Re: premarin for women with AF

[Guest guest]

In a message dated 5/29/04 6:37:03 AM Pacific Daylight Time,

bdavis66@... writes:

> My gyn said that the studies indicating that

> there might be some problem with prempro were done on the 2.5 progesterone

> pill, and there is no evidence yet that the 5 mg dose is a problem

I'm confused ... why would there be problems with a 2.5 mg dose (which is

what I take) and NOT a problem with double that dose at 5 mg?

Thanks for the input ... nice to know I'm not the only one going through

this.

Toni

CA

[Guest guest]

Toni, I should point out that the dose of progesterone in my prempro is 5

mg. (most people take 2.5). My gyn said that the studies indicating that

there might be some problem with prempro were done on the 2.5 progesterone

pill, and there is no evidence yet that the 5 mg dose is a problem. In any

case, although I have heart disease other than AFib, my doctors acknowledge

that a really poor quality of life (which I seem to have without the pill)

is not desirable either.

This has all turned out to be a real dilemma for us women after being told

for so many years that HRT was good for us. Good luck in making your

decision.

Brenta

Re: premarin for women with AF

> In a message dated 5/28/04 5:50:06 PM Pacific Daylight Time,

> bdavis66@... writes:

>

>>

>

> Oh Brenta ... this concerns me mightily. I just went to a gyn appt. today

> and this new doctor (new health plan) wants me to stop my hormones. I was

on

> Pempro for about a year 3 years ago, and for the past 2 have been on the

same

> hormones, but a half-dose of each. I did not specifically discuss my

a-fib with

> this doctor as it didn't occur to me it could affect gyn issues. My sense

is

> he is not a fan of HRT in any case ... I asked if stopping the hormones

would

> affect my libido which is healthy and which I enjoy and his comment was

that

> women in their 40s and 50s tend to have a decrease in libido anyway so

what's

> the difference? He was nice overall, but this " man " comment about a

woman's

> libido annoyed me more than a little. I responded that I LIKE my libido

and he

> wasn't answering my question. He said the HRT (even in half-dose) had

> nothing to do with my libido and if I have it now it'll stay. For some

reason,

> though, I've been sad all day and worried and anxious about stopping the

HRT. Now

> I read your post and am more worried than ever ... the magnesium has

helped

> enormously with my attacks, at least in frequency. Once they take hold,

if the

> magnesium doesn't stop them in 2 hours, they can last up to 24 hours or

days

> ... but I was having them several times a week, and I haven't had one (a

> serious one) in about 4 weeks. The doctor today and I agreed that I'd cut

back ...

> start with taking them every other day for 1-2 months then every 3 days

for a

> month, etc. I'm scared about it all. I'm only 52. I don't want hot

flashes

> (worse than I get now) or other side effects ... any other women my age or

in

> the " menopause range " that can advise me? I don't know many women older

than

> me who have been through it that I can ask about it ... but it's getting

me

> down. Thanks, all.

>

> Toni

> CA

>

>

>

[Guest guest]

Toni, I should point out that the dose of progesterone in my prempro is 5

mg. (most people take 2.5). My gyn said that the studies indicating that

there might be some problem with prempro were done on the 2.5 progesterone

pill, and there is no evidence yet that the 5 mg dose is a problem. In any

case, although I have heart disease other than AFib, my doctors acknowledge

that a really poor quality of life (which I seem to have without the pill)

is not desirable either.

This has all turned out to be a real dilemma for us women after being told

for so many years that HRT was good for us. Good luck in making your

decision.

