My mother was infuriated when she read an article about what is in her hormone medication, Premarin. You are not going to believe me when I tell you this, but it is horse urine. Yes, you read that right horse urine. I didn’t believe it either. How gross is that? Well I actually looked it up. They not only make it out of horse urine, but the side effects are increased chances of breast cancer, heart disease, and many many other things. Now if you are currently a woman taking hormone medication, you can’t just stop taking the medications. Here is what Sue Bondzeleske B.S., C.N.C has to say. You can read her full article here.

Synthetic hormones are just that– synthetic. They are not the same molecules as the natural estrogen or progesterone found in the body. Current research is finding that it is not advisable for any woman to be on HRT for longer than 6 months due to the eventual side effects. The female body does not accept synthetic hormones. It may seem as though it does at first, but, after many months or years, and constant exposure to environmental estrogens, side effects will appear. Formost of those side effects being increased risk of cancer, cardiovascular problems, candidiasis, fluid retention, elevated triglycerides, stroke, fibrocystic breast disease, and/or uterine fibroids. The problem is that synthetic hormones do not correct any problem; they simply add synthetic hormones to your body. If you stop taking them, or get them out of balance, the side effects ( night sweats, mood swings, depression, hot flashes) are not pleasant. Any time you add a hormone to the body that is naturally produced by the body, the body will stop it’s production of that hormone and the gland will somewhat atrophy. In the case of menopause — as your ovaries and uterus decrease production of estrogen and progesterone due to the lack of ovulation, the production of the hormones gradually is switched to the adrenal glands. If you start taking synthetic hormones, which are extremely potent as compared to natural hormones, your body will not be stimulated to produce the hormones itself naturally. Hence, the reason doctors leave women on hormones for LIFE!! This is also why women who stop taking hormones, for whatever reason, usually have severe side effects (the aforementioned hot flashes, mood swings, depression). It is very important to wean yourself off synthetic hormones while simultaneously taking natural herbs or supplements, or using transdermal natural progesterone cream. Estrogen replacement has been linked to cancer (breast, ovarian, cervical and endometrial). It has also been connected to Lupus (an auto-immune disorder). Research is finding that hormone replacement is not recommended if you have a family history of breast cancer, uterine cancer, or fibroids; if you have “cystic breasts” diagnosed as atypical hyperplasia; or if you have liver or gall bladder disease. Synthetic estrogens can cause changes in liver, because they accumulate in the body. Hormone replacement could cause high blood pressure, fluid retention, and blood clots. Premarin is “natural” estrogen — extracted from the urine of pregnant mares. It is not natural to the human female body. This is extremely potent and may cause metabolic changes in the liver. It should never be used by obese women, those who smoke or have high blood pressure, high cholesterol or varicose veins. 

If a woman does decide to use estrogens, it is always recommended that truly natural ones are used (Tri-Est, Estrace, and Estraderm) and only use the smallest dose every other day. It may also be a very good idea to try natural progesterone cream to balance eventual estrogen dominance which could result from hormone replacement therapy. In many cases, perimenopausal or menopausal symptoms persist even with hormone replacement therapy. A typical scenario might be… the doctor continues to gradually increase the dosage of estrogen, thinking that it is the lack of estrogen that is causing the symptoms, when, in fact it is estrogen dominance that is giving the symptoms. Eventually, due to constant increase in estrogen dosage, PAP smears reveal dysplasia, or hyperplasia, symptoms persist, and the poor misguided human female goes through a hysterectomy…. after which she is immediately put back on ERT. (or HRT, if she had “everything” removed — but that is another misguided therapy we can discuss later) She will no doubt be kept on these hormones for the rest of her life — even though, as mentioned, medical literature recommends women not be on HRT for any longer than 6 months. Eventually, the woman will again start to have hot flashes and various other symptoms, and the doctor will ultimately tell her to live with it. At that point, a very large percent of the women end up at a health food store searching in desperation for something to help make her feel better and to get off the hormones.

This spurred me to do a little more research. I also found that not only is this correct but the Humane Society has also published articles about the drugs and the interactions on women. You can view the full article here. Apparently the pregnant mares are treated very badly to collect the urine. Their offspring are just considered a buy product and after the horse have served there purpose they are sold for slaughter, which is usually what happens to their offspring. Here is some of what I found.

Premarin stands for Pregnant Mares’ Urine (PREgnant MARes’ urINE), PMU for short. It is a drug made up of conjugated estrogens obtained from the urine of pregnant mares – put out in many forms (pills, creams, injections, patches) and is used to reduce symptoms of menopause in women or women who have had a hysterectomy. It is also prescribed to nearly help the risk of osteoporosis (the brittling of bones) and reduce the chance of heart disease in women over 50.

Since the 1970’s hundreds of thousands of horses have been confined for months at a time during their pregnancy, so that their urine can be collected. To obtain the urine used, mares are impregnated and confined for six months of their eleven-month pregnancies, unable to turn around or lie down comfortably because of the small stalls, short chains and urine collection bags strapped to their bodies. This cycle of pregnancy and confinement continues every year until they are either barren or lame and most are then sold for slaughter.

The inhumane conditions extend beyond the limited lives led by horses on the production line – a dark fate also awaits the foals born to these mares. Because the industry values mares only for their urine, the foals are viewed merely as a by-product of production.

Globally, the 35,000 mares imprisoned on farms every year produce as many foals, and at least 12,000 of these young are taken from their mothers prematurely and sold directly to slaughter. A small number of female foals will replace their mothers on the production line

Inspection reports document a number of significant problems. Mares are confined to individual stalls for approximately 6 months of their 11-month pregnancy. These normally active animals are given very little, if any exercise. They cannot interact naturally with other horses. They are usually not given adequate bedding material that would cushion and insulate the cold, hard floors on which they are forced to stand or lie. Observers report that the mares exhibit an abnormally high frequency of leg injuries, and high rates of chest problems. Grooming is neglected and hooves are seldom trimmed. It has even been suggested that the owners of these confined mares often wait too long to seek professional veterinary care for serious illnesses and injuries.

This is just absolutely heart breaking. They are killing horses and their babies for a hormone for women, that ultimately is just going to hurt us more.