Pregnenolone and Camremese: Considerations for Women Over 50

Question
QUESTION: Hello! I am 50 years old and have been taking low-dose combination birth control pills for many years. A few years ago I switched to Camrese. I only take the higher dose pills and don't have a period. At my age, I think of Camrese as both birth control and HRT, although I don't know if I'm menopausal yet.

Here's my question: I read a lot about holistic medicine and am very interested in taking a low dose of pregnenolone, no more than 10 mg each day or on alternate days, but I want to be sure that it doesn't reduce the effectiveness of my birth control pills. Can you answer this question?

I want to take pregnenolone because I believe, as a precursor hormone, it will boost my energy and focus in middle age, but I intend to take only this small amount. Would I be best to take a few hours apart from my birth control?

Thank you!

Jennifer

ANSWER: I don't think that pregnenolone will reduce the effectiveness of your birth control pills.  I think you can take it at the same time as your pill.  I doubt that it will do anything positive for you.

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QUESTION: Why do you think the pregnenolone will do nothing positive?

Also, do you think Camrese will help with perimenopause?

If not these, what do you suggest?

Thanks,
Jennifer

ANSWER: I am no expert on pregnenolone, but I don't find good studies supporting its use.  See this article from NYU Langone medical center http://www.med.nyu.edu/content?ChunkIID=21848

Yes, I think that Camrese will help with perimenopause.  It will manage the hormonal aspects of perimenopause, causing your female hormone levels to be the same as any 20 year old taking Camrese.  

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QUESTION: I agree that pregnenolone has not been properly studied, but I'm reading a book by Dr. Ray Sahelian in which he provides clinical evidence of its usefulness in middle age.

Regarding Camrese, can a menopausal woman take it indefinitely?

Thanks
Jen

Answer
A menopausal woman could take birth control pills indefinitely, but it's not advisable.  Once you are in menopause, it's preferable to take hormone replacement therapy (HRT), which would be a lower dose of estrogen.  Estrogen increases blood clot risk and that risk increases as one ages.  HRT is less risky once one is menopausal.