Improves Your Sexual Experience
As you get older and your estrogen levels decrease, it often leads to vaginal dryness and pain during sex. This can make you self-conscious about having sex or cause you to avoid it altogether. Hormone replacement restores estrogen levels, which promotes more vaginal lubrication for an improved sex drive.
Benefits Of Bioidentical Hormone Replacement Therapy
1. Might Help Protect Bones
Many studies have found that estrogen and testosterone have benefits for preventing bone loss, so some research suggests that BHRT might help defend against problems like osteoporosis or hip fractures. The Womens Health Initiative study did demonstrate reduced hip fracture risk when estrogen and progesterone levels were restored however, claims that BHRT can prevent bone loss or rebuild lost bones have not been proven.
2. May Help Improve Energy
Because declining levels of hormones like progesterone, DHEA and testosterone might be tied to your low levels of energy, its possible to experience more mental clarity, motivation, better sleep and alertness when using BHRT. However, this likely wont translate to a faster metabolism or easier weight loss.
According to a statement by the Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews, There is no evidence of an effect of oestrogen or combined oestrogen with progestogen on body weight and on the BMI increase normally experienced at the time of menopause.
3. Can Help Decrease Hot Flashes/Night Sweats and Improve Sleep
4. May Improve Sex Drive and Reduce Vaginal Dryness
Up to 45 percent of menopause or postmenopausal women might be affected by vaginal atrophy, which causes symptoms like vaginal dryness, pain during sex, itching, irritation, burning and discharge. Hormone replacement drugs used for about one year or less are often prescribed to alleviate these symptoms.
Licensing In Uk Medicines And Healthcare Products Regulatory Agency
Compounded bioidentical hormone replacement therapies are manufactured as creams, lozenges and vaginal preparations by Specialist Pharmacies which have proliferated both physically and online in the UK and abroad. These cBHRT products:
- Do not follow the same regulatory pathway of evaluation by the MHRA as conventional pharmaceutical products.
- Have not been through the rigorous process of drug development which conventional medicines and products such as rBHRT undergo.
- Have not been scientifically evaluated in controlled randomised clinical trials for effectiveness and safety against placebo or conventional HRT.
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Regulatory Exemptions For Dietary Supplements
Under the Dietary Supplement Health and Education Act of 1994, compounded hormones applied to the skin are considered to be supplements the argument being that the hormones came from natural sources and should be considered in a category similar to herbs. Thus, the potential for such agents to cause harm was considered minimal. The Dietary Supplement Health and Education Act exempted remedies that fell into the category of supplements from regulation by the FDA, which requires that, unless a drug is generally recognized as safe, its safety and efficacy must be demonstrated before it can be marketed. Dietary supplements are not required to prove safety or efficacy hence, there is no major barrier to marketing them. However, the FDA can remove these supplements from the market and subject them to further testing if there is sufficient suspicion that they are not safe.
History And Facts About Bioidentical Hormone Replacement Therapy
The North American Menopause Society reports that about 1.4 million women now use BHRT treatments, which is around 40 percent of all prescriptions for hormone therapy in women who are menopausal or postmenopausal.
To date, no large, long-term study has been done to determine the adverse effects of bioidentical hormones, so safety concerns remain a serious issue. The Womens Health Initiative, one large, long-term study that tested the effects of FDA-approved hormone replacement drugs, determined that side effects are possible in some patients and that these drugs have not been proven to prevent any diseases. That being said, millions of women have reported improvements from using hormone replacement drugs.
As described above, one concern with the use of BHRT is using a custom-mixed solution that has not been FDA-tested. According to the FDA, other concerns can include disguising/leaving untreated symptoms that are really caused by another illness or potential side effects like raising the risk for blood clots, stroke, gallbladder disease, vision changes, skin changes, mood swings, and possibly heart disease or breast cancer. As of now, the FDA has also never approved any drug containing estriol, so keep in mind that benefits associated with products containing this hormone remain especially unknown.
