Estrogens trigger osteoporosis

[Eunuchist (imported)]

An interesting review by a physician examining the studies and reaching the conclusion that estrogens actually are damaging to the bone. This should have implications to eunuchs currently on estrogens, as the evidence is compelling. The article also exposes the myth of mega doses (1,500 mg) of calcium, especially because the body is only able to absorb 500 mg at a time.

Excess calcium may also be damaging to people with heart disease, as do the estrogens, as confirmed by recent studies. The role of magnesium as a natural protective factor against osteoporosis (as well as mood swings and muscle cramps) is further outlined.

http://www.royalrife.com/0101.html

From:

Guy R. Schenker, D.C.

January, 2001

Dear Doctor,

Do you have any patients who are worried about osteoporosis? Are

there any women under your care who are considering estrogen

replacement therapy as protection against osteoporosis? Then, here is

one important study you will want to look into.

Kassem M., et al. Potential mechanism of estrogen-mediated decrease

in bone formation. Proc Assoc Am Physicians 1996, Mar;

108(2):155-64.

Yes, you read that correctly ... "Estrogen-mediated decrease in bone

formation." "What exactly is going on here?" you may be wondering.

Everyone "knows" that the one beneficial effect of estrogen is that it

prevents post menopausal bone loss. The fact is (as is clearly shown in

the scientific literature) that the truth is not only different than we are

led to believe, but the exact opposite of the propaganda we have been

fed. Here is another study which shows that estrogen is a causative

factor in osteoporosis:

Bauer, et al. Skin thickness, estrogen use and bone mass in older

women. Menopause 1(3), 131-136, 1991.

This study found that estrogen was associated both with thinning skin

and with decreased bone mass in older women.

Here is more evidence implicating estrogen as a destroyer of bone

mass:

Schlechte, et al. Bone density in amenorrheic women with and without

hyper prolactinemia. J Clin Endocrin & Metab 56,1120, 1983.

This study demonstrated a direct damaging affect of prolactin on bone.

And then this next study ...

Dannies. "Control of prolactin production by estrogen," Chapter 9 in

Biochemical Actions of Hormones I Academic Press, 1985.

... showed that estrogen is a primary stimulus to prolactin production.

Prolactin is a stress hormone produced by the pituitary which many

studies have shown causes osteoporosis. Furthermore, many studies

also show that estrogen promotes the secretion of prolactin. These

studies make it clear that something that increases something that

causes osteoporosis can not possibly prevent osteoporosis.

How can the pharmaceutical establishment get away with promoting

estrogen as protection against osteoporosis when research clearly

shows that the opposite is true? They have spent zillions of dollars in a

propaganda campaign that is entirely based on a half truth (evidence

which was subsequently proved to be false, showing a damaging, not a

protective role of estrogen -- but which was then quickly replaced by

another half truth on which they still base their dishonest claim).

The original half truth employed by the estrogen propaganda machine

was the discovery forty or more years ago that estrogen can cause a

positive calcium balance -- in other words, retaining some of a calcium

test dose, rather than dumping it all into the bowel and kidneys for

excretion. The estrogen promoters argued that this fact showed that the

retained calcium was being stored in bone. But very quickly endocrine

physiologists showed that estrogen causes the retention of calcium by

soft tissues, not by bone. The accumulation of calcium in soft tissues

is, of course, an accurate marker of stress and aging. (In other words

estrogen just makes you old -- as expressed in sclerotic calcium

deposits all through the body.)

This, of course, set the estrogen promoters scrambling to suppress the

nasty little details about calcium retention, and frantically look for

another excuse to peddle estrogen as a protector against osteoporosis.

They seized upon another discovery -- namely, that estrogen can reduce

the activity of osteoclasts, the cells that continuously break down bone

in their complimentary and cooperative role to osteoblasts, the cells

that then rebuild the bone.

Be certain you understand this so that you can explain it clearly to your

patients. There are two types of cells continuously at work in bones,

making bone a dynamic, continuously evolving living tissue. There is

one type of cell that continuously breaks down bone structure, while

the other type of cell continuously rebuilds it, and the two are in

constant balance. In reading the last two issues of this Letter you have

come to know that estrogen is a destructive stress hormone that

interferes with the normal function of many types of cells. One of the

cell types whose function estrogen particularly destroys is the

osteoclasts -- the cells that tear down bone. And, as it turns out,

estrogen is more destructive to the osteoclasts than it is to the

osteoblasts.

