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Bio-Identical Hormone Replacment Therapy
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Hormonal health affects almost every aspect of a woman’s life. Hormonal imbalances can diminish a woman’s quality of life and make it seem as though their lives are spinning out of control. These imbalances can present themselves in numerous ways at many points in a woman’s life.
Symptoms include: Decreased concentration and memory, depression, mood swings and irritability, weight gain, fatigue, urinary tract infections, P.M.S., dryness, hot flashes and night sweats, sleep difficulties, hair loss and low libido. Hormonal imbalances can also play a role in Fibromyalgia and Chronic Fatigue Syndrome.
Hormone replacement therapy (HRT) can be an effective way to balance a woman’s hormones and relieve the symptoms associated with hormonal imbalances. Unfortunately, lately HRT has received a lot of negative criticism in the news due to the results of a Women’s Health Initiative study. A portion of the clinical study was stopped early after results showed that a synthetic hormone combination increased the risks of developing invasive breast cancer, heart disease, stroke and blood clots. The data and safety board concluded that the risks of using a synthetic estrogen-progestin drug combination outweighed the benefits. The key word here is synthetic. The synthetic hormones used in the study are derived from horse urine, and have been developed because they are longer lasting, more potent and, most importantly for the drug companies, because they are patentable.
It is unfortunate that the lay press and even scientific studies often group all forms of HRT together as if they are a single medication. This is not so. In reality, women’s experiences and clinical outcomes of HRT differ vastly depending on whether the hormones are synthetic or bio-identical, and on the dose, dosage form and route of administration.
Bio-identical HRT seeks to copy the body’s natural process as closely as possible to bring the body back to a healthy balance. Bio-identical hormones, unlike the synthetic ones that were used in the above referenced study, have the identical chemical structure of the hormones the body produces naturally. Bio-identical hormones are derived from natural plant sources and are converted by biochemists to hormones which are identical in every way to those made by the human body. These may include estrone, estriol, progesterone, testosterone, DHEA and pregnenolone. In addition to alleviating symptoms of hormonal imbalances, some long term benefits of using bio-identical hormone replacement therapy include: protection against heart disease, improved cholesterol and lipid profile, protection against endometrial cancer, and protection against osteoporosis. Bio-identical hormones can be made in doses and dosage forms convenient to each individual woman to fit her lifestyle, comfort level and personal goals.
A big question that many doctors miss is- Why do women have hormonal imbalance problems in the first place? In other words, is this a “natural” part of life or is some underlying problem causing the hormonal imbalance?
We follow the philosophy that if a person was at optimal health then they most likely would not suffer from hormonal imbalance problems. The next question is then-What is causing the imbalance?
In addition to using bio-identical hormone replacement therapy we also stick with our holistic approach to medicine by looking at the whole person and searching for any underlying causes of the problem. We take care to make sure that our treatment plans are easy to follow and we only address what needs to be addressed for each individual patient. Our patients come first and we do not want to over burden them on their path to optimal health. Our approach is thorough and includes looking at the following areas:
PROPER DIET is a critical part of achieving optimal health. In our practice the cornerstone of our diet plan is the Whole Foods Diet. In summary, eating a whole foods diet simply means to eat foods as they are in nature. We stress to our patients to avoid refined/processed foods, especially refined sweeteners such as white sugar and high fructose corn syrup. We have other adjunct diets and vitamin and mineral supplements that we recommend depending on the patient’s particular condition. We feel that maintaining a proper diet is big step in achieving optimal health.
SLEEP PROBLEMS have reached almost epidemic proportions in our modern society. The vast majority of patients who come to see us have some sort of sleep issue. It is almost impossible to achieve optimal health without getting a good night’s sleep on a regular basis. We have many techniques to solve sleep issues without resorting to prescription sleep medications. We use herbal sleep aid preparations and stress a sleep “hygiene” program to all of our patients. Many times sleep problems will be corrected when we correct other components of our treatment plan. Along with proper eating habits, proper sleep is a critical part to any health plan.
DETOXIFICATION is an area that is often overlooked by conventional medicine. It is our philosophy that toxins from our polluted environment accumulate in our bodies and cause havoc on many systems within the body. We have found that some of the biggest culprits are heavy metals. These include lead, arsenic and especially mercury.
These are toxic substances which are contained in our water, food, air, household products, and in the case of mercury, in silver dental fillings. Our bodies absorb these toxins throughout the years until, in some people, the toxic burden becomes large enough to cause problems. We use accurate tests to measure the amounts of these metals in the body. If the amounts are elevated, we then have safe methods to rid the body of these poisons.
We also focus on detoxifying the intestinal system. Most people do not know that the intestines contain large amounts of micro-organisms. Some of these micro-organisms are beneficial and crucial to good health and others are not. Beneficial micro-organisms include acidophilus bacteria (found in yogurt), and bifidobacterium. These “good guys” are needed in the intestines to properly break down certain food and to perform other useful functions.
The most common harmful micro-organism is a yeast called Candida Albicans. This fungus is normally present in very small amounts and kept in check by the beneficial micro-organisms. Bad diet, stress, and especially the overuse of anti-biotics can wipe out the beneficial micro-organisms and allow Candida Albicans to grow out of control. This over growth can lead to many problems within the body. We have a test which can determine if this is a problem. If an overgrowth is found, we have several techniques to safely resolve this issue.
HORMONAL IMBALANCES
Quite often a patient will have previously undetected problems in their hormonal (endocrine) system. The main glands involved are typically the ovaries in women, the adrenal glands and also the thyroid gland. Other glands may also be involved in some cases. Most patients coming to see us have been to several doctors with no favorable treatment results. One reason for this is that the previous doctors have missed hormonal deficiencies and/or imbalances in the above mentioned glands.
If these problems are suspected, we will order specific blood tests (for thyroid and other glands) and a saliva test (for the adrenal glands) to accurately pin down any deficiencies or imbalances. These can be corrected in most cases with the above mentioned naturally based (bio-identical) prescriptions. Usually we see great improvement in the patient’s quality of life when their hormonal system becomes balanced.
Addressing these areas (if necessary), along with using bio-identical HRT makes for a very successful treatment protocol.
Without HRT many women feel miserable, exhausted and unable to cope with life. It is therefore important to weigh any risks involved against the positive effects of HRT. At The Advanced Medicine Center we feel that using bio-identical hormone replacement is a safer choice than using the synthetic version. Decisions about whether to stop, start, or change your HRT should be made on an individual basis only after consulting with a knowledgeable physician.
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