What Is The Cost Of The Personalized Bhrt Consultation
The initial one-on-one consultation lasts approximately one hour. This time is spent reviewing the patient questionnaire . The fee also includes a personalized hormone report including possible bioidentical hormone therapy recommendation along with lifestyle and supplement suggestions, if applicable. If bioidentical hormone therapy is recommended, this cost also includes a report to your physician to request a prescription. Unfortunately, this service is not currently covered by Manitoba Health or most third party insurance plans. Costs are available upon request.
Free 30 Minute Parking While Filling Your Prescription
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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Claim : Compounded Bht Has A Lower Breast Cancer Risk Than Fda
Observational studies and the WHI HT trial have established an association between HT and an increased risk of breast cancer.3,37 Advocates for CBHT have claimed that estriol, given its decreased estrogenic activity, is not only safer but also associated with a decreased breast cancer risk. Some sources found on Internet sites go so far as to claim that it protects against cancer, yet no controlled trials substantiate this claim. Moreover, concerns have been raised about the continued use of estriol in high doses and its potential risk for stimulating breast parenchyma.38 It is unknown whether the increased risk of breast cancer in the E+P arm of the WHI vs the estrogen-only arm was the result of the addition of a progestin, the specific combination and dosage of E+P that was used in the trial, or the specific type of progestin that was used.27
What We Learned From The Whi
The findings of the E+P arm of the WHI that were published in 2002 dramatically changed the prescribing practices of physicians in the United States. Before the trial demonstrated adverse cardiovascular disease events and a 26% increased risk of breast cancer in female participants, the number of women for whom E+P was prescribed had been steadily increasing, from 58 million in 1995 to 90 million in 1999. From 1999 to 2002, the numbers stabilized however, within 3 months of publication of the WHI findings, prescriptions for E+P decreased by 63%. Many women stopped HT and some sought out alternative therapies for treatment of symptoms associated with menopause. In addition to their effect on physician-prescribing patterns, the WHI findings changed the perceptions of patients about the trustworthiness of the advice dispensed by physicians. A small survey of 97 women conducted in 2005 demonstrated that all the participants had heard of the WHI a substantial number expressed a loss of trust in the information about HT that they received from their physicians.
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What Are The Risks Of Bioidentical Hormones
It has been shown in research studies that there are risks to taking hormones. It can increase the risk of blood clots, stroke, and gallbladder disease. Your risk of heart disease and breast cancer may also increase if you are older or use hormonal therapy for an extended period. Many healthcare providers who use bioidentical hormones claim they are safer than traditional hormone therapy treatments. But there have been no large research studies of bioidentical hormones to show evidence of this.
Reasons To Learn More About Forever Health:
- If you are feeling fatigued, without enough energy to get through your day
- If youve gained weight and cant seem to get on top of it
- If you have uncontrollable mood swings that make your feel down or short-tempered
- If you cant fall asleep or stay asleep
- If you have hot flashes
- If your skin itches
- If you are bloated and cant keep your stomach in
- If you are forgetful and having senior moments
- If your sex drive has diminished
Find natural, healthy solutions at ForeverHealth.com.
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Discussion Point : Estriol Is A Weak Estrogen But Not Necessarily A Benign Estrogen
It is common for BCHT to include E3, although no FDA-approved products contain estriol.,, In 2008, the FDA issued a warning that E3 may not be compounded without an FDA investigational new drug application.
As a part of BCHT, E3 may be combined with E2 and/or estrone in varying proportions. Such preparations are called Bi-est or Tri-est . Bi-est 2.5 mg refers to a preparation containing 2 mg of E3 and 0.5 mg of E2.
Estimates of E3s potency vary greatly, ranging from one-tenth to one-one hundredth of E2, and is likely to vary by tissue. If E3 is credited with the highest possible potency, ie, one-tenth of E2, Bi-est 2.5 mg, containing 2 mg E3 and 0.5 mg E2, may actually have 2 mg E3 equipotent to only 0.2 mg E2. This is contrary to what might be suspected based on apparent product composition, wherein E3 seems to be the main component.
E3 it is considered a safer estrogen, based on some earlier rodent studies, but this has not been confirmed in clinical trials. Proponents have claimed that E3 might decrease the risk of breast cancer by blocking estrogen receptors, but E3 binds only weakly and transiently to these receptors. Once it dissociates, the receptors remain available for E2 binding. If E3 is administered with increased frequency to achieve adequate amounts in circulation, E3 binding to the estrogen receptor has been shown to result in the stimulation of the breast and uterine tissues, similar to the effect of E2, and any potential protective effect may be lost.,
Do Bioidentical Hormones Really Work
Yes, they work for some people. You will have different results depending on your symptoms and health history. Talk with your healthcare provider about bioidentical hormones and what form may work best for you. In some cases, your healthcare provider may recommend against using bioidentical hormones in favor of a more traditional hormone replacement therapy option.
