Has anybody tried bioidentical hormone therapy?
I did the saliva test for hormone testing and my hormones are in need of some therapy. They couldn't even pick up my DHEAS at all. I'm postmenopausal and have RA/Sjogren's etc.. Any ladies out there have some advice? I have been on biologics for eight long years and have also been using prednisone for eight years. That's just a couple of my medications, I have many. Any advice would be greatly appreciated.
Hi KerryW. Glad you are being proactive and seeking out information. Hopefully some women will be able to share their experiences with bioidentical hormone replacement therapy. For your protection, we cannot give medical advice over the internet. I was able to find this article looking at hormone replacement therapy (which I realize isn't the same as BHRT) and RA: https://arthritis-research.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/ar761. The researchers concluded that "The influences of IGF-1 and the IL-6/sIL-6R pathways suggest possible mechanisms whereby HRT may exert beneficial effects in RA. However, to confirm this hypothesis future and larger studies are needed." A doctor should be able to offer guidance on this type of treatment and whether or not it could be a fit for you. Best, Richard (RheumatoidArthritis.net Team)
I tried bioidentical HRT (without estrogen) after I was diagnosed with fibromyalgia, but before I was diagnosed with RA. I found it helpful in the beginning, but after a year, it didn't seem to do much except make me angry, sweaty and hairy. And it was very expensive. As a menopausal woman, I decided against regular HRT because of the link between estrogen replacement and breast cancer. I used evening primrose oil successfully for hot flashes.
A frank discussion with your gynecologist and your rheumatologist would be best.
MS
