As promised I am posting a couple of initial key points from Dr. Attia's podcast on women, menopause and estrogen.
Here you go. These comments are based on NOT having a uterus due to hysterectomy.
1. Should I take estrogen again? For me the answer about whether to re-start estrogen isn't clear. Because I had a hysterectomy 20 years ago now (wow~!) and I haven't been on estrogen in at least 15 years, I would be at risk during the first year of use for blood clot issues, because estrogen does cause a clotting issue in the blood and I have heart disease (high blood pressure) and my triglycerides are a bit high. There is a 10 year 'window of opportunity' to start after you initially go into estrogen, where the risks are much lower, if you aren't already at risk for heart issues.
So like any medicine, I will have to consider the possible benefits vs. risks. I will need to discuss this further with someone like a Dr. Bluming, Dr. Attia or possibly my primary. However, knowing my primary I don't know if they, like most PCP's, are prepared to manage this question, given mainstream doctors are so jaded by the controversy around estrogen. I'll keep you posted as to what I learn.
2. Which form of estrogen to take if I do? Dr. Bluming believe it or not, suggests that Premarin (yes, horse urine) is the best estrogen for women without a uterus. What, you say? I thought it was estriol or estradiol? Well, he disagrees. Premarin has several forms of estrogen that have been studied the best, forms that have benefits that the individual ones above don't. Interesting eh?
3. Men have an advantage. Yes, women's hormones tend to drop off more radically during menopause and afterwards than men's hormones do as they age. This creates issues for us as women and often women are again taught to 'suck it up' or take other medications that are more like 'bandaids' than getting at the issues. An example: women who get more emotional or depressed from the drop in estrogen are given antidepressants.
I'd hoped to continue listening and summarize more from this rich discussion, however I just don't have the time to do so. I will tell you however, that it would be worth your time to listen in, as the speakers talk about other important topics like:
