The field of medicine can have many different interpretations of a condition, for instance menopause is uniquely dealt with by physicians depending on their training and their interest in keeping up with newest trends in medicine. For instance, the treatment of menopause has been a gray area that is often dealt with by telling the patient that she will get through the symptoms and to modify her diet and lifestyle to decrease her symptoms. Sometimes this is not enough and hormone replacement therapy has been used which in the past has shown to cause side effects much worse than the symptoms themselves.
Hormone imbalance can effect the lifestyles of men and women as estrogen, testosterone and progesterone all have important roles in our lives. An imbalance can cause mood swings, hot flashes and a loss of energy. Bio identical hormone replacement therapy is used to treat these symptoms. Because of the Premarin synthetic hormone problems with breast cancer, heart attacks, strokes and cervical cancer many physicians stopped prescribing hormone replacement for their patients and women refused to take it out of fear.
Of late bio identical hormones have gained popularity due to the celebrities who successfully take them like Oprah Winfrey and Suzanne Somers. Doctors have used them for the past 25 years with great success when customized to the patient's needs. The only way to do this is through a compounding pharmacist who can make the prescription exactly as ordered in a delivery system agreeable to the patient.
Bio identical hormones are made in a lab and have the same molecular structure as the hormones made in the body. Synthetic hormones, by contrast, are intentionally different. Drug companies cannot patent a bio identical structure so they have created synthetic ones such as Premarin, Prempro and Provera to name a few popular brands. Although bio identical hormones have been around for a long time most doctors are unfamiliar with them.
The first thing that must be done when considering bio identical hormones is to have a hormone panel done to determine the dosage of bio identical estrogens, progesterone, testosterone and or DHEA to prepare at a compounding pharmacy. Careful monitoring is done through follow-up hormone panels to ensure that relief is found at the lowest dosage possible. A hormone panel is done every three months in the beginning and then once a year once a patient is stable at the time of their annual exam.
Many women can find relief in balancing their hormones without the use of drugs by using a natural approach through medical-grade nutritional supplements, lifestyle and dietary changes and gentle endocrine support. Some women will need prescription strength hormone supplements to get complete relief and get them through a transition period.
The appeal of bio identical hormones is that they are natural allowing our bodies to metabolize them with minimal side effects. Synthetic hormones are stronger and produce intolerable side effects. The bio identical hormones can be compounded to each woman's individual needs which is not possible with a mass produced prescription. Studies have shown that they are safer than synthetic versions but they have not been studied for long-term use.
With the right doctor and the right dosage of hormones you could be feeling great in no time. Years ago we all used to go to the pharmacy and the pharmacist would compound our prescriptions. Today medications are mass produced to treat large segments of the population. Compounding pharmacists can create custom dosages in delivery systems easily tolerated by the patient. The triad relationship of the patient-physician-pharmacist provides a unique approach to treating this issue.
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