Revisiting HRT

Anonymous

Imagine my shock when i saw an ad on TV last night from a law firm advising women who had taken HRT of any kind (Premarin, Provera, Prempro, etc.) and developed breast cancer to call because they might be eligible for compensation of some sort. I took the number down and called today. There was a brief screening and I was told I'd be called back. If this isn't a scam of some sort, I'll sing its praises for finally recognizing the relationship between HRT and BC as I've always thought that taking hormones for many years contributed, in large part, to my cancer. I can't recall doctors names or exact years, so I might not be a good claimant, but others of you might. After I hear from them again, I'll let you all know and post the phone number for join to join in, if you should wish.

~Marin

Sierra

Do let us know Marin



I took HRT

for five years

but you see

no one twisted my arm

but rather they sort of frightened me

addressing the heart attack issue

Menopause was so awful for me

I took it





best to you

JoanofArdmore

Thanks, Marin.

I took HRT for 12 years, and was taking it when I was dx.

BUT 

I love Wyeth and the marvellous Prempro.It helped me SO much, it made me feel SO much better.By the end I had developed slight spotting on the smaller dose of Prempro and for a few years I was just on seperate Premarin and progesterin--the tiniest doses made.They still let me sleep, gave me resistance to colds & virusses--did SO much for me.

I believe the trouble I had with AIs was because cutting the HRT out was all I needed for "hormone therapy".

And from the horrible SEs of estrogen deprivation from AIs, I have learned just exactly how much we truely need a tiny bit, at least, of our hormones.

Anyhow I wont join a suit against them, if there is one.They didnt force me to take their drugs.I forced the doc to keep me on it, because it was so good.

PS--my heart, lipid values, glucose values, thyroid--were ALL fine and excellent the whole time I took hormones.

Now--after suffering almost 4 years on AIs?All these values have gone bad.

So...whose class action suit am I gonna join?(And I know there will be one sooner or later against AIs.Because estrogen deprivation is a sick-making state, not to put patients into lightly!)

LuAnnH

I think the advertisement is for a law firm forming a class action law suit.  I hope you end up getting something out of it!

Anonymous

Marin, I don't know exactly how many years I took Fmhrt (like Prempro).  And it's much worse than just taking estrogen.  I took progesterone first to get my periods straightened out.  Then on to Fmhrt after missing two periods on Provera.  My onc at Duke, Dr. Livengood, truly believed in hormones.  I had NO symptoms of menopause when I called to tell him that I had missed two periods.  He asked if I had any hot flashes, etc.....Nope!  I took HRTs anyway.  He didn't think bc was a big problem as for the cause of bc.  I don't know what caused it, but I got it. LOL

I told him this year after my gyn check up that my onc said NO ESTROGEN CREAM...that the GYNs would minimize the absorption of it.  He was sort of right.  Dr. Livengood said that estrogen was only 35% (don't quote me...I think that's the number) likely to cause bc but fat was 100% likely to cause bc.  Now, that inflamed me just a little bit. LOL  I told him that being a woman was the greatest cause...I said that just to shut him up. LOL  And this 100% thing about being fat...then ALL fat women should have bc.  Ridiculous!

HRTs, ESPECIALLY if one took the combo like Joan and I, are much worse as far as causing Alzheimers and, I believe, heart disease and bc.  I would have to read the info again to make that a positive statement so, again, don't quote me...in fact, NEVER QUOTE ME!!!!  I've got brainitis. 

I don't know about a lawsuit.  I still love Dr. Livingood.  However, I will be more "educated" when I listen to a doctor's advice.  Oh, he told me that "more educated" women too hormones....HAHAHAHA!  He won't say that now. LOL

I honestly do not think I needed estrogen except perhaps to help save my bones.  My bone density had dropped significantly since I stopped hormones.  I never had one hot flash, or any symptom when I abruptly stopped taking them.

It would be interesting to hear what the people have to say.  I believe I saw that on TV as well.

Okay, I've rambled on.

Shirley

carolsd

Good luck!

I was pre-menopausal when I was diagnosed (41) but I did take oral contraceptives for years. Those are hormones too, right? I'm very suspicious that my birth control pills (highly estrogen) contributed to my highly estrogen positive BC.

celia088

Marin, i would really like to have the number for the attorneys for the class action suit.  I refused to take the HRT for 9 months, and was constantly urged by the gyns to take it for heart health and for all sorts of other reasons that they gave me.  I had also refused to take any birth control pills ever in my whole life because i did not want to take any hormones.  I had really bad  menopause symptoms, and finally gave in to the gyn and took HRT-- Estrace and Progesterone  after reading about 10 books on the subject.  I took them for 8 years and had trouble with them the whole time, bleeding when i wasn't supposed to bleed, and many many UTIs which promptly stopped happening when i stopped the hormones after the big study results came out in 2002.  I also had to cycle and have a fake menstrual period all of those years because i could not take the pills together without bleeding the whole time.   Of course the HRT did take care of the hot flashes and the moody stuff (crying all the time over nothing), but knowing what i know now i would NOT take them again.  I got dx'd with breast cancer (estrogen positive) within 2 years of stopping the HRT.

I really believe that the HRT was a huge factor in my breast cancer.