Millions of women, from every age and background, experience some form of hormone-related health condition during their lifetimes. Hormones are very powerful substances that affect every cell of our body: it is not surprising that we experience a myriad of unpleasant symptoms and conditions when our hormones become imbalanced or deficient. Diet, nutrition, stress level, exercise, and family health history are also important factors in determining your overall hormone health and meeting your personal hormone balancing goals. For many women, help comes in the form of Bio-Identical Hormone Replacement Therapy (BHRT). BHRT utilizes hormones that are bio-identical to what your body produces. An individualized approach to hormone replacement therapy, using BHRT, pinpoints a person’s exact hormone levels, and what hormones are needed to balance their hormone deficiency. BHRT hormones have the same chemical structure as the hormones created naturally in the human body.
BHRT may be useful for relieving the symptoms of a variety of conditions common among women of all ages, including:
- Menopause
- Premenstrual Syndrome (PMS)
- Irregular Menstrual Cycle
- Mood swings
- Hot Flashes
- Infertility
- Post-Partum Depression
- Decreased Libido
- Weight Gain
- Vaginal Dryness
- Painful Sexual Intercourse
- Sleep Disturbances
- Night Sweats
There are many mass-produced hormone treatments on the market today. However, every woman’s body – and her individual hormonal makeup – is different, and each requires a unique balance of hormones. The differences between synthetic and biologically identical hormones are in their chemical structures and functionality. Bio-identical hormones are plant derived and have the exact same chemical structure as human hormones. Therefore, the body recognizes them and allows them to mimic the functions of the hormones the body produces on its own.
The use of bioidentical hormones, including progesterone, estradiol, and estriol, in hormone replacement therapy (HRT) has sparked intense debate. Of special concern is their relative safety compared with traditional synthetic and animal-derived versions, such as conjugated equine estrogens (CEE), medroxyprogesterone acetate (MPA), and other synthetic progestins.A recent study examined published primary literature comparing the effects of bioidentical and synthetic hormones, including clinical outcomes and in vitro results. The results showed that patients report greater satisfaction with HRTs that contain progesterone compared with those that contain a synthetic progestin.
Bioidentical hormones have some distinctly different, potentially opposite, physiological effects compared with their synthetic counterparts, which have different chemical structures. Both physiological and clinical data indicated that progesterone is associated with a diminished risk for breast cancer, compared with the increased risk associated with synthetic progestins. Estriol has some unique physiological effects, which differentiate it from estradiol, estrone, and CEE. Estriol would be expected to carry less risk for breast cancer. Synthetic progestins have a variety of negative cardiovascular effects, which may be avoided with progesterone.
In conclusion, physiological data and clinical outcomes demonstrate that bioidentical hormones are associated with lower risks, including the risk of breast cancer and cardiovascular disease, and are more efficacious than their synthetic and animal-derived counterparts. Until evidence is found to the contrary, bioidentical hormones remain the preferred method of HRT (Postgrad Med. 2009 Jan;121(1):73-85.)
Working with you and your prescriber, our compounding pharmacist can prepare hormones in a variety of strengths and dosage forms, including topical or vaginal creams, capsules, sublingual drops or troches, and suppositories. Contact us directly for more information.
Compounded bioidentical hormones for women
- Estradiol cream, capsules, troches, sublingual drops, topical drops, vaginal suppositories
- Estriol cream, capsules, troches, sublingual drops, topical drops, vaginal suppositories
- Biestrogen cream, capsules, troches, sublingual drops, topical drops, vaginal suppositories
- Progesterone cream, capsules, troches, sublingual drops, topical drops, vaginal suppositories
- Testosterone cream, capsules, troches, sublingual drops, topical drops, vaginal suppositories
- DHEA cream, capsules, troches, sublingual drops, topical drops, vaginal suppositories
- Pregnenolone cream, capsules, troches, sublingual drops, topical drops, vaginal suppositories