At fifty years old experienced menopause by growing a benign tumor in my uterus the size of a four-month pregnancy. I had a hysterectomy. This was the same summer the report came out about hormones produced from horse urine becoming cancer-causing.
Avoiding that event, I had no hormones following my hysterectomy and no follow-up from my doctor on any other options. After 15 months of negative effects - never sleeping more than 1.5 hours at a time and having such a major brain fog that I relied on Post-it notes for many pieces of information vital to my career - a friend took me to a presentation with two presenters from Oregon Health Science University on endocrinology. It was enlightening to know there were options!
I visited a nurse practitioner who was aligned with the information I heard from the presentation. She gave me a saliva test to check hormone levels. The results were revealing. All of my hormone levels were fine with the exception of one. My testosterone number on the test should have been around 100. Mine was 11. My lost sleep and diminished brain function were the results of one missing hormone.
I was prescribed bio-identical hormones ( made from wild yams, not horse urine) and within twelve hours I was completely restored to my normal self.
I have remained on bio-identical hormones for 18 years. My nurse practitioner has retested and modified my prescription to fit my needs over the years.
I have worked with two compounding pharmacies over the 18 years and found my life enjoyable as a result of having this endocrine problem resolved.