There are many medications available for women experiencing the unpleasant symptoms of menopause. One such medication is Premarin. Premarin is a prescribed medication to help women who suffer from hot flashes, mood swings, and other side effects. Many women do not know all the side effects of the medicine. They don’t know how it is made. They are unaware there are safer and natural ways to help them combat the symptoms of menopause.
Side Effects
Like all medications, Premarin comes with a list of possible side effects and contradictions. Women taking Premarin are at an increased risk of blood clots, strokes, and heart attacks (Drugs.com, 2021). There is also an increased risk of certain cancers, such as breast, uterus, and ovarian cancer (Drugs.com, 2021). Menopause has unpleasant symptoms, but taking Premarin comes with unpleasant side effects too. Women may find themselves dealing with swelling, hair loss, indigestion, and headache pain (Drugs.com, 2021). Many women want relief from how menopause makes them feel, but they don’t realize they are trading one symptom for another. They will most likely be prescribed another pill to combat how the first pill is making them feel. It is how the pharmacy industry stays booming. It ends up being a frustrating process to feel better.
Making the Medicine
When someone is prescribed a medication, more often than not, they take their prescription, get it filled at the pharmacy, and begin to take it. Most of the time people don’t stop to consider how a medication comes to be. Or they simple figure it’s manufactured somewhere and they are not concerned. Premarin is a medication that requires the urine of pregnant mares for it to be made. Approximately 750,000 mares are impregnated every year while being housed in inhumane conditions to collect their estrogen-rich urine (PETA.org, 2021). These mares are unable to sit, move, and aren’t taken out of their small stalls. They receive no exercise and are kept on a water restriction to make their urine more concentrated (PETA.org, 2021). The foals are simply a byproduct of making the medicine. They tend to be removed from their mother and slaughtered. Once a mare is unable to reproduce quickly enough, she too is slaughtered. The treatment of mares is unethical, inhumane, and disturbing. There are other options to combat menopausal symptoms than to subject these innocent creatures to a life of torture.
Alternative Choices
Women have the opportunity to seek a safer alternative to Premarin that isn’t produced in unacceptable circumstances. Women may choose to try a synthetic or plant-based medicine. These medications include Censtin, Estrace, Estraderm, Ogen, OrthoEst, Estratab, Menest, Estinyl, Estrovirus, OrthoDienestrl, Tale, or Climara (lcanimal.org, 2021). Of course, these are still prescription drugs and they come with side effects. The positive is that they are not made from the urine of mares.
There are natural ways to combat menopause symptoms. It is important to check to see if any dietary or herbal supplements may interfere with current medications being taken before something new is started. Premarin increases estrogen, but soy provides plant estrogens (webmd.com, 2021). Foods made from soy may help with hot flashes and night sweats. Ginseng has been known to be a mood booster and can help to improve sleep. Black cohosh is an herb that is used for estrogen-related conditions. It may provide relief with hot flashes, but it isn’t made to be taken long term. It may also have mild side effects, such as an upset stomach, headache, and weight gain (webmd.com, 2021).
Some vitamins and minerals can help symptoms of menopause strictly because they help the body to function in general. If your body is healthy, it can naturally decrease the effects you feel from your body changing. Magnesium supports healthy bones and heart health. It is known to have a relaxing effect on muscles. Vitamin D boosts immunity and strengthens bones. Calcium slows bone loss, something that is accelerated as estrogen declines. Vitamin C is an antioxidant and helps with bone density, which is something women tend to lose as they age. The right diet can aid in helping women to cope with symptoms of menopause. Women may find engaging in yoga, aerobic exercise, and breathing exercises can help with mood swings and sleep disruption. Finding ways to incorporate daily exercise and time to do activities you enjoy can all be beneficial, not just in easing menopause, but in promoting a healthy lifestyle.
If you’re finding yourself dealing with menopause, don’t just agree to try the first medication your doctor wants you to try. Ask questions and see what might be the best fit for you. You don’t have to take a drug because your doctor tells you to. There is almost always a better alternative than a trip to the pharmacy. Yes, sometimes medication is the best source, but sometimes a little research will find you something that will cause fewer side effects, isn’t made by mistreating animals, and truly will help your body through what it is doing and not just alleviate the symptoms.
References:
www.webmd.com/menopause/guide/menopause-natural-treatments
