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HORMONE REPLACEMENT THERAPY

As a nurse, Maura Sakovich did extensive research on hormone replacement therapy and the side effects of hormone replacement therapy, to find out how she could get relief once she hit menopause.
“There are usually 5 hormones involved- estrogen, progesterone, testosterone, DHEA and thyroid. Any one of those out of sync affects the rest. So naturally, your body starts to kick and scream,” says Maura Sakovich.

Maura suffered from fatigue, depression and says she just didn’t feel like herself. She considered hormone replacement therapy, but with recent research on the side effects of hormone replacement therapy pointing to mixed results, Maura, like many women, felt lost.
“I took myself to a lot of conferences on hormone replacement therapy, and figured out that there were answers out there. It’s not that hopeless,” says Maura.
Initially the belief was that estrogen protected women against cardiovascular disease, bone loss and cognitive decline while enhancing quality of life. But then a women’s health initiative study found the combination of progestin and estrogen apparently increased the risk of heart attacks, heart disease and breast cancer.
The Women’s Health Initiative Memory Study also reported that there was an increased risk of dementia in women 65 and over taking the combined hormone replacement therapy. It was unclear, however, if this would be true for younger women as well. Combination hormone replacement therapy also failed to prevent memory loss.
“The study on dementia began on women who were in their mid 60s and above, and who had never taken hormone replacement therapy before. So I don’t know how you say that dementia is a side effect of the hormone replacement therapy, when a certain number of women over the age of 65 are going to develop dementia anyway,” says gynecologist, Dr. Peter Sakovich, who is also Maura’s husband.
Dr. Sakovich says there is still a lot of confusion surrounding hormone replacement therapy.
“There are conflicting results, views and medical opinions based on what people think is solid medical evidence.”
In general, the FDA’s stance is that women requiring hormone replacement therapy should be on it at the lowest possible dose for the shortest time needed.
Dr. Sakovich tried to map out some type of therapy that would help Maura and her symptoms.
“You have to individualize the therapy with women, you have to understand what their symptoms are, what their problems are and then address each of those based on what each woman needs,” says Dr. Sakovich.
In treating his patients, Dr. Sakovich has seen first hand how hormone replacement therapy can really help women. He says monitoring blood levels of hormones plays an integral part.
“Within weeks to months their lives turned around. They became productive again, they became sexually active again. Their mood swings decrease, their hot flashes decreased.”
Maura is carefully monitoring her intake of hormone replacement therapy and says she has reaped tremendous benefits. “It’s just wonderful to feel healthy, like I’ve always felt. I feel on top of the world everyday,” says Maura.
Hormone replacement therapies are available in a variety of dosages. Combined hormone replacement therapies contain both estrogen and progestin. There are also estrogen-only therapies, like Cenestin, that do not contain progestin. The side effects of hormone replacement therapy should be carefully reviewed with your doctor to determine which form of hormone replacement therapy would be most effective.

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