SERMS stand for Selective Estrogen Receptor Modulators used in Female Hormone Replacement Therapy. Many patients have growing concerns about the side effects and long term safety of pharmaceutical drugs. Many ask about a “natural approach to health after menopause”. Botanical remedies (over the counter remedies that are derived from herbs and plants) are what they usually mean by “natural”. An important point about “natural” and “risk free" - natural isn’t risk free! Just because a supplement comes from plants and is available at a health food store doesn’t make it safe. Herbs and extracts can be potent. All of modern medicine gets its start from plants. Digitalis, for example, is a powerful medicine that comes from a plant. But in the wrong does, it can kill you. In terms of Female Hormone Replacement Therapy there is no reason to believe that any of the botanicals are preferable to medication that is FDA regulated, tested on thousands of women, and successful with millions of patients. Regarding botanicals, for the most part, all we have is anecdotal evidence - women taking the drug who said it helped them. There is no scientific evidence to conclude that these botanicals are any better. Furthermore, there are no scientific studies to show how these botanicals stack up against placebos. So is natural really better? Dr. Steven R. Goldstein MD is a Certified Menopause Practitioner, North American Medical Society and a Past President of the North American Menopause Society. He is an expert on Female Hormone Replacement Therapy and co-author of the book “The Estrogen Alternative”. Dr. Goldstein is also a Professor of Obstetrics and Gynecology at New York University School of Medicine, Director of Gynecologic Ultrasound at NYU Langone Medical Center and is regarded as one of the best Gynecologists in the US. Visit his website at www.goldsteinmd.com for more information.
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December 2020
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