Treating Hormone Imbalances

The symptoms of menopause, caused by hormone imbalance, can be debilitating for many women. When you can’t find relief through herbs and supplements alone, doctors often turn to hormone replacement therapy, or HRT, to bring hormones back into balance. Hormones are vital chemical messengers created by our endocrine glands that help regulate almost every biological process in our body. Hormones play an essential role in controlling things such as hunger, mood, metabolism, and reproduction.

Examples of important hormones include:

• Testosterone
• Estrogen
• Progesterone
• DHEA
• Thyroid Hormone
• Melatonin
• PSA
• Vitamin D

 As we get older, the natural hormone levels in our bodies begin to decline, often leading to physical and mental decline.
Replenishing and rebalancing our hormones as we age can help us look and feel younger longer, lose weight, and stay healthy. Many people are now turning to hormone replacement therapy as a means to replenish their natural hormones and slow down the effects of aging.

One of the most important questions we hear is this:

What’s the difference between synthetic hormones and bioidentical hormones?

Synthetic hormones are chemically altered and not identical to human hormones. Bioidentical hormones are produced naturally with plant-based materials and have precisely the same structure and chemical composition as our own hormones, therefore sending the correct signals to the various tissues in the body.

Synthetic Hormones

Unfortunately, most of today’s hormone replacement treatments use synthetic hormones, which are patented by pharmaceutical companies.

When first introduced, synthetic hormones were well-received because they provide some of the benefits of hormone replacement, such as controlling the symptoms of menopause and fighting osteoporosis and heart disease. However, long-term results have shown that synthetic hormones can elicit a negative metabolic response. For example, some women can’t tolerate synthetic hormones and suffer from side effects such as bloating, bleeding, or mood swings. In some people, synthetic estrogens and progestins have contributed to the development of breast and uterine cancer.

Synthetic hormones are chemically altered and not identical to human hormones. For example, the popular estrogen-replacement drug Premarin is made from horse urine (the drug’s name is short for PREgnant MARes’ urINe).

Bioidentical Hormones

Bioidentical hormones, on the other hand, are produced naturally with plant-based materials. Plants like yams and soy have hormones with the same structure and chemical composition as your body’s natural hormones.

These hormones are processed into a prescription dose and formed by a specialty compounding pharmacy. The body accepts and metabolizes these hormones as if it made them.

Why doesn’t my gynecologist prescribe bioidentical hormones?

The truth is much of what physicians learn is from drug companies promoting their patented products. Natural supplements such as vitamins and hormones are protected by federal regulation and may not be patented. Therefore, doctors are primarily taught only about synthetic products. A physician must typically be self-educated and experienced in prescribing and monitoring natural hormones.
Jenn has advanced certifications and years of experience in bioidentical hormone replacement therapy.