What Your Doctor May Not Tell You About Menopause: The Breakthrough Book on Natural Hormone Balance

by John R. Lee, Virginia Hopkins

This revolutionary book about hormone replacement therapy--a classic bestseller since it was first published in 1996--is now fully revised and updated, providing potentially lifesaving facts and natural alternatives to balancing hormones.

Genres: Health, Nonfiction, Medical, Self Help, Medicine, Reference

560 pages, Mass Market Paperback

First published January 1, 1996

About the author

John R. Lee, M.D., was a pioneer and expert in the study and use of the hormone progesterone, and on the subject of hormone replacement therapy for women.

Reviews

[Nikki ღ Navareus · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wish I had found this book decades ago. Excellent info on reversing estrogen dominance. This one got a little technical for me in places, but overall the information was fabulous.

[Debbie · Rating 5 out of 5]

I'm still reading this book, but so far I'm impressed by the common-sense holistic approach Dr. Lee takes when it comes to treating women who are experiencing change of life and hormonal issues associated with menopause.

I've been having some dermatological problems for about 1 1/2 years, during which time I've been to a nurse practitioner, family practice primary care physician and numerous visits to a dermatologist. I began to suspect my problems were hormonal when the powerful medications, ointments and creams prescribed by the above medical professionals failed to give me much relief and the skin problems appeared about the same time I experience an increase in my middle...even though I was exercising frequently and I had just completed a swim marathon (26 miles in 4 weeks), I seemed to have developed a "life-saver" of padding around my waistline. I figured it was due to swimming, so I laid off swimming and went back to aerobic exercise and weight-training. Some of the padding came off, but I still seem to have more of "me" than I would like.

I had a few other minor symptoms of pre-menopause, so I started thinking maybe my skin issues were hormonally caused.

Dr. Lee's book makes mention of these and other symptoms being helped by natural progesterone cream. (Note: not all creams are created equal, so he gives a list of some of the "good" ones in the back of his book).

After only one day of using the cream, I feel incredibly better. I think my skin looks better too. Even my husband said to me this morning, "You look more hopeful than you have in a long time!"

I realize this could be the placebo effect, so I'm taking my time and keeping notes before I announce a "miracle cure," but if this can help another woman experiencing hormonal issues, I wanted to get the word out.

By the way, I have used this natural progesterone cream made from wild yams once before in my life. It was after a particularly debilitating miscarriage after 14 weeks of pregnancy. My midwife recommended it to help prevent another miscarriage, as I wanted to get pregnant again soon. I used it and was pregnant very soon after the miscarriage. That little boy is 9 years old now.

[Kim · Rating 5 out of 5]

If you are over 30 years old, this book is a complete must-read! Don't let the title of this book fool you...it's not just about menopause...it's about hormone balance. John R. Lee hits on the perimenopause through the way-after-onset of menopause years. He talks about how synthetic hormones, phytoestrogens and xenoestrogens are putting our bodies out of balance thus causing us to go into an estrogen-dominant state. He is a huge advocate of using natural progesterone to correct the estrogen-dominant state, and basically he has used it to cure most of the female issues, including PMS, hypertension, and osteoporosis. He talks about how your body can be affected in so many ways due to hormonal imbalance that even hypothyroidism and auto-immune diseases can be a result. This book was written in 1996 but is still very much cutting edge today. He also discusses how drug companies take useful items found in nature and turn them into synthetic compounds so that they can then patent their drug and sell it to us. According to Lee, these synthetic compounds are harmful to our bodies and cause hormonal imbalance.

[Mary Picard · Rating 5 out of 5]

EVERY WOMAN OVER 30 SHOULD READ THIS BOOK!!
Big news to me - natural progesterone (bio-identical to human) increases bone mass, even in elderly women!!! Estrogen only helps stop bone mass loss for a limited period, but not long-term.

I bought this revised edition (2003) having first dipped into this book years ago. Now facing many of the health issues discussed, and getting very mainstream advice from my own doctors (artificial hormones and/or surgery) I returned to it to get new strategies for managing my own health. This is no loopy manual - the science is rock solid, and the message that natural hormones (especially progesterone) are different and healthier is one every woman needs to hear.
Having now finished it, I've also learned a lot about the entire biology of hormone balance in women's bodies, including the relationship of stress and adrenal exhaustion, and the reason so many women nowadays have symptoms of estrogen dominance (stress plus environnental petroleum-based xenoestrogens).

