What Are The Perimenopause Relief Options
One may reduce the severity of their perimenopause symptoms by exercising daily, ensuring they receive proper nutrition, getting as much rest as possible, and improving their bedtime routine. Biotes approach to perimenopause therapy for women may provide relief for these symptoms if that isnt enough.
What You Can Do To Protect Your Health Freedom
Frankly, I trust Mother Natures millions of years of wisdom much more than I trust 50 years of biochemical wizardry from Big Pharma. If you feel the same way and want to be able to preserve your freedom of choice when it comes to your body and your health and stop the FDA from banning bioidentical hormones and other safe, natural therapies , one of the best things you can do is write to your senator, representative, and the FDA. Here is a letter created by the Alliance for Natural Health USA that you can use. Another thing you can do is join Millions Against Medical Mandates, an organization fighting for your rights to medical freedom and bodily autonomy. The Childrens Health Defense is another wonderful organization founded and run by Robert F. Kennedy Jr.
Have you tried bioidentical hormones? What was your experience? Do you think the FDA is wrong in banning bioidentical hormones? Leave your comments below.
Why Are Hormones So Important
Think of hormones like a project manager for the body. Theyre the messengers that tell your body what to do, when to do it, and how long it should do it. Without hormones your body would be a directionless mess. Part of the endocrine system, glands secrete hormones that are then secreted into the blood. You have a variety of glands that have different functions. These include the:
Pituitary gland: Also known as the master gland, the pituitary gland secretes hormones that control a variety of bodily processes, including controlling other glands.
Pancreas: The pancreas produces insulin to regulate blood sugar levels. Problems with insulin can lead to diabetes or insulin resistance. This can affect your weight, cravings and mood.
Thyroid: Your thyroid is crucial for maintaining your metabolic rate. An overactive thyroid or underactive thyroid can affect your weight, heart rate, energy levels, and more.
Adrenal glands: The adrenal glands are in charge of your fight or flight response. They primarily secrete adrenaline, corticosteroid hormones, and DHEA.
Pineal glands: Pineal glands secrete melatonin, which regulate your sleep cycles and helps you get a good nights rest.
Ovaries: Your ovaries secrete reproductive hormones These three hormones affect about 500 things in the body. Well go into this in more detail later.
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Bioidentical Hormones For Women
Hormonal imbalance impacts thousands of females in the United States. Conditions like menopause, thyroid dysfunction, and hypoactive sexual desire problems are associated with abnormal balance hormones. The symptoms of hormonal imbalance can be life alarming. From mood swings and sleeping disorders to weight gain and hair loss, females suffering from symptoms of hormone imbalance may get relief from Bioidentical hormone therapy.
Females may feel better health and a higher quality of life when hormone balance is safely and efficiently restored with this therapy and an adequate treatment plan from a qualified doctor specializing in hormone health and hormone therapy.
Benefits Of Rhythmic Hormone Replacement Therapy
Most people women and men associate menopause with an end of the menstrual cycle: No more monthly periods. But that’s just one of the significant biological changes that occurs and perhaps the most benign. The sharp decline in hormone production that occurs in menopause and the years leading up to it is also linked with increased risks for serious medical issues, including cardiovascular disease and unhealthy weight gain that can, in turn, increase the risks for other diseases. Hormone replacement therapy can help, but the most widely prescribed therapies use one-size-fits-all dosing strategies that present their own problems and risks. In recent years, rhythmic hormone replacement therapy has gained a lot of attention from the medical community and women are seeking a more natural, biologically-optimized approach aimed at reducing the bad effects of menopause and aging while helping avoid the risks associated with traditional hormone replacement treatments. If you’re not familiar with rhythmic hormone replacement therapy, here’s what you should know.
Hormones are chemicals produced by the body and used to regulate a host of functions, including metabolism, sleep cycles and sexual function. The two primary sex hormones in women include estrogen and progesterone. Although both estrogen and progesterone are most closely associated with sexual health and function, like other hormones, they can influence many other biological activities that have a bearing on overall health.