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Lack Of Us Food And Drug Administration Regulation For Compounded Preparations
Compounded preparations are not regulated by the FDA. Although technically all compounded prescription drug preparations could be considered unapproved new drugs, the FDA has adopted a policy of enforcement discretion, allowing legitimate preparation of compounded formulations to be regulated by state boards of pharmacy, with a provision of stepping in when dangerous practices must be addressed and when drug manufacturing occurs under the guise of compounding. There are currently no specific regulations by the FDA on what constitutes a legitimate claim for compounded drug preparations. In general, states regard compounding to be part of the practice of pharmacy. In addition, individual states pharmacy acts usually permit other licensed practitioners to engage in the practice of pharmacy compounding for their own patients.
The Optimal Type Of Hrt
There is now evidence demonstrating that transdermal estrogen in association with natural micronised progesterone represents one of the optimal HRT regimens. Transdermal estrogen is the preferred route of administration because, in contrast with oral estrogen, estrogen as a patch or gel is not associated with an increased risk of venous thromboembolism. It can be safely given to women who have a history of migraines, gallbladder disease, diabetes, or who are obese. The optimal progestogen is micronised progesterone which is body identical. This usually has less side effects associated with it compared with the older progestogens. In addition, there is no increased risk of breast cancer for the first 5 years of taking estrogen with micronised progesterone.
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Gives You Stronger Nails And Hair
When your hormones dip below normal levels, it can impact your hair, nails, and bones, leading to problems such as brittle nails and hair loss. Bioidentical hormones increase your bodys production of proteins like collagen, which helps you look younger and restores the strength of both your nails and your hair.
Robin Terranella Nmd Phoenix Bioidentical Doctor
Phoenix Bioidentical Doctor, Robin Terranella, N.M.D. and fellow Phoenix Bioidentical Doctor Christy Cline, N.M.D., at Southwest Integrative Medicine provides advanced Bioidentical Hormone Therapy programs to men and women in the Phoenix-Mesa-Scottsdale Metro Area suffering with the symptoms of hormonal imbalances.
Dr. Terranella and Dr. Cline believe that Bioidentical Hormones can be used to restore your natural and normal hormone levels in a way that is safe and effective. Hormones are critical components of a healthy, functioning body. Unfortunately, hormones eventually become imbalanced due to age, food and environmental toxicity and stress.
- Do My Hormones Need Balancing?
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Are you not feeling like yourself lately? Maybe you feel tired, irritbale, like you are gaining weight, new or increased headaches, loosing your hair, increased acne?
Dr. Terranella and Dr. Cline recently wrote an e-book detailing hormone imbalance and how symptoms are linked to many health issues. They draw on their extensive experience treating patients and their advanced education to explain hormone imbalance symptoms and explain:
- The role of different hormones in fatigue and low energy.
- How poor memory and executive decision making are linked to declining hormones.
- What you can do to get your hormones back in balance.
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Bioidentical Hormone Replacement Therapy At Annex Naturopathic
Are you interested in exploring whether bioidentical HRT is right for you?
If so, contact us today.
Well start with a full and thorough health assessment to determine where your health is at and whether bioidentical HRT or other treatment methods would be best suited to your unique needs, as well as to rule out any contraindications .
We may request you get an ultrasound or mammogram as well prior to starting.
There are a few different reasons why you may have unbalanced hormones, and bioidentical HRT isnt always the best solution.
However, if we do decide on bioidentical HRT, its important to monitor your hormone levels on an ongoing basis in order to ensure they stay within an acceptable range.
How Long Does A Bhrt Pellet Take To Work
Each hormone replacement therapy patients symptoms are unique so is each patients path to hormone optimization. Most hormone therapy patients report some relief in as little as four weeks or sooner, but full optimization may take up to six months or more. The bioidentical hormone replacement therapy journey is customized to fit your patients specific needs.
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Bioidentical Hormone Replacement Therapy
Overview
Your bodys hormones control most of your basic bodily functions. They serve as an internal communication system between cells throughout the body. They coordinate everything from digestion and growth to your appetite, immune function, mood, and libido. So, when your hormones are out of balance, even slightly, it can have a big impact on your health and well-being.
