Are you suffering from menopause? Dealing with night sweats, anxiety or fatigue? Rather than using medications that can aggravate the problem, naturopathic medicine can stop the issue by dealing with the source of the problem instead of covering up the symptoms. Your bodies 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.
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.
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
For additional information or to schedule an appointment with Dr. Dagstani, please call us directly at 480.861.3916. We look forward to working with you on restoring your health.
Healthy Isn’t A Goal, It’s A Way Of Living!
