Hormones are chemicals made by your endocrine glands that deliver information to different parts of your body, telling those parts how and when to work. Because hormones affect many important systems and are responsible for various functions in your body, even a slight imbalance can cause symptoms like weight gain, low energy and low libido. Hormone replacement therapy is one method used to treat these symptoms. Estrogen, progesterone and testosterone are the most commonly used bioidentical hormones.
For women going through menopause, bioidentical hormone replacement therapy is often used to replace the estrogen and progesterone that the body no longer produces during this stage of life. Therapy can be distributed in several different forms, including pills, creams, gels, and patches. Because treatment is Treatment must be prescribed by a healthcare provider because so they may tailor it to each individual’s specific hormone levels and symptoms.
Different types of bioidentical hormone therapy
Bioidentical hormone replacement