Loestrin is a low
dose birth control pill created specifically for women in their forties.
 Like other birth control pills it
works by suppressing or stopping
ovulation. This works to prevent pregnancy. But in perimenopause it's
effective in regulating the hormonal highs and lows of ovulation and
perimenopause. It decreases and even eliminates many of the bothersome symptoms of perimenopause; hot flashes,
sleeping troubles, mood swings and irritability to name a few. It also works to keep
the vaginal area moist and receptive thereby preventing loss of sexual drive and pleasure.
  Steve Goldstein, MD, author of Could It
Be Perimenopause says, "The basic message and it needs to be made
often and loudly is that there is a difference between replacement when menopausal patients who make virtually no
estrogen need it replaced and the concept of "turn off and substitute" which is
what the perimenopausal patient with fluctuating levels of unopposed estrogen will require
for improvement. Many physicians and patients do not understand the
difference."
Monophasic birth
control pills
This means that every pill you take for 21 days contains
the same amount of estrogen and progesterone. Lo/Ovral, Ortho-Novum, Demulen,
Alesse, and Ortho Cyclen are other examples of monophasic birth control pills.
Suppression Therapy
A woman taking a birth control pill like Loestrin is not
adding estrogen to her body, but turning off her natural supply and adding a measured
healthy amount. She will probably have less estrogen in her body than if she let
nature take its course.
(see "suppressive" Rx)
More FAQ's
HotFlash FAQ:
HotFlashes and Breast
Cancer
What if you
can't take estrogen?
 For women with breast
cancer with hotflashes, taking estrogen is not an acceptable form of therapy, because it
can make the cancer worse. Loprinzi has found Effexor to be the best non-hormonal therapy
for women with hot flashes and breast cancer. Not only did the participants in the
study have less flashes, but they also had a better sense of well-being and sleep better.
Find out more
Meet the author
Stephanie DeGraff Bender,
MA
Author of "Power of Perimenopause"
 She
has been in the forefront of women's hormonal health for the last 20 years.  Her work in unearthing the seemingly mysteries of PMS (premenstrual
syndrome) has led to her current expertise in perimenopause. The Power of Perimenopause
has sold thousands of copies and is a well respected women's health guide. Her appearances
on Oprah, CBS Morning News, Donahue have left no doubt that she is a women's advocate in
the best sense of the word. |
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