Bioidentical Hormone Replacement Treatment - General Overview

Bioidentical hormone replacement therapy (BHRT) uses hormones consisting of compounds with identical chemical make-ups to hormones that are naturally found in the body. These hormones have a base made of wild yam and soy, allowing them to be compatible with the human body. BHRT is used in place of synthetic hormones, which have a foreign structural make-up to the body. The unrecognized molecular structure of synthetic hormones has been known to cause adverse side-effects, which is why many people prefer bioidentical over synthetic.

Cells are the creators of the many different hormones found throughout the body. The key role of hormones is to act as messengers by traveling through the bloodstream and relaying messages to and from the different cells. Without the transfer of these messages and signals, the different parts of the body would not be able to cooperate and communicate together for proper function. Poor communication between the cells is a major cause of ailment and disease.

Replacement of bioidentical hormones in women is used to increase low levels of progesterone, testosterone, and estrogen. These deficiencies are common in women that have had their ovaries removed, or are menopausal. This therapy is believed to treat symptoms including mood-swings, vaginal dryness, headaches, sore joints, and sleep disturbances.

As men get older, they go through a change that is similar to menopause that is called andropause. A loss of bone density and muscle mass, along with irritability, insulin resistance, periods of depression, and a decreased sex drive may occur during this time. These changes are the result of a testosterone deficiency.

Sublingual/oral pills and hormone-enhanced topical creams are all used to treat hormone deficiencies. The creams tend to absorb slower into the bloodstream, which is one reason why the topical creams are commonly preferred over the oral methods.

The targeted achievement of bioidentical hormone usage is to balance hormones before the deficiency creates bigger health problems. Successful treatment can give patients a feeling of control over their health and quality of life.

Some researchers and doctors believe that these hormone replacements are very risky, while others say that they are very useful in preventing health complications later in life. There have been some studies that have linked bioidentical replacement to a higher risk of cerebrovascular accident, heart disease, thrombosis/embolisms, and breast cancer.

Undiagnosed hormone imbalances will not only inhibit the well-being of those affected, but can eventually lead to serious health problems. Doctors use simple blood tests to determine which hormones are deficient in the body, and how much replacement is needed for a proper balance. Treatment usually starts in smaller doses, but can be increased until there are noticeable signs of improvement. Since controlling hormonal deficiencies can be a complicated process, it is best to seek guidance from an internal medicine specialist or an endocrinologist. These doctors have more specialized experience with hormonal deficiency diagnosis and treatment than family doctors. Although there are many people that are very skeptical about using bioidentical hormones, there are also many that give it a very high recommendation.

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Bioidentical Hormone Therapy - An Innovative Approach to Hormone Therapy

As opposed to many hormone therapies, bioidentical hormone therapy actually uses natural hormones that are found in the human body. Other therapies may use similar, synthetic hormones to perform treatment. Hormone therapies have helped many men and women replenish hormone levels that may be diminished thanks to certain medical conditions such as menopause or andropause.

Bioidentical hormone therapy has been beneficial to women going through menopause or early menopause. This therapy has helped treat the symptoms of menopause including hot flashes, night sweats, memory loss, mood swings, weight gain and decreased libido. This treatment helps to replace the natural hormones that may be at decreased levels during this time.

Men may also be candidates for this therapy as well. Andropause has been described as the male menopause and is described as the gradual reduction of androgens in the body. Symptoms of this condition may include weight gain, decreased libido, fatigue, stress and energy loss. Through this treatment, many men have successfully replaced their natural hormones and have found relief from these symptoms.

Patients interested in bioidentical hormone therapy are encouraged to speak with a medical professional regarding its benefits over traditional hormone replacement therapy techniques. Many clinics offer their patients a consultation in which they will discuss the treatment and will customize a treatment plan for each patient.

In conjunction with this therapy, a medical professional may recommend certain exercise and dietary programs to improve the symptoms of menopause or andropause. It is important that patients work with their physician in creating a specialized therapy program and develop healthy lifestyle practices that will be medically beneficial.

