PS, that doc I told you about last thread, he still is a unrinary surgeon but now also specializes in hormone replacement therapy for men and women. He is writing a book about same. He wanted me to do the artwork for his book. I actually only do wildlife though. .

That doc, he charges 300 bucks per appt., doesn't take insurance, doesn't need to bother with it and has hordes of ppl pouring into him for help. In fact, one of my previous (female) gynos is his patient. He says ppl don't think doctors have problems, but they do.

Not every gyno will help you with hormone replacement therapy. A lot of them don't even understand it. Best bet is to go to a compounding pharmacy, get names of docs from them who order prescriptions through there, then call those docs and find out if they take your insurance. If they do, then that's where you should go.

The first gyno I went to see said no way was my pn related to menopause because otherwise she would see it all the time, and furthermore, she told me I should find out what caused it. (Neuros already told me in my case, not diabetes, they never find out.. it's cause that don't know anything about hormones, really). Then later, one specialist and gyno at another practise said it certainly is related to hormonal changes!

Not all doctors know but it's ok 'cause there's always google. Seek and ye shall find....

Just skimmed it, but this looks like another web page that is talking about what I have been trying to explain,

It’s probably hard to imagine, but Diabetes, Menopause and Obesity are all related. In fact, they might be the same thing, caused by the same root issue, just expressed differently by the body.


Similar topic anyhow.... menopause, sugar and diabetes...; another sugar disease besides PN that sometimes goes along with it...

http://www.askdrgarland.com/?p=7770

Yes, it is important to me to have my hormones balanced with bio identical hormone creams. I found that out years ago.

Right on. I found out one year ago, age 49. I wish I had found out at 43. I wish I had been on progesterone since 43. I wish I had known that my Vitamin D level was ridiculously low at 43 and what level of supplement I would need to take, found that out from here cause what Ortho doc said wasn't nearly enough. Even now I still only have a Vitamin D number of 49 taking 2500iu- 4000iu daily. I wish I had known of the other stuff Im hawking right when my three toes went numb. Would have saved me a lot of pain, grief worrying that my life was over, etc....

I would be afraid to just try progesterone without blood tests. You never checked yours??

I will definately look into it, it has been on my list to check things out as I know that time is coming, I am still very regular but I am 47. I keep putting it on the back burner trying to deal with my PN. Maybe I need to move it up to the front burner.

Thanks for all the info I will go check it all out.

Oh, and yes, you and I emailed privately about the benfotiamine quite awhile ago. It use to really help me but not so much anymore, but I still take it.

thanks!

Which progesterone cream do you use?

First of all, it's nearly impossible to OD on progesterone, particularly over the counter... because of how much your body can hold during a pregnancy, I read that, not my medical advice, none of this is, not vouching for any of it - my disclaimer.

I use Young Again, it's cheap - it works
http://www.youngagain.com/magento/cr...myprogest.html

1/4 tsp. morning night, that's how I started, now Im on the kind from the compounding pharmacy by prescription, bioidentical.

That doc who helped me out told me he thinks this kind is the highest quality over the counter. My cousin tried my brand, said her hotflashes didn't stop, tried this brand and they did....
http://www.amazon.com/Heartland-Prod.../dp/B006ERKV5C
My cousin makes no claims here either and is also not a doc and does not have PN - another disclaimer while I'm at it.

Dr. Smit of Annapolis Gynocology gave me the prescription kind (oral progesterone 100mg) and said, "This will help your neuropathy." Smit is also a herbologist; is part of a conventional gyno team. Smit needn't have told me that 'cause I already knew from when I tried the over the counter kind because my friend from twenty years ago, another Doctor in Annapolis, already clued me in.
So there are two doctors. Then there are the two dumb doctors, both female gynos, who didn't know.

Bet you one thing, either one of those two ding dong dumb lady docs wind up with miserable neuropathy... they're going to wind up going to my friend the doc who'll charge them 300 bucks an hour- cause they can afford it, then they are going to find out that they didn't know everything, now did they? Not hardly! They are also going to wind up on biodentical hormones, right quick!