Often, when peoples hormones drop or become unbalanced, they turn to hormone replacement therapies to ease symptoms. One such therapy, bioidentical hormone replacement therapy , has gotten a lot of attention in recent years. It promises a natural solution to hormone issues. But what exactly is BHRT, and hows it different from other hormone replacement therapies?
Read on to learn all you need to know about BHRT, its benefits and risks, and whether it may be right for you.
What Is Female Bhrt
Female BHRT is an acronymic phrase that stands for bioidentical hormone replacement therapy. Hormone therapy for women has been a common practice to cope with aging for decades. Female hormone replacement therapy may help women who are suffering from unbalanced hormones. Bioidentical hormones delivered through BHRT pellets closely replicate the molecular structure of human hormones.*
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Compounded Bioidentical Hormones Do Not Work Better Than Mht
There is no evidence that compounded BHTs are more effective than conventional MHT. It is difficult to know the levels of hormones compounded BHTs will produce in your body for a number of reasons:
- Compounded BHTs are handmade for women often based on expensive, saliva testing for hormone levels these tests are not standardised and are not quality controlled.
- Compounded BHTs are not regulated and standardised like pharmaceutical-grade MHTs.
- It is impossible to know the exact quantities of hormones in a handmade preparation of compounded BHT and it is impossible to know what else has been added or whether it is contaminated.
Even if compounded BHT preparations result in an adequate level of hormones in your body to decrease your menopausal symptoms, you will still have the side effects of those hormone levels and, at the same time, you will have no way of knowing if the compounded BHT is safe .
Conditions Treated With Bhrt
At MNHC Naturopathic & Medispa Clinic, Lorenzo Diana, N.D. and his team treat a variety of illnesses through the use of Naturopathic Medicine. We are also fully versed in the treatment of these and many other conditions.
- Pediatric/Healthy Kids
Part of the reasons behind offering naturopathic bioidentical hormone support is his belief that the body adapts better and accepts bioidentical hormones better than those which are derived from synthetic materials and chemical processes.
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Other Benefits Of Bioidentical Hormone Replacement Therapy
In addition to helping with menopause and reducing your risk of type 2 diabetes, bioidentical HRT has other benefits as well.
One somewhat unexpected potential benefit is a reduced risk of cataracts. This is because, like type 2 diabetes, postmenopausal women are at greater risk of developing them as a result of your bodys depletion of estrogen.
Likewise, bioidentical HRT has been shown to decrease the bone loss that so commonly comes with aging women. As a result, it may reduce your risk of a range of different bone-related issues, including osteoporosis, hip fractures, and tooth decay.
Bioidentical HRT may also be used as a treatment for:
- Reducing wrinkles
- Improving skin elasticity and hydration
- Improving quality of life of cancer patients
- Fertility issues
- Uterine Fibroids
Finally, many women with previously active sex lives experience a loss of libido during their postmenopausal years. Bioidentical HRT may help reverse that.
Side Effects And Risks Of Bhrt
While the FDA has approved some preparations of bioidentical estradiol and progesterone, it hasnt approved any compounded bioidentical hormones. There are claims that bioidentical hormones are safer and more effective than traditional HRT because theyre identical in structure to those produced in the body. But these claims have not been confirmed by large-scale, reputable studies. The FDA urges caution when using compounded products.
Research has shown that hormone replacement therapy in general may increase the risk for certain conditions and diseases including:
Talk to your doctor about which form may be best for you and your lifestyle. Youll likely need to be monitored regularly once you begin BHRT to evaluate your bodys response. However, the FDA cautions against monitoring hormone levels via blood and saliva tests. These only tell you your hormone levels at a moment in time and can vary widely throughout the day.
The FDA recommends that if you do choose any form of hormone therapy that you use the lowest dose that produces results. The FDA also says you should use it for the shortest length of time possible.
