Factory “Farmaceuticals”

Jessica Morowitz

Premarin® is a hormone replacement therapy drug manufactured by Wyeth-Ayerst Pharmaceuticals.  The drug is widely prescribed to an estimated nine million women to help them cope with the symptoms of menopause, such as hot flashes and night sweats.  Premarin® gets its name by virtue of what it is made from—PREgnant MARes’ urINe (PMU).  That means that in order to manufacture this drug, Wyeth needs a constant supply of pregnant mares.

It is not surprising that the conditions these mares experience are not unlike those experienced by animals raised for food in factory farms.  According to the Humane Society of the United States, the mares enter the barns in September, and remain tethered in their stalls until March or April.  The stalls are very narrow, and do not allow the mares to turn around or move more than a step or two in any direction.  While inside they are constantly hooked up to a collection system that even further restricts their movements, and can make it uncomfortable to even lie down.  Moreover, the mares are often denied access to an adequate supply of water in an effort to concentrate the hormones in their urine and increase profits.  Typically, the mares will be ‘in production’ for about eight or nine years consecutively, getting pregnant and giving birth year after year.

What is just as bad if not worse than the way these mares are treated, is the inevitable by-product of all these pregnant mares—the foals.  Sadly, they are usually weaned from their mothers too early, at around three or four months of age instead of six months.  This is due to the nature of the production system.  The mares are usually bred-back right after giving birth (within a few weeks), and need to move back into the barns in September to begin urine collection.  Like the fate of many of the mares when they are no longer able to produce, these foals are often sent to auction.  From auction these horses often find their way to into feedlots, and eventually slaughterhouses.    While there are a few rescue organizations out there dedicated to the adoption of PMU mares and foals, there are not nearly enough of them to keep up with the estimated 40,000 PMU foals born each year.

An alarming New York Times article written in early August revealed that ghostwriters paid by Wyeth “played a major role in producing 26 scientific papers backing the use of hormone replacement therapy in women.”  The articles were published between 1998 and 2005 and of course emphasized the benefits and down-played the risks associated with hormone replacement therapy.  These articles most likely played a role in the nearly $2 billion in sales experienced by Wyeth in 2001.  But shortly after in 2002, a “federal study on hormone therapy was stopped after researchers found that menopausal women who took certain hormones had an increased risk of invasive breast cancer, heart disease and stroke.”  When a story like this comes out that shows how a pharmaceutical company, like Wyeth, is willing to put human lives at risk to turn a profit, should we even be surprised that the welfare of the tens of thousands of horses they rely on and exploit each day does not factor into that equation?  Of course not.

[Via http://animalblawg.wordpress.com]

10 Ways To Know You Are Becoming Your Mother

When I was about 16, I distinctly remember watching my mother try on a pair of pants, elastic waisted, with total disdain.  I will never wear “granny” pants like that, I will always wear pants with a zipper, I told her!  How can you were those things?My how things have changed!

Help, I am becoming my mother.  How do I know?  Check these tips:)

10 Ways To Know You Are Becoming Your Mother!

1. You find elastic waisted pants comfortable and wear them daily to work.  You do save a little face by NOT tucking in your shirt.
2. You talk to anybody that will listen at the grocery store, or any other public place while you are shopping.  You talk without shame and even enjoy talking to total strangers about anything that comes to mind.  The filter between your brain and mouth has disappeared.
3. You try on clothes over your clothes in the aisles at stores, again with no shame or embarrassment.  After all, it does save time doesn’t it?
4. You complain often about small print.  How can they expect a person to read this!  This small print is just ridiculous and rather thoughtless of the goof balls that print it this small. 
5. You actually worry and listen to all the news reports about Social Security, Medicare, and what the government is doing.
6. You carry your own personal fan, year-round, and love it!, feeling sorry your mother didn’t have one herself when she just used anything handy as a “fan”, like your homework, checkbook, or napkins.
7. You read the obituaries, daily, relieved when there is no one you know, and you don’t see your own name as well.
8. You find that you would rather take a nap above doing almost anything else.  Besides, you just fall asleep without even knowing it.  You just can’t help it.
9. You have found new hobbies, like putting together puzzles of pretty scenes, falling asleep while reading the paper,  and buy and do those word puzzle books.  And you really love those puzzles!
10. You look in the mirror one morning, scream with shock, then realize that it is you, not a surprise visit from your mom, hiding in your bathroom.

