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Bioidentical Hormone Replacement Therapy (BHRT)
Hormones, your body's "chemical messengers," control and regulate many of your body's natural processes, including metabolism, reproduction, growth and development, mood and sexual functions. They are produced by your body's endocrine glands and travel to specific tissues and organs via your bloodstream. The body's major endocrine glands are: pituitary, pineal, thymus, thyroid, adrenal glands and the pancreas. Hormones are also produced in the female body by the ovaries (estrogen and progesterone); in men, by the testes (testoterone). Other major types of hormones include steroids, insulin and DHEA. One of the main causes of hormonal deficiencies is age. A woman experiencing menopause, for example, will undergo serious deficiencies in estrogen levels; this is the cause for common menopausal side effects such as night sweats and hot flashes. There are many symptoms typically associated with hormone deficiencies, including fatigue, lack of stamina, difficulty remembering things and even weight gain. Hormone Replacement Therapy (HRT) began many years ago. It involves the use of lab-created, or synthetic, hormones that are typically derived from lab-produced chemicals or animal-derived products, like mares' (equine) urine. These synthetic hormones are patentable by drug companies because they do not have the same molecular structure as human hormones. In other words, because drug companies cannot patent a bioidentical structure, they came up with hormone structures of their own that are NOT identical in structure (and cannot be used by the human body the same way as) naturally-occuring hormones. For this reason, these hormones do not use the same metabolic pathways that our own hormones use, often leading to severe side effects. It is also important to note that the Women's Health Initiative studies (began in 1991) highlighting the risks now associated with HRT were based on synthetic/equine-based hormones. On the other hand, Bioidentical Hormone Replacement Therapy (BHRT) utilizes hormones that occur naturally, usually from plants such as soy or yam. Because they are molecularly-identical to human hormones, they are absorbed and used by the body in the same way human hormones are used. Also unlike the mass-produced sythetic hormones that only come in a "one-size-fits-all" dose, BHRT treatments can be individually-tailored to each patient's unique hormonal needs. At Immune Recovery and Wellness, P.C., an individual's hormonal needs are determined by a combined consultation and full panel of tests, including saliva or blood. The actual "therapy" is then prepared by a compouding pharmacy in the form of a simple cream, which is applied to and absorbed through the patient's skin. Doses can then be decreased or increased according to each patient's individual response to the therapy. For more on the use of BHRT and its availability at Immune Recovery and Wellness, P.C., please see the interview (click here) given by Bobbie Shepard-Mardocco, NP. For more on Complementary and Alternative Medicine, and its use at IRW, click here. Click here to be taken back to the Home Page. |
520.751.0100
Hormone Replacement Therapy (HRT)
Immune Recovery Clinic