Also Check: How Safe Are Bioidentical Hormones
What Is The Average Duration For Using Bioidentical Hormones
This answer will depend upon the individual using hormone therapy. In general, it is ideal to use hormones at the lowest possible dose for you and for the shortest possible duration. One key factor determining length of treatment will be symptom management. If you stop using your hormone therapy and symptoms are still present, therapy may need to be continued. Ultimately, the goal is to balance hormones and once this is achieved, it may be possible for some people to gradually decrease their dose of hormones and eventually discontinue therapy altogether. Again, this is person-specific.
Hormone Therapy With Fagron Solutions
It is important to choose a highly effective, completely safe, and most suitable transdermal permeation promoter vehicle for each application.Thanks to pharmaceutical research, Fagron offers an innovative proposal of personalized medicine composed of bioidentical hormones in Pentravan® and HUMCO bases, HRT Heavy and HRT Botanical, providing an ideal hormonal profile with high efficiency and safety.
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Where Is The Love
One of the symptoms we hear many women complain about is their lack of sex drive. Sometimes this is due to pain during sex, pain after sex, or just no desire to have sex with their partner. Not only is this symptom frustrating for you, but it can be as equally frustrating for your partner. We have been able to successfully help women begin to feel like themselves again, and give them the confidence and ability to connect with their partner. In fact, one of our hormone patients even said, Using cBHT restored my hope in my relationship with my husbandand my body.
Discussion Point : Bioidentical Does Not Mean Natural
Bioidentical refers to the structure of hormones bioidentical hormones and endogenous hormones have exactly the same chemical and molecular structures. However, natural refers to the of hormones. Natural hormones may not be bioidentical. For example, phytoestrogens are plant-derived, natural estrogens found in soy products like soy milk, tofu, and tempeh. These phytoestrogens are structurally dissimilar to the endogenous human hormones and result in weak receptor binding and modest clinical effects.
Hormones used in BHT, which are structurally similar to endogenous human hormones, are generally derived from soy and yams, but they need to be commercially processed to become bioidentical. Thus, bioidentical hormones are not completely natural, and natural hormones are not necessarily bioidentical .
Bioidentical Hormones: Misconceptions and Facts
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Whats The Difference Between Natural And Bioidentical Hormones
All hormones are natural. But what most women mean when they say they want natural hormones is that they are interested in using bioidentical hormones. The distinction is that bioidentical hormones are identical in their molecular shape, makeup, and structure to hormones made in the human body. This is what makes bioidentical hormones the perfect keys to unlock the bodys receptor sites. In other words, its the shape of the molecule not the source.
Today, most women know that, while natural, the hormone Premarin, which is marketed as Prempro when combined with the synthetic progestin Provera, is not bioidentical. My colleague, the late Dr. Joel Hargrove, used to say, Premarin is a natural hormone if your native food is hay! Thats because its made from conjugated mare urine. Provera does not occur naturally in nature. It is used as a substitute for bioidentical progesterone. Pharmaceutical companies do this because they cannot patent a naturally occurring hormone!
If you are in doubt as to whether a particular product offered to you by prescription is bioidentical, check the label. If it lists esterified estrogens, progestins, or progestogens, the product is not bioidentical. You can also research the products you may be considering, as many have their own websites.
Why Do Men Need Testosterone Replacement
As men age, production of the hormone testosterone begins to decline and they experience symptoms of low testosterone. Testosterone is the hormone that is responsible for maintaining mental focus, energy, metabolism, muscle mass, fat levels, and sex drive. By balancing a mans hormones with bioidentical hormone replacement therapy, men can restore their vitality and reduce the symptoms of andropause.
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How To Be Healthier
Women need to be their own best advocates while science and Western medicine catch up.
âGet a doctor you can truly trust,â Dr. Rebecca says. âWeâve gotten poorer at judging someoneâs credentials and knowledge base and approach, so ask the important questions until youâre confident this person knows what theyâre talking about.â
Custom Compounding Is Misleading
To buy bioidentical hormones, you cant just go to any chemist. First, you see a health practitioner. They will often conduct a saliva test, or order a blood test to check your hormone levels. You then take their prescription for biodentical hormones to a compounding pharmacist, who makes up the hormones especially for you.
This customised compounding makes women think that bioidentical hormones are better suited to their specific hormonal imbalances, but this is untrue. In fact, saliva tests are not considered a reliable method for establishing hormone levels. Blood tests are also not necessarily reliable, as womens hormones during perimenopause and menopause can change from day to day, or even hour to hour, says Dr Newman.
Women respond in different ways to this hormonal chaos, she says. For some women it makes no difference to how they feel, whereas other women may suffer severe symptoms, despite having similar blood results.
The cost of bioidentical hormones is also considerably higher than conventional HRT.