[Michelle Hensley · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent and very informative book. As a woman unexpectedly going into surgical menopause because of a hysterectomy, it helped me plan for the future and understand the possibilities of what I should do in the future. Until this past year, I did not understand menopause or how hormones may affect me.

[Cynthia · Rating 3 out of 5]

I read this years before menopause. Very helpful to me: with pms, premenopause and many other uncomfortable, if not unbearable, symptoms of an imbalance of hormones. Helpful, unlike all other advice I received from doctors and other health providers at the time. (I do not like using synthetic hormones, which were often casually prescribed to me.)

Lee's writing in this book has a somewhat defensive, emotional tone to it, which does not suit a scientific approach. But the title itself tells us it is intended for non-scientists, and he explains the reason for his urgent tone in the book. (Most alternative treatments, that could not be controlled ($) by the pharmaceutical/medical industry, were essentially blackballed along with their advocates.)

Although his style made me cautious of what he advised (a healthy response, I think, to any popular health advice), his explanations of the impact of estrogen and progesterone in our bodies as they change was extremely interesting to me, and in the end compensated greatly for the tone. I did use natural progesterone at the time, because of this book. (To explain whether it "worked" or not would require a more in depth and too personal review.)

I have not forgotten what I learned in reading this, which I read when a great deal of other information was being published and discussed about the dominance of estrogen in our environment and lifestyles. I don't know what science says about all this now.

I do recommend this book, with these caveats in mind. I am not a scientist, which is a warning to readers who might consider my recommendation.

The bottom line is that his advice makes sense to me, and does not carry the shadowy mystique of the typical medical profession, a profession that is hampered by issues driven by insurance, limited time, and the demand for quick fixes.

Dr. Lee pushes the reader to take charge of her own health. At the time he wrote this book, this was still a radical act.

I liked it enough that it occurs to me I might need to read it again soon. Perhaps an expanded review will follow.

[Skyqueen · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thank goodness I read this early on in HRT. It definitely changed my life, and continues to do so. The key is to use natural, bio-identical hormones. And it is not estrogen, it is a lack of progesterone, or unopposed estrogen, that causes breast cancer. This book is still relevant today. He did some groundbreaking work, which others have followed. But still a very worthwhile read.

[Kristen Freiburger · Rating 5 out of 5]

If you’re over 40 read this book. You’re welcome

[Toni · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a must read for any woman over 40. Younger women can read it to get the ADVANCED info on menopause but they may not need it for a while. There is a lot of info in this book that will give you lots to ponder, especially about HRT. Some of it is too technical, so that was scanned, but most of it had some really good, solid info that, if nothing else, will give arm you with questions for your own doctor. I have put into practice some of Dr. Lee's suggestions and am finding positive results for me. That doesn't mean everything work for everyone but there may be something in here for you. I didn't read the book straight through; I read, put down, picked up until I read all of the info that I needed.

[Chasity · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this book. It should be placed in the hands of every woman who has entered menopause due to their age or surgery. I learned so much about how female sex hormones work together. Honestly, I learned more from this book than most of the doctors I’ve seen for treatment. No one really tells you about the changes you go through as a woman when you are in menopause. After reading such wisdom, I feel better than I am not alone. This doctor (he died) understood the journey and wanted to help EVERY menopausal woman face the future with peace, confidence, and balanced hormones.

Ladies, please take care of your body (mind too) and find a doctor who will listen and treat your concerns with respect. READ THIS BOOK!

[Debbie Wells · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book changed my life completely. I had been going through the rigors and trauma of hormone imbalance and the confusion swirled around me until I read this book. Treat yourself to this one for sure....you won't be sorry!

[kk · Rating 5 out of 5]

Don't let the title fool you. This book should be read by every women. If your feeling blah and don't know why - this book might have the answers.

[Letty · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very helpful and life-changing book! This was my first introduction to natural hormones, and especially the benefits of bio-identical progesterone. I want to tell everyone I know to get off HRT and estrogen, and I will never let my daughters get Rx for synthetic hormones/birth control!

