hormone replacement creams

Body: 

What is the Whole Woman position on the use of hormone replacement creams applied on the inner thigh daily (either am or pm or both) to regulate vaginal health, hormone balance, mood and emotional balance, etc?
My alternative doctor prescribed hormone replacement creams twice a day after a saliva test in May 2012. I am 62 and postmenopausal.
The test results showed
Estrone was Estradiol was 0.2 Normal is 0.2 - 5.2
Postmenopausal is 0.1 - 2.7
Estriol was Postmenopausal is 3.0 - 12.0
Progesterone 13.2L Normal 80 - 270
DHEA 0.09L Normal is 0.10 - 1.30
Testosterone 10.7 Normal is 4 - 33
Progesterone & Estradiol Ratio 66 Normal 45 - 450

DHT was Cortisol was high (3.370 in am and dropped dramatically to 0.61 (noon) to 0.22 (evening) to 0.18 by night.
He tells me I am running on my adrenal, which is not intended. He also states the hormone inbalance could have contributed to the prolapse.

Would appreciate your input based on experience and research on HRT.

Thank you so much. Blessings,
Jayvon

Hi Jayvon

WW doesn't really have a position on hormone replacement therapy. However we do recognise that high leutenising hormone levels are more of a problem than low oestrogen levels.

The reason for this is that your body has a lot of oestrogen stored in your tissues. In a nutshell this oestrogen is producted in small amounts from many sites. It is the inflammatory metabolites from the breakdown of this oestrogen, going around and around your body being taken up by oestrogen receptors and kept in the tissues that cause inflammation. Your own testosterone is made from your own oestrogen. by the looks of things you have plenty of testosterone. You must have enough eostrogen to make it.

Your doctor said that "you are running on your adrenal". What does he mean by this?

If he means that you are only getting oestrogen from your adrenal gland, that is sort of correct. Your adrenal gland does lift its oestrogen production after your ovaries decide not to make it any more. No, that is not bad. It is normal for a woman post menopause (apart from the fact that there is a little oestrogen produced elsewhere, as I said). Post menopausal hormone levels are not bad. They just are what they are.

If he means that you are producing too much cortisol and it is "running *down* your adrenal reserves", then that is a different matter. People often have high blood pressure readings when they see a person in a white coat, but may have normal readings when they are relaxed at home. I wonder if your cortisol levels were up for a similar reason?

I can't really comment on the levels you quote. I am not qualified to do so.

You can do something about recharging your adrenal glands. It is not hormone replacement. It is eating a low inflammation diet, getting to bed and turning out the light before 10pm. Sleeping in absolute darkness is best, to encourage melatonin production in your pineal gland. This is an anti-inflammatory hormone that is in charge of maintaining your diurnal rhythms. Wearing a black mask for sleeping may work if there is light in your room. Any light will lessen the production of melatonin. Also, regular exercise and other normal good health practices.

Phytoestrogens are very weak oestrogens. They work by occupying the oestrogen receptors in your body so the oestrogen metabolites cannot park, and just have to keep driving around in the bloodstream until they get to the kidneys where they are filtered out of the blood and are excreted in urine. Phytoestrogens are found in many plants, including red clover and soya beans. See Christine Kent's new DVD called the Whole Woman Way to Vulva Vaginal Health for all about keeping your body (not just your genitals) in good shape with foods and herbs. It is at the Store and there is a little video extract from the DVD to watch.

There's a start for you.

Louise

Louise

Hi Jayvon. This is an excellent informational post by Louise. I would like to add an additional suggestion for some reading.

Go over to the Resources/Video page and watch Christine's interview with Dr. Christine Horner. Then go out and get her book, Waking the Warrior Goddess. Although this book rather misleadingly bills itself as being about breast cancer prevention, Dr. H. freely admits that it about much more than that. It will give you many wonderful and practical suggestions for how you can balance your hormones naturally. Louise's description of the importance of sleep habits is one of those things. I have this book and it has a place of honor on my nightstand, snuggled up against my well-worn copy of Saving the Whole Woman. - Surviving