To HRT or to not HRT? That is (just one of) the (many) question(s).

By on February 22, 2013 in Hormone Replacement Therapy (HRT), Menopause, Perimenopause

Click to view the Hot Flash Havoc Trailer

One of the things that started me on this path of “cracking open the conversation” was the looming question of Hormone Replacement Therapy (HRT). Is it safe? Isn’t it safe? Is it for me? What other choices might there be?

My sister, who is 10 years older, reached menopause early. (She had cancer as a child and radiation treatments = early menopause. Who knew?) I wondered…if I wasn’t likely to be an earlybird, was this something I needed to worry about, or even know about?

As a female in my late 30s to early 40s, this is all I knew:

  • some doctors/women used to swear by Hormone Replacement Therapy
  • there was something in the media around 2002 that made doctors/women swear off of Hormone Replacement Therapy claiming increase of heart disease and breast cancer
  • Suzanne Somers stirred up a lot of awareness around something called Bio-identical Hormones (but when I scanned her books, more overwhelm set in because it seemed like I would need a doctor who was onside and a compounding pharmacy…huh?)
  • putting off learning about it was easier than trying to digest all the info I was fed back from a middle-of-the-night-I-can’t-sleep google search.
At one point, I wanted to believe I would be immune to any peri-menopause/menopause symptoms. Ya, right. Just like at one point I thought I could deliver my babies naturally. Can you say ” Epidural!” I know myself better now. So, I decided to get informed. One of the first resources I discovered was Hot Flash Havoc: a documentary that explains the controversy around Hormone Replacement Therapy, and helps women get the facts, become informed, and then make the best decision for them. It is an insightful film that reveals fact vs. fiction stemming from a decade of misguided information about menopause.  The movie conveys poignant personal stories shared by real women and in-depth interviews with some of the world’s most noted experts. The information contained in this film could save your life… or the life of someone that you love.

Here are some of the reviews of the film:

“An entertaining, at times laugh-out-loud funny take on the subject, and the first film to address the issue of menopause head-on.”

    Celeste Perron, NBC’s Health Goes Strong

“Hot Flash Havoc is an important film for women of all ages. If you are a woman, live with a woman, or know a woman, this is a must see.”

    Phyllis Greenberger ,President & CEO, Society for Women’s Health Research, Washington, DC

Menopause Chicks will be showing the film in Port Moody at the Inlet Theatre on Thursday, March 7th & featuring an exclusive Q & A session with an expert panel. Don’t miss it. Tickets are $29.99 (martini included!)

Our objectives are 1) to crack open the conversation around peri-menopause & menopause 2) help you to become your own best health advocate and 3) introduce you to some of the Lower Mainland’s leading experts. Reserve your spot here.

PS: Men are welcome! Where else are they going to learn this stuff?

 

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3 Responses to To HRT or to not HRT? That is (just one of) the (many) question(s).

  1. Shirley February 23, 2013 at 4:42 am #

    This from the March issue of http://www.CanadianLiving.com magazine:

    “A re-evaluation of the Women’s Health Initiative study suggests that [taking] HRT for a short period of time is safe for symptomatic women during their early 50s through to age 60,” says Dr. Wendy Wolfman, director of the menopause unit at Toronto’s Mount Sinai Hospital. While the risk of breast cancer increases, she says, the risk is low. “Being obese and drinking a lot of alcohol are riskier in terms of developing breast cancer. HRT works quickly and women should feel confident in its safety.”

    Reply
  2. Tamara February 23, 2013 at 5:58 pm #

    Truth be told, I’m quite afraid of HRT. My mom did it in her early fifties and developed breast cancer a few years later. Not sure that the two are linked causally, but in my mind they are…

    Reply
  3. Shirley February 24, 2013 at 12:16 pm #

    Tamara, you are not alone!

    Reply

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