Menopause is a Hormone Deficiency State | Felice Gersh, MD
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 27 มิ.ย. 2024
- This week, the Lancet, a major medical journal, published an opinion piece as the first part of a larger series on menopause that advocates against "over-medicalizing" menopause. Condemnation from menopause advocates, like myself, has been swift and sharp.
Here is my response.
Menopause is a hormone deficiency state
Estradiol and progesterone are essential hormones that support the health of every organ and system in the female body. With or without menopause symptoms, all women will experience deteriorating health due to hormone deficiency in menopause.
Lack of estradiol and progesterone accelerate the development of cardiovascular disease, diabetes, dementia, osteoporosis, sarcopenia, and many cancers.
Without hormone replacement therapy, menopause always negatively impacts bodywide health. Menopause treatment is not just about symptom suppression. It is about addressing immediate symptoms AND proactively preserving the health of the entire body.
Hormone deficiency is a medical state and deserving of treatment. With every other hormone deficiency--diabetes, hypothyroidism, Addison's Disease--we urgently treat the hormone deficiency by restoring the missing hormone. Menopause deserves the same attention and urgency.
If we really want to foster value and respect for older women, as the author advocates, we can start by valuing women's health and happiness enough to treat menopause to the highest available standard for all women. And that means HRT for every woman who is a candidate.
To see the Lancet piece:
www.thelancet.com/series/meno...
--- Contents of this video -------------------------
00:00 - The Lancet article
01:10 - Menopause is about hormones
02:48 - Hormone deficiency
04:20 - Menopause matters
05:26 - Replace the hormones (HRT)
When did The Lancet change from a scientific publication to a platform for uninformed opinions? 🙄🙄🙄 I assumed the article had been written by men but was very disappointed to see at least one woman's name in there. Thank you Dr Gersh for this response!
I was lean, muscular and very nourished. I worked hard to take care of myself. Menopause caused an accelerated atrophy of my muscles, organs and glands. It affected EVERY part of my body. I can't digest my food, I'm fatigued and fat. My memory is poor. I was told by doctors that I needed to start focusing on my diet, exercise and overall health. I was told that if my adrenals were healthy they should just kick in and compensate for all my hormonal needs now that my ovaries don't work. They are telling me I need to start doing what I already have been doing for years. Why can't they learn that it's this deficiency that makes you unhealthy? It's not that only unhealthy women suffer in menopause.
I am so sorry for what you have been dealing with.
The adrenal glands do not compensate for the loss of ovarian hormones! That is absurd.
Can you do a video on debunking the myth of the adrenal glands taking over hormone production. Id really like to hear more on this topic. You are the very best Felice! @FeliceGershMD
My story exactly. I was very healthy. Then menopause knocked me flat on my face.
Same here. I'm worn out.
In the UK there are many more women asking for HRT now than 5 years ago. The awareness is out there now, and it isn't going away.
Doctors haven't been trained to deal with menopause except through non- HRT drugs, surgery, or just advice. The gaps in treatment knowledge, plus the prevailing misogyny (from women too) makes 'over medicalising' statements easier to make than addressing training needs. Cheaper too. Except for the women suffering and being told no to HRT. We just want to choose how we manage our menopause, like the adult women we are 😊💜💚
Yes!!! This is such common sense. Rise up, women!!!
Thank you❤ it is time for every one to realize this
Thank you, doctor! ❤❤❤
Thanks Dr. Gersh.
I think it is because menopause is thought of as a "natural progression" that women go through in the aging process, so it is thought of as no big deal. I can tell you, it is a big deal and it has been a miserable trip! :( I am finding though that my body is seeming to acclimate (am five years post) to the loss and things are getting easier. Could be I am just finding better ways to cope and supplements that help ease the symptoms but whatever the case, it helps to feel even the smallest bit better. Thanks for sharing. :) :)
Question- How about women like me who are HER2+ Breast cancer survivors?
Please address this issue. Doctors tell me it is life threatening to take HRT replacement. Ladies like me are IGNORED! Thanks
I’ll do a program on this topic
❤❤❤❤😊
When I was diagnosed with breast cancer insitu and taken off my HRT. I had a lumpectomy and preventative radiation. I took a hormone blocker for a year and decided to quit taking. I already have. Osteopenia and worry about my bones. I am 64. I want my HRT back. What do you think about that. I worry more about my heart, brain, and bones.
So what is the take-away? Go on hormones? Synthetic? Bio-identical?
For most menopausal women … this is the message:
Get bioidentical hormones … and take them for your entire life!!
Of course - have an excellent physician prescribe them and follow you!
What are the risks pertaining to breast cancer?
Bioidentical hormones do not cause breast cancer. The greatest risk group to develop breast cancer are postmenopausal women without hormones.
Uncontrolled inflammation … from a multitude of causes … leads to the development of cancer.
If a breast cancer develops with hormone receptor positivity, giving bioidentical hormones might encourage growth, but such breast cancers actually create their own source of estrogen to support their growth.
Having optimal hormones, in terms of medical probability, likely lowers the development of inflammation and of breast cancer, and reduces the potential for metastasis.
It’s so sad that this crazy idea that our own hormones give us cancer ever developed. That would be evolutionary suicide. Quite a bizarre notion, actually.
@@FeliceGershMD I heard that those types of breast cancer are more of an imbalance of hormones. That if you go on estrogen, you need to balance it with progesterone, and that definitely made sense to me.
Always give progesterone with estradiol … unless the woman still makes progesterone. And best to give it in a cyclic way.
How do I take progesterone in a cyclic way? I’ve been on estradiol via gel for three weeks and progesterone at night, I feel groggy all day and I don’t really feel much different. I still feel pretty blah and have no motivation. This is not me. How long before it takes full effect or do I need to increase my dosage?
The problem is endocrinologists do not seam to know or care about any hormones besides insuline and thyroid hormones.
What about progesterone, testosterone, estradiol, DHEA, pregnenolone and even nandrolone? [ the bioidentical hormones]