The estrogen peddlers seized on this fact and began to promote it as

proof that estrogen was good for the bones because it inhibited

osteoclastic activity. Of course it is never mentioned that estrogen does

nothing to help rebuild the bone. It merely slows down and destroys

the balance of the normal remolding process of bone.

But at any rate, the estrogen promoters now had their half truth on

which they could base their case for estrogen. Now that they could say

(with tongue in cheek) that estrogen "prevents bone loss," never again

was mentioned the original half truth about estrogen promoting a

positive calcium balance. Positive calcium balance had been the

essence of the first argument for using estrogen to prevent osteoporosis

-- but when it was recognized by everyone that calcium wasn't being

stored in the bones as a result of estrogen, it was convenient for the

estrogen industry to forget all about the positive calcium balance

produced by estrogen since it really meant that estrogen was causing

aging, tissue damage, and degeneration. The second half truth enabled

them to tidy up their fraudulent case for estrogen replacement therapy.

"Surely," I can hear you wondering, "There must have been some

evidence in support of estrogen rebuilding bone for the pharmaceutical

establishment to contrive such a huge campaign in support of the bone

protecting benefits of estrogen." No. Again, there is only scant

research showing that estrogen slows bone loss, and none that it

rebuilds bone. Furthermore, the studies purporting to show benefits

resulting from estrogen were done using the Dexa method of measuring

bone density. Here is an interesting study which shows the poor

validity of Dexa:

Schneider and Reiners. Dual-energy x-ray absorptiometry for bone

density can lead to false conclusions about bone mineral content,

because of alterations in tissue fat or water content. JAMA 277(1), 23,

1997.

This study showed that the influence of fat distribution on bone mass

measurements with DEXA can be of considerable magnitude and

ranges up to 10% error per two centimeters of fat. It also showed

tremendous variability in bone mass measurement due to changes in

fluid retention.

Now, ask yourself, what are the most immediate effects on a woman's

body of estrogen replacement therapy? There is an immediate and

steadily progressing increase in body fat, and, there is a tremendous

increase in fluid retention. As described in the study noted above, both

increased fat and fluid retention give a false increased bone density

reading using Dexa. So, after a woman has been on estrogen for six

months, she has gained five pounds of fat and five pounds of water.

She puts her now squishy body in front of the Dexa and, presto! -- her

bone density number is improved.

What we are saying is that it has never been demonstrated that estrogen

helps rebuild or remineralize bone. At best, it slows bone loss.

Furthermore, even the rate of slowing the bone loss is over- estimated

by bone scans because the increase in fat and particularly fluid

retention due to the estrogen gives a false increase in the density

measurement.

If falling estrogen at menopause does not cause osteoporosis, then what

does? There are some hormonal factors involved, and there are many

nutrition and other lifestyle factors involved. In the hormonal category

consider this study:

Johnston, et al. "Age-related bone loss," in osteoporosis II, Grune and

Stratton, NY, 1979, pp 91-100.

In this study it was found that progesterone, but not estrone, estradiol,

testosterone, or androstedione, was significantly lower in those losing

bone mass most rapidly.

Progesterone actually promotes bone rebuilding, rather than just

slowing its loss. One mechanism by which progesterone protects bones

is that it is an antagonist to catabolic stress hormones such as

glucocorticoids which destroy bone (as well as skin, brain, etc.) tissue,

and which increase with aging.

The other hormones supporting bone density maintenance in old age

are DHEA, testosterone, pregnenolone, and thyroid. Now, you may

still be wondering, "But if the drop in estrogen at menopause doesn't

cause osteoporosis, then why does it begin with the onset of

menopause?"

It doesn't. And that is the greatest lie of all. Bone density actually

begins decreasing during early adulthood and progresses steadily until a

woman reaches her mid 40's, when progesterone levels typically start to

drop, at which point the rate of mineral loss accelerates. Here are the

facts:

Between the ages of 21 and 40 there is a considerable increase in

women's estrogen production. However, bone loss has been shown to

actually begin around the age of 23, and progresses through the years

when estrogen levels are actually rising. In fact, most women lose two

thirds of the bone loss that they are ultimately going to lose in their life

before they even reach menopause. Do you begin to see how absurd it

is to blame menopause-related hormone changes for osteoporosis?