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An Overview Of Hormone Replacement Therapy
Synthetic hormone replacement therapy has long been used as a solution to illnesses that result from menopause, such as excessive weight gain and cardiovascular disease. This method has been controversial because the lab-created hormones were not similar to the natural hormones produced. This led to medical issues, such as the buildup of dangerous hormone levels.
It is in light of such issues that rhythmic HRT is now seen as a biologically-optimized alternative to the traditional method.
Lets Talk About Hormone Balance
First, I want to say that I did find this quote in a research article exploring the information out on hormone therapy. The FDA recommends against using hormones levels to guide the dosing of hormone therapy.
From really looking at the results and physiology of hormones, there are some general rules that should be followed:
As you can see there are many different aspects of health to consider when looking at hormones. If you want to look more comprehensive and individually at your hormones, please call One Agora Health Integrative Clinic at or email us at .
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Why Bioidentical Hormones Could Be Banned In The Near Future
If you are reading this blog, you are most likely interested in natural hormones and other therapies as a way of maintaining your health. Perhaps you have used some or all of the bioidentical hormones I mention above. And maybe you even prefer these proven therapies over prescription drugs and over-the-counter medications to treat illnesses.
If so, here is something you need to know: On July 9, 2020, the FDA made an announcementseemingly out of the bluestating that bioidentical hormones are a public health concern and that a ban is likely. This statement could not be more false. All estrogensbioidentical includedthat bind to the alpha estrogen receptor can act as growth promoters in estrogen-sensitive tissue, including breast and uterine tissue. This is why some women prefer herbal approaches instead. However, bioidentical hormones have long been found to be safer and more effective than their pharmaceutical counterparts. In fact, a review of the studies found that compounded bioidentical hormone therapy is associated with lower risks of breast cancer and cardiovascular disease and is more effective than synthetic or animal-derived hormones. And there are many women who have comfortably stayed on low doses of bioidentical hormones for years with great results.
Finally, the committee recommends increased oversight of traditional pharmacies by the federal government and the State Boards of Pharmacy to ensure quality standards for every cBHT preparation dispensed.
When To Take Bioidentical Hormones
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Some health practitioners believe that a woman should take biologically identical hormones daily. On the other hand, many health practitioners believe that the most logical way for a woman to take biologically identical hormones would be cyclically. This means that biologically identical hormones are taken in the same beautiful regular rhythmical pattern that the sex hormones are made in a womans body every monthly cycle.
During the time a woman is having her period, her hypothalamus stimulates the anterior pituitary gland to release follicle-stimulating hormone . This causes an egg to ripen during the follicular phase, a womans uterine lining to start becoming plush, and for more estrogen to be produced. This is shown in the following illustration.
As more estrogen is produced, some of it acts as a feedback message back to the hypothalamus to decrease the production of follicle-stimulating hormone by the anterior pituitary gland. This is shown in the following illustration.
On the other hand, some of the estrogen triggers the hypothalamus to get the anterior pituitary to make luteinizing hormone . This leads to the production of progesterone, in preparation for the fertilization of an egg and to maintain a pregnancy if it occurs. This is shown in the following illustration.
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How Long Until I See Results Using Hormones Replacement Therapy
Everyone responds differently. You can see results in as early as two weeks, especially with thyroid replacement. Most people, however, notice a change within the first two or three months. Sometimes it can take as long as six months remember that it took a while to get to this bad place. You will notice changes in energy and sleep patterns brain function improves and sex drive ramps up.
What Is The Best Natural Progesterone Cream
Many women are confused about the use of progesterone creams, particularly regarding the efficacy of yam-based or other plant-based creams. Unlike soy and flax, which contain plant-based adaptogenic estrogens that convert into usable forms in the body, wild yam cannot be converted into progesterone in the body.
The conversion can occur in a laboratory setting, however therefore, wild yam is sometimes used to synthesize the progesterone found in progesterone creams. Some progesterone creams are yam-based, but the active ingredient is not the wild yam itself but the USP progesterone that has been added.
For this reason, while the body may absorb wild yam extract through the skin, which may then confer mild effects on menopausal symptoms, results of research on oral and topical applications of wild yam extract have not detected a significant change in progesterone levels in the blood.
