Hormones, A Saga

I'm of the age where the body's hormones start shutting down. For me, it didn't come on slowly, it came on like a freight train.

I have tried life with and without hormone replacements. I'm so cheap that when the patches started costing me $100 a month, I stopped cold turkey. Hot flashes? No problem. I could gut it out. How long can it last? Every little old lady I know is cold all the time. Eventually the hotness stops.

In trying to lose some weight, I have discovered a new doctor in town. He's done a couple of blood panels to check my overall health before allowing me to go on with the diet (I've lost 38 lbs). Last discussion, he tells me he wants to start me on some natural hormone replacements. My comment is, "as long as they don't cost $100 a month, I'll try it."

He prescribed a cream that you have to smear on your abdomen. Yuck. I filled the prescription and with my insurance, it didn't cost much. Within a week, I was feeling much better. NO hot flashes. My skin was less dry. My hair stopped falling out. A noticeable improvement when I was expecting none. I happily went to refill the prescription for the next month and my insurance changed. The pharmacist called and told me that the cream was no longer covered and did I still want to fill the script? It would be $90.

So, no.

Back I go to the doctor. I don't mind trying these meds, but I won't take a maintenance medicine off the formulary unless it's a life threatening illness treatment. For something like this, something that I am and can live with, I won't part with that much money. So the doctor tells me that they have an alternative. Injectable pellets. They put these little hormone pellets in under your skin and they slowly absorb over 4-6 months. The price is half that of the cream if you figure they'll last 6 months. So I'm in to give it a try.

I'm having the hormone pellets put in this afternoon. I'll let you know if it makes me feel better.

--Sandee Wagner