I would caution you to be careful in stopping the Provera without your dr.'s knowledge.
Did they test your estrogen and progesterone levels to see what you are deficient in?
The Premarin is for Estrogen, the Provera is for Progesterone.
If the dr doesn't know your exact levels of either of those hormones in your body, then they can't say for certain which hormone is causing the bleeding.
That's the only bad thing about taking the HRT pills- they can't give you specific amounts of either to "fill your tank" so to speak, with what your body is specifically lacking.
If you are progesterone deficient and stop the Provera you will bleed more.
Did they test your Free testosterone, DHEA, TSH (Thyroid), Estradiol?
These are all tests that should have been done in order to get the "complete" picture of what your body is lacking, not just the FSH level to see if you were in menopause. (Which is what most regular dr.'s will test, and not the others)
If the dr just blindly tested one of these, or worse- none of these, and wrote a script for the Premarin/Provera, then I would be concerned that I wasn't getting the right drugs for what I lacked.
Holycow--
The above tests are what they should be testing you for.
The dr that charges $3500, does that include your compounded medicine? You can get the cream from a pharmacy like Women's International for pretty inexpensive, depending on what your dr prescribes. I pay around $40 a month.
Insurance does not cover compounded medicines.
The dr.'s visit probably covers your labs, but you can get labs done at
www.lef.org/goodhealth
This is the lab that Suzanne Somers recommends. The company is called Life Extension.
IF you are in perimenopause and not menopause, your levels will change thru the month, depending on your cycle so it might not be completely accurate. That's where a good dr comes in- they know what to look for bc symptoms of Estrogen excess or Progesterone excess are very different.
If you are in Menopause, the labs will continue to change but at a different rate. A good dr will test you regularly for your levels. My dr is constantly tweaking my cream bc I am constantly changing.
My dr has been doing bioidentical hormones for 20+ years. He was a regular gyn but had a patient ask him if he could look into the BHRT way back when, and after he started researching it and trying his patients on it, saw a remarkable difference between the HRT/BHRT. So he gave up gynecology and only does BHRT now, nothing else.
IF you haven't read any books by Suzanne Somers, I urge you to. I always knew there was something wrong with my hormones and asked my Gyn and GP both to check my hormones bc I thought I was in perimenopause. Both told me I needed to try BC pills, that they wouldn't test my levels until I had missed a period. Well I never could take BC pills- ever, they caused horrific migraines in me.
When I went to the new Dr, he told me that BC pills take away your progesterone, and even when not on them, that I was completely depleted of that hormone. I am estrogen dominant and need a ton of progesterone replaced to counteract the estrogen. Not having any caused the migraines and when on BC pills it was worse.
Not only that===== on BHRT my fibromyalgia and arthritis has decreased SIGNIFICANTLY. They were worse bc of the lack of progesterone in my body. There is a reason women in perimenopause and Menopause have increased arthritis and fibro. There is definitely a hormone correlation.
Find a dr that will work with you. All doctors are NOT created equal. If you don't like what one says, keep trying. Someone out there will help you.
Let me know if there's anything more I can offer you. I'm pretty vocal about it bc I feel so awful that so many women are searching for something and don't know how to go about getting help. I want everyone to feel as great as I do- the difference in my quality of life before and after BHRT has been remarkable.
If you can do it, if you can afford it- it will be the best present you ever give yourself. Good luck.
