“18 years of compounded hormone replacement.”
In 2003, at the age of 45, I was diagnosed with uterine fibroid tumors. My family physician recommended removal and recommended a gynecologist/surgeon. He also recommended that, because of my age, I also have my ovaries removed, to reduce the chance of developing ovarian cancer, even though I had no risk factors, other than age, nor a family history of ovarian cancer. (This physician had treated our entire family for over 20 years, and we trusted him immensely, and still believe he was a good doctor.) The referred surgeon agreed with my family physician, so I agreed to undergo a complete hysterectomy/oophorectomy. Because I preferred a vaginal removal rather than an abdominal incision, the treatment plan included six months of Depo-Provera injections prior to surgery to attempt a reduction in the size of the tumors to facilitate removal. Because the surgery would induce menopause, I was informed I would receive an injection of hormone replacement at the time of the procedure and would require lifetime hormone replacement. The surgery was without complications other than temporary anemia due to excessive blood loss. I was ambulatory within 24 hours and discharged with instructions to follow up with my primary care physician in 4 weeks to obtain a prescription for hormone replacement treatment. The first week following surgery was spent recuperating and being thankful it was behind me. The second week, I began experiencing mild mood swings that I discussed with my physician. He explained it would take a while for my body to adjust to the replacement hormone levels. He prescribed a daily commercial synthetic estrogen replacement. In the next few weeks, the mood swings became more severe, and I began experiencing fatigue, hot flashes, and brief episodes of confusion. My physician prescribed an increase in hormone replacement and wrote prescriptions for an antidepressant and an antianxiety to combat the mood swings. Approximately 8 weeks following the surgery, I (a very private person who does not display emotions in public) went to my local grocery store, forgot why I went to the grocery store and had a complete, very public, meltdown on the canned-goods aisle. I stood staring at the rows of cans, tears streaming, hyperventilating, shaking. All the employees and half the customers of this small town grocery store knew me and witnessed this meltdown. I left the store, and by the time I arrived home and called my husband, I was hysterical. He left work and took me directly to my doctor's office. (I later found out that my husband had been researching my symptoms and had collected information and studies on bio-identical hormone replacement.) My physician's recommendation was to increase my estrogen replacement and 'add a little testosterone' for the fatigue to 'see it that will help.' At that point, my husband brought up bio-identical hormone replacement. The physician was not familiar nor had he ever prescribed it. He voiced doubt that it would help but did agree to assist me if that was what I wanted to do. I went home with hope. We contacted a compounding pharmacy and, together with the pharmacy, made a plan of treatment. I sent them hormone level lab results and a completed detailed questionnaire. I had a phone consultation with a compounding pharmacist. The pharmacy sent a recommendation to my physician, he approved, the pharmacy compounded a bio-identical hormone replacement specific for me, and my life returned to normal. Mood swings went away. Hot flashes went away. Fatigue and confusion went away. No more meltdowns in the grocery store. Now, at the age of 64, I am healthy, happy, active. My current family physician, that I only see yearly for my annual checkup and HRT prescription refill, told me he wasn't sure what I was doing, but to keep doing it. I credit my mental and physical health to having naturally balanced hormone levels that maintain all of my body systems at an optimal level. I do not believe a synthetic, one-pill-fits-all hormone replacement could do that.
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