Two of my doctors like to add Estriol to the mix. It is a weaker estrogen, supported by some Japanese studies for overall health-heart, brain, bones, etc. but doesn’t help vasomotor symptoms as much, which I’ve never had. I was 13 years past hysterectomy and removal of one ovary and four years past removal of last ovary, which I think had ceased functioning two years prior to beginning hrt. I use NTX serum and urine and P1NP to monitor. We will also use a 24 hr. Urine from Rhine Labs to monitor hormone levels rather than just serum. But, I will also look at serum hormone levels. All approved by oncologist, cardiologist, endocrinologist, but prescribed by Obgyn and functional med dr. Hope that helps!
Thank you so much @sallyj2! I read both of your replies right before i met my obgyn today 🙂 I think your HRT therapy is timely. My obgyn won't hesitate to prescribe HRT at all, which is wonderful. She did go thru all the risks involved with me, seems she is very up to date. She even recommended a cardiologist who specialized in women's heart health. Looks like if my cardiologists and my endo both agree with it, this will become one of the choices to me so I shall see.
Thanks to all the members who chipped in in this topic, at least this is an option to some of us.
Thank you so much @sallyj2! I read both of your replies right before i met my obgyn today 🙂 I think your HRT therapy is timely. My obgyn won't hesitate to prescribe HRT at all, which is wonderful. She did go thru all the risks involved with me, seems she is very up to date. She even recommended a cardiologist who specialized in women's heart health. Looks like if my cardiologists and my endo both agree with it, this will become one of the choices to me so I shall see.
Thanks to all the members who chipped in in this topic, at least this is an option to some of us.
Wonderful! Glad she is up to date. My endo was the least up to date. My Obgyn the most. Hope your cardiologist is able to give you the same good news as mine!
And, I forgot to answer the testosterone part of your question-super low dose, in my case because I don’t have ovaries. But, they use anyway for many patients to improve muscle strength and think it will help bone some as well. Muscles,etc. also weaken, I’ve torn two muscles doing gentle exercises!
Also, @mayblin , it took a while to find the sweet spot dose on the hormones. Be patient. Thry gave me a chart for symptoms of too much or too little of the various hormones.
I'm sorry this is so long but I thought I'd share my recent experience with my Forteo prescription. I started on Forteo in Oct '23 with a copay of $80/month but have a copay assistance which brought it down to $4/month! Awesome! In January when I received my pen a bill came with that said the copay was $150 but that any copay assistance may not have yet been applied. I contacted the pharmacy and they said that (I'm embarrassed to admit that I didn't notice) a generic had just been made available and they switched me to that so the copay assistance was denied and I would have to obtain the assistance from another company!
So if your doctor has not written your prescription for the brand name and you don't want the generic then make sure they rewrite it for the brand name!
I contacted my Dr and next month will hopefully be back to the brand name.
Yep, I guess every penny counts as you near the cut off. What will it cost you? My co pay will be $1920+/month until I hit the $8000 cap. I haven't started it yet.
Yep, I guess every penny counts as you near the cut off. What will it cost you? My co pay will be $1920+/month until I hit the $8000 cap. I haven't started it yet.
babs10, are you on Medicare? I also will start Forteo soon and on Medicare. I have original Medicare with a Plan D prescription plan through AARP United Healthcare (UHC). My full year out of pocket cost will be $3300. To hit the $8000 cap, and depending on the plan stage (deductible, initial, coverage gap, catastrophic) the requirement to hit $8000 cap includes UHC portion of the cost.
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Thank you so much @sallyj2! I read both of your replies right before i met my obgyn today 🙂 I think your HRT therapy is timely. My obgyn won't hesitate to prescribe HRT at all, which is wonderful. She did go thru all the risks involved with me, seems she is very up to date. She even recommended a cardiologist who specialized in women's heart health. Looks like if my cardiologists and my endo both agree with it, this will become one of the choices to me so I shall see.
Thanks to all the members who chipped in in this topic, at least this is an option to some of us.
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3 ReactionsWonderful! Glad she is up to date. My endo was the least up to date. My Obgyn the most. Hope your cardiologist is able to give you the same good news as mine!
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2 ReactionsAlso, @mayblin , it took a while to find the sweet spot dose on the hormones. Be patient. Thry gave me a chart for symptoms of too much or too little of the various hormones.
I'm sorry this is so long but I thought I'd share my recent experience with my Forteo prescription. I started on Forteo in Oct '23 with a copay of $80/month but have a copay assistance which brought it down to $4/month! Awesome! In January when I received my pen a bill came with that said the copay was $150 but that any copay assistance may not have yet been applied. I contacted the pharmacy and they said that (I'm embarrassed to admit that I didn't notice) a generic had just been made available and they switched me to that so the copay assistance was denied and I would have to obtain the assistance from another company!
So if your doctor has not written your prescription for the brand name and you don't want the generic then make sure they rewrite it for the brand name!
I contacted my Dr and next month will hopefully be back to the brand name.
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2 ReactionsI have the same problem. Have you talked to the manufacturer, lily?
Yes and because I'm on Medicare and don't meet the eligibility criteria, they said they can't help defray the cost at all.
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1 ReactionThat’s what I was afraid of. I had an adjusted gross income of $47,000 in 2023 and their current cutoff is $45,118.
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1 ReactionYep, I guess every penny counts as you near the cut off. What will it cost you? My co pay will be $1920+/month until I hit the $8000 cap. I haven't started it yet.
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2 ReactionsI'm so sorry. That sucks! If only the amount of assistance could be on a sliding scale.
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2 Reactionsbabs10, are you on Medicare? I also will start Forteo soon and on Medicare. I have original Medicare with a Plan D prescription plan through AARP United Healthcare (UHC). My full year out of pocket cost will be $3300. To hit the $8000 cap, and depending on the plan stage (deductible, initial, coverage gap, catastrophic) the requirement to hit $8000 cap includes UHC portion of the cost.
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