0 items

WHAT IS THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN NATURAL AND SYNTHETIC OESTROGEN?

There is a tremendous difference. Synthetic
Synthetic oestrogens are manufactured in laboratories. They are chemically foreign to the body's metabolic systems and so are not easily broken down by enzymes and can accumulate, causing them to be stronger than the natural oestrogens. For example, the synthetic oestrogen, ethinyloestradiol (brand name Estigyn) is thirty times stronger than the natural oestrogen, oestradiol. The synthetic oestrogens are more likely to cause metabolic changes in the liver leading to an increased incidence of side-effects such as fluid retention, blood clots, aching legs, high blood pressure, etc. I prefer to avoid synthetic oestrogens in menopausal and post-menopausal women as the natural oestrogens are so much safer and are now widely available. Other brands of synthetic oestrogens are Mestranol and Stilboestrol. Natural
Natural oestrogen is mostly developed in laboratories where an exact chemical replica of your ovaries’ oestrogens is cleverly formed. Another popular type of natural oestrogen is called Premarin which is extracted from the urine of pregnant mares. Premarin contains a mixture of natural humanlike oestrogens (oestrone sulphate) and some more potent equine (horse) oestrogens. So, one could say Premarin is strictly only natural for horses! In general, Premarin is an excellent form of oestrogen replacement for menopausal women, but, because of its potency it can cause metabolic changes in the liver. It should probably be avoided in women with obesity, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, varicose veins and in smokers.
The most common truly natural oestrogens are:
■         Oestradiol valerate (brand name Progynova, Primogyn Depot).
■         Piperazine oestrone sulphate (brand name Ogen).
■         Oestriol (brand name Ovestin).
These natural oestrogens are familiar chemicals to our body's metabolic system and are easily broken down into forms that are able to be easily excreted by our livers and kidneys. They do not accumulate in the body and are therefore less likely to cause side effects than the synthetic oestrogens. For these reasons all women on HRT should be using the safer natural oestrogens.
Because natural oestrogens are readily broken down (metabolized) by the body, if they are given in tablet form, they may need to be given twice daily (at 12-hourly intervals) to maintain adequate blood levels of oestrogen during a full 24-hour period. It is not uncommon to see women on a once-a-day tablet of natural oestrogen who complain of hot flushes, dry vagina, fatigue and other symptoms of oestrogen deficiency. Their blood tests often reveal inadequate levels of oestrogen and in such cases they are usually greatly improved by taking their oestrogen tablet at 12-hourly rather than 24-hourly intervals.
                                                                                                                                              *12\3*

 

 

Hormonal

News

EPILEPSY AND PREGNANCY

Women with epilepsy are quite often concerned about getting pregnant. There appear to be five reasons for this concern. They wish to know:
if they are likely to hand their epilepsy on to their children;
whether their fits will get worse during pregnancy;
whether it is safe for the baby that the mother should take anticonvulsants drugs during pregnancy;
if there will be any problems in the newborn baby from these drugs;
if they can safely breast feed the baby.
With regard to handing on epilepsy to one’s children – as mentioned earlier, if one parent has epilepsy, the chances of one of the children having epilepsy are no greater than in the population at large. If both parents have epilepsy, it would appear that the risk of a child having epilepsy is about 10 per cent. So in fact the chance of a child inheriting epilepsy, particularly idiopathic epilepsy, is negligible.
As far as seizures during pregnancy are concerned, the situation is not as clear as it might be. There is evidence that for some women, seizure control may deteriorate, while for others there may in fact be no change or even an improvement. A patient told me recently that “she would like to remain pregnant forever” as she had not had a single fit during her pregnancy, compared with six fits in the preceding nine months!
As a general working rule, it is suggested that people who have more than one grand mal fit a month are those who are most likely to have a deterioration in seizure control during pregnancy. The deterioration, if it occurs, is most likely during the first three months of pregnancy. There are a number of theories why this may happen, but none has been proved. It may be of value to check the blood anticonvulsant levels during pregnancy, especially if there is a deterioration in seizure control. The blood levels may fall, necessitating an increase in dosage during the pregnancy.
The main concern for parents is whether the anticonvulsants can harm the unborn baby (foetus). It is known by most people with epilepsy that this is a potential hazard. The effects include physical abnormalities in the baby, a process known as teratogenesis. Abnormalities have been reported in the offspring of mothers on all the commonly used anticonvulsants with the exception of carbamazepine. This is particularly applicable to phenytoin, barbiturates and sodium valproate. Babies born to mothers who have been on carbamazepine have not been shown to have any physical abnormalities, but have a smaller head size than other babies. This has not been shown to be any handicap to the babies who have been followed up for five years.
The risk of abnormalities in the baby is difficult to assess, but it seems to be most common in mothers on polytherapy (receiving numerous drugs), especially if they are on three or more anticonvulsants. The risk in mothers on phenytoin, with or without other medications, appears to be about a 10% chance of the baby showing features of the ‘foetal hydantoin’ syndrome. This syndrome consists of cleft palate, abnormalities of the fingers, possible heart abnormalities and mild mental retardation. Thus, at present, if it is possible, it would seem wise to try to change patients over to carbamazepine before conception. This may not be possible in all patients and, of course, many women will first visit their doctor when already pregnant, at which time there is no purpose in making the change.
Anticonvulsants taken by the mother during pregnancy may have some effects on the baby immediately after birth, as they are transmitted to the baby across the placenta. These include the possibility of a mild bleeding tendency and some drowsiness. In mothers who have been taking barbiturates, the infant may occasionally show features of a withdrawal reaction with irritability, jitteriness and poor sucking. None of these features is [...]

read more... -Next - Next2

Articles

ERECTILE DYSFUNCTION SYMPTOMS

Most patients have a combination of two or more of these problems. They are usually first given a thorough medical history and examination to determine the extent of the prob­lem and to hopefully pinpoint a cause. I want to briefly outline the nature of these four symptoms so that your problem will make more sense to you as a patient if you are experiencing any of them.

PRESCRIBED DRUGS

Taking prescribed medications with most vitamins is safe as is taking herbal complexes that are available through health food stores. However, you should always check with your doctor, your pharmacist or your naturopath. They are all trained to know what can go with what.

Weight loss

Overweight is most commonly a result of overeating and lack of exercise. Overweight and fluid retention often go together with people who have glandular problems or under-active thyroids. In such cases an iodine and phosporous deficiency may be the cause.