Brenta

Re: premarin for women with AF

> In a message dated 5/28/04 5:50:06 PM Pacific Daylight Time,

> bdavis66@... writes:

>

>>

>

> Oh Brenta ... this concerns me mightily. I just went to a gyn appt. today

> and this new doctor (new health plan) wants me to stop my hormones. I was

on

> Pempro for about a year 3 years ago, and for the past 2 have been on the

same

> hormones, but a half-dose of each. I did not specifically discuss my

a-fib with

> this doctor as it didn't occur to me it could affect gyn issues. My sense

is

> he is not a fan of HRT in any case ... I asked if stopping the hormones

would

> affect my libido which is healthy and which I enjoy and his comment was

that

> women in their 40s and 50s tend to have a decrease in libido anyway so

what's

> the difference? He was nice overall, but this " man " comment about a

woman's

> libido annoyed me more than a little. I responded that I LIKE my libido

and he

> wasn't answering my question. He said the HRT (even in half-dose) had

> nothing to do with my libido and if I have it now it'll stay. For some

reason,

> though, I've been sad all day and worried and anxious about stopping the

HRT. Now

> I read your post and am more worried than ever ... the magnesium has

helped

> enormously with my attacks, at least in frequency. Once they take hold,

if the

> magnesium doesn't stop them in 2 hours, they can last up to 24 hours or

days

> ... but I was having them several times a week, and I haven't had one (a

> serious one) in about 4 weeks. The doctor today and I agreed that I'd cut

back ...

> start with taking them every other day for 1-2 months then every 3 days

for a

> month, etc. I'm scared about it all. I'm only 52. I don't want hot

flashes

> (worse than I get now) or other side effects ... any other women my age or

in

> the " menopause range " that can advise me? I don't know many women older

than

> me who have been through it that I can ask about it ... but it's getting

me

> down. Thanks, all.

>

> Toni

> CA

>

>

>

[Guest guest]

>

> Wanted to know if anyone knows anything about taking

> premarin. My cardio doc thinks that is a contributing

> factor to my AF. Makes me a little nervous because

> first reading talks about lawsuits and links to

> cancer. Has any of the women in the group ever taken

> this and if so, did it help with AF.

>

I have never taken premarin, but do take compounded hormones. My worst

episode, which lasted days, occurred when I took the wrong hormone! (I take

two different compounds, one for the first 14 days of the month and another

for the second 14 days.) I don¹t think it was a coincidence. In a way, it

was a gift, because it led me to call my gynecologist to ask if hormones

could cause the palpitations I had been having in the last year or so.

Within 3 days I found myself in the cardiologist¹s office, at the insistence

of my gynecologist. The psychiatrist I had seen for many years and my

ex-husband, also a psychiatrist, felt that the palpitations were ³probably

nothing to worry about.²

Kathleen

, MS

[Guest guest]

>

> Wanted to know if anyone knows anything about taking

> premarin. My cardio doc thinks that is a contributing

> factor to my AF. Makes me a little nervous because

> first reading talks about lawsuits and links to

> cancer. Has any of the women in the group ever taken

> this and if so, did it help with AF.

>

I have never taken premarin, but do take compounded hormones. My worst

episode, which lasted days, occurred when I took the wrong hormone! (I take

two different compounds, one for the first 14 days of the month and another

for the second 14 days.) I don¹t think it was a coincidence. In a way, it

was a gift, because it led me to call my gynecologist to ask if hormones

could cause the palpitations I had been having in the last year or so.

Within 3 days I found myself in the cardiologist¹s office, at the insistence

of my gynecologist. The psychiatrist I had seen for many years and my

ex-husband, also a psychiatrist, felt that the palpitations were ³probably

nothing to worry about.²

Kathleen

, MS

[Guest guest]

>

> Wanted to know if anyone knows anything about taking

> premarin. My cardio doc thinks that is a contributing

> factor to my AF. Makes me a little nervous because

> first reading talks about lawsuits and links to

> cancer. Has any of the women in the group ever taken

> this and if so, did it help with AF.

>

I have never taken premarin, but do take compounded hormones. My worst

episode, which lasted days, occurred when I took the wrong hormone! (I take

two different compounds, one for the first 14 days of the month and another

for the second 14 days.) I don¹t think it was a coincidence. In a way, it

was a gift, because it led me to call my gynecologist to ask if hormones

could cause the palpitations I had been having in the last year or so.

Within 3 days I found myself in the cardiologist¹s office, at the insistence

of my gynecologist. The psychiatrist I had seen for many years and my

ex-husband, also a psychiatrist, felt that the palpitations were ³probably

nothing to worry about.²

Kathleen

, MS

[Guest guest]

I don't know who started this thread about hormone replacement

therapy and a-fib, but I thought I would add my personal experience.

