Rapid Responses to:

NEWS:
Susan Mayor
Hormone treatment increases breast cancer risk, study shows
BMJ 2003; 327: 359 [Full text]
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[Read Rapid Response] A Call for the Question
Bill D. Misner Ph.D.   (15 August 2003)
[Read Rapid Response] Menopausal symptoms
Valerie F Hartley-Brewer   (8 September 2003)

A Call for the Question 15 August 2003
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Bill D. Misner Ph.D.,
Director R & D, E-CAPS Inc.
Spokane, WA, 99205 USA

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Re: A Call for the Question

In past responses to this forum re: precription dose effects, I asked an unanswered question: "Should not a prescription hormone dose effects be pre-determined by blood serum tests of circulating estrogens and progesterone?" Strangely though not surprisingly, not one physician attempted to answer this question. The day is soon coming when hormone dose must be justified by predetermined diagnostic deficiency. Then at least those predisposed to familial Hx cancers, will have no legal recourse against the prescribing physician, whose standard of care unthinkingly elevated anabolic hormone-sensitive disorders. A type of DNA pattern may be oversensitive reacting to hormone misdose or overdose. I propose we measure circulating hormones to merit prescription and dose of anobolic substances.

Competing interests:   None declared

Menopausal symptoms 8 September 2003
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Valerie F Hartley-Brewer,
GP
Weston and Rush Hill Surgeries, Bath BA1 3NR

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Re: Menopausal symptoms

All the recent articles on HRT have described menopausal symptoms as rather trivial, mostly mentioning hot flushes. Far more important are the mental symptoms such as anhedonia, fatigue, anxiety, even depression. It is the removal of these symptoms on starting HRT that has made many women very reluctant to stop it, despite increasing evidence of risks.

When I tried stopping it a year ago, the most significant symptom was that my brain turned to mush, not a minor problem when working as a GP!

Competing interests:   None declared