Progesterone is a precurser (spell?) of other hormones. Men can take hormones too and probably have luck with their neuropathy? Why? Because hormones buy you time back. Think of it as if how your sugar was processed by your body before the time you came down with PM, when you were younger. This is what hormone replacement therapy does, it turns back the clock on how you process sugar, therefore, bye bye neuropathy angst. At least a good deal of it. That is a very simplistic view. But when I started thinking of the menopause connection, the first thing I thought of was how to buy time back for myself. Then I started thinking about gynocologists and hormones and such. It is known that women on hormone replacement therapy look younger... they look younger because it is like they are a little younger; they trick thier body into thinking it and behaving more like it used to... like it used to before PN!!!! Including on how their bodies processed sugar.. younger, it was processed better, like everything is processed better when you are younger.

The doc wanted me to do a pic for his book of a woman pointing the way for a man to walk down the path. Thats because he wants to show that hormone replacement therapy is for men too and women have already been the ginnuea pigs and had the mistakes made on them, now they are pointing the way for men; less the mistakes and complications.

Also to answer - when I went to the bioidentical doctors that took my insurance, I asked for the oral progesterone in that it is better than the over the counter cream for dealing with the horrific menopausal insomnia should you be unlucky enough to come down with that one.

"I didn't sleep for two years!" Oprah Winfrey on menopause, the show with Suzanne Somers.

If it weren't for that, I would have been alright with just the over the counter cream. Then when I went in for that prescription, she said they don't do saliva tests cause they change all the time - not every doctor abides by the need for saliva tests for hormone levels. She did do a blood test that told me my estrogen was now at 'menopausal' level. No whoop de doo suprise there.

Here's my buddy the doctor; I just googled his name plus 'video' and this came up, just watching it now. This is a lot lighter than the last video he sent me that dealt with how sugar causes cancer, it was really depressing. I watched it to be nice but it was just plain sad. I'm just looking at this one now for fun. Another disclaimer, I don't know if my doc friend is right either, lots of docs wouldn't agree with him - But - he does follow the principles of Dr. Lee's groundbreaking work. Doctor Lee from Harvard who wrote, "What you doctor may not have told you about menopause."

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H1ZE5epM7EI

Ok, here's that depressing cancer video he sent me, don't watch if you don't want to be really scared of chocolate. In fact, I need to tell him about the mud and how I have been able to not each chocolate for 9 days now. That is unheard of to everyone who knows me, it's a really big deal. Sugar, chocolate cravings, cake candies cookies GONE.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=om2Uj07ypec
Wonder what he'll have to say about that mud. Actually, I want to go by there and talk to him so he can see how much better my face looks, he knew me in my late twenties. If I look younger like I think I do, he will see it, or not.

My neuropathy symptoms started six months after menopause. I kept telling my family doctor and my neurologist that my symptoms may be related to menopause but they kept dismissing this idea. I have asked my family doctor for a blood test of my hormones but he doesn't think it's needed.

What can I tell you, those doctors are wrong and they are not experts in menopause or hormones... reguardless of their titles, they are not 'in the know.' I can only tell you I did not listen to two neurologists and two female gyno's who told me the same as you were told... I was so relieved when two others did, one in gynocology and one a urinary surgeon now specializing in bioidentical hormones. I say, 'consider the source."

Oh yea, I forget when I first complained about hot flashes to my male general practiitioner, he said, "Nothing I know of can be done with that." So that makes THREE doctors who had no clue. What a load of crapola because on the shelves of a health food store in my town sat a little jar of cream that stopped my hot flashes the first day I applied it. Who knew? Clearly not my G.P. right? Three days later, even more neuropathy pain was gone. STunner. I had reversed time. I was riding my bike, gardening, etc. Then the arthritis came over me and I was looking for something else and found the mud. Didn't realize I was going to find my 30 year old face in the bargain but it came along with it. Who knew? All I can do is tell you; the rest is up to you. I know you'll feel better soon.

Progesterone cream is cheaper when you order it online.

In appreciation of Doctor George helping me like he did, telling me about the book and so forth, I gave him one of my paintings as a gift http://www.wetcanvas.com/forums/show....php?t=1326977