Add to this all the numerous products sold as assistance aides in aligning “comfort”, or some semblance of equilibrium, for the symptoms of the menopause transition (MT) [i.e. cooling pads, cooling fans, cooling sheets, et al] in the numerous maladies in the constellation of MT symptoms. I’m sure the profitability might even contend with Mr. Bezos ability to hit the Kármán line, if not push past it next time.
During peri, insistent on riding out the wave of symptoms that insidiously kept appearing up in my life au naturale, I initially opted for the supplement route. Perhaps my liver owes it’s life to my hypothyroidism (words I never thought I’d collectively arrange), in that it denied me access to any soy-based supplements to assist with the growing list of daily disorientation. I encounter it routinely in my conversations with women regarding MT “you should try …”, to “… worked very well for me”, and to have a sidewalk epiphany, bending, if not dragging, their ear to dispel such “myths” I have begun to recognize serves a volley into a round of tête-à-tête that takes much longer than a gentle exchange between two kindred souls. For my short & sweet with a heaping scoop of “F the patriarchy”, I default to recommending your book, Doc G… and mosey on about my way.
Just can’t seem to thank you enough for your continued energy to fight the good fight, and for the billions of females that are subject to falling as prey if not for you!🤙🏽🫶🏽
Every time I read one of your newsletters, I feel compelled to reach out and thank you—so I'll continue to do so! You are a beacon of sanity in a world overwhelmed by pseudoscience, misinformation, and snake oil sales. The outrageous claims some make are astonishing, yet I see countless women in my practice every day who are lost and desperate, making them easy targets. Your information empowers me to be a better resource for my clients and network. Thank you for all you do!
Thank you Dr. Jen!! It’s such an absolute shame and really disgraceful to think that we’re such a huge target for all of this crap when all we’re trying to do is find ways to stay healthy and strong. What’s incredibly problematic for me is that I’m constantly reading articles about, “women’s health” particularly for women over 50. A recent one I came across is actually in Women’s Health Magazine titled “These Supplements are ‘Must Haves’ for Energy, if You’re Over 50–Per Doctors” “Per Doctors”….there’s the hook for me. Now prior to stumbling on to your blog, if a product was “doctor recommended” I wouldn’t think twice about ordering and trying it. I read the article above and thought, “Who doesn’t want energy?!” I was about to order a couple items…
Then this tiny voice said, “I wonder what Dr. Jen would think of these?” What do you think of these Dr. Jen?
Just my opinion, but the stream of literature from “reputable sources,” offering advice on healthy aging and specifically targeting pre- and post-menopausal women really muddy the waters for me. I’m trying to educate myself, keep up with the latest news and continually find that I’m gullible…naive, even. I guess a part of me still wants to believe that some pill might help make this stage in my life easier—just help me stay strong & healthy so I don’t feel like I’m falling apart. Or maybe it’s that I don’t want to miss something that could be a game changer somehow.
“The Vajenda” is really the only resource that I feel cuts through the bullshit and tells me what I need to know. Thank you!
The ironic thing is that medical doctors who are reluctant to prescribe HRT are suggesting supplements instead. They are off the hook for harmful side effects because these are over the counter. Doesn't matter that they don't help.
Thanks for sharing, as always! I have been prescribed many of the herbs in these supplements by an integrative medicine doctor who has a real medical degree, too...My question is have you also written about probiotics? I think you have and it's the same thing, maybe? I know if someone promotes their own products than it's about profit and not about the product but at the same time, when I go on an antibiotic, my doctor always recommends a probiotic. So maybe probiotics are really ok? But now there are all these probiotics for sale targeting specific demographics, like women, with whole teams of people banking on them.
It is said that of our total weight, microorganisms make up 1-3% of it.(2012, NIH) There are differing populations of strains that can be responsible for maintaining, or off-setting, homeostasis within our body. And within the organ systems of the body, achieving balance or having an overpopulation of specific strains can contribute to symptoms of such imbalance. The study of psychoneuroimmunology is fascinating indeed!