If you want the beneficial effects of bioidentical progesterone, make sure the ingredients on the label include United States Pharmacopoeia progesterone. USP progesterone is available in over-the-counter 2% creams as well as by prescription. Choices for prescription-based bioidentical progesterone include Crinone Vaginal Gel in 4% or 8% concentration or in an oral micronized form such as Prometrium capsules.
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Bioidentical Hormones For Men
Males suffering from unnaturally low levels of testosterone may get an advantage from Bioidentical hormone therapy. Testosterone therapy may benefit healthy males whose testosterone decline is because of aging. Many studies have observed the influences of this therapy in males with healthy levels of the hormone. You can see that Bioidentical therapy can help you get rid of erectile dysfunctional and many other hormonal imbalance disorders.
How To Stop Taking Bioidentical Hormones
Most doctors recommend that you limit your hormone replacement therapy to a maximum of five years. Stopping hormone replacement therapy suddenly can cause a dramatic return of menopausal symptoms overnight. Gradually weaning yourself off bioidentical hormones, with the help of your doctor, is the safest way to stop hormone replacement therapy.
Whether youre starting or stopping hormone treatment, your doctor will closely monitor your hormone levels with regular check-ups to make sure your levels are in a healthy range for your physiology. You may need regular blood, urine, and saliva tests to determine your current hormone levels.
Your doctor will explain when and how to stop taking bioidentical hormones. Do not try to stop on your own. Safely weaning off bioidentical hormones can take as long as three months. Be patient with yourself, get plenty of rest, and maintain a healthy diet to nourish your body. Make a note of your changing symptoms as you stop treatment, and see your doctor regularly through this transition.
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Why Use Hormone Pellets And Creams
When hormones are absorbed rather than swallowed, they go directly to the tissues and are not altered by the liver. This is called the first pass effect. Bypassing the gastrointestinal system also avoids many possible side effects. We use pellets as a convenient and measurable way to provide your hormone replacement.
Additional Resources On Bioidentical Hormones
For information about compounded hormones or to locate a pharmacy that provides individualized prescriptions, visit the Alliance for Pharmacy Compounding.
American Hormones, Inc., founded by Erika T. Schwartz, M.D., renowned expert in the field of natural hormones, offers concierge medical services, including high-quality pharmaceutical-grade hormones shipped nationwide and internationally. The website has extensive information on bioidentical hormones.
There are also many books that you can consult. My books, The Wisdom of Menopause and Womens Bodies, Womens Wisdom provide in-depth information. I also recommend reading The 30-Day Natural Hormone Plan, by Erika Schwartz, M.D. New Menopausal Years, The Wise Woman Way: Alternative Approaches for Women 3090, by Susun S. Weed and TCM: A Womans Guide to a Trouble-Free Menopause, by Nan Lu, O.M.D., L.Ac., with Ellen Schaplowsky.
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I Guess I’m Now In Menopause Because I’m Having Symptoms I Am Going To Start Bioidentical Hormone Therapy With A Doctor Who Specializes In This Type Of Hormone Therapy Once I Start On This Hormone Therapy Will It Remain The Same Or Will The Amount Of Supplemental Hormones Have To Change As I Grow Older
Q: I guess I’m now in menopause, because I’m having symptoms. I am going to start bioidentical hormone therapy with a doctor who specializes in this type of hormone therapy. Once I start on this hormone therapy, will it remain the same or will the amount of supplemental hormones have to change as I grow older?
A:
First, let’s talk about what “menopause” really means. Menopause is diagnosed after you have not had a menstrual period for 12 consecutive months. It is not reliably diagnosed from testing hormone levels. In fact, hormone levels fluctuate so much during this time of life that it’s nearly impossible to get a consistently accurate report.
So if you’re still having periods, albeit infrequently, you have not reached menopause. Instead, you are considered perimenopausala time of life when your hormone levels fluctuate and you may experience symptoms. This phase can last several years before menopause occurs.
It’s also important that you consider the best kind of hormone therapy for you. As you probably know, you have several options today, including the form of the therapy , the type of estrogen used and the strength of the dose.
