Question 25
Dr N:
I am 50 years old and had a hysterectomy on Oct. of 1999. My Dr. put me on Premarin 0.625mg. I am having a hard time staying on it because of my fears of cancer. I will get on it for a while then get off of it, I noticed when I am on it my breasts hurt a lot. When I was 21 I was on the birth control pill and developed a benign tumor caused from the pill. Is there an alternative or a natural way to get what I need? I do not know what to do and I am worried what will happen if I do not take it.
Reply:
Hi,
There is no over the counter preparations that I know of that provide any significant protection from the long-term affects of hormone deprivation. Many commonly used HRT products such as estrogen patches are natural in that they are the same type of estrogen that is produced by the ovary. Additionally, most of them are derived from plant sources.
The breast tenderness would be expected if you are stopping your hormones for any length of time as it is likely due to the process of regeneration of breast tissue that has atrophied while you were off the estrogen.
Dr N