Thank you Michelle for your story in Paradise Mag. I like you have been tearing my hair out wondering what is going on with me. I finally put my foot down and demanded answers. I am 49 yrs old and was just told I am in menopause! I am reseaching the product SottoPelle the Bio Equivalent Hormonal Replacement Therapy. If anyone has some insite to the use of SottoPelle I would love to hear about it.Thank you Barbara
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I don't about Sotto Pella but would expect that it is very pricy just like all the other bioidenticals. Also most health insurance companies don't pay for bioidenticals. Have you looked into other options for natural estrogen like the Vivelle patch? It is FDA approved, gets paid by the insurance and is a natural estrogen (like the pellets you are considering). Plus you don't need to wait for weeks for the pellets to wear off it you experinece side effects. If you need progesterone, there is Prometrium which is a natural progesterone also FDA approved.
November 17, 2011 - 7:24amHormone testing is very controversial and everything I have read largely useless - just a very big moneymaker for the bioidentical doctors. From my friends that are using bioidenticals, I found out that doctors still just go by symptoms and just use the test as a baseline. "Normal" hormone ranges are so wide and for women in menopause mostly useless. So what's the point?
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Dear scajr, I, too was told that Terri surresh was awesome---I live in Austin, TX area and she comes to this area once a month so if I do not get answers that appear sane when I go in to see the Dr., I am going to switch to Dr. Surresh. I have watched her videos online. My thyroid has never been ck'd the entire time I have been going. Were you the anonymous one I was replying to? Renee' I go this Saturday for another fix of some sort and consultation. Let me hear from you. Nice to know someone is in the same boat.
October 21, 2011 - 6:17amThis Comment
This is a follow up post to let you know that Terri Suresh finally emailed me to tell me my bloodwork came back and that my testosterone levels were still high and she was going to order a prescription for propecia for the hair loss. This medication is given mostly to men to block the testosterone which causes hair loss. I hope she knows what shes doing. She isn't a doctor which makes me nervous. If you decide to go to her, do your homework on her present patients. I've tried to find reviews but can't seem to find any. Let me know if you find out any more info.
October 27, 2011 - 9:05amThis Comment
I'm 49 years old and I wish I had stumbled upon this site before making a decision. I had my first set of pellets inserted yesterday. My main/only reason for going through with the pellets is I have the worst flashes/not sweats imaginable. I sleep pratically nude with 2 fans running, my husband sleeps in a full fleece sweat suit with hood up to endure the cold. I uusally soak everything under and over me 4 to 5 times a night. Can anyone who has experienced extreme flashes prior to the pellets tell me how long it took before they experienced some relief???
October 27, 2011 - 10:55amHopeless in Delaware!!
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Jan62,
October 27, 2011 - 1:38pmI think according to what you said, it is worth a try. I want to suggest a couple of things for you though, as I learned the hard way. Keep track of all your labs. You will have to ask for them because they don't volunteer this information. When my hair started falling out, they failed to tell me it is a side effect of too much testosterone. She said, Oh well, we'll just have to reduce it time." I freaked because I could be bald by then. She prescribed Promecia which the insurance doesn't pay for so the cost just keeps on going. Do your research because it's your body and you will have to be in control of it. Nobody seems to care about side effects.
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Thanks scajr!!! I have battled alopecia since childhood so that was a huge concern. I must say they did address that possible issue. My flashes are so disturbing that I was willing to chance additional hair loss for some even temperature time. I will however do as you suggested and ask for copies of my labs to keep track myself. I'm so desperate to feel normal again and to not have deal with the embarrassment of sweating profusely in public that I hate to admit I was willing to try almost anything!!!
October 27, 2011 - 2:48pmThanks for the advice!
