The promise and problems of the pill, IUD and HRT over 40
With an increase in hormonal symptoms appearing over 40, many people are offered treatment options such as the pill, the IUD and HRT. Each of these treatment options have wonderful effects and some side effects and may or may not fit the bill for supporting people as they transition towards menopause. In this episode, I sit down with Miranda Tawfik, a pharmacist with a focus on women’s health and hormone therapy. We discuss the pros and cons of each medication option and help settle some of your worries that you’ve been prescribed the wrong thing, or that they are “missing the boat” on a treatment option that they haven’t been offered yet. We give you timelines to consider these treatments for, what to expect and when to consider switching to something else. We cover the lab work you can (and cannot) do when you’re on these treatments and the long term health benefits and consequences of each choice. Whether you’ve been on the pill for decades, or haven’t used a hormone treatment since university, this episode will give you confidence in choosing which treatment option might be best for you and how to advocate to your practitioner to get it. Origin’s Pharmacy is owned by Miranda Tawfik and supports practitioners and patients from all over Ontario get care for all phases of life, including hormone replacement therapy for menopause. You can find out more about the pharmacy through their website https://originspharmacy.ca/