There has been a good deal of confusion and controversy surrounding this treatment in recent years and interested patients are encouraged to discuss the possible risks, benefits and alternatives associated with any treatment or procedure.

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Bioidentical Hormone Therapy

... Offers women freedom of choice for menopause relief and more...

Conventional Hormone Replacement Therapy (HRT) has for decades been the default choice for menopause symptom management. The emergence of conventional HRT was a breakthrough back in the 1960s and lasted up until only a few years ago, when its shortcomings have been revealed. A massive study-Women's Health Initiative (WHI)- tracking 161,808 postmenopausal women who were taking conventional Hormone Therapies was cut short after only four years of its intended 15 year span- because researchers found that the therapies' negative effects outweighed their expected benefits.

Confusion ensued, both among the health care practitioners and patients. Suddenly, women no longer knew where to turn for menopause symptom management. This became a major reason for concern not only for millions of women who were already under conventional HRT, but also for many other million women who are entering menopause as the Baby Boomer generation reaches middle age. In nowadays technological and knowledge era, women do not have to stay and suffer anymore as they care about the quality of their life. They do a little research and they educate themselves on other options available for their menopause related symptom management and approach their health care practitioners from a different position. One very exciting option- as controversial as it may be among health care professionals- is Bio-identical Hormone Replacement Therapy (BHRT). This option is now experiencing a massive surge of interest as it recently was the topic of discussion on Oprah's show, Dr. Phil's show, on "The Doctors" show, etc.

They are hundreds of doctors in the United States who implemented BHRT in their practice for many years already and they are helping thousands and thousands of patients get relief with their menopausal symptoms. And let's not forget that this is already a common medical practice for decades in Europe.

Why is BHRT compounding gaining such notoriety and such a growing demand?

1. Because hormones contained in BHRT products have chemically identical molecular structures as the ones a woman's body makes, so the body can distinguish no difference between its own hormones and those used in BHRT. This further helps BHRT deliver results that are virtually free of the side effects encountered with conventional HRT.

2. Because all these hormone components of BHRT products are FDA approved components. They are synthesized in an FDA approved lab from plants such as wild yams or soy beans.

3. Because BHRT offers customized/individualized solutions for hormonal imbalances encountered mainly by women around menopausal age.

4. Last but not least, because women need to be offered alternative choices and be allowed to decide, together with their health care practitioner, what is best for their health and quality of life.

How does a woman get access to bio identical hormone replacement therapy?

First: she has to find a knowledgeable health care practitioner who offers BHRT to the patients. This is still a challenging task for the patients as most of the practitioners are still in the dark about BHRT. But the increasing demand from informed patients motivates more and more practitioners to learn about BHRT and implement it in their practice.

Second: BHRT can be done only with a compounding pharmacy, which the practitioner should be working in close collaboration with. Each woman going through menopause will have her unique combination of symptoms, therefore she will need a uniquely tailored hormone formulation to be prescribed by her health care practitioner and prepared by the compounding pharmacist. A compounding pharmacy has access to superior, USP grade ingredients for these hormone formulations. (USP stands for United States Pharmacopeia)

Based on patient's or practitioner's preferences, the pharmacist will then compound/prepare the end product in any combination, form, shape, strength, or route of administration, whether it be a tablet, capsule, cream, gel, sublingual drops, suppository, etc.... ultimately providing an individualized, customized formulation based on the doctor's prescription.

Is hormone replacement therapy only for menopause symptom management?

No. Women may encounter hormonal changes leading to uncomfortable symptoms because of the hormonal imbalance as early as in their pre-teen ages to as late as age 70 and over. In other words, our hormones should act in our body in total harmony for us to feel good. When the harmony is broken, imbalance occurs altering our well-being.

The main goal of BHRT is to restore the hormonal balance in order to restore the well-being.

At any reproductive age: irregular menses, heavy menstrual bleeding, PMS, migraines, acne, mood swings, irritability, sleep disturbances, etc. can occur as a result of hormonal imbalances. A good practitioner would be able to determine, after a thorough assessment, if this is the case and provide the adequate help with BHRT.

