health education • bioidentical hormones
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Her thoughts were cloudy – like “a television with fuzzy reception.” several physical aberrations, including: n hot flashes n joint or back pain n constant fatigue n insomnia n decreased libido n depression However, there is an alternative for women who have entered the menopause stage: hormonal replacement therapy (HRT). With an infusion or addition of estrogen and/or progestin, this type of therapy can provide some relief for the symptoms of menopause. This addition of hormones can come in the form of tablets, skin sprays or gels. But there is an alternative that is becoming more commonplace for women: bioidentical hormone replacement (bHRT).
Bioidentical hormones are manufactured in the lab to have the same molecular structure as the hormones made by your own body. By contrast, synthetic hormones are intentionally different. Drug companies can’t patent a bioidentical structure, so they invent synthetic hormones that are patentable (for example, Premarin, Prempro and Provera). Dr. Ajay Nangia, associate professor of Urology at KU Medical center, says that an individualized approach can generate the most success. “Usually we begin with laboratory tests of hormone levels, or a ‘hormone panel,’” Dr. Nangia says. “When warranted, a doctor would then prescribe a precise dosage of bioidentical estrogens, progesterone, testosterone and/or DHEA that is prepared at a registered compounding pharmacy. Each patient is then monitored carefully through regular follow-up hormone panels to ensure she gets symptom relief at the lowest possible dosage. In the initial stages, we will do a hormone panel every three months. Once balance is restored, we’ll do one panel a year at the time of the annual exam.”
hormones Bioidentical hormone replacement therapy can relieve the effects of menopause | By Ryan Brown
enhance magazine
© istockphoto.com / Piccerella
Meredith Poeschl had unexpectedly entered menopause, and her body was reacting violently to the change. Poeschl, a 49-year-old Shawnee resident, was suffering from insomnia and a constant low-grade headache. She also battled depression, though it went undiagnosed for some time. “I thought (the depression) had more to do with my daughter leaving for college than anything physical,” Poeschl says. “I hadn’t considered the possibility of menopause until a friend brought it up one day.” Menopause is when a female’s body stops making estrogen and progesterone and signifies the end of a woman’s reproductive cycle. This process can also create a state of instability in the hormonal balance of the female, creating
What is Bioidentical Hormone Replacement?
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