I REALLY suggest you guys read a few books to research your cyclic issues. Bio-identical hormones NOT synthetic bc pills,etc are a much healthier way to address hormone imbalances. It might be some are spiking hormones instead of gradual incline/decline. The MAJORITY Medical schools do NOT teach this but I have read about 7 hormone books now that are all written by doctors with 20-35 years experience and many NIH, Italian and French studies. They say that synthetics cause many of the neg side effects including increase risk of cancer where the bio-identicals don't. See my previous reply on my own experiences with both.

Here are a few books if you are interested in getting more information.
1.) The Hormone Solution,
2.) The Bio-identical Textbook of Hormones,
3.) Everything your doctor may NOT tell you about pre-menopause, 4.) The Wisdom of Menopause

Look at websites like the one by Dr. Erika. BTW Dr. Erika was a conventional doctor that at 46yrs went through menopause. Traditional medicine did not help her. She had a patient come in asking for bio-identical scripts to help her (the patients symptoms) which were the same as Dr Erika's symptoms. The doctor then started looking at bio-identicals and RESOLVED her own problems (weight gain, moodiness, low libedo) with them:
1.) http://www.drerika.com/content/about-dr-erika-schwartz
2.) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vrwmT6uHnGk
3.) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Rzb0biMZ2kM&feature=relmfu

The best person to advocate your health is YOU! Research your issues then find doctors that treat low tests numbers and symptoms. I wish you all the best in resolving your health issues.
EP

A quick 2 mins and am glad some doctors are LISTENING and that some are learning that FLUCTUATING hormones are not always captured in one snap shot of blood work.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rxXpYENsIwI&feature=relmfu

So what do YOU think about bio-identicals as it MAY or may not pertain to your health?

I can only speak for myself and I know there are others who are in to natural or alternative medicine. I thank god for the bc pill. I have enough crap in my life to worry about, and that has been a godsend. Because of the endometriosis, we struggled for years to get pregnant with our second son. All of my internal organs were all stuck together because of scarring from the endometriosis. So, the bc pill has not only alleviated pain for me with each cycle, but it is preventing the scar tisse from forming and causing more internal damage. I honestly don't think twice about that pill. We have to pick our battles, and for me, that isn't one of them. That is only my opinion though.

i have noticed a change in menstral pains also as of this past year ... (it has been 5yrs of official dx)

I just want to add this one last note and then I am done.

First I agree with atmhurley that we all need to make a decision about what is best for our own health. I am just posting info so that the decision can be and informed one after looking at a bunch of data.

The issue I have is that many doctors are not educated on the difference between bio-identicals and synthetics. Therefore they see all hormone research is being the same which is NOT true. You need to know whether the research was synthetic hormones or not.

So what is the difference in the two? Bio-identicals are the EXACT same shape and molecule hormone your body makes.
Synthetics are a slightly different shape/molecule make up to what your body makes. Kinda like you want a key to your house shaved the EXACT same shape as the original so it will work the same.

If a hormone is a "little" different make up it has a BIG effect in the body. T4 has 4 iodines in it and almost inactive in the body. When you take of ONE IODINE it becomes the T3 & becomes the main trigger to metabolism in your body (followed by testosterone). A small change in structure makes a LARGE difference in function.

The 2 LARGE studies below were done with SYNTHETIC hormones and both where stopped because of the increase in risk of strokes and breast cancer to women. Birth Control (bc) pills are make of synthetic hormones. I wish you all good luck in looking at the data and determining what is best for you with a doctor that understands the differences in synthetics vs bio-identicals.

Best wishes,
EP

1.) http://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/news/press-releases/2004/nih-asks-participants-in-womens-health-initiative-estrogen-alone-study-to-stop-study-pills-begin-follow-up-phase.html

"The increased risk of stroke in the estrogen-alone study is similar to what was found in the WHI study of estrogen plus progestin when that trial was stopped in July 2002. In that study, women taking estrogen plus progestin had 8 more strokes per year for every 10,000 women than those taking the placebo. The NIH believes that an increased risk of stroke is not acceptable in healthy women in a research study. "

2.) http://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/news/press-releases/2002/nhlbi-stops-trial-of-estrogen-plus-progestin-due-to-increased-breast-cancer-risk-lack-of-overall-benefit.html

"NHLBI Stops Trial of Estrogen Plus Progestin Due to Increased Breast Cancer Risk, Lack of Overall Benefit"