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Has anyone had experience using the Wiley Protocol of hormone replacement therapy?
It is a method where bioidentical hormones are prescribed and are given transdermally -- through the skin -- in a patent-pending cream. A primary
difference between this protocol and some others is that the hormonal levels rise and fall, similar to the way a woman's normal cycle did when she was still menstruating.
There is some controversy on the web about T.S. Wiley's qualifications for developing a medical protocol, since she is not a doctor herself, she studied anthropology (though she co-authored the book "Sex, Lies, and Menopause" with Julie Taguchi, M.D.)
Some women claim wonderful results; others claim very troubling side effects. Does anyone out there have personal experiences to share?
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SusieT,
Thanks so much for your story. It's good to hear that you have found a solution that makes you feel so good in menopause!
April 27, 2010 - 9:25amThis Comment
Good question- and NO. I havnt told her. Im waiting to get my test results back that I had last week and basically let THAT do the talking. Honestly- Im going to go by how I feel. If I dont need to be any higher in my progesterone- Im not going to do more than I need. If Im doing half of it right now and feeling so fatigued- I dont even want to try higher doses. My appt with my doc will be in three weeks and if my results say Im in normal range- I wont bring it up with her... Im pretty sure she'd say I need to do the full amount, but it seems there is so much controversy over the progesterone portion of the wiley protocol that Im not willing ot risk it at this point. If others are doing well with only 80mg in their system- I dont understand why I would need 560. We'll see. I havnt heard or seen via internet that its harmful- its just my gut instinct right now.
February 6, 2010 - 4:33pmThis Comment
I think that is great to go with your gut instinct and advocate for yourself.
I am sure Diane would agree (and I think she was suggesting) that you DO tell your doctor that you are not taking the recommended dose, as this is also part of advocating for yourself: actively, openly and honestly disagreeing with your doctor.
This absolutely does not mean that you need to follow doctor's orders, it does not mean you go against your gut. What it does mean is that you are receiving the best care that you can, it means your patient-doctor relationship is strengthened (mutual trust and reciprocal communication, as you expect your doctor to not "withhold" information), and that your doctor is "in the know" in regards to your medicine. Please know that side effects can happen with less medicine, too, and your doctor will need to know what dose you are taking, in order to continue providing excellent care. In other words, your doctor is unable to provide you with the best care if you willingly keep important information from her.
Lastly, imagine if your numbers do come back in normal ranges, and that you are feeling good...your doctor will think it is due to the 560mg, and continue prescribing this to you, and other women! It would be great for her to know that your results are due to a lower dose (80mg).
Please let us know how your test results are, and how your doctor appointment goes!
February 7, 2010 - 8:27amThis Comment
cool thanks. I AM on the wiley- but in my 3rd cycle of it. I havnt ever used the full amount of progesterone- due to the MANY stories Ive heard like yours about the progesterone. I take my blood test tommarrow to see where my progest. is at. I have to be honest- the estrogen part of it DOES seem to be helping me- but your right! the progesterone stage seems to limit me in every day activities. Im not having horrible responses and it may be because I hardly had any hormones to begin with- but I DO see how fatigued I get when on the progesterone.
Im really glad to hear you've found what works best for you.
February 4, 2010 - 6:18pmThis Comment
Thanks for your post, Anon. So you're on the Wiley protocol with your doctor's supervision but are not taking the amount of progesterone she or he recommends? Have you told your doctor this, and is that ok?
February 5, 2010 - 9:06amThis Comment
Yes, Diane, I have a uterus and ovaries. The hair I lost on the Wiley Protocol two years ago grew back. And the mood is even and "ambitious." The skin is really great. The estrogen is supposed to build collagen which keep the skin from sagging. I imagine it must send collagen to your joints too. Sleep is good. Libido returned. No night sweats.
February 4, 2010 - 4:54pmAnon, I use the .05 Vivelle patch. There are lower and higher dose versions. And I use 20 mg progesterone twice a day. The main problem with the Wiley theory is they say you need a huge amount of progesterone to balance all that estrogen. They may be right about that. But most women don't need all that estrogen to feel good. So if you cut down the estrogen you can cut down the progesterone.
This Comment
Thank you so much, Anon. I'm going to make notes of what success you've had. We've just settled in a new place so I haven't yet found a doctor here, but when I do I want to explore the issue of bhrt in detail. The experiences of the women on this thread have helped me find my direction, for which I'm so grateful. I love hearing how well you feel! That's exactly what I want.
February 5, 2010 - 9:05amThis Comment
Hey amy- I have a couple questions. What is the dosage your taking? and do you think applying the full estrogen part of the wiley and half of the progesterone would avoid the weight gain if one continued the protocol?
February 4, 2010 - 11:18amThis Comment
Hi, Leanne,
I dropped the Wiley Protocol too because of the progesterone phase. It made me gain so much weight. A lot of the Wiley Protocol users need to take HCG to try to get the weight off.
My doctor switched me to the Vivelle estradiol patch along with Emirita ProGest (over the counter cream) for a lower dose progesterone. No more roller coaster!
What kind of bhrt are you taking now?
Amy
February 4, 2010 - 7:49amThis Comment
I'm a Wiley Protocol user and I'm also using HCG for weight loss, but not because of weight gain from progesterone. I gained the weight as soon as I stopped having periods. It was distressing. I was hoping that once I started using the Wiley Protocol the weight would finally come off, but it didn't. I didn't realize there were so many Wiley users going on hcg as well. I'd sure like to talk to them. Where can I find them?
I just finished my first round with hcg and lost 12 pounds. I've felt wonderful! Now that my hormones are finally balanced AND I'm shedding the weight, I haven't felt this good in years. But I'd like to talk to others who are using bhrt AND hcg.
February 4, 2010 - 9:24pmThis Comment