IDEAL CANDIDATES FOR THE SERM RALOXIFENE

 

 

Selective Estrogen Receptor Modulators (SERMs), are a category of hormone therapies that manage how Estrogen works in a woman’s body. They are manufactured by pharmaceutical companies, go through rigorous testing for years, human trials and are FDA approved. Dr Steven R. Goldstein is a  Hormone Specialist in NYC and co-author of the book The Estrogen Alternative, the first book of its kind to outline the options and benefits of using synthetic hormones like Selective Estrogen Receptor Modulators (SERMs).

One of these Selective Estrogen Receptor Modulators (SERMs) is called Raloxifene (Evista). Who is the ideal candidate for this SERM? Most doctors agree that Raloxifene would be a very viable choice for women who are past menopause and have the following characteristics:

She cannot, should not, or will not take estrogen. Perhaps given her health history, she was told by her doctor that she cannot take estrogen, even if she wanted to. It’s not a question of the pros and cons of hormone replacement therapy, but the fact that she is simply not a candidate. Raloxifene gives this woman an entirely new option, and was, in fact, created for women like her.

Secondly, she doesn’t suffer from bad hot flashes, night sweats, either because she is over them or never had them. If she does have these symptoms, they are mild enough not to be bothersome or controlled by over the counter remedies.

Thirdly, avoiding breast cancer is her major concern, perhaps because of family history or fear of getting the disease. However, she wants to prevent osteoporosis.

Lastly, she may have tried hormone replacement therapy, but did very poorly. Perhaps it was the progestin phase of the HRT, or just that after trying it over a period of time she simply could not tolerate it.

Dr Steven R. Goldstein, a leading Hormone Specialist in NYC has helped thousands of women over three decades of private practice to cope with the vasomotor symptoms of menopause such as hot flashes, night sweats, foggy memory, vaginal dryness, low libido and more severe symptoms like osteoporosis, cardiovascular disease and so on. He is a Certified Menopause Practitioner, a past President of the International Menopause Society, a past President of the North American Menopause Society.

If you are a woman suffering through the symptoms of menopause, have a discussion with your doctor and hormone specialist and see if Raloxifene is right for you.