Re-read that last paragraph, and memorize it. You are going to recite it

over and over again with patient after patient for years and years until

the estrogen hoax is fully exposed. Each time a post-menopausal

patient comes to you explaining how she just had a bone scan which

showed, "the beginnings of osteoporosis," you must make her

understand that that loss of bone density has been going on since she

was 23 years old, and had nothing to do with low estrogen (and

probably much to do with too much estrogen and too little progesterone

throughout her 20's, 30's and 40's). If she shows osteoporosis today it is

because of lifestyle choices she made over a period of several decades

including: insufficient exercise, insufficient sunlight, insufficient trace

minerals, along with excess stress hormones such as glucocorticoids,

cathecolamines, and estrogen, whose excess is generally associated

with the various NUTRI-SPEC metabolic imbalances.

Notice, I didn't say anything about a calcium deficiency. Here is

another critical piece of info. It has been clearly shown that many of

the aging, tissue damaging and degeneration effects caused by estrogen

are exacerbated by calcium, and opposed by magnesium. In this light it

is seen that excessive calcium supplementation actually potentiates the

damaging effect of estrogen - including the damaging effect of estrogen

on bone - while magnesium has a protective effect against excess

estrogen, including a protective effect against osteoporosis. The two

studies you want to check in support of this are:

Abraham and Grewal. A total dietary program emphasizing

magnesium instead of calcium. Effect on the mineral density of

calcanius bone in post menopausal women on hormonal therapy. J

Reprod Med 1990, May; 35(5):503-7.

Muneyyirci-Delale, et al. Serum ionized magnesium and calcium in

women after menopause: Inverse relation of estrogen with ionized

magnesium. Fertil Steril 1999, May; 71(5):869-72.

It is interesting to note that both men and women lose minerals from

their bones at a rate of about 1% per year. Men have lower estrogen in

youth than women do, and their bones are much heavier. During aging,

however, as their bones get thinner, men's estrogen levels (unlike

women's) keep rising. After about age 54 the average man actually has

higher estrogen than the average woman. Similarly, muscle loss occurs

at about the rate of one percent per year. Women's muscles, like their

bones, are normally smaller than men's during youth, and estrogen,

which inhibits muscular development, explains much of this difference.

With aging, as men's estrogen levels rise, they begin to lose their

muscular advantage over women.

Reiterating our comments from the last two issues of this Letter,

estrogen is a damaging stress hormone to both men and women.

Accelerating the loss of bone and muscle strength is just one of its

many devastating effects. As regards the proper treatment for your

patients with osteoporosis consider the following:

Hochberg. Preventing fractures in post-menopausal women with

osteoporosis. A review of recent controlled trials of anti-resorptive

agents. Drugs Aging 2000 Oct; 17(4):317-30.

This study was a review of all the recent work done on treatments for

post-menopausal osteoporosis and reached several conclusions,

including that, "there is insufficient published evidenced from

randomized controlled trials to convincingly support the anti-fracture

efficacy of ... agents ... including ... estrogen ... at this time."

Interestingly, this study did show clear objective evidence supporting

calcium plus vitamin D in reducing fractures.

In other words, your patients are not likely to benefit from either

estrogen replacement or any other form of medical intervention for

osteoporosis. The answer is in NUTRI-SPEC. It is certainly not in

estrogen replacement, nor in mega dose calcium supplementation. The

only adjunct you need to each patient's NUTRI-SPEC QRG protocol is

the judicious use of progesterone or DHEA or pregnenolone or thyroid,

along with some extra vitamin D. We will give you protocol for the

proper use of these therapeutic agents in our next Letter. Meanwhile,

do everything you can to keep your patients off any form of estrogen.

ESTROGEN MAKES YOU FAT, DEPRESSED, AND OLD!

Sincerely,

Guy R. Schenker, D.C.

[plix (imported)]

I plan on starting estrogen sooner or later, and part of the reason is osteoporosis prevention, so hopefully what has always been believed about estrogen is correct.

I have always wondered about the large calcium dose though. That is well above the body's daily needs, and I always understood that the body just gets rid of excess minerals.

[Paolo]

It does get rid of what it doesn't want.

Take multivitamins, for instance - take too many, and your urine turns colors. That's the unused nutrients being passed; same idea.

It's like a paper towel, it'll only absorb so much.

[Riverwind (imported)]

Osteoporosis is a disease that causes bones to become thin, weak, and easy to break.

This is caused by the lack of hormones.

People like me who have Osteoporosis take a couple of things, Calcium and Fosamax.

My doctor has proscribed 500 mg of calcium twice a day for 6 days, on the seventh day I take the Fosamax.

All eunuchs not on hormones should have a bone scan every two years, I get one every year.

This years scan showed that I am out of the red zone but not quite back in the green zone as yet. My doctor and I talked about it and I will most likely continue with the Calcium and Fosomax for the next few years.

