Suzanne Somors hormone replacement???

Vivre's "doctor" is a chiropractor with a Bachelor's in biology who is not qualified to treat her with HRT.  My guess is that Dr. Nick is  going to charge her out the wazoo for something that has nothing to do with hormones. 

Barry and Vivre,

There was some research done at Mayo clinic about some fibrocystic breast disease (atypia) turning into breast cancer a third of the time over ten years. It's not clear what the exact hormonal connection is. But if you google iodine and fibrocystic breast disease, you will find info on how iodine can arrest fibrocystic disease so it doesn't progress to breast cancer.

In Suzanne Somers' book several of the doctors she interviewed recommended iodine. Dr. Jonathan Wright said it was the most important thing she could do to prevent recurrence. And Somers' oncologist put her on Iodoral iodine along with the bioidenticals.  I can't remember the iodine dosage but it's in the book.

Anom

Yeah, anon when she mentioned the testosterone to me, she said that it was shown to be preventive in a study in the 1930's. Of course this made me livid, that something protective was not being approved. She then talked about the funding of the FDA being done by drug companies just as we have discussed here. I can't wait to meet with her so I can learn more. I have an appt. for next week. I am so happy to have found an MD who thinks out side of the box. She was an ob gyn for over 20 years and now specializes in treating women and men with hormone treatment. I feel like I hit the jackpot today.

Vivre,

I'm sure you'll have a thousand questions for her.  I'm interested in everything you learn, are you bringing a tape recorder?

I had fibrocystic disease for 10+ years prior to being dx'd with BC, I am 100%ER&PR+, no one ever suggested it could turn into BC, I never had my hormone levels tested, no one bothered to do that as its not standard protocol, just mammograms and ultrasounds every 6 months!

Today I found 3 compounding pharmacies here in Huntington Beach and Newport Beach CA, I am in the process of making appointments!

Lorraine

Yes vivre, I am also anxious to hear what you learn from your doc---how wonderful you found her! I was on testerone for years, as it was in the estratest I was taking, but I don't know what amount was involved. I've been off estratest almost a year (since DCIS dx), but would be glad to take testerone again, just unsure what dose would be good. This thread has had some good information, and I also want to read Dr. Susan Love's Hormone book, and see what she recommends. Thanks!!!

[continuing off-topic of hormones for a sec] 

Not sure if you've seen this site before, it's like Adjuvantonline to calculate recurrence and mortality rates based on different treatments.

Yaz, you are so funny! I do not need the exercise pill, because I love to exercise, but as for the other one, count me in! LOL

Barry,

In Somers' book, Dr. Wright talks about how they got fibrocystic breast patients in Washington State and applied iodine to the cervix. For some reason, the iodine shot directly to the painful breasts and eliminated the pain within an hour or two. I seem to recall in some of the original research Dr. Myers (1930s?) this method was used in beagles with fibrocystic breasts. Dr. Wright uses iodine by mouth now but it was enlightening to see how the research evolved.

Another doctor, Dr. Eskin, who has been researching this for 50 years, says iodine down-regulates the estrogen receptors in the breast. This may account for why the pain diminishes.

<

Newsweek had the termerity to publish an article criticle of Oprah's show last week - predictably enough, they have been accused of being in the hip pocket of the pharmaceutical companies.  Thought this was a very interesting comment in their response to that criticism - it confirms that any hormone not produced by your body is "synthetic", including bio-identicals:

Secondly, there seems to be a lot of confusion about what constitutes a "natural" hormone. Natural hormones are those produced by the human body. Period. Any other type of hormone product, including those used in hormone creams, sprays, rings, pills and patches, are synthesized from plants or animal products. That means they are all synthetics, even if they are chemically identical to those produced by the human body.