☹️ you unfortunately have been receiving poor advice...also if the "probiotic" was not sourced from yeast your antibiotic likely eliminated the "probiotic"
Thank you for this. I wish the FDA regulated supplements — it feels like the wild west. But for those of us whose doctors wanted to put us on SSRIs, Gabapentin, or Trazadone for our perimenopause symptoms, those supplements often felt like a saving grace. Estroven made my night sweats disappear for almost a year! When it stopped working I finally got a new doctor who wasn’t afraid of hormone therapy. Desperation will make people do irrational things.
I want to first echo the big thank yous that pepper the comments here. It feels good to be empowered, and to be given clear, concise and complete information that helps us make an informed choice. I have a question about diet. Apart from a "eat food, not too much, mostly plants" kind of guideline (love Michael Pollan), are there some ingredients that have been researched? Does a diet heavy in salt / sugar / processed foods increase risks of worse menopause symptoms? Or, if you want to replace some of your protein intake by soy, either tofu or TVP, is there a risk? All of my protein intake is plant-based (1/ tofu, 2/beans and lentils 3/ soy protein 4/ processed faux meat), is it actually a bad (or good) idea in terms of menopause symptoms, what should I watch in terms of intake to ensure I am supporting my body, should I reintroduce a low dose of meat (I would rather not!)? These questions are just example and don't wake me up at night, but I feel like this is also something where there is a lot of misinformation or incomplete information . "Studies have shown" ... Thank you
Amazing to me that women who are so terrified of low dose vaginal estradiol cream will instead purchase expensive unregulated supplements that include ingredients that cause real harm because they're marketed as "natural." There is no changing their minds. Do you ever feel like you're trying to lead a horse to water who just won't drink? Your informed readers are not the majority of women. How do we break the chokehold of "natural" supplements? I'll keep sharing I guess.
Found you via your book The Menopause Manifesto. Very well written and informative. I just wanted to add my story to you brain. I feel ill in early May- fatigue, light-headedness, shortness of breath, chest pain, brain fog. Passed out at my daughter's graduation in Mid-May. By June I couldn't stand for more than a few minutes at a time. Essentially became bedridden and unable to work. I saw a cardiologist, a neurologist, an audiologist, a pulmonologist. (2 of these doctors were at a very famous clinic in Minnesota.) Heart CT with contrast, Brain MRI with contrast, stress test with ECG-- all clear. Talk of cardiac autonomic dysfunction and/or orthostatic hypotension. On a lark, I saw a local functional md / ob/gyn in August who suggested MHT. Within 3 days, I was not light-headed when I stood up. The brain fog took longer to clear (a couple of weeks), but I'm now on week 4 of MHT and I get out of bed every day. Not one doctor in 3 months mentioned that it could be menopause related (I'm 57 yr. old, FYI). So I'm relieved to know it can be helped with MHT, but enraged that I spent my entire summer thinking I had a chronic autonomic disorder. All this to say that if I had found your book earlier in the spring, I might have been able to lead my doctors in that direction or seek out different providers. So keep writing about this topic because if I hadn't lived it, I never would have believed that the symptoms of menopause could be so varied and that there is so little awareness within the medical community.
"...the product can “increase exogenous estrogen levels.” -- LOL! This tells me that if I take this product, and I take estrogen [exogenous estrogen], then my estr. levels would be higher than if I took the estr. alone. Odd way for a supplement to work; plus why would I want to increase said levels... to overdose on estrogen? Really...
Re: Amazon sales -- gee, 5+ million dollars could feed a lot of hungry people...
Marketing of any product is designed to reach a specific audience. If someone is deficient in vit D or iron and calcium need to have an investigation done and adequate treatment.
Add to this all the numerous products sold as assistance aides in aligning “comfort”, or some semblance of equilibrium, for the symptoms of the menopause transition (MT) [i.e. cooling pads, cooling fans, cooling sheets, et al] in the numerous maladies in the constellation of MT symptoms. I’m sure the profitability might even contend with Mr. Bezos ability to hit the Kármán line, if not push past it next time.
