I am a physician and I do hormone replacement therapy. Since the WHI (Women's Health Initiative) trial from 2002, many physicians have got it all wrong. You are looking at the side effects of menopause as hot flashes. I am looking at it for hip and spine fractures, Alzheimer's risk, heart attacks and strokes! There are the real consequences of not having estrogen, testosterone, and progesterone replacement for post menopausal women. I have just finished a manuscript on a hormone book regarding this. Estrogen is essential for women especially in menopause to prevent many of the problems women go thru.