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Salivary Testing And Compounding
Although promoted as a way of customizing treatment, hormone therapy does not require customization the use of testing to determine the number of hormones administered could result in the dose being higher than the minimum recommended level to alleviate symptoms, or the administration of unnecessary hormones to asymptomatic women may result in greater risks to the patient. Analysis of the material used to promote BHT suggests that rather than basing hormone doses on saliva results, practitioners are adjusting dosage based on symptoms. Different bioidentical preparations result in mixtures with different strengths, and practitioners using compounded formulations may be unaware of the total dose of hormones their patients receive. In a 2001 test of compounded bioidentical hormone products, the FDA found that 10 out of 29 products failed their quality tests nine out of ten failed potency tests . A 2006 test found potency levels ranging from 67.5% to 268.4% of the potency specified on the label some samples were mixtures of different hormones with some being above, and others below, the specified potency. The failure of potency testing could be problematic and dangerous for progesterone products, where specific levels of progesterone are required to protect the endometrium against precancerous hyperplasia.
Pellet Therapy Allows You To Look And Feel Your Best No Matter Your Age
Natural hormones, such as estrogen, testosterone, and progesterone, are produced in various glands throughout the body. These hormones regulate an enormous range of body functions. When our glands under or over produce hormones, we begin to experience symptoms like those listed above.
Bioidentical hormones are hormones derived from plants. While hormones are not made in your body, they are chemically identical to those the human bodyyour body processes these hormones in the same way that it processes those made in your body.
Bioidentical hormone pellet replacement therapy uses these hormones made from plants to help address symptoms related to hormonal imbalance like mood swings, sleeplessness, poor concentration, memory loss, fatigue, weight gain, limited energy, hair loss, low sex drive and depression.
BHPRT seeks to increase or balance the hormones estrogen, progesterone, testosterone, DHEA, and adrenal hormones so you can live a healthier, happier life.
Bioidentical hormone replacement therapy includes a comprehensive review of a patients current hormone levels, healthy history, and needs. According to this detailed information, Dr. Edward Tangchitnob will prescribe a customized treatment plan that may include creams, lotions, injections, gels, or tablets.
The length of treatment also depends on your individual needs and how you are feeling some people may require hormone therapy indefinitely while others many only need hormones until their symptoms have subsided.
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Where Can You Find Information About Other Treatment Options
If your symptoms are bothering you, your doctor can help. Your doctor can tell you about the changes in your body and offer options for managing your symptoms. Other fact sheets about treatment options include:
If you have any concerns or questions about options to manage your menopausal symptoms, visit your doctor or go to the Find an AMS Doctor service on the AMS website.
NOTE: Medical and scientific information provided and endorsed by the Australasian Menopause Society might not be relevant to an individuals personal circumstances and should always be discussed with their own healthcare provider. This Information Sheet may contain copyright or otherwise protected material. Reproduction of this Information Sheet by Australasian Menopause Society Members, other health professionals and their patients for clinical practice is permissible. Any other use of this information must be agreed to and approved by the Australasian Menopause Society.
Content updated September 2018
Are There Any Scientifically Proven Advantages For Rbhrt Over Conventional Hrt
Tolerance
Progestogens may not be alike with regard to potential adverse metabolic effects or associated breast cancer risk when combined with long-term estrogen therapy. Micronised progesterone and some progestogens have specific beneficial effects that could justify their use besides their expected actions on the endometrium. Synthetic analogues of progesterone bind to the glucocorticoid, mineralocorticoid and androgen receptors. This can lead to unwanted side effects such as fluid retention, acne and weight gain. Progestogens and progesterone can lower mood through stimulation of the neurotransmitter gamma amino butyric acid whilst progesterone has sedative effects through its intermediate metabolites, progestogens can cause PMS-type side effects including anxiety and irritability.
Venous thromboembolism
It is well recognised that unlike oral estrogen, transdermal estrogen does not appear to increase the risk of VTE. Observational and case control data suggest that the use of certain progestogens e.g. dydrogesterone and micronised progesterone may reduce the increased risk of VTE conferred by oral estrogen, compared to that noted with other synthetic progestogens.
Cardiovascular risks
Breast cancer
Endometrial protection
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