What do menopausal symptoms refer to?

Menopausal symptoms refer to the different degrees of discomfort women encounter due to hormonal imbalances around menopausal years. Menopausal years consist of a few stages:

· Pre-menopause, the years before typical menopause symptoms occur. It can start as early as age 30, usually after age 35.

· Peri-menopause, the years immediate before menopause, usually starts around age 45.

· Menopause is officially installed after twelve consecutive months without menses.

· Post- menopause, all the years coming after menopause.

Is bioidentical hormone replacement therapy used for other purposes besides helping restore hormonal balance?

Yes. Besides helping restore the body's hormonal balance, bio identical hormone replacement therapy helps restore the physiological functioning it had years ago. This is why BHRT is at the core of anti-aging medicine. According to anti-aging medicine practitioner's belief, achieving hormone balance at physiological levels will help women get healthier, feel better, even get back in time... get younger and stay younger. All this is possible in combination with other healthy lifestyle factors such: proper nutrition, exercise, stress elimination techniques, etc.

Conclusion:

Compounding is like a finely tailored dress that is created to fit a woman's unique body perfectly while matching her personal preferences for color, fabric, and style, BHRT enables women to face the most important change in their lives with optimism and hope. When it comes to hormones, one size cannot fit all.

Bioidentical Hormone Therapy For Menopause

Hormone replacement therapy has been one of the major means of treating women suffering from signs and symptoms brought about by menopause. During this treatment, estrogen, progesterone, and a cocktail of other inactive components are injected into the woman to provide the much needed levels of hormones lost because of the physiological state of menopausal characteristics.

However, there had been times when synthetically engineered hormones have proven fatal. Even if there was the same match of estrogen per se, the preparation and synthetic ingredients to hold the hormones in its active state may have proven too dangerous to ingest in several accounts.

Make It Bioidentical

Scientists have released bioidentical hormones for therapy of hormone slumps during menopause. These bioidentical hormone preparations are standardized copies of chemical composition of those of humans. The effect therefore is a less intrusive and potential aggravating formula that delivers the intended purpose of hormone replacement. There are also come pharmaceuticals which prepare a more defined and custom bioidentical hormone formula to suit the individual's needs.

Though there are some setbacks for custom bioidentical hormone preparations such as non approval by the FDA, or perhaps untested results, scientists and researchers are optimistic that the limitation of having a custom formula would have to be with lessening some other agents or natural ingredients used in the creation of the standard formula. This is to address the issue of some hyper reactivity and allergic risks by a few individuals to some of the components.

Forever Therapy?

Even with the theory that if the bioidentical hormone used is the same one produced and used by the body during premenopausal stage, it does not necessarily mean that the bioidentical therapy would be optimal for an indefinite time. Even naturally occurring and produced components in our bodies sometimes contribute to a wide range of complications, mood swings, anomalies, and discomforts.

Nevertheless, the use of the bioidentical composition lessens the added factors that may contribute to unexpected reactions by the body. Studies and researches have not been extended to attacking the effects of using hormones and determining how to use these HRT methods as a means of a curative agent.

So Far So Good

Not promoting or brushing aside any opinion regarding this method, it would still be wise to seek first the advices of doctors and approved physicians to order this type of drug and prescribe the correct dosage for menopause. Nevertheless, it would be so bad either to include the method of natural means such as meditation, mind setting, activity diversions, and the like. Having these alternative drugs are intended for a good purpose of helping women cope up with this stage in life and therefore should be met with positive concern rather than doubt.

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Bioidentical Hormone Replacement Therapy - What is It?

One alternative to the sometimes harmful synthetic hormones is the use of Bioidentical Hormone Replacement Therapy (BHRT). These are much more effective due to the exact match of the hormones naturally produced by the body. Bioidentical hormone therapy has afforded a near identical match to the natural hormone with the use of a soy and wild yam base. Unlike (BHRT), synthetic hormones are foreign to the body and in turn cause a palette of potential adverse reactions.

