Sex Hormones (mainly estrogen, progesterone and testosterone for women) in adequacy and balance are vital for optimal health and wellbeing.
Bio-Identical hormone therapy is for those who have decreased hormone levels on lab testing, and/or display hormone deficiency symptoms. Hormone levels are checked and monitored before and during therapy. Bio-identical hormone therapy can be delivered through many forms, including creams, lozenges, patches, and pellets. Dr. Dagstani finds that most patients do best with the pellet delivery method, although he does utilize the other delivery methods as well.
What does “bio-Identical” mean?
“Bio-identical” hormones are compounds which are manufactured in the lab to have exactly the same chemical and molecular structure as the hormones that are produced by the human body. Though any hormone can be made to be “bio-identical” the term is most often used to describe formulations containing estrogens, progesterone, and testosterone.
By contrast, synthetic hormones are of a different chemical and molecular structure. The primary example of a synthetic hormone is Premarin which is made from Pregnant Mare (female horse of breeding age) Urine – perfectly “natural” as some doctors like to say, but not the exact same hormone that a human female produces.
Is bio-Identical hormone therapy only for menopausal women?
Many times sex hormone issues are associated exclusively with peri/menopause; this, however, is not alway the case, as younger women can also suffer from sex hormone issues. For younger patients in particular, these issues may not always indicate a need for actual hormone replacement, but a more gentle and supportive approach. There are certain situations, such as menstrual migraines, where a low dose of estrogen often does prove immensely helpful. During a woman’s monthly cycle, at the time of menses estrogen usually drops to its lowest point, and the estrogen withdrawal is often a trigger to a migraine. In addition, it is not uncommon for younger women to suffer from testosterone deficiency, which can cause, among others issues:
- low libido
- fatigue
- anxiety
- depression
- low muscle tone
What are perimenopause and menopause?
The typical time of life when sex hormone issues do appear is 35 – 59, when perimenopause and menopause often occur; the average age for actual menopause is said to be 52. Perimenopause – the signs and effects of the menopause transition – can begin as early as age 35, although most women become aware of the transition in their mid to late 40s. During perimenopause, which can last as long as 4 – 6 years and usually ends after 12 months of amenorrhea, a woman’s menstrual cycle becomes irregular and varied, the ovaries produce less sex hormones, and the lifetime supply of eggs become depleted. Menopause itself is considered to have been reached when a full year has passed since the last menses. Natural menopause (meaning non-surgical, i.e. complete hysterectomy) is a normal condition that every healthy woman will experience as she reaches middle age; it is not the state of perimenopause or menopause itself that is being treated but the uncomfortable effects the drop in sex hormones often induce.
How can bio-identical hormone therapy help?
When sex hormone levels drop, life often becomes more difficult. Among the issues often resulting which hormone replacement therapy typically helps resolve are:
- hot flushes
- night sweats and/or cold flushes
- irritability, mood swings, sudden tears
- anxiety
- depression
- loss of libido (sex drive)
- vaginal dryness
- heart palpitations
- fatigue
- urinary incontinence or urgency
- inability to sleep through the night
- weight gain
Estrogen therapy remains, by far, the most effective treatment option for relieving hormone-deficiency induced hot flushes, night sweats, and vaginal dryness.
Testosterone replacement, unfortunately, is far too often left out for women. Many practitioners still only recognize its role in enhancing sex drive, and fail to appreciate its benefit in regards to mood, depression, fatigue, irritability, and weight control. Testosterone is of course normally produced by a woman’s body (primarily ovaries and adrenal glands) and plays just as important a role for women as it does for men, it is just that much less is produced and needed.
Facebook
Google-plus
Youtube
Wordpress
