The HRT effect of a teenaged DD

[user1499173618]

Two years ago my periods started getting erratic and, by last summer, they were so few and far between that they took me by surprise when they did occur.

My 13 year old DD started her periods in February. I have now returned to a 28 day cycle, regular as clockwork, bang in sync with DD.

Has anyone else experienced this? I can only explain it by some kind of hormonal transfer from her to me (and we do cuddle a lot).

It used to be a recognised 'thing'! www.bbc.co.uk/news/magazine-37256161 newer research has shown it's perhaps not true though.

You can't transfer hormones from one women to another. It's more likely sheer coincidence.

I know there's no medical proof but as teenagers myself, my 3 sisters and mum over time all started our periods on the same day, it was weird but 100% happened! It was a delightful week for my dad 😂

That's weird isn't it! I think research can be shown to show pretty much anything, but that doesn't mean it is necessarily just a coincidence. So little is understood about female hormones and how they work.

Œstrogen creams used by women can transfer to pets and family members and have major consequences so why wouldn’t hormones transfer from daughter to mother through close skin to skin contact?

Because we don't secrete hormones through our skin.

If your idea was logical user what about men? If they are having close and intimate relationships with women, or being close to a pregnant woman who hormones are sky high, they would also receive estrogen and become feminised.

There is a huge difference between transfer of a cream or gel on the skin's surface ( the instructions say it's fine an hour after application) and own own hormones somehow 'leaking' through the skin.

Those creams are not fine an hour after application, though. And if creams can be absorbed through the skin, there is plenty of potential for hormones to emanate from our bodies.

What information is there User that the gel (it's gel not a cream) that it transfers? This is the information leaflet
Avoid close skin contact with your partner for one hour after application

Skin has a membrane which allows substances to pass through it into the body but apart from sweat glands it doesn't allow anything else, such as hormones in the body, to pass out.

The information I have is from my friends: husbands starting growing breasts etc

This was confirmed by their doctors, btw, as a side effect.

I doubt it has anything to do with the gel unless they are not following the instructions. if this was a recognised issue, it would happen to all men.

You are wrong there - it’s the skin to skin contact that’s the issue. Men who don’t have sex with their wives who use the vaginal creams (gels) don’t have the issues.

It’s the unconscious level between the women that it is synchronized and maybe it affects their bodies and not a transformation of hormones.

User I'm sorry to keep disagreeing but I think we are talking about 2 different things, aren't we? You now mention vaginal creams. At first you were posting about gel. These are two different products. (I doubt you have many friends who use Oestrogel as it's not that widely used as HRT.)

Creams- Ovestin for vaginal atrophy- is not absorbed by men. If it were, it would be well known and listed as a side effect. I specifically asked my gynae consultant about absorption by men when it was first prescribed and he said it doesn't happen. I've been using it for 12 years.

Lots of men grow man boobs as they get older usually due to loss of muscle tone or general weight gain.

I didn’t post about gel - I posted about cream.

Œstrogen creams used by women can transfer to pets and family members and have major consequences

You implied it was HRT not vaginal estrogen (not sure how that could affect a pet!) When people discuss transfer of estrogen they always mean from gel, which is applied to the arms or thighs. It doesn't mean cream used in the vagina.

I'm sorry but you are wrong. If vaginal estrogen caused feminisation in men, it would be unusable and unsafe as a product. There is no evidence of this whatsoever and if your friends' drs beleive this, they are wrong too. I think my gynae- one of the best in the UK- knows more.

What you believe is up to you, but I can assure you that the transfer from HRT is pretty widespread advice where I live (not UK, far more developed gynecology practice).

It's difficult to rely on expert opinion when so often new evidence shows that what they've been advising is wrong. It's a big part of the reason I try to avoid medicalising my health issues as much as possible. There's still so much to be discovered about hormones and the menopause, who knows what they will find out in the future.

It’s clearly a very underresearched area. Most “research” being about creating commercial opportunities for big pharma.

Exactly user, the programme 'The doctor who gave up drugs' has made me think about this more too. I know someone will pop up and say HRT isn't a drug, but it is still medicalising a natural stage of life. (Now the comment will be - we should be dead by menopause....)

I am very sceptical about drugs. I know too many people who work in pharma and patenting and related fields not to be. So much R&D is purely motivated by creating commercial opportunity rather than improving lives.

If you are worried user about transfer of estogen what is your answer to vaginal atrophy? You are pretty condemning of the best gynaecologists ( those like Nick Panay do their own research) in the world. In a year, the correct use of vaginal cream equals 1 HRT pill ( 1mg.) So if a man could grow breasts on 1mg of estrogen in a year, that is what you are saying. And you also believe that hormones can escape from the skin in women .

So you are right and they are all wrong? Okay.

I don't think this is true. I have three menstruating teens in the house and my periods were very regular until a year ago when they just stopped. I am 52 though.

I have absolutely no idea what the answer to vaginal atrophy might be! I’ve never thought about it.

Whether or not other women use HRT is up to them, based on their own assessment of the risks to their health and of their family members.

Gretol - do you cuddle them a lot? Get into bed with one another?

yes I've cuddled them a lot over the years but the bed sharing days are more or less behind us!