During peri, insistent on riding out the wave of symptoms that insidiously kept appearing up in my life au naturale, I initially opted for the supplement route. Perhaps my liver owes it’s life to my hypothyroidism (words I never thought I’d collectively arrange), in that it denied me access to any soy-based supplements to assist with the growing list of daily disorientation. I encounter it routinely in my conversations with women regarding MT “you should try …”, to “… worked very well for me”, and to have a sidewalk epiphany, bending, if not dragging, their ear to dispel such “myths” I have begun to recognize serves a volley into a round of tête-à-tête that takes much longer than a gentle exchange between two kindred souls. For my short & sweet with a heaping scoop of “F the patriarchy”, I default to recommending your book, Doc G… and mosey on about my way.
Just can’t seem to thank you enough for your continued energy to fight the good fight, and for the billions of females that are subject to falling as prey if not for you!🤙🏽🫶🏽
Every time I read one of your newsletters, I feel compelled to reach out and thank you—so I'll continue to do so! You are a beacon of sanity in a world overwhelmed by pseudoscience, misinformation, and snake oil sales. The outrageous claims some make are astonishing, yet I see countless women in my practice every day who are lost and desperate, making them easy targets. Your information empowers me to be a better resource for my clients and network. Thank you for all you do!
Thank you for all you do to keep us informed. I am so disgusted by all of this. I used to work on a Liver Transplant Unit, liver failure is horrible!
Thanks for highlighting this.
Thank you!
Thank you Dr. Jen!! It’s such an absolute shame and really disgraceful to think that we’re such a huge target for all of this crap when all we’re trying to do is find ways to stay healthy and strong. What’s incredibly problematic for me is that I’m constantly reading articles about, “women’s health” particularly for women over 50. A recent one I came across is actually in Women’s Health Magazine titled “These Supplements are ‘Must Haves’ for Energy, if You’re Over 50–Per Doctors” “Per Doctors”….there’s the hook for me. Now prior to stumbling on to your blog, if a product was “doctor recommended” I wouldn’t think twice about ordering and trying it. I read the article above and thought, “Who doesn’t want energy?!” I was about to order a couple items…
Then this tiny voice said, “I wonder what Dr. Jen would think of these?” What do you think of these Dr. Jen?
Just my opinion, but the stream of literature from “reputable sources,” offering advice on healthy aging and specifically targeting pre- and post-menopausal women really muddy the waters for me. I’m trying to educate myself, keep up with the latest news and continually find that I’m gullible…naive, even. I guess a part of me still wants to believe that some pill might help make this stage in my life easier—just help me stay strong & healthy so I don’t feel like I’m falling apart. Or maybe it’s that I don’t want to miss something that could be a game changer somehow.
“The Vajenda” is really the only resource that I feel cuts through the bullshit and tells me what I need to know. Thank you!
The ironic thing is that medical doctors who are reluctant to prescribe HRT are suggesting supplements instead. They are off the hook for harmful side effects because these are over the counter. Doesn't matter that they don't help.
Thanks for sharing, as always! I have been prescribed many of the herbs in these supplements by an integrative medicine doctor who has a real medical degree, too...My question is have you also written about probiotics? I think you have and it's the same thing, maybe? I know if someone promotes their own products than it's about profit and not about the product but at the same time, when I go on an antibiotic, my doctor always recommends a probiotic. So maybe probiotics are really ok? But now there are all these probiotics for sale targeting specific demographics, like women, with whole teams of people banking on them.
The data on probiotics after an antibiotic is not great. In fact, some studies show that they delay the return of normal gut microflora.
It is said that of our total weight, microorganisms make up 1-3% of it.(2012, NIH) There are differing populations of strains that can be responsible for maintaining, or off-setting, homeostasis within our body. And within the organ systems of the body, achieving balance or having an overpopulation of specific strains can contribute to symptoms of such imbalance. The study of psychoneuroimmunology is fascinating indeed!
https://www.nih.gov/news-events/news-releases/nih-human-microbiome-project-defines-normal-bacterial-makeup-body
Every medical person I have spoken to suggest pro biotics when a person is taking anti biotics as the digestive system is impacted.