Let’s Talk About Sex…

Love is by far one of the most powerful emotions one can experience in life. Love has the absolute power to manifest the lowest of lows and the highest of highs within all of us. So why is it that so many relationships start off with a bang and end with a thud? At first, our relationships seem to take on the often clichéd “honeymoon phase,” where both man and woman are overcome by the boundless energies of love, falling helplessly head over heels for one another. Be it 2 months or 2 years, the once radiant glow begins to fade and the relationship has begun to plateau. When things “level out” like this, it’s important to know what you and your partner can do to spice things up a bit. Here’s five great ways to rekindle that lovin’ feelin’!

• Take it beyond the bedroom – By now the bedroom has become a comfort zone for both you and your partner. So step outside the box and shake things up a bit! Take it to the streets! Go Public! Now I wouldn’t recommend putting yourself in a situation where you could get in serious legal trouble, but the idea of getting caught can be riveting! The paranoia adds a whole new dimension to sex. For starters, try it in a different room of the house – perhaps the kitchen or laundry room. Once you and your partner are comfortable, you can graduate to more exotic settings like an elevator or the beach. Now I agree that this may not sound like a scene from “The Notebook,” but sex in public places really is a great way to dust those cobwebs off your sex life.
• Trash the haggard clothing – I know that when you’re at home alone as a couple, there’s little reason to “dress to impress.” But nothing says turn-off like tattered, oversized t-shirts, maternity sweatpants and a limp ponytail pushed off to the side with a cumbersome scrunchee. A great way to refresh your sex life is to make yourself more desirable for your partner. As a relationship matures, a man and woman become much more comfortable with one another and as a result they aren’t so much concerned about their physical appearance at home, as they once were. Wear something that’s comfortable, but something that doesn’t scream “I’m a hot mess.”
• Take dinner to the next level – Even if you and your partner are sharing an extra large pepperoni pizza on a Friday evening, spice it up a bit with some candles, a table cloth and some music to set the mood. The romantic lighting and subtle music can make for an intimate dining experience. Maybe incorporate some aphrodisiacs to the meal for little kick-start. Finger food also gives you a great excuse to feed one another.
• Take a vacation – Escape the ordinary. Sometimes work schedules and personal commitments make it difficult for a couple to share intimacy. One of the first things a relationship coach will recommend is a romantic getaway. You don’t have to go far. In fact, a trip down the street to a local Marriott will do just fine. The feeling of detachment makes it easier to let go and get lost within the moment. Find a quiet hotel suite, grab a bottle of champagne and bucket of ice and have peace of mind knowing that the only thing you’re waking up for the next day is breakfast in bed.
• Balance your hormones – As we age, our hormones naturally begin to decline. The result is a hormonal imbalance, usually identified as perimenopause or menopause in women and andropause in men. Although there are many unpleasant side-effects of hormonal imbalance such as weight gain, fatigue, insomnia, depression and loss of muscle mass, the chief complaint from both men and women alike is low libido. Hormonal imbalance affects millions of men and women each year. The good news is, there’s something you can do about it. Comprehensive hormone testing is available to determine if indeed a hormonal imbalance is present. Once the imbalance has been identified, physicians can use bioidentical hormones to restore the balance and in turn relieve the associated symptoms.

Alternative Menopause Treatment Options

There is lots of option, and then you are probably lucky that you are going through menopause today. No longer will you be told that the symptoms are all “in your head” and that you should just “deal with it”. Menopause is talked about and recognized and specialists are studying a diversity of treatment options to treat menopause and its connected symptoms.

There is much contradictory proof out there and it can be hard to work out what is accurate and what is not when looking at treatment options. Many women are also looking for natural remedy options as they are concerned about the effects associated with hormone replacement therapy. Below you will find some information on menopause treatments.

Well admired natural treatment is through the use of phytoestrogens. These are naturally occurring compounds in plants and the reason that they are often used for the treatment of menopause is that they have a very similar make up to the female sex hormone estrogen.

A popular treatment of menopause is the use of progesterone creams. Progesterone is another naturally occurring growth hormone in the female body and many studies have suggested that correcting progesterone imbalances can help alleviate menopause. Progesterone cream is often used in conjunction with a variety of other treatments such as estrogen treatments

Herbal treatments for menopause are also extremely popular. Herbal treatments are commonly prescribed by naturopaths and herbal specialists as a treatment for the symptoms associated with menopause, whilst not necessarily attacking the causes of menopause itself.

If you are looking at your options in regards to menopause treatments, then researching the variety of treatments available is important. You may try one of these treatment options or a mixture. If you have concerns, I would recommend you go and see a specialist.

