When a woman reaches menopause, somewhere around the age of fifty, her menstrual cycles cease, her production of the hormone oestrogen declines, and a series of distressing physical and emotional symptoms usually occurs. Among these are hot flushes (sudden flushes or waves of heat and drenching sweat over the upper body), depression, vaginal dryness, urinary incontinence, increased risk of heart attack, and progressive bone deterioration.

Unfortunately, many doctors consider menopause a disease, instead of a natural process, and quickly prescribe oestrogen (or related hormones) to treat change-of-life discomforts. But though hormone replacement therapy (HRT), which employs such drugs as chlorotrianisene, conjugated oestrogens, estropipate, and ethinyl estradiol among others, is effective in treating moderate to severe vasomotor symptoms, such as hot flushes and the drying of vaginal mucous membranes, there is no evidence that it is effective in treating nervous symptoms or depression or in preventing heart attacks. And it has been found to be only “probably” effective in treating oestrogen-deficiency-induced osteoporosis (bone deterioration), and then only when used with other therapeutic measures. On the other hand, there is evidence that these oestrogens can increase the risk of endometrial cancer! Additionally, women who’ve been on oestrogen therapy often find that it only delays symptoms, such as hot flushes, which then seem to reappear when the drug is discontinued.

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