The human body produces hormones through body cells. These hormones target a destination and travel through the bloodstream carrying important messages to and from cells throughout the body.

Testosterone, progesterone, and estrogen deficiencies are common in women both before and during menopause, or if they have had their ovaries removed. Mood-swings, vaginal dryness, headaches, achy joints, and sleep disturbances are typical symptoms involved with a lack of hormone production. BHRT is referred to as a successful form of treatment used to rid women of these symptoms.

Andropause, the male version of menopause, usually affects men during their aging process. Hormones production is slowed during this time and a testosterone deficiency is a common occurrence. Low levels of testosterone (in men) are usually the cause of a reduction in bone density, muscle mass, and sex drive, along with irritability, insulin resistance, and depressed feelings.

Bioidentical hormones can be applied as topical creams, or orally/sublingually taken in a pill form. It usually depends on what form of treatment the patient prefers. The cream is a slower-absorbing form of therapy, while the other forms are quickly absorbed.

Disease prevention is the target goal of using bioidentical hormones. If left untreated or improperly managed, severe symptoms and conditions may develop. It is important to gain control of hormone regulating to successfully combat and prevent disease and illness. Prompt management helps prevent the development long-term conditions and life altering symptoms. The result of treatment is a substantial improvement in health and an improved quality of life.

Researchers have provided an extensive amount of information on the different affects of BHRT on the human body. There have been many positive results, but they have also found connections of this treatment with an elevated risk of heart disease, stroke, blood clots, and breast cancer. This has causes debate between health professionals for many years, which is why only some of them offer this form of treatment.

Hormone deficiencies affect many people and can go unrecognized for a long time. Hormone imbalances that are left undiagnosed and untreated can cause many serious complications for the person with the condition. It is important to seek professional advice from an endocrinologist or an internal medicine doctor if symptoms of hormone loss develop. These doctors have more in-depth experience in dealing with hormonal issues than family doctors, and are capable of providing a quick diagnosis with simple blood tests. Many doctors offer BHRT, but there are a large percentage of them that are against it due to the different risks that are involved with their usage.

When searching for specialized compounded medical solutions like Bio Identical hormone replacement treatment, be sure to talk to the award-winning pharmacist at Haber's Pharmacy. Haber's is widely considered the elite compounding pharmacy in Canada.

Are Bioidentical Hormones For Men?

Bioidentical hormones are a fairly new topic in the world of medicine. However, there have been rave reviews from those who have taken them and had incredibly positive results. Now, many people are asking "are bioidentical hormones for men?" The information below will help you understand why this unique therapy can be used for males as well as females.

What Are Bioidentical Hormones?

Also known as natural hormone replacement, the process of bioidentical hormone replacement therapy deals with the replacing the absent hormones in the body with created ones gained from natural plant substances. They plants used are yams and soy, and the substances are manipulated until they mimic the make-up of the hormones found naturally in the body.

The hormones are given in specific doses based upon the needs of each individual, and are used to cure hormone related diseases, conditions, and symptoms. This is far more effective than a one size fits all treatment, or a prescription medication treatment which might have dozens of painful side effects.

Are There Bioidentical Hormones for Men?

Although these types of created hormones and this specialized therapy are generally used for women during their menopausal years, there are bioidentical hormones for men. The fact is that men just are not in need of them nearly as often, as hormone imbalances are less common in males.

While women need a mix of hormones such as estrogen, progesterone, and some testosterone, men need a mixture of total testosterone, estradiol, DHEAS, and Prolactin. The materials gathered from soy and yams can just as easily be made into these hormones than the one for females, and can help restore hormonal balance in men.

Just because bioidentical hormones for men are not well known, they do exist. Just like women, there are periods in some men's life in which their hormones will become imbalanced and create medical problems or symptoms. With the use of these created hormones, there is not help for men as well as women.

Bioidentical Hormones for Men have changed the life of many. For more information on how to change your life naturally, visit our website here: Bioidentical Hormone Treatment