Replens the best way to ease menopause effect

Menopause can cause serious psychological effects in women. Most of the women under menopause go through many changes emotionally and physically. A popular women’s magazine stated that during menopause women’s attitude towards life may sometime become negative, this often lead to serious conflict breaking families apart. The sexual pattern also changes in women during menopause.
Many women also develop eating disorder in which they try to eat more to cope up with the menopause syndrome. It is important to note that women at this age must not develop weight, as this could lead to some serious medical conditions like high blood pressure, kidney failure, and diabetes. Women during menopause must undergo cholesterol test to check in their cholesterol levels. It is significant that patients must undergo regular cholesterol test in every six months. You can ask your doctor to help you undergo cholesterol test.
Menopausal women often suffer from blood pressure problem, sometimes the blood pressure could aggravate. Thus it is better to check in blood pressure, you can use blood pressure monitor to check in your blood pressure. Blood pressure monitor kit will help you to measure your blood pressure at regular intervals in a day. There are various types of blood pressure monitors available in the market; you can use any one of them as per your convenience.
During menopause many women suffer from excess bleeding through vagina which often leads to dry vagina. Dry vagina condition can be very irritating as it can affect women’s sexual life. The best way to alleviate the symptoms of dry vagina is to use Replens cream. Replens acts as a hormone-free long lasting vaginal moisturizer and it provides relief from the symptoms of vaginal atrophy, dryness, irritation, discomfort and painful intercourse. It is important to note that dry vaginal problem can occur at any age, the effects of dry vagina may vary from women to women. However, it is most common during menopause.
Even lactating mother suffer from dry vaginal condition. To alleviate the symptoms like itching, burning, soreness in the vagina you can use Replens Long-Lasting Feminine Moisturizer. Its patented formula Polycarbophil helps in retaining natural moisture rejuvenating it t normal levels. It also increases alkalinity in the vagina, reducing vaginal infections. With just one application you can ease the discomfort due to dry vagina.

Menopause the Musical

Are you kidding me? There is apparently a  musical play called Menopause the Musical playing. Now why on earth would I want to see a bunch a gals sweating to the hot flashes? Do I need to watch insomniac women get out of their stage beds and burst into song? No I do not. I don’t see the humor, but then again – I have recently come through the other side of menopause and while I no longer have periods I certainly have a string of other delights. Is it hot in here or is it me? Now I’m cold – I’m irritated – that commercial is making me cry – Yeah yeah yeah….wow – what a musical. And how about costume changes? Slipping from one layer of cotton into another – no satin and sequins going here – they don’t absorb very well. Maybe these actresses will be preforming with a towel draped elegantly across their shoulders for a quick sweat dab.

Menopause the Musical? No thanks – I think I’ll just stick to cryin’ the Blues instead.

Burn Baby Burn....reposted

Last year, I wrote a post about burning mouth syndrome. I am reposting it today because a reader commented that there is an informational questionnaire that many of you may be interested in. Here’s the link. By sharing your experiences, perhaps the sponsors can find a common thread among women who suffer from burning mouth syndrome and an effective treatment.

In my last post, I mentioned that menopause has been linked to altered sensitivity in the roof of the mouth and a decreased ability to detect sweet taste. Interestingly, I heard from a friend that she recently started experiencing a burning sensation in her mouth and that her doctors have been attributing it to menopause. Say what?!

Seems that the Queen Bee of Menopause, the Sister of Love and Destruction, the Lady of Light and Dark, estrogen herself, is wreaking havoc on more than the tastebuds.

I was intrigued so I did a search. I found over 500 articles in the National Library of Medicine Database, PubMed, and also located this article in the journal American Family Physician.

Although burning mouth syndrome primarily appears to primarily affect women after menopause, some 10% to 40% of women in menopause can suffer from its effects. These may may include burning in the tongue or oral mucus membranes, dry mouth and taste alterations.

The causes of burning mouth syndrome range from depression and anxiety to underlying illness, high glucose levels and of course, hormones. Researchers have also identified alterations in the cranial sacral nerves that serve taste and pain sensations as possible culprits.

Currently, unproven treatments include benzodiazapines, antidepressants, anticonvulsants and capsaicin. However, I’m wondering whether or not craniosacral therapy might offer an alternative to women who don’t want to go the drug route. Mind you, there are lots of naysayers out there who claim that CST is quakery but having used it successfully for pain, I am a huge fan.

A fellow blogger also directed me to this extensive site on burning mouth syndrome. I can’t vouch for its content but it is definitely worth checking out for backgrounding purposes. Do you suffer from Burning Mouth Syndrome? What are you doing to treat your symptoms? Inquiring minds want to know!