THE TRUTH ABOUT PREMARIN
LETTERS 1998
PREMPRO CAUSED STROKE and BLOOD CLOT
October 31, 1998
In 1996, I was a very active, very healthy lady in her mid-fifties. Because of PREMPRO, (Premarin + Provera in one pill) I am now a lady with more health problems than anyone needs, my career totally gone and I feel so helpless. Since 1992, I have had an outdoor country music jam on my family's large farm. I totally produced the shows and advertised nationwide. With crowds up to 30,000 each show, featuring major popular Country and Western music stars.In 1996 I helped produce and promoted two major country shows called "Rock The Smokies" and "Lollapalooza. I worked very hard every day and into the night most of the time for months, but it was the most enjoyable work that I had ever done, because I love the business. I was very tired and didn't sleep well because I was working so hard.
Many of my friends kept telling me I should try a new pill they heard about - PREMPRO, which according to all of the ads running in every magazine you pick up, was working miracles for women my age. They convinced me to try it.
How I wish I had taken just a few hours of rest a day instead.Three months after beginning PREMPRO, with absolutely no health problems in my life, and very active, I suddenly had a stroke. The doctors in the hospital in Knoxville, TN, where I was rushed and placed in ICU, could not figure out why I had the stroke. I never had high blood pressure, in fact, my blood pressure has always run a little low. I do not drink or smoke. Not knowing what caused it, I kept taking PREMPRO.
One year later, while shopping, my left leg suddenly became swollen twice it's size and very purple. The pain was unbearable. Rushed back to the hospital, I was diagnosed with Severe Deep Vein Thrombosis. A three foot long blood clot had formed in my left leg that totally consumed my vein from my hip to my toes. The pain was so horrible, I prayed to die. The doctor told me this could go on for up to one year. Nobody anywhere could stand this kind of pain for a year no matter how tough and strong you are. He said that the blood must re-route itself and could take many, many months, since the entire vein was gone.
They could not operate because if just a small part of the clot broke loose and traveled to my heart, I could have a heart attack. All they could do was try to minimize the pain. Several doctors told me this was THE WORST case of deep vein thrombosis they had ever witnessed.
Although the doctors all knew I was on PREMPRO, none of them realized PREMPRO was my problem. I kept taking it. Some time later, a local doctor that knew me asked me if I was taking hormones. When I said yes, he asked me what kind. I told him PREMPRO. He then asked me if anybody had told me that that was what was causing all of my problems of a stroke and deep vein thrombosis. He was very surprised to learn that not one doctor had told me that. He said it was well known in the medical field that these hormones were killing women. If only they had told me!
He told me to get off PREMPRO IMMEDIATELY! He checked my blood and found it was so thick it was barely moving. He put me on 12 ML of Coumadin and two shots of Heparin in my stomach daily which is not very pleasant. I have blue bruises all over my stomach from the shots and they stay sore forever. It took months for my blood to get thin enough to be safe. Although my leg still stayed swollen for months, I did feel better. About a week ago, my leg started swelling AGAIN. I went back to the doctor, he found that my blood had got thick again and I had to start this same treatment again. All because of one little pill -- PREMPRO.
In addition to both the physical and emotional pain I suffered - I had NO INSURANCE, and the cost of the medical care for me has been a nightmare, both in the past and will be in the future.
I have not been able to have another concert, because putting the shows together is my job, and because of PREMPRO, my HEALTH IS FOREVER GONE! In fact, my life has had a very moderate capacity since PREMPRO destroyed everything for me.
Most days now, my life just doesn't seem worth living. I am very depressed as I have always been able to do most anything that I wanted to. I have worked extremely hard my entire life. Now it is all gone. I intend to inform as many women as I possibly can about my life threatening experience with PREMPRO. I've decided to join every news group that I can find to try to save other women from going through what I have experienced or worse. I intend to work to do anything that I can to get this killer drug off the market I may not be able to fight a multi-billion dollar per year drug company that does not care about the suffering of others, (including the suffering of pregnant mares and slaughtering of the majority of their offspring) only that they make their billions of dollars. PREMPRO kills both women and horses. I have always been a fighter and I plan to do my little part.
