Many women experience fluctuating hormones and experience wide-ranging symptoms.
Bio-Idential Hormone Replacement Therapy
Today there is an alternative to traditional synthetic hormone replacement (horse estrogens known under the names Premarin and Prempro). It is bio-identical hormone replacement therapy (BHRT) or natural hormone replacement therapy. BHRT includes estrogens (estrone, estrodiol and estriol), progesterone, testosterone, DHEA and pregnenolone.
Many women experience unwanted side effects using synthetic HRT. Some of these are:
- Weight Gain
- Headaches
- Fatigue
- Gallbladder Disease
- Insomnia
- Irritability
- Bloating
- High Blood Pressure
- Blood Clots
- Depression
- Low Libido
- Impaired Glucose Tolerance
- Increased Risk of Breast Cancer
Benefits of Bio-Identical Hormone Replacement Therapy
Synthetic hormones are not easily recognized by the body even though they may produce similar effects. Because they are hundreds of times more potent than the hormones that our bodies make, they are linked to many side effects.
The benefits of BHRT are fewer side-effects and decreased bone loss. The hormones are a more exact match of those produced naturally in the human body.
We recommend first measuring saliva hormone levels to find if there is a hormonal imbalance. Then, if necessary, correcting the imbalance using natural hormones in physiologic doses, which means ordinary doses that the body would naturally produce itself.
BHRT products are only available from compounding pharmacies. If you are interested in more information about BHRT, you can attend one of our health seminars at the pharmacy or schedule a private consultation with one of our pharmacists. During this time, you can get your questions about natural hormone replacement therapy answered. Carolina Compounding Pharmacy will work with you and your physician to develop a customized hormone replacement plan that best suits you. BHRT does require a written prescription from a health care practitioner.
No two women are alike, of course, and the value of bio-identical hormone replacement therapy is that it can be adapted to fit your individual body and hormone levels. In fact, hormones can be made in a variety of strengths and dosage forms including capsules, topical creams and gels, suppositories and sublingual troches or lozenges. With the help of your doctor and a compounding pharmacist, a woman can start and maintain a bio-identical hormone replacement regimen that closely mimics what her body has been doing naturally for years.