I am a 57 year old female. I have had a-fib, on and off, for the past

10 years. I'm on an aspirin a day (325mg) and Atenolol. I had been on

Coumadin for the first year after I was diagnosed but then went to an

EP who recommended to my cardiologist that just aspirin would be ok.I

have been on hormone replacement therapy since I was 54. I tried

stopping when I started reading the negatives, but could not deal

with the hot flashes, etc. I tried the black cohosh (sp?) tea, but it

definitely was not doing the trick. I am now on " Femhrt " 1mg/5mcg. It

is apparently a combination of two different medications. I take it

once every other day. Initially, I had been on Prempro, but this one

apparently has a lower dosage of estrogen. (My doctor does pelvic

sonograms twice a year, just to be alert to any changes.) I have not

noticed any change in the frequency of my a-fib attacks since being

on the hrt. Lorraine in NYC

[Guest guest]

I don't know who started this thread about hormone replacement

therapy and a-fib, but I thought I would add my personal experience.

I am a 57 year old female. I have had a-fib, on and off, for the past

10 years. I'm on an aspirin a day (325mg) and Atenolol. I had been on

Coumadin for the first year after I was diagnosed but then went to an

EP who recommended to my cardiologist that just aspirin would be ok.I

have been on hormone replacement therapy since I was 54. I tried

stopping when I started reading the negatives, but could not deal

with the hot flashes, etc. I tried the black cohosh (sp?) tea, but it

definitely was not doing the trick. I am now on " Femhrt " 1mg/5mcg. It

is apparently a combination of two different medications. I take it

once every other day. Initially, I had been on Prempro, but this one

apparently has a lower dosage of estrogen. (My doctor does pelvic

sonograms twice a year, just to be alert to any changes.) I have not

noticed any change in the frequency of my a-fib attacks since being

on the hrt. Lorraine in NYC

[Guest guest]

Just to clarify, my gyn didn't say there was no problem with the 5 mg dose,

just that there is no evidence yet that a problem exists. Future studies

might focus on this dose, but none have so far. He also pointed out that

while the percentage of people having problems seems large, in absolute

numbers it is about 2 people more per thousand than in the group who took no

hormones. In any case, I didn't need much encouragement to stay on the

prempro and avoid the awful problems I had when off of it.

Brenta

Re: premarin for women with AF

>

> I'm confused ... why would there be problems with a 2.5 mg dose (which is

> what I take) and NOT a problem with double that dose at 5 mg?

>

> Thanks for the input ... nice to know I'm not the only one going through

> this.

>

> Toni

> CA

>

>

>

[Guest guest]

Just to clarify, my gyn didn't say there was no problem with the 5 mg dose,

just that there is no evidence yet that a problem exists. Future studies

might focus on this dose, but none have so far. He also pointed out that

while the percentage of people having problems seems large, in absolute

numbers it is about 2 people more per thousand than in the group who took no

hormones. In any case, I didn't need much encouragement to stay on the

prempro and avoid the awful problems I had when off of it.

Brenta

Re: premarin for women with AF

>

> I'm confused ... why would there be problems with a 2.5 mg dose (which is

> what I take) and NOT a problem with double that dose at 5 mg?

>

> Thanks for the input ... nice to know I'm not the only one going through

> this.

>

> Toni

> CA

>

>

>

[Guest guest]

Just to clarify, my gyn didn't say there was no problem with the 5 mg dose,

just that there is no evidence yet that a problem exists. Future studies

might focus on this dose, but none have so far. He also pointed out that

while the percentage of people having problems seems large, in absolute

numbers it is about 2 people more per thousand than in the group who took no

hormones. In any case, I didn't need much encouragement to stay on the

prempro and avoid the awful problems I had when off of it.

Brenta

Re: premarin for women with AF

>

> I'm confused ... why would there be problems with a 2.5 mg dose (which is

> what I take) and NOT a problem with double that dose at 5 mg?

>

> Thanks for the input ... nice to know I'm not the only one going through

> this.

>

> Toni

> CA

>

>

>