying this; read for yourself the Women’s Health Initiative 2002 and get backup for this statement.

Again I say this: I am not against pharmaceuticals. I willingly take drugs as a last resort when necessary, and any of us who have gone through a major illness know the blessings of pharmaceuticals. But when it comes to hormones, I believe (and many doctors concur) that the pharmaceutical companies are working against us. According to Dr. C. W. Randolph Jr., “The big drug companies have twisted and manipulated the idea of hormone replacement to capitalize on a business opportunity.”

For background, synthetic hormone replacement started fifty years ago, even though bioidentical hormones existed. This was the first tragedy for women. By 1970, HRT was a common term. We didn’t know about bioidentical hormones because no drug company was interested in them: They were not patentable (because they were natural). Without a patent, there was no profit. As women started to live longer, the drug companies knew they would have female customers waiting in the wings. And were we ever … we would take anything so the hot flashes would stop, so sleep would come back as a nightly event, so the depression and weepiness from lack of sleep would subside. “Oh yes,” we said. “Give them to us.” So we started downing these synthetic hormones and exclaimed for all to hear that we felt great again. (Well, relatively.) At least the hot flashes calmed down. At least we were sleeping pretty well. But why were we getting fat? Must be part of aging, we surmised. We accepted high blood pressure as part of aging; we accepted breast and ovarian cancer as simply the unlucky lottery. We all prayed we wouldn’t end up a statistic of those dreaded diseases.

The drug companies were ecstatic. Oh boy, these were expensive prescriptions that a woman would take for
life!
Yippee! What a financial
bonanza! Then came the baby boomers … they were really going to need hormones, because this group had decided to outwork their parents. Yep, this was a stressed-out group. Hooray … another bonanza for the drug companies. After all, stress blunts hormone production, and we were not going to change our stressful lifestyles. It got even better for the drug companies. Younger and younger women were running out of hormones because of their stressed-out lifestyles. “Superwomen” we called them. This meant more revenue for the pharmaceutical companies. We baby boomers decided early on that we wanted more: a better life, so our children could have all the things that we never had—TVs in their rooms, all the toys you could dream of, swimming pools, and private schools.