J.W., Newport, TN
Date: Monday, Nov. 23, 1998
Subject: PREMPRO and PULMONARY EMBOLI
To make a long story short, I'm lucky to be alive. I was only on PremPro for 7 weeks when I experienced crushing chest pain and an inability to breathe. After hospitalization and misdiagnosis I contacted my family physician who had the good sense to refer me for a scan. Pulmonary emboli (blood clots) were detected in my right lung. I am now on anticoagulants but I am alive. My life has changed. I blame no one, however, it would appear that this is a fatal side effect of Premarin and Provera. I don't think it is as rare as it is made out to be and would appreciate anyone who has had adverse effects, or if you know of anyone who has to please tell your story to the menopause news groups to try to prevent the same thing happening to other women. A.S.
Ed. Note: Any women who've had similar serious side effects while taking Premarin / PremPro such as those above, please email Sonja Timmers:
Date: Fri, Mar 5
Subject: MD Prescribes Plant-Based Medicines
Thanks for your informative page-- I use it for patient handouts. One thing you might clarify. Although I use the plant-based medicines preferentially, occasionally a woman will tell me that "only Premarin works." Do you think that is due to advertising hype, or some intrinsic difference in some women's metabolism? My wife, who is having a terrible time with menopausal symptoms swears that she would prefer to use oral, plant derived hormones, but they don't work as well as Premarin-- and in turn, Premarin doesn't work as well as injectable estradiol (which is fairly rapidly converted to estriol). The "experts" all minimize these subjective differences. I don't know what to think, so I just try to do what seems right for any individual patient. T.S.D., MD, Oregon
Date: Oct. 8, 1998:
Subject: HRT and HEART ATTACK My mother passed away some years back after beginning HRT. She was only a few days away from turning 65. She thought that getting started on HRT would help her with the cardiovascular problems that she was having. She had only been on it a few months when she died suddenly of a heart attack. Now it seems that there is evidence that her death could have been hastened by the very medicine she was taking to prevent her death. It has been a while since she has passed, but it still makes me angry to think that her death was unnecessary. It seems to me that her treatment was untested at best and at worst experimental. I hope that no other post menopausal women with heart problems are now being put at risk unnecessarily by this treatment. R.M.
{Ed. Note} The HERS Study reported that not only did HRT not prevent heart attacks, but in fact increased the rate of heart attacks by 50% the first year women with heart disease were on PremPro compared to those on a placebo. Blood clots increased three-fold and there was a significant increase in gallbladder disease in the PremPro group compared with those on a placebo. The HERS report
Date: Tuesday April 20
Subject: PREMARIN HEALTH PROBLEMS ALMOST LED TO SUICIDE
I have been sick off and on for four years and it slowly had been getting so bad that at times I felt like I was actually going to die. I didn't know what was wrong with me and I actually came very close to believing people when they would say it's all in your head. Fatigue, allergy symptoms, headaches, insomnia, every symptom you can think of, I had it. I went to so many doctors, allergists, etc. Finally one day my husband said, is there any chance of this from the Premarin you take? I said I don't think so, but started reading about Premarin after I had gone in to see if I had enough sleeping pills to end all of my physical problems, and I didn't thank God. The more I read, the worse it got about the Premarin. Why in God's name would this drug be given to women, and not told what kind of problems there could possibly be? I can't even work anymore, and have never been sick like this in my life. Why in the world would the doctor that did my hysterectomy put me on this hormone and not tell me what it could do? My t-cell(helper) count is at almost 2300, and the only reason I know it is because I did some reading and I insisted to my doctor that he check my t-cells, and he argued about why I wanted it done. Then when I called about the blood test results, and they told me about the t-cells being too high, they would not even take the time to tell me why.I need someone to help me because the minute I ask the doctors about the dangers of Premarin they aren't interested in helping me.
This has been the worst four years of my life, I haven't been able to enjoy my life at all, our children, grandchildren, sex, nothing, and I am only 44 years old. I have been so sick that I felt like I was going to die. Thank you for all your information that I have read. It has been appreciated. Sincerely,B.M.
DOCTORS IN EASTERN EUROPE RECOMMEND CLIMARA:
Date: Mon, 11 Jan
Subject: Desperately seeking Climara!!!
