|  | Conditions Treatments | Osteoporosis

Hormone Replacement Therapy for Osteoporosis

Osteoporosis is a condition that causes your bones to become frail and more susceptible to breaking. It can be caused by heredity, lack of a proper diet, inactivity, smoking and consuming foods and beverages that rob your body of the calcium it needs. According to the National Osteoporosis Foundation, approximately 10 million Americans live with this disease and 34 million are at increased risk. One way to help manage the symptoms of osteoporosis is to take hormone replacement therapy (HRT) medication; however, there are many things to consider before deciding whether or not to go on HRT.

  1. Identification

    • With age, a woman's body begins to slow down its production of two hormones called estrogen and progesterone. This decline begins between the ages of 45 and 55 years. Once a woman has not had a period for 12 months in a row, she has entered menopause. With menopause, there can be certain symptoms, which can range from mild to severe. This includes hot flashes, mood changes, night sweats that lead to insomnia, vaginal dryness and a thinning of the bones, which can lead to osteoporosis. If you have developed osteoporosis, you and your doctor may need to explore medications to help manage the disease and to control your symptoms.

    Types

    • Hormone replacement therapy comes in various forms, such as nasal sprays, pills, skin gels or patches and vaginal creams or rings. HRT can be taken once per day, once per week or once per month. Common medications that are prescribed include Activellala, FemHrt, Prempro, Premphase and Ortho-Prefest.

    Benefits

    • Hormone replacement therapy involves taking medications that contain estrogen alone or an estrogen and progesterone combination to help you manage your menopause symptoms. These medications can also help to slow and reverse bone loss, to improve bone density in your spine and hip and to reduce your overall risk of fractures. Hormone replacement therapy can be prescribed in a variety of dosage levels, and each patient has different needs and tolerance levels. It may take some trial and error to find the right amount for your individual situation.

    Side Effects

    • The National Institutes of Health states that common mild side effects of hormone replacement therapy include headaches, upset stomach with or without cramps, vomiting, diarrhea, feeling agitated, fluid retention, acne, vaginal dryness and breast tenderness. Your doctor can adjust the dosage and type of medication to help you minimize the side effects while still effectively treating your osteoporosis.

    Complications

    • According to the National Osteoporosis Foundation, taking these medications increases your risk of endometrial cancer, stroke, heart disease, blood clots in the legs and lungs, breast cancer, gallbladder disease and cognitive problems. Due to the higher risk of these serious diseases, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) does not advocate the use of HRT for osteoporosis unless all other options have failed. If hormone replacement therapy is used, you should take the smallest dose possible for the shortest period of time. Both the National Osteoporosis Foundation and the FDA urge patients to try one of the many other medications available to treat osteoporosis before turning to hormone replacement therapy.

Osteoporosis - Related Articles