So make sure you see your health care provider on a regular basis for checkups and screenings and to discuss the role hormone therapy should play in your health as you get older.p
Why Bioidentical Hormones Work Better
Our hormones are comprised of a solid steroid base , decorated with arms, legs, and tails pinned on here and there. These attachments are what turn hormones into specialized molecules, allowing them to plug into receptor molecules throughout the body, turning on and off much of the cellular behavior that makes us tick.
When we take hormonal replacement therapy that doesnt fit the original design that our cells have evolved to recognize, the end result simply may not feel or act quite right. Hence, all those side effects, ranging from annoying and uncomfortable to downright dangerous, can occur.
Bioidentical hormones, on the other hand, duplicate the structure of our hormones exactly as they are found in our bodies. This is why they work better in our bodies.
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Rhythmic Hrt As An Option
At Harbor Compounding Pharmacy, we believe in whats best for the body, and our rhythmic HRT solutions provide just that. Being a more organic approach to restoring healthy body hormones, rhythmic HRT offers numerous benefits to women. However, it isnt an ideal choice for everyone. Before deciding on natural hormone replacement, consult a medical professional first.
Harbor Compounding Pharmacy is the nations leader in offering rhythmic HRT to patients and providers seeking this special form of hormone replacement. Find out if rhythmic hormone replacement therapy is right for you. For more information about rhythmic HRT, contact Harbor Compounding Pharmacy at , or fill out our contact form.
Synthetic Hormone Replacement Therapy
Until July 2002, these were the standard treatment for menopausal symptoms. However, the Heart and Estrogen/progestin Replacement Study and Womens Health Initiative clinical trials illuminated the health risks associated with synthetic hormones, listed below.
- Premarin: prepared from pregnant horse urine, these are conjugated estrogens, and they are not biologically identical to those produced in the body which means they do not follow normal human metabolic pathways. They are associated with vaginal bleeding, high blood pressure, blood clots, stroke, heart disease, nausea, vomiting, headaches, fluid retention, and they may increase the risk of estrogen receptor positive cancers.
- Progestins: these synthetic progesterone molecules are less effective than bioidentical progesterone, and can cause side effects such as abnormal menses or loss of menses, nausea, depression, weight changes, fluid retention, and insomnia.
- Methyltestosterone: this synthetic analog of testosterone puts added stress on the liver, and is correlated with liver damage and liver cancer. The body does not recognize it, so it is not possible to correlate clinical effects of methyltestosterone with blood levels of testosterone.
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Are Bioidentical Hormones Safer Than Traditional Hormones
Published papers from PubMed/MEDLINE, Google Scholar, and Cochrane databases have compared the effects of bioidentical and synthetic hormones, including clinical outcomes and in vitro results. Their conclusions show that physiological daya and clinical outcomes have demonstrated that bioidentical hormones are associated with lower risk and are more efficacious than synthetic hormones. Currently, the US Food and Drug Administration and The Endocrine Society claim that there is not yet enough evidence that supports the claim that bioidentical hormones are safer than synthetic hormones.
Are Bioidentical Hormones Safe
When it comes to hormone replacement therapy, talk to your doctor to weigh all your options and consider the risks. Heres some information to consider about the safety of bioidentical hormones:
- There is not enough scientific evidence to back up the advertising claims that bioidentical hormones are more effective than traditional hormone replacement therapy.
- Custom-made compounds are made to order and cannot be tested under the same strict regulations as FDA-approved bioidentical hormones.
- Compounding hormone formulations contain additional ingredients that may not meet FDA-regulated standards.
- The saliva test is unreliable.
- Dosage and purity cannot be determined to predict effectiveness.
- Lack of FDA testing and approval increases safety concerns.
Any kind of hormone therapy comes with its risks, including:
- Higher risk of blood clots and stroke
- Increased risk of gallbladder disease
The longer you use hormone replacement therapy, the higher your risk of developing heart disease and breast cancer. These risks increase with age.
Some smaller studies have shown that bioidentical hormones are safer than regular hormone replacement therapy, and some doctors agree. However, the studies are not conclusive enough to put this matter to rest. More research is needed to determine if bioidentical hormones are safer than traditional hormone therapy. Both come with benefits and risks.
Common side effects of bioidentical hormone replacement therapy include:
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