My mother-in-law Aida urgently needs Climara treatment course, but here in Ukraine where we live we could not find it! Every doctor advises this medicine and not one drugstore has it! We are ready to pay any price. Help us please! Could you advise us any seller (distributor of Berlex Labs) in Eastern Europe, like Russia, Czech, Poland, Baltic countries, Bulgaria, Hungary, etc. We'll be very grateful and appreciate your help! Sincerely yours, Bogdan
{Editor Note}: Thanks to Berlex Labs Product Information Services, I have learned Climara is available in Germany and the Czech Republic. In Germany, it is also marketed under the tradenames of Cerella and Cutanum. Further information regarding European availability should be obtained by contacting Berlex's parent company located in Berlin, Germany. Their phone number is: 4930-468-1111. For any questions or concerns regarding any Berlex product in the U.S., please call Berlex Product Information Services at: 888-237-5394, option 4.
Date: Sat, 26 Dec 1998
Subject: Premarin
Letter I Mailed to my Physician Assistant.
I am writing this letter because my sister said something is wrong "this is not like you" as I had uncontrollable crying for the second day while talking to her. We discussed what possibly was wrong and any recent changes...which was the Premarin I took immediately after my appointment with you to review my blood test....to make a long story short...test results showed hormone levels out of the range of "normal," an indicator of menapause. You gave me free samples of Premarin. I started taking Premarin immediately, one a day. I am on my 5th day and will not take anymore for several reasons. 1) uncontrollable crying followed with extreme feelings of anger, 2) irritabiltity, 3) nervousness, 4) comments from my sister on my unusual behavior "this is not like you." I would prefer the hot flashes and the aging process than Premarin. There probably are some healthier alternatives. My sister recommended I do some research like I would normally do but didn't this time.
In this day of quick fixes, it seems so much easier to trust in the "doctor" to know what is best instead taking responsibilty for my own health. I am guilty of not taking responsibility for my own health. I am guilty of not taking the time to determine my choices. I am trained in the area of research but have been lazy in acting on it. It is a true shame that I had to go through pain & cause others pain with my unusual behavior. Next time I come in I would like to discuss some alternatives. I don't believe the Lord wanted me to take medicine made from horse urine.
Lynn W., adjunct professor
PREMPRO and PMS MOOD SWINGS - November 6, 1998
I am 52 and have been on Prempro for six months, using it because I have the beginning stages of osteoporosis. Lately I've been having increasing breast tenderness and swelling, also leg cramps. I've gained 5 pounds and my appetite for sweets is unbelieveable. My old problems with PMS mood swings I experienced in my 30's is back. After reading everyones postings, I quit today! I can live with hot flashes and I'll find other means of combating the osteoporosis. I can't believe our trusted doctors are doing this to us!!
PREMPRO USEFUL AS FERTILIZER. The following message was posted on a usenet group Sept. 14, 1998:
"Two weeks ago I was having heavy bleeding while on Prempro and my internal medicine physician sent me to a gyn for a uterine lining scrape (all benign). The gyn told me he does not prescribe Prempro at this time unless it is in conjunction with another prescription for controlled bleeding. When I asked if I could throw it away, he said, "don't throw it away, put it on your plants, it's good fertilizer!" I stopped taking it that day and have finally stopped bleeding and am feeling great. It was prescribed for me for the supposed heart benefits (my mother passed away at 51 with diabetes related heart disease), which according to this gyn, the heart benefits have not been proven and won't be for 10-12 years of trials. PremPro was also supposed to help me with insomnia (it didn't), tiredness (it didn't) weight loss (it didn't). I am 56 and through menopause so was really stupid to take this drug in the first place, but you tend to trust your physician. I will not be returning to my old internal medicine physician. I was on Prempro for a year and she kept saying the bleeding would stop!" M.P.
Companies Producing HRT products being taken to Court. Sept. 16, 1998:
In the UK many women are launching a case against the companies producing HRT as they say HRT has seriously damaged their health. They are holding a conference in the town of Brighton in a few days to highlight the problems these women are having. I am getting terribly confused about all these different claims and counter-claims about HRT. Oddly enough, I do not read a lot on HRT itself, the benefits and problems. People usually seem to post about specific problems they have rather than about their overall HRT experience. I am curious as to why this is. P.J.
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Sonja Timmers, e-mail: nrsprntg@athenet.net
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