Patient Letter to Doctor re Premarin and Prempro (courtesy Int'l fund for Horses)
[Insert Date] Dr. [Insert Name] [Insert Address] [Insert City, State, Zip] Dear Dr. [Insert Name] Re:Hormone Replacement Therapy Drugs for Treatment of Menopausal Symptoms Premarin®, Prempro® and Aprela (awaiting approval) Please Refuse to Prescribe these Drugs
As a concerned and knowledgeable patient regarding the use of the conjugated equine estrogen produced drugs Premarin® and Prempro®, I encourage you to stop prescribing these medications for relief of menopausal symptoms. Premarin® and other such HRT compounds are derived from the high concentration of estrogen in pregnant mare’s urine (PMU). Not only is the collection practice inhumane but the risks imparted by these drugs to unsuspecting women are objectionable and unnecessary. Many believe that the risks far outweigh any benefits offered given that these particular medications are recognized by the United Nations as potent carcinogens.
The Horses
Life for PMU mares is merciless; repeatedly impregnated for up to as many as 20 years, they spend 6 months of their 11-month pregnancy confined to stalls so small they have difficulty turning around or lying down. During this time, they are permanently connected to cumbersome rubber urine collection bags that chafe their flanks, cause infections and severely limit movement. Water intake is routinely restricted to concentrate the amount of estrogen in their urine causing life-threatening renal and liver problems. Equally disturbing is the fate of the foals – the “by-products” of the industry. Most are sold at auction to “kill buyers” and ultimately end up at the slaughterhouse.
The Women
Nationwide studies (e.g. NIH’s Women’s Health Initiative) have been published that clearly corroborate the link between HRT, cancer, heart disease, stroke and dementia. Women who take these drugs face significantly increased risks of: invasive breast cancer (26%), heart disease (29%), strokes (41%), blood clots to the lungs and legs (50%), ovarian cancer (60%), impaired cognitive function, dementia and Alzheimer’s, asthma, lung cancer, malignant melanoma, and reduced insulin resistance, among others. Most importantly, when these medications are stopped, a woman’s risk returns to the same level as those who have never used these therapies.
The Culprits
Noteworthy are the on-going lawsuits against Wyeth (now a Division of Pfizer), the manufacturer of the PremarinÒ family of drugs.Juries and Judges alike have shown that Wyeth failed to adequately warn consumers about the risks associated with these drugs and that they purposefully hid the risk of breast cancer and other diseases.Moreover, evidence has confirmed that Wyeth employed ghostwriters to write medical reports related to HRT and paid physicians to sign off as the authors. Not only did the articles overstate the benefits of HRT, but they diminished the serious risks associated with the drugs.
The Alternatives
I believe there are safer and more humane alternatives available. However, as always, before trying these alternative remedies, I would like to discuss these options with you.