A lot of women have miserable hot flashes that remind you of the Energizer Bunny. The flashes keep going and going way past the age 60 but some ask Is hormones safe for women 60 and over?
Many times insurance companies and Medicare plans will not approve the use of hormones for women over the age of 60. Many care providers don’t approve because of the supposed safety worries from the “Beer List” The Beer List is a list of medications that list medications that people of a certain age should not take.
The North American Menopause Society also called NAMS said there should not be a fast or hard rule against hormone therapy (HT) after the age of 60. We can agree there are some safety matters and NAMS does tell women 60 and older to take the lowest dose or level of hormones for the appropriate time to improve their conditions.
NAMS also says under certain circumstances, hormone replacement therapy is OK for females 60 and over. HT can be used for women 60 and over with a high risk of bone fractures who are not able to take other drugs because of their bad side effects. Hormone therapy to treat hot flashes can be used when the benefits are greater than the risk.
Remember the beers list should not be taken as a fast or hard rule against HT for women 60 and older. In 2012 the list has changed, NAMS added a new set of meds that you need to use with caution. This should be the new way to use these medications “with caution” Have you Dr. watch you closely for any bad side effects and always know your risk. NAMS states this is called “judicious use” So if you wanted to know Is hormones safe for women 60 and over? NAMS says yes if the benefits outweigh the risks, but make sure you work closely with your doctor to monitor you.
