Estrogen Tachyphylaxis -- why some women seem to need high E?

[Guest guest]

This is directed to those of you who seem to need a lot of E. It MIGHT be that

you are

experiencing estrogen tachyphylaxis -- it's sort of an addiction or adaptation

to huge

amounts of estrogen. (not saying it is, just could be) It's a phenomenon they

noticed

especially with women on high dose estrogen pellets placed under the skin (the

usual dose

is 50 mgs of E that is secreted over 6 months -- to put that dose in perspective

WP uses

that much in a single 'low dose' day as this dosing would provide for a month!

-- and this

is considered high dosing!!!) -- often women come in earlier wanting fresh

pellets -- and

they don' t need them -- their serum levels of E are quite high and yet the

women say they

are experiencing hot flashes and the like. They appear to adapt and need higher

and

higher levels of estrogen to not feel deficiency effects!!!! Schwarzbein warns

against

women using any amount they want -- especially since E is a stimulant of sorts

and the

response to the hormone is often delayed -- and women seem to get addicted to

it.

Dr. Cabot -- who is all for estrogen replacement btw, says in her book

" Smart

Medicine for Menopause " that women on estrogen injections sometimes become

addicted:

" For some women (3 - 8%), the injections may be effective only temporarily. Such

women

find themselves requiring injections at increasingly shorter intervals, even

though their

blood tests show very high levels of estrogen. This type of addictive reaction

called

tachyphylaxis , in which it seems as if a woman simply cannot get enough

estrogen. This

is not good as it is not natural for the body to have very high levels of

estrogen, mainly

because it theoretically increases the risk of breast and uterine cancers.

Women who

become addicted to high levels of estrogen should be switched to smaller dose

estrogen

patches. They can also benefit greatly from taking a number of nutritional and

dietary

supplements every day.... " (then she lists them) ... " because high levels of

estrogen may

lead to nutritional deficiencies and imbalances in the body. A safe and

reasonable level of

estrogen in the body is around 82 - 136 pg/ml as determined by a blood test. "

pp. 62 and

64.

Also I found this in Nexus --

Hormone Addiction

What is little-known about taking HRT is that it is an addictive drug. A former

president of

the London Royal College of Psychiatrists warns that estrogen used in HRT to

counteract

symptoms of menopause could be as addictive as heroin. (13)

In the 1970s, testing was conducted on two groups of menopausal women. Half

received

estrogen replacement and the other half sugar pills. All were monitored for

insomnia,

nervousness, depression, dizziness, weakness, joint pain, palpitations,

prickling

sensations and hot flushes.

Both groups of women experienced dramatic improvement during the first 90 days

of the

study, except that the sugar-pill group experienced more discomfort from hot

flushes.

When the groups were switched, those who had initially received estrogen

experienced a

pronounced return of their symptoms. It became apparent that, once estrogen

replacement stopped, a 'cold turkey' withdrawal effect was often experienced.

This was

especially true with implants, since the blood estradiol levels may become much

higher

than the body would normally produce. (14)

Beckham warns that " Women on hormone replacement therapy who have enhanced

well-being when their estradiol levels are very high, but feel unwell when their

blood levels

are normal, may be experiencing reactions similar to those of people on social

drugs.

" It is well-researched knowledge that when you first have these drugs they

give you a

lift, which is pleasant. As you get used to the substance you find you need more

to give

you the same effect, and ultimately your body craves a high level even though

you may be

unwell. When the substance in your blood drops below a certain level, you can

experience

withdrawal symptoms such as flushing, perspiration, sleep disturbance, shaking

and other

nervous reactions. "

While it is easy to prescribe HRT for women, there is hardly any medical data

concerning

the effects of stopping HRT in women who have received long-term treatment. (15)

In one

trial lasting three-and-a-half years, withdrawal lasted for six months.

So, unbeknownst to women, 'menopause's little helper' could in fact be making

estrogen

junkies out of them. It's great news for the pharmaceutical companies, but a

calamity of

untold proportion for women. Not only do they experience a wide range of

physical

symptoms but they also suffer from psychiatric disturbances.

Dr. Ellen Grant has said that " when higher-than-expected rates of attempted

suicide and

violent deaths were recorded among HRT-takers, the excuse was that more women

suffering from depression are put on estrogens in an attempt to treat them. "

Estrogens are

rarely considered as an implicating factor in depressive behavior. " Extracted

from Nexus

Magazine, Volume 3, #5 (August-September 1996)

I have an article that talks about hormone withdrawal syndromes that I could

send

anyone who is interested.

?

One wonders if this is really how it started for Susie -- was she one of these

women who

kept 'needing' more as she covered herself with little patches.

Namaste, Liz