This book was very comprehensive, and, at times, overly scientific, but that only made it more trustworthy to me. I will be buying/reading Dr. Lee's other books (I am 41 and want to learn more about PRE-menopause) and have visited Virginia Hopkins and Dr. David Zava's (contributing authors) websites.

My only critique of this book would be the organization of the chapters--they kind of jumped all over topics without a reasonable order; more like a collection of essays/articles...and perhaps they are!

[Jquick99 · Rating 1 out of 5]

On page 25 the author writes that based on HIS 30 yrs of practice, there is “a small percentage of women who suffer from severe ….vaginal dryness to warrant treatment with natural hormones.” Then writes “Many of these women can find relief simply through exercise and a good diet. Others can solve their problems with a few herbs, vitamins, and mineral supplements.”

As a healthy eater who is very fit, I can personally attest that this is hogwash. HRT has greatly improved my life, and there is NO way a few herbs or vitamins will affect dryness. The book was published in 1996 and sadly for HIS female patients, maybe this was the thinking 27 years ago.

Why continue reading? DNF.

Highly recommend “Estrogen Matters”.

[David · Rating 3 out of 5]

Too much emphasis on the effects of progesterone, as if it is the best/only approach to take. After a healthy varied diet and exercise. . .of course. . .

Some decent insight into the uses of progesterone as an estrogen antagonist, but, I wish there was a more holistic approach to understanding the highly complex systems of hormones and their feedback mechanisms.

[Heather · Rating 3 out of 5]

A lot of things in this book, e.g. estrogen, dominance, saliva, hormone test, and the superiority of natural progesterone versus synthetic progesterone, have now been disproved, so anyone reading this should read it with a huge grain of salt. That said, I found it to be very informative about progesterone and the way that the body changes during perimenopause.

[Tammy · Rating 4 out of 5]

This isn't really the kind of book you 'finish'. Packed full of so much information!! Need to loan it to a friend, so I guess I'll mark it done, although I'm sure I'll be referring back to it over the years.

[Mrs.Lady · Rating 5 out of 5]

Perfect timing - this book was published just when I needed it back in the 90s - was having problems and here was the solution. Thank goodness for Dr. Lee - I am still recommend this book to young friends facing the big M. Sure helped me ... this is a must read for all women.

[Monica · Rating 4 out of 5]

Read this in 2009. It is a detailed exploration of the hormonal system especially estrogen and progesterone and their effects on health if unbalanced. Advocates lifestyle changes and use of natural hormone substitutes. A good buildup to Dr John Lee's next book Hormone Balance Made Simple

[Susan · Rating 4 out of 5]

He does say that there is one solution to all problems and he rants against other doctors which I find irritating. However, I loved that he really went into detail about how the hormones interact. Every other book I have found is quite superficial on that.

[Jaq · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not quite as helpful as I would have liked, it was not relevant to my own research but could be useful if you are undergoing a natural menopause.

[Caroline · Rating 4 out of 5]

Every woman should read this book before making decisions about hormone replacement!

[Karen Hipson · Rating 3 out of 5]

Interesting. Good information, although I would encourage women to read more than just this one book. Progesterone is not likely to be a cure-all for everyone.

[Rachelle · Rating 3 out of 5]

It's all about progesterone

[Lynn Carrigan · Rating 4 out of 5]

The reason your doctor may not tell you is the book is not for the layman!
Great info but got very glassy eyed at points!

[Janet Pike · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book needs to be read by all peri menopausal and menopausal women and their other halves. Follow this man's advice, get the magic cream and all will go much better for you.

[Amina Elidrissy · Rating 5 out of 5]

I learned a lot from this book, a lot more than menopause

[Alisa · Rating 4 out of 5]

I wouldn't consider this a fun read. However, if you have questions about Menopause, hormones or why current methods are used as women age, then this is a great read.

[Nikki · Rating 5 out of 5]

very informative

It was very informative. I enjoyed reading it. It was full of very helpful information. Thank you for writing it.

[Kimbolimbo · Rating 3 out of 5]

Should be read-with-the-eyes rather than an audiobook. It was hard to focus and retain the numbers when I listened to it. Interesting info but also boring.