Osteoporosis comes with the lack of hormones, that was the other choise I had for the Osteo, was HRT which I turned down.

If you want more information on Osteoporosis feel free to email me at

Riverwind@eunuch.org

River

[plix (imported)]

Osteoporosis is a disease that causes bones to become thin, weak, and easy to break.

This is caused by the lack of hormones.

People like me who have Osteoporosis take a couple of things, Calcium and Fosamax.

My doctor has proscribed 500 mg of calcium twice a day for 6 days, on the seventh day I take the Fosamax.

All eunuchs not on hormones should have a bone scan every two years, I get one every year.

This years scan showed that I am out of the red zone but not quite back in the green zone as yet. My doctor and I talked about it and I will most likely continue with the Calcium and Fosomax for the next few years.

Osteoporosis comes with the lack of hormones, that was the other choise I had for the Osteo, was HRT which I turned down.

If you want more information on Osteoporosis feel free to email me at

Riverwind@eunuch.org

River

I wonder if just the minimal dose of estrogen I ordered would be enough to prevent osteoporosis. Is there a certain dose of either hormone that is necessary?

I am hoping to get my doctor to prescribe a bone scan later today, but I have my doubts because she has already made it clear she does not approve of what I have done. She's giving me a hard time with just about everything.

[_g (imported)]

I wonder if just the minimal dose of estrogen I ordered would be enough to prevent osteoporosis. Is there a certain dose of either hormone that is necessary?

I am hoping to get my doctor to prescribe a bone scan later today, but I have my doubts because she has already made it clear she does not approve of what I have done. She's giving me a hard time with just about everything.

Well, it's time to find an other doctor. She doesn't approve so get referral from one of your psychoanalyst, for a transsexal friendly doctor.

_g

[Christina (imported)]

I have asked my doctor on several occasions if I should be getting a bone scan. His reply: "as long as I am on hormone treatment I shouldn't be too concerned". Seems logical that as long as you have either hormone in your system that it should prevent osteoporosis.

Well, it's time to find an other doctor. She doesn't approve so get referral from one of your psychoanalyst, for a transsexal friendly doctor.

This is what I did. After my initial meeting with a therapist I got a name from her for a doctor that prescribed hormones. He is a gay/TG friendly doctor.

[plix (imported)]

After today's refusal to even monitor me if I take hormones myself, getting a new doctor is exactly what I plan on doing. But I don't know where to look. I am not seeing a therapist anymore. I can't afford it. All the ones I saw in the past followed the SoC religiously and would not let me see a doctor until at least 3 months to the day. How else could I locate a doctor who is TG friendly?

[Eunuchist (imported)]

I wonder if just the minimal dose of estrogen I ordered would be enough to prevent osteoporosis. Is there a certain dose of either hormone that is necessary? :

(

No, it won't. This particular hormone doesn't help against osteoporosis. In time, it'll make it worse, though. Read & re-read the article. Most of the doctors have no real competence in this field; they were fed the hype for years, and the article above illustrates exactly why.

If you still believe estrogen helps for osteoporosis, you're part of the hype, and unfortunately, that's exactly what the drug industry wants. What "have

always been believed about estrogen

" has mostly been blown into smithereens by several recent studies.

If you really want to prevent osteoporosis - excersize, walk, eat healthy, quit smoking, consume magnesium (200-300 mg daily should be fine) and other important minerals. Doing that you'll not only prevent osteoporosis, but a legion of other diseases and disabilities in the future. Never rely on hormones - the consequences may prove disastrous. Again, read & re-read the article.

Good luck!

[plix (imported)]

No, it won't. This particular hormone doesn't help against osteoporosis. In time, it'll make it worse, though. Read & re-read the article. Most of the doctors have no real competence in this field; they were fed the hype for years, and the article above illustrates exactly why.

If you still believe estrogen helps for osteoporosis, you're part of the hype, and unfortunately, that's exactly what the drug industry wants. What "have

76300]
always been believed about estrogen

" has mostly been blown into smithereens by several recent studies.

If you really want to prevent osteoporosis - excersize, walk, eat healthy, quit smoking, consume magnesium (200-300 mg daily should be fine) and other important minerals. Doing that you'll not only prevent osteoporosis, but a legion of other diseases and disabilities in the future. Never rely on hormones - the consequences may prove disast
[/quote]
rous. Again, read & re-read the article.

Good luck!

Should I still get a bone scan? How much does the average scan cost? I can't get it through insurance because they denied it as not being medically necessary. Their criteria for medically necessary included women who are estrogen deficient but not men who are T deficient.