Re: Saliva testing
From: Joanne Bulley, MD (islesannie@yahoo.com)
Sun Jan 11 19:58:20 2004
I agree.
I tell the women about the surges and nadirs of FSH, LH, estradiol and
progesterone in every cycle and why "hormone testing" for the
"perimenopausal" (by whatever definition you may or may not think of) is
a waste of money - someone is making big bucks - but that the results
are going to be different on different days of the cycle and from cycle
to cycle.
I tell the women that telling me about their cycle pattern tells me what
we need to know and whether their progesterone is "off" enough - to do a
biopsy and really find out.
Joanne
At Sat, 10 Jan 2004, Charlie Chambers wrote:
>
>Karen
>
>I agree with your concern. In my humble opinion, so many of these
>quasi-science endeavors are out there. I try to avoid being too much of
>the negativist with the patients. Instead, I ask them to get the
>literature citations from whomever is suggesting this "therapy", and
>would be glad to review and do a medline search for them. I suggest
>that the same critical approach they take with anything I suggest (i.e.
>safety, proof of efficacy) should apply to these "natural regimens" as
>well. Also, specifically with progesterone, I show them the lab ranges
>of normal to help them understand the huge variations in the normal
>patient.
>
>I think you are already on the road to realizing that something at a
>display doesn't suggest clinical validity, just as everything you hear
>from the RX rep.
>
>Dan, if we hear Ducks, can we bring shotguns?
>
>************************************************************************
>******
>************************************************************************
>
>--
>Charlie Chambers
>Hood River, OR USA
>cchamber@alumni.rice.edu
>
>"All good things...come by grace,
>and grace comes by art,
>and art does not come easy."
>
>Norman Maclean
>************************************************************************
>*******
>************************************************************************
>
>On Jan 10, 2004, at 5:21 PM, Karen Lee wrote:
>
>> Well, that's what worries me. The naturopaths
>> have bought into this big time and are making big
>> money on tests that tell post menopausal women
>> that their hormones are not in balance because
>> "see how low your progesterone is"! The local
>> pharmacist made a visit to my office to show and
>> tell all the BHRT modes of delivery and to sell
>> me on saliva testing. I have seen displays at
>> legitimate OB/GYN conferences so that's why I'm
>> asking your opinions.
>>
>> Karen
--
Joanne Bulley, MD
Keene, NH, USA
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Work to create peace everywhere you go and with everything you do.
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Let us accept truth, even when it surprises us and alters our views.
-George Sand