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Hello, I'm Brenda and I've posted previously. I'm compelled to again jump into the discussion after reading the most recent threads. As a 67 yr old who has been using bioidentical pellets successfully for 3+ years, I'm always amazed by the various experiences. Remember, achieving hormonal balance is individual; it's all in the blood work, which doesn't lie. ALWAYS ask for copies of lab results...discuss with the doctor what the "optimum ranges "are that he/she is trying to achieve for you; tell him to write it on your lab copy. You don't want the hormone levels for a person your age, a person your age is in hormonal decline! For example, a thyroid stimulating hormone TSH value of less than 2.0 indicates a healthy thyroid gland, as opposed to the reference range of 0.0 - 5.0. (You should also be having your thyroid levels checked!) Thinning hair may also be symptomatic of a thyroid imbalance. Remember, bioidentical estrogen and progesterone contain the same chemical structure as natural female sex hormones...they don't mimic them, they augment them. You should expect to feel a significant hormonal transition in the first 4 weeks after insertion, therefore certain changes might develop that can be bothersome. Hair loss is rare, and usually only occurs in patients who convert testosterone to DHT. Dosage adjustment generally reduces or eliminates the problem. You can get Nature's Way Saw Palmetto (320mg) at the health food store to help block the DHT. Obviously, you'll want to have the testoserone level reevaluated as it may be too high for you. Uterine spotting or bleeding may occur in the first few months of an insertion, especially if your progesterone is not taken properly; i.e., missing doses, or not taking a high enough dose. Bleeding is not necessarily an indication of a significant uterine problem. The uterus may be releasing tissue that needs to be eleminated and may have been present in the uterus prior to getting pellets, and is being released in response to the increase in hormones. Remember, women with a uterus are REQUIRED to take progesterone to protest their uterus. If spotting or bleeding persists even with progesterone adjustments, it could mean there is an abnormality on the lining of the uterus such as a fibroid or a polyp. Hormones do not cause this abnormality, but expose an existing problem. My OB/GYN requires all patients to get followup labs three weeks after the pellets are first inserted to insure the follicle stimulating hormone level (FSH) (in the pituitary) has decreased to at least 10 and to see where the testosterone peaks. This helps determine the pellet dose for the next time or if additional pellets need to be added. The hormone labs must be done before each insertion to make sure hormone levels are not getting too high and to determine correct pellet dosage. Not all physicians who insert pellets check hormone levels before and after insertion or tailor replacement to each individual patient. This is very important to make sure you are not getting too much or too little because either will make you feel bad! My physician recommends the booklet by Dr. Geno Tutera, "You Don't Have to Live With It". My 70-yr-old husband is also on bioidentical pellets, he's vibrant and as healthy as when 40! The alternative is bleak...without hormones your body will begin to disintegrate and the diseases of aging will take hold. When you get this right your body will "sing!". If necessary, find another doctor who will work with you on this.
October 27, 2011 - 5:42pmIn good health, Brenda
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Interesting that you say that "women with a uterus are REQUIRED to take progesterone to protest their uterus." My doc did not believe in ANY HRT, so I found one that did. This doc did NOT have me on progestrone and the pellets threw me into estrogen dominance. My last pellets were in Jan 2015. Began bleeding in March thru April when he put me on Megace (my endometrium was 33mm!). Had a HELLACIOUS period in May after the megace. One huge fist sized plus clot. He wanted to do a D&C since my endometrium was at 12mm but had to be postponed. I then bled from August through December until I had a hysterectomy, despite taking provera and having a D&C (which only gave me 36 hours without bleeding). I went back to my old gyn in April because I had no idea where to turn. Now I have no uterus, no ovaries and a doc who tells me I need antidepressents, but no hormones. UGH!
February 19, 2016 - 6:12pmThis Comment
Thank you for your insight. Have you ever taken the saw palmetto because I am tempted to get it but my hormone dr told me to take the propecia. I am a little nervous about doing so. I need to do something though, because I don't want my hair to keep coming out.
October 28, 2011 - 8:05amThis Comment
Scajr, So sorry I have not been on the website in a few......I did go to my pellet dr, yet again, last Saturday and of course he only gave me 18 mg of E and 75 of T when I had already had 87 mg in Sept. and 25 E. My T was 131 so it was flagged as high and he still gave me more T due to my symptoms--he said it was all due to too little T and I knew synptoms were due to E being low. But......I felt so badly that I let him insert again what I mentioned above., I still have no motivation, am depressed and just a general mess. I haven't started crying all the time like I was in March but I had no hormones at all then. I'm waiting and he wants me to come back in Nov. with my husbands appt. but if I do.....I will get another set of labs and insist they let me . No sense in going every month. I think the pellet Docs are trained to give lots of T and low E. Thinking of supplementing with E cream--
October 28, 2011 - 1:29pmoh yes, my FSH level(pituitary) was 52.6 so it is reeeeeeaaaaly high for what he wants so why he does not give me more E, I'll never know . My hair is about as thin as it can get, but I am taking Biotin twice daily and saw palmetto to block the T to the hair follicles. My body evidently turns T into DHT so I hope this T he gave me does not make me lose the rest. Renee'
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