10 Comments

This is excellent and well written. Most people are not aware of the fact that estrogen decreases the risk of breast cancer. Even combination HRT, estrogen plus progesterone, has a role for women despite a small increase risk after five years of use. And natural is not better. Thanks for taking the time to write this informative article.

Expand full comment

This is a must read! Very articulate, accurate and interspersed with humor and sarcasm- LOVED IT! This article needs to be downloaded, printed and available at all OB/GYN offices waiting rooms for people to read. (And for the OB/GYN to read…)

Expand full comment

Your articles always crack me up: so full of detailed, essential information, yet you never fail to deliver it with guffaw-inducing wisecracks and wry observations ... a perfect way to convey medical expertise to my way of thinking.

This is an interesting one. I remember Suzanne Somers' relentless touting of bioidenticals and their superiority over synthetics, and many women I knew taking hormones took that route. I didn't follow up to discover how it went for them, but your take offers some candid and needed perspective. As always, thank you, doctor!

Expand full comment

Outstanding post as expected; much more than just a rant! Thanks for setting the record straight and going out of your way to educate women and their spouses like me. ❤️

Expand full comment

Thank you for this explanation. My "common sense" thinking was simply that it must be identical/like the real thing, or it wouldn't work the same way. I was happy to read your expanded reasoning. Go, estradiol patch!

Expand full comment

Great article! The link to the treatment of horses is much appreciated. Whenever I think of "bioidentical" and "natural" hormone therapy, I'm reminded of the movie "Sex and the City 2". Samantha's prescription hormones were confiscated by Customs upon entering Abu Dhabi, so her solution was to eat alot of yams and slather yam cream on her face. (BTW, an awful sequel, should have stopped after the first one)

Expand full comment

Thank you!

Expand full comment

New here- this makes me question why progesterone is recommended with the patch if it increases the risk of breast cancer. Thanks

Expand full comment

You need a progesterone or progesterone substitute to protect the uterine lining. The slight increase in breast cancer was seen in a specific synthetic progestogen.

Expand full comment

Thank you!

Expand full comment