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Types Of Therapy & Doses
There are many types and dosage forms of hormone replacement therapy available for men and women. Hormone replacement can be taken in the form of an injection, patch, pill, sublingual troche, pellet implants or transdermal cream. Each method has its own benefits and risks. If youre using hormone therapy but are having difficulty with it, talk to your doctor or pharmacist about other methods or dosages. It often takes several months of adjusting to find the optimum hormone combination for each patient.
to read our blog post about micronized progesterone from PCCA.
Are You Ready To Learn More
Schedule a discovery call with our hormone specialist, Tammy. She will go over the program with you in detail, explaining the process from testing to the end result you feeling better! You will also have time to ask any and every question you can think of. Discovery calls are FREE, and usually last about 10 15 minutes.
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What Is Bioidentical Hormone Replacement
Historically, bioidentical or natural hormones referred to the hormone replacement products made by compounding pharmacies, like Customedica. We source these hormones and make them into various dosage forms, such as creams or capsules. Bioidentical refers to the fact that these hormones are made to be chemically identical to the hormones our bodies make. They are chemically derived from compounds occurring naturally in plants like soy and yams, followed by some chemical alterations.
The alternative method is to supplement with synthetic or commercially-available hormones. These are branded products made by large pharmaceutical corporations that have altered chemical structures when compared to our naturally-occurring hormones. These alterations allow the chemical to be patented, which is why larger companies prefer to make these altered hormones.
How Can I Tell The Difference Between Bioidentifical And Synthetic Hormones
There are three types of bioidentical estrogens: estradiol , estriol , and estrone . An example of a nonbioidentical estrogen medication is Premarin, which are tablets derived from conjugated equine urine. Progesterone is bioidentical . Testosterone, DHEA, and pregenolone are also bioidentical hormones.
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Who Needs Bioidentical Hormones
Due to the controversy still surrounding the safety of bioidentical hormones, most women going through perimenopause may want to consider other treatment options first.
Not all women respond well to traditional treatments, however. In these cases, women may consider bioidentical hormones as potential alternatives.
Also, women who have tried other medications may want to consider changes in their lifestyles before starting bioidentical hormone therapy. Some additional measures to try can include:
The application of a treatment is supposed to restore the natural hormones that younger women have, but that reduce as they age.
When under a doctors care, a woman will be tested for hormone levels, typically by sampling saliva or blood. The doctor will determine what hormones the woman needs and a pharmacist will mix a treatment of supposedly natural ingredients.
During her treatment, a woman will have her hormone levels assessed several times to check for balance.
Female Bioidentical Hormone Replacement
For women seeking access to Bioidentical Hormone Replacement Therapy , Stark Pharmacy provides free consultation services to help you determine the benefits of an ongoing hormone management program. This program allows us to evaluate your needs by means of a completed patient Worksheet For Women, lab work, and personal or phone consultation with a hormone specialty pharmacist. After all are completed, we will work with your doctor to determine a therapy so a customized prescription can be compounded for you.
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How Does My Healthcare Provider Select My Dose
People on hormone treatment are watched very closely by their healthcare providers. The goal is to relieve symptoms with the lowest dose possible for the shortest amount of time. Depending on your healthcare provider, you might have routine blood, urine or saliva tests to check your hormone levels. Your healthcare provider may adjust your dose based on your changing hormone needs.
The FDA recommends against using hormone levels to guide the dosing of hormone therapy in women, as normal levels fluctuate day to day. In particular, salivary hormone levels are known to fluctuate and have not been shown to be related to menopausal symptoms.
How Do I Get Bio
You can get bio-identical hormones in 3 ways:
1) A patented commercial preparation from a regular pharmacy by prescription, ie: Vivelle patch, Prometrium.
2) A non-patented preparation made by a special compounding pharmacy, also by prescription.
3) Progesterone cream and DHEA are available over the counter without a prescription.
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Birth Control Pills Vs Bioidentical Hormones
Lastly, its worth touching upon birth control pills and how they fit into the conversation.
You may be wondering whether or not birth control pills are bioidentical given that they are frequently prescribed by doctors without a second thought.
The answer is NO.
And here is where things get interesting.
Doctors have no problem prescribing birth control pills to YOUNG women which are filled with Frankenstein hormones that look like estrogen and progesterone.
And, by the way, these birth control pills contain doses that are so high that they completely shut down your bodys ability to produce its own estrogen and progesterone as a side effect.
But then these same doctors absolutely REFUSE to prescribe bioidentical progesterone to women who are in menopause and have depleted levels of both estrogen and progesterone.
They wont even prescribe LOW DOSE bioidentical estrogen or progesterone for these women citing the dangers of such therapy.
Do you see the problem here?
These doctors are perfectly fine prescribing high doses of fake hormones to women which are associated with all sorts of risks, including an increased risk of breast cancer .
But wont do the same for women who actually need it.
When it comes to birth control methods, the use of bioidentical hormones doesnt really come up.
You can use bioidentical progesterone to help with some hormone imbalances, but you wouldnt want to use it to prevent conception.