Premarin®
stands for Pregnant
Mares'
Urine (PREgnant
MARes' urINe)
or PMU.
Premarin (including Prempro,
Premphase, Prempac, and Premelle) is a drug made up of conjugated
estrogens obtained from the urine of pregnant mares -- put out in
many forms (pills, creams, injections, patches, vaginal rings) and
is used to reduce the symptoms of menopause in women or women who
have had a hysterectomy.
It
is also prescribed to nearly eliminate the risk of osteoporosis (the
brittling of bones) and reduce the chance of heart disease in women
over 50.
Millions Of Women Taking The Drug
1 million women in the United States were still taking Prempro pills
as of June 2003, down from the 3.4 million taking the drug before
the negative Women's Health Initiative study
results became known.
This is a reduction of 25% from the high figure of
approximately 12 million women taking PMU based medications in 1999.
What you can
do
·
If you take Premarin, ask your doctor to prescribe a non-Premarin
HRT drug or better still, bio-identical hormones.
·
Consider plant-based alternatives to Premarin.
·
Try the natural approach to menopause: a healthy diet which includes
phytoestrogens such as ground flaxseeds, soy, and red clover,
regular exercise and stress management with techniques such as
meditation or time out.
·
Educate others about the cruelty behind the PMU industry
Write to:
Your local
newspaper protesting about the cruelty.
Ayerst
Laboratories
Gregory Place
PO Box 148
Parramatta NSW
2124
Wyeth-Ayerst
Laboratories
POB 8299,
Philadelphia
PA 19101
USA
Refer to the
new synthetic drug (CES) they developed from soybeans and yams in
1996
(25% cheaper
than Premarin) and ask whether they will be seriously considering
taking a new direction in developing more synthetic drugs that do
not involve cruelty to horses.
The Hon. Kay
Patterson
Minister for
Health
Parliament
House, Canberra ACT 2500
Demand that
any drug containing equine urine imported to Australia carry
labelling stating its derivation, to allow women to make an informed
choice in taking the drug.
The Hon. Mark
Vaile
Minister for
Trade
Parliament
House,
Canberra ACT
2500
Ask him to
consider banning the import of any drug containing equine urine to
Australia on the grounds of gross inhumanity to horses.
Make these points:-
-
As HRT is listed on the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme, doctors
can prescribe it as a cheaper osteoporosis treatment for women
who have not already suffered a fracture.
-
Alternative osteoporosis treatments are available through the
PBS only to those women who have already had a fracture – women
usually have fractures over the age of 60.
-
Women can be prescribed only oestrogen if they have had a
hysterectomy, but there remains a small risk of breast cancer
(after ages of 45 – 50 the risk of breast cancer increases and
the longer a woman takes HRT – more than 5 years – the greater
the risk).
-
The US Food and Drug Administration caution “the urinary
oestrogen excretion by pregnant mares is widely variable”.
Studies have shown that the amount of oestradiol – one of the
active hormones in Premarin – can vary by almost 400% from one
batch to the next.
ALTERNATIVE
TREATMENTS
Some commercially available products include:
Remifemin
Containing
the herb black cohosh, is a product of over 40 years of clinical
research. International studies have shown consistent relief of
menopausal symptoms,
www.remifemin.com.au or call 1800 64 1242)
Promensil
Containing red clover, provides a mixture of 4 plant isoflavones,
believed to bring relief from hot flushes and sweats experienced by
menopausal women.
(Based on red clover extract with 4 plant isoflavones (contained in
natural foods – red clover, lentils, chickpeas, soy and tofu, which
benefit human health)
www.promensil.com
Rimostil
Also based on red clover, but with a different mix of isoflavones,
is marketed as being more suitable for women after menopause. It is
said by the manufacturer to help maintain bone health and bone
density as well as good levels of cholesterol in the body.
www.rimostil.com
Maca Root
The root works to promote optimal functioning of the hypothalamus
and the pituitary, improving the functioning of all the endocrine
glands (book, published in Lima, Peru 1997 by Dr. Gloria Chacon de
Popivici).
Dr. J. Malaspina (a Lima cardiologist) has been using Maca in his
practice for more than a decade and says, “Maca does not cause the
ovaries to atrophy, as does conventional hormone replacement
therapy”.
Dr. Gabriel Cousens (Arizona) says: "Whenever
possible, I prefer to use Maca therapy rather than hormone
replacement therapy because HRT actually ages the body by
diminishing the hormone-producing capability of the glands".
Maca, a dehydrated, cruciferous root vegetable, may be imported
without the need for approval by the Therapeutic Goods
Administration
Women’s Menopause
Formulas
Meno Ease
Manufactured by Naturopathia (Naturopathica) –
contains 6 herbs which, while not the subjects of clinical trials,
have been known to help menopausal symptoms.
Wild Yam Creams*
Are marketed as
natural progesterone
and may help some women’s symptoms, even though they do not actually
contain any progesterone.
Ogen,
Progynova, Estigyn, Oestrodial, Oestroderm, Kolpon
Oestrodial is extracted from soy beans or wild yams (tablets,
creams, pessaries, patches and implants)
Adding
phytoestrogens to the diet would contribute towards balancing
hormones and maintaining health
For more
severe menopausal symptoms it is advisable to consult a naturopath,
homeopath or herbalist for a tailor-made prescription made from more
concentrated natural products than those available commercially.
Professionally prescribed alternatives to Premarin include:
-
Practitioner-only herbal tablet formulations such
as Femi-Nan (Eagle), Femme Complete (Pharma foods), Unifem
(Nutrition Care), Cimicifuga (Phytomedicine) and so on may be
purchased from Naturopaths and herbalists. These tend to
contain higher levels of the herbs and other useful ingredients.
-
Prescription herbal formulas made up for
individual symptoms by Chinese, Ayurvedic or Western herbalists
or Naturopaths.
-
Homeopathic remedies, such as Pulsatilla, Sepia,
Sul-ac and so on can be useful in treating menopausal symptoms
and are best prescribed by a qualified Homeopath.
-
Bioidentical hormone creams or troches may be
necessary in cases of extreme symptoms. These are prescribed by
a few naturally oriented general practitioners and are made up
by compounding pharmacists. They are far preferable to
synthetic hormones.
-
Acupuncture has been found useful, especially for
hot flushes.
Links for Reference
HorseAid's
Prognosis for Premarin
North American Equine Ranching Information Council
http://www.naeric.org
www.premarin.org
www.unitedpegasus.com
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