Health Watch Q & A - Vol 3 Issue 4

THANKS FOR ASKING

Virginia Responds to Reader Questions

 

VAGINAL DRYNESS AND HORMONE TREATMENTS

Q: Thanks for keeping me in the loop with the Health Watch, which I always find most interesting. Can you please advise me about vaginal skin atrophy?

It doesn't matter whether I use natural progesterone or estriol cream, both of which help in the short term with this problem. However, I find that my breasts and stomach swell up for several days after using either of these creams, and by the time they have gone back to normal it’s time to use the cream again. Any solution or advice would be appreciated (maybe you know of something more effective that doesn't create the swelling), as I am wondering if the creams just do not suit my body. It also concerns me that from just inserting a little in the vagina, it creates this swelling effect elsewhere in my body so quickly. 

A:  Some women are very sensitive to hormones, so the first question would be, what dose are you using?

Many doctors mistakenly believe that if a hormone is applied in the vagina, it only affects that area, but in truth it can travel through the blood to the rest of the body, especially if you’re using high doses. Vaginal creams will also come into contact with the labia, which will certainly transport hormones quickly into the blood and from there to other tissues.

The breast swelling may be caused because the progesterone is helping switch on your estrogen receptors, thus increasing your estrogen levels. In this case you would probably have breast swelling and tenderness. Or, it may be caused by extremely excessive progesterone doses, which can—in some women—cause breast swelling and stomach swelling.

Progesterone Cream as a Lubricant
Some natural progesterone creams can be nice vaginal lubricants, but it only takes a pea-sized dab to be effective. This would amount to 10 to 20 mg of progesterone in a cream that contains 450 to 500 mg per ounce of cream. If you need to use more cream for effective lubrication, get one that contains less progesterone, or mix it with another moisturizing cream to dilute it. Just be sure to use “clean” creams that are as free as possible of chemicals.

Here’s a neat piece of inside info: I have heard from a number of reliable sources over the years that when a woman uses natural progesterone cream as a vaginal lubricant during intercourse, it can increase the intensity of her (male) partner’s orgasm.

Estriol and Vaginal Dryness
The three human estrogens are estradiol, estrone and estriol. You could also call these natural or bioidentical estrogens. One of the most common symptoms of estrogen deficiency is vaginal dryness or atrophy, which can make intercourse painful.

Estriol is used in vaginal cream, especially in Europe where it’s available under the brand name Ovestin. Research has shown that estriol doesn’t stimulate cell proliferation as much as the other estrogens, and thus should have a reduced risk for causing hormone-related cancers such as uterine and breast cancer. Estriol has been shown in numerous studies to be very effective in treating vaginal dryness when applied vaginally. In the U.S. you can get estriol cream from a compounding pharmacist. Dr. Lee recommended just 0.5 mg of estriol twice weekly, and noted that many women find just half that amount usually works fine.

Tired Adrenals can Cause Hormone Imbalance
Supplemental hormones can also cause breast swelling when the adrenals are tired and your body’s regulation of adrenal hormones is disrupted. This in turn disrupts how your body processes the steroid hormones, which are estrogen, progesterone and testosterone. If stress is a big issue in your life, this might be the underlying cause of your hormone imbalance.

You might want to consider a saliva hormone level test that includes estradiol, progesterone, testosterone and cortisol. This will give you more information about whether your symptoms are caused by a hormone imbalance. If you suspect that chronic stress might be involved, it may be worth testing both morning and evening cortisol levels.

Resources

Dr. John Lee’s Hormone Balance Made Simple
A basic guide to natural hormones and how to assess symptoms.

What Your Doctor May Not Tell You about Stress – article
by John R. Lee, M.D. and Virginia Hopkins

Saliva Test Hormone Profiles for Women
Hormone Profile II or III is recommended for assessing hormones plus adrenal function.

Saliva Test Adrenal Function Profile
These tests assess adrenal function only.

 

UPDATE ON FDA SHENANIGANS

Since the last issue of the Health Watch went out, I've received dozens of e-mails that continue to spread fear and misinformation about what the FDA is up to, and hundreds more from readers wanting to know what's for real and what's not. There are some professional, experienced and action-oriented voices rising above the din, and I'd like to point you in that direction:

The American Association for Health Freedom (AAHF). This organization has been around for years, albeit under a variety of names, and actually has attorneys and lobbyists working for your health freedom. Their response to the Guidance on CAM document which has stirred up so much misguided hysteria, is a reasonably balanced viewpoint.

The Ingegrator Blog by John Weeks This is an entertaining and informative blog that details the history of the internet hysteria over the Guidance on CAM document, provides numerous facts and even an interview with Senior FDA Science Advisor Philip Chao, co-author of the notorious document.

You can sign up for e-mail "Alerts" from the AAHF that will let you know how and when it's time to write your friends in Congress. They point out that writing the FDA an e-mail has no impact or influence whatsoever on FDA decisions, even if millions of people write. The key people to contact are those that you elect to office.

Excerpts from the Latest AAHF Alert

The American Association for Health Freedom is pleased to announce a small victory.

The FDA has moved the deadline from April 30, 2007 to May 29, 2007 for public comments to the FDA document 2006D-0480 - Draft Guidance for Industry on Complementary and Alternative Medicine Products and Their Regulation by the Food and Drug Administration.

This extension provides us time to execute the most effective strategy, which is to prepare and deliver a reasoned, specific and technically accurate response that covers the law and case history that delineates the FDAs role, power and authority in these areas.

We have been talking with many members of Congress about the FDA CAM Regulation Guidance and theyre listening. Pressure has been exerted on the FDA from organized groups in the community and from Congress.

We love the fact that the community is so passionate and wants to be involved. Unfortunately we have seen a lot misinformation traveling the Internet about the dangers of the FDA CAM Regulation Guidance. The sky is NOT falling. Whether the deadline is April 30th, May 29th, July 31st or beyond, this guidance document alone does not change the laws and regulations of: functional foods, dietary supplements, medical devices and therapies, religious practices, or practitioners.

We are very concerned that the FDA is over-reaching in the CAM guidance. With the new extension date of May 29, 2007, we now have the time to properly respond to the guidance and provide you, Congress, and the FDA with the specifics of what those problems are and how the guidance should be changed.

Our strategy is built on 15 years of experience advocating health freedom and working with our legal and public policy experts (who are leaders in their fields). Our plan is based on a strategic, credible, and logical review of the document. Our mission is to provide the community with reliable, accurate information and not to raise panic. As one of our board members is fond of saying we don't work to be busy but work to be effective.

Our general counsel, Mr. Michael Ruggio, is preparing our strategy and comments to the FDA which we believe is the strongest course of action that AAHF can take.  Our lobbyist Dr. William Duncan continues to execute our public policy work with Congress, FDA, the Centers for Disease Control, and other government agencies.  Our plan is to continually educate our members and others who are interested in our work and at the same time, reassure everyone through direct, first-hand information about what is happening on Capital Hill.

We remain committed to this and other health freedom issues that directly impact the right of the consumer to choose and the practitioner to practice. In terms of the FDA CAM Regulation Guidance, we will proceed with our legal strategy, which includes educating Congress.