Patients are required by law to follow up for an appointment every 12 months or as directed by their doctor.
Dr. Hohenwarter offers Estriol (E3), a sex hormone. Estriol is one of the three main estrogens produced by the human body. Estriol utilizes the weaker gentler estrogen, E3 which has anti-cancer properties and is the strongest for the rejuvenation of the vaginal lining. This cream is thought to be safe for women with a history of breast cancer and vaginal atrophy.
During perimenopause and menopause, women's estrogen levels drop as their ovaries age making bio-identical hormone replacement necessary to maintain optimal health.
Estrogen
Know what symptoms to look for!
For much of your life, estrogen fluctuates up and down. This occurs within the monthly cycle and also within the general framework of a lifetime. The degree and pattern of fluctuations are totally unique to you. So, too, are the ways your body reacts to the episodes of deficiencies and excesses created by the fluctuations. Deficiency-related responses are much more common then responses resulting from excess. Following are symptoms of both deficiency and excess, along with typical comments from my patients.
Common Signs of Estrogen Deficiency
- Mental fogginess
- Forgetfulness
- Depression
- Minor anxiety
- Mood change
- Difficulty falling asleep
- Hot flashes
- Night sweats
- Temperature swings
- Day-long fatigue
- Reduced stamina
- Decreased sense of sexuality and sensuality
- Lessened self image and attention to appearance
- Dry eyes, skin, and vagina
- Loss of skin radiance
- Sense of normalcy only during second week of cycle
- Sagging breasts and loss of fullness
- Pain with sexual activity
- Weight gain, with increasing lack of concern about it
- Increased back and joint pain
- Episodes of rapid heartbeat, with or without anxiety
- Headaches and migraines
- Gastrointestinal discomfort
Some of the above reactions occur nearly simultaneously whenever the level of estrogen falls. Most notable are hot flashes, inability to sleep, mental fogginess, and emotional instability. The surprising news is that the symptoms improve very quickly as well, often within a half hour to an hour and a half after giving the body what it is missing: estrogen.
Common Signs of Excess Estrogen
- Breast tenderness or pain, occurring mainly in the central area, including the nipple
- Increase in breast size EX. swollen breasts
- Water retention EX. swollen fingers and legs
- Headaches
- Weight Gain
- Impatient, snappy behavior, but with clear mind
- Pelvic cramps with or without uterine bleeding
- Nausea (less frequently)
Estrogen replacement is not recommended in women with a history of the following conditions: breast or uterine cancer, phlebitis and blood clots, gall bladder disease, uterine fibroma, and liver disease.
SIDE EFFECTS may include, but are not limited to:
- increased body fat,
- fluid retention,
- uterine bleeding,
- depression,
- headaches,
- impaired glucose tolerance,
- aggravation of migraines.
