Re: 20 mcg or 35 mcg of estrogen for perimenopausal women?
From: Harvey S. Marchbein, M.D. (anonymous@obgyn.net)
Sun, 4 Mar 2001 19:37:26 -0600 (CST)
At Sun, 4 Mar 2001, anonymous@obgyn.net wrote:
>
>Since becoming perimenopausal late last summer, have gained tons of
>knowledge from this site & the doctors answering questions here. I am
>turning 49 this month and was diagnosed with simple hyperplasia in Dec.
>2000. My obgyn has been treating me successfully with a 3-month course
>of 200mg of Prometrium for the first 10 days of each month as I've had
>heavy bleeding following each course and the constant spotting has
>ceased. Following my progesterone course, she plans to confirm that the
>hyperplasia is gone with a follow-up endometrial biopsy and then she
>wants to place me on birth control pills to regulate my cycle.
Perfect.
>I had a tubal ligation years ago so I don't need the pills for birth
>control. Although I have never taken birth control pills & have dense,
>fibrocystic breasts, I have concluded that I would like to try a pill
>containing 35mcg of estrogen, like Ortho-Novum 1/35, as various articles
>have said that the "low dose" 35mcg estrogen dosage is better for
>prevention of bone loss in perimenopausal women, less breakthrough
>bleeding, & possibly better cycle regulation. However I have also been
>finding articles about the "extremely low dose" 20mcg pills as being
>better for perimenopausal women.
>
>I'm sure that some will suggest that I start with the 20mcg dose & work
>my way up to the 35mcg if I have problems with the 20mcg. However I
>still would rather start with the 35mcg & work my way down if
>experiencng too many side effects.
>
>Also would it be alright to stay on the 35mcg until your mid50s if it's
>working fine for you before switching to HRT? Thanks for any imput.
You can go either way. I prefer the 20 mcg pills for perimenopausal
patients. the least amount of hormone that does the job, the better,
IMHO.
Hope this helps and write back anytime for more information.
HSM
--
Harvey S. Marchbein, M.D. FACOG, FACS
Great Neck, New York
**Note: Opinions expressed here are for educational purposes only
and, as such, do not constitute a physician-patient relationship.
This information is not intended to supplant the need for you to
consult with your physician prior to choosing therapeutic options
and/or interventions.
**Private emails cannot be entertained due to time constraints,
consequently no private emails will receive a response.
**Thank you for your understanding ;-)
Please be aware that all e-mail on this forum is archived and can be viewed at
http://forums.obgyn.net/womens-health,
http://forums.obgyn.net/pregnancy-birth or
http://forums.obgyn.net/young-women
and is accessible to anybody on the
internet including internet search engines. This should be taken into
consideration before sending postings of a personal or confidential nature.
![[ Women's Health Forum ]](http://www.obgyn.net/images_women/wh-forum.gif)