Those who insist that all hormones made by drug companies are "synthetics" and those produced by compounding pharmacies are "natural" are creating a false distinction. The same can be said about presumed risk. Since all these products have similar effects on the body, the presumption by the scientific community is that they likely all have the same risks, unless proof emerges to the contrary. So far, we don't have that proof.

http://blog.newsweek.com/blogs/readback/archive/2009/02/12/challenging-oprah-on-hormone-therapy.aspx

I am forwarding below another perspctive I just came across--I agree it's too bad that there can't be consistency about language--bio-identicals certainly ARE synthetic. But they are structurally identical to what we produce in our bodies and are NOT the same as what has been altered and patented by drug companies. That is why BHRT practitioners dispute that they have the same impact on our bodies. I met a woman last night that had multiple estrogen positive tumors removed in the 80's--she was treated in Europe at the time and has been balancing her hormones with biodentical's for over 20 years with no problems...she thinks American's are totally backward on this and has found a very respected MD here that is monitoring her care. I am not recommending them to anyone as I remain conflicted...But, the medical community is not at all unanimous in their villification of this. My oncologist said he has patients that has benefited from progesterone.  

RE:  Transdermal Hormones Yield CV Benefits in Menopause
                 BRUCE JANCIN
                 Family Practice News 
                 1January 2009 (Vol. 39, Issue 1, Page 23     COMMENTARY ON TRANSDERMAL HORMONES YIELD CV BENEFITS IN MENOPAUSE                     http://www.drbrownstein.com/                     Bioidentical Hormones Safer Than Synthetic Hormones               By: Dr. David Brownstein   "The FDA wants to ban bioidentical hormones prepared by compounding pharmacists.  What is their rationale?  The FDA claims that bioidentical hormones are not regulated by the FDA.    This mess all started when Wyeth Pharmaceuticals, the manufacturer of synthetic hormones filed a citizen's petition with the FDA to eliminate compounded, bioidentical, natural hormones.  Wyeth was feeling threatened after the Women's Health Initiative was released which showed that their synthetic hormones (Prempro) was responsible for causing a  significantly increased risk of breast cancer, stroke, and heart attack in those women who took the drug as compared to women who took a placebo.  Wyeth was marketing a flawed product and became angry when their market share declined. 
So, what do you do when your market share declines?  If you are Big Pharma, you try to get rid of safe and effective natural substances that truly work.

My friend and researcher, Kenna Stephenson, just released a study which found that the use of compounded transdermal hormone therapy for treating menopausal symptoms is not only effective for treating menopausal symptoms it also improved cardiovascular risk factors as well as inflammatory and blood-clotting biomarkers  (FP News.  1.1.09).

Folks, this is huge.  Synthetic hormones may relieve the symptoms of menopause, but, most of their benefits stops right there.  Synthetic hormones have been shown to increase the risk of heart attacks, strokes and cancer.  Bioidentical, natural hormones have never been shown to increase the risk of cancer, strokes or heart attacks.

Dr. Stephenson's study showed women who took bioidentical, natural hormones had lowered: blood pressure, c-reactive protein, triglycerides, fasting blood glucose, fibrinogen (a clotting marker), depression scores, anxiety scores, and  pain ratings.  I guarantee you that if a drug was shown to have this many positive factors, Dr. Stephenson's study would be on the front page of every newspaper in the country.   Did you see this study on the front page of any newspaper?  I didn't.

However, don't forget about the FDA.  Remember, they are there to protect us from unsafe drugs.  What do they want to do?  Ban bioidentical, natural hormones as prepared by a compounding pharmacist even though are no studies that show bioidentical, natural hormones have anywhere near the deadly, adverse effects that FDA-approved synthetic hormones have.   What can we do?  We can make our voice heard!  Remember, the FDA is supposed to work for US, the citizens of this country, not Big Pharma.  I am a founding member of a group of professionals and lay people designed to educate and inform the media and the public the truth about bioidentical, natural hormones. Please join us at:  http://www.bioidenticalhormoneinitiative.com/ to make your voice heard.  We have power in numbers.

Finally, let's get the FDA to do its job.  It is supposed to ensure that the prescription medications we take are safe and effective.  Anyone reading the newspapers over the past few years can see that the FDA has miserably failed in its job.  Make your views heard to your senators and representatives."

< 

Here is the Dr. Kenna Stephenson Dr. Brownstein refers to in his article.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zBkE_J7BB_U

I thought FDA was funded by us. The taxpayers. Pretty sure you'll see them in the Federal budget.

If there is evidence of FDA being paid off by drug companies, someone should forward the evidence to the GAO. They would be quite interested. Or do the drug companies fund the GAO too?

Otherwise, I'd file that one under the same heading as Roswell and Bigfoot.