☹️ you unfortunately have been receiving poor advice...also if the "probiotic" was not sourced from yeast your antibiotic likely eliminated the "probiotic"
Thank you for this. I wish the FDA regulated supplements — it feels like the wild west. But for those of us whose doctors wanted to put us on SSRIs, Gabapentin, or Trazadone for our perimenopause symptoms, those supplements often felt like a saving grace. Estroven made my night sweats disappear for almost a year! When it stopped working I finally got a new doctor who wasn’t afraid of hormone therapy. Desperation will make people do irrational things.
I want to first echo the big thank yous that pepper the comments here. It feels good to be empowered, and to be given clear, concise and complete information that helps us make an informed choice. I have a question about diet. Apart from a "eat food, not too much, mostly plants" kind of guideline (love Michael Pollan), are there some ingredients that have been researched? Does a diet heavy in salt / sugar / processed foods increase risks of worse menopause symptoms? Or, if you want to replace some of your protein intake by soy, either tofu or TVP, is there a risk? All of my protein intake is plant-based (1/ tofu, 2/beans and lentils 3/ soy protein 4/ processed faux meat), is it actually a bad (or good) idea in terms of menopause symptoms, what should I watch in terms of intake to ensure I am supporting my body, should I reintroduce a low dose of meat (I would rather not!)? These questions are just example and don't wake me up at night, but I feel like this is also something where there is a lot of misinformation or incomplete information . "Studies have shown" ... Thank you
Amazing to me that women who are so terrified of low dose vaginal estradiol cream will instead purchase expensive unregulated supplements that include ingredients that cause real harm because they're marketed as "natural." There is no changing their minds. Do you ever feel like you're trying to lead a horse to water who just won't drink? Your informed readers are not the majority of women. How do we break the chokehold of "natural" supplements? I'll keep sharing I guess.
Found you via your book The Menopause Manifesto. Very well written and informative. I just wanted to add my story to you brain. I feel ill in early May- fatigue, light-headedness, shortness of breath, chest pain, brain fog. Passed out at my daughter's graduation in Mid-May. By June I couldn't stand for more than a few minutes at a time. Essentially became bedridden and unable to work. I saw a cardiologist, a neurologist, an audiologist, a pulmonologist. (2 of these doctors were at a very famous clinic in Minnesota.) Heart CT with contrast, Brain MRI with contrast, stress test with ECG-- all clear. Talk of cardiac autonomic dysfunction and/or orthostatic hypotension. On a lark, I saw a local functional md / ob/gyn in August who suggested MHT. Within 3 days, I was not light-headed when I stood up. The brain fog took longer to clear (a couple of weeks), but I'm now on week 4 of MHT and I get out of bed every day. Not one doctor in 3 months mentioned that it could be menopause related (I'm 57 yr. old, FYI). So I'm relieved to know it can be helped with MHT, but enraged that I spent my entire summer thinking I had a chronic autonomic disorder. All this to say that if I had found your book earlier in the spring, I might have been able to lead my doctors in that direction or seek out different providers. So keep writing about this topic because if I hadn't lived it, I never would have believed that the symptoms of menopause could be so varied and that there is so little awareness within the medical community.
I genuinely agree with most of the above comments.
Dr. Jen thank you once again for causing me to LOL...gibberish, as medically, there is no such thing!
Also I am confident that “sexy midsection curves,” has no real anatomic reference
"...the product can “increase exogenous estrogen levels.” -- LOL! This tells me that if I take this product, and I take estrogen [exogenous estrogen], then my estr. levels would be higher than if I took the estr. alone. Odd way for a supplement to work; plus why would I want to increase said levels... to overdose on estrogen? Really...
Re: Amazon sales -- gee, 5+ million dollars could feed a lot of hungry people...
Marketing of any product is designed to reach a specific audience. If someone is deficient in vit D or iron and calcium need to have an investigation done and adequate treatment.