Bioidentical Hormones

[rinaina]

I was diagnosed in March 2006, her2+, er/pr negative, stage I. I have been reading a lot about bioidentical hormones and so much makes sense. Is there anyone here on them and if so, how are you doing? I plan on discussing this with my oncologist too but was curious. Being er and pr negative I thought it might not be a bad idea to investigate this approach deeper.

[AlaskaAngel]

Hi rinaina. I am very interested in this topic also, but in a very broad sense... I think there are some others here too who are interested in seeing more disciplined professional emphasis on the subject of endocrinology as it applies to breast cancer. At some point there may be a chat scheduled for the broader topic and I would think that would involve some discussion of your question as well. Interestingly, from just looking for info over time about it on the net, the logic of natural hormonal supplementation and balance seems to be much more common in both Canada and in Europe where there is less dependence upon complex pharmaceuticals in pursuing good health.

AlaskaAngel

[Ruth T]

Hi, I was diagnosed in July with the same. I was wondering what the biodentical hormones are? I also think that natural hormonal balance like alaska Angel spoke of is important but not heard of much. It seems that we should be trying to look into that and diet, lifestyle, etc more than all the drugs. Ruth T

[AlaskaAngel]

Ruth T,

Whether or not this particular website is reliable in all aspects I can't say, but when I used "bioidentical hormones" on Google, womentowomen.com came up and it does a pretty decent job of explaining the term if you read the section under the "Know what you are asking for".



AlaskaAngel

[jessica]

Coming from a clinical research background, I was extremely skeptical about this book & quite honestly, the author's credibility - let's be honest, Suzanne Sommers will always famous for Crissy from "Three's Company" & The Thigh Master! Well, you really can't judge a book by it's cover!
To my great surprise, this book has been really helpful to me! I was dx'd @33yo, pre-menopausal, ER-/PR-, & inspite of 81 weeks of chemo over the past 4 1/2 years, my period has returned each time. Each time I've come off chemo, my hormones have kicked back into full gear, fluctuating much like menopause, but eventually leveling out, Thank God. In the meantime IT IS NO FUN - the Hot flashes, the weight gain, the fatigue & lethargy & not to mention the cranky, b****yness too!
"The Sexy Years" was a great resource for me, helping me understand the role of the different hormones, validating what I was experiencing is REAL, as well as provides a list of resources - Endocrinologists, Women's Health MD's, etc- around the US that are well versed in bioidentical hormones.
(Suzanne Somers wad dx'd Stage II in 2001).
I suspect most oncologists would be reluctant to discuss bioidentical hormones. Maybe a better source of info would be an Endocrinologist or Women's Health specialist. As for me, no bioidentical hormones - since my body's still producing hormones & leveling off, I just have to suck it up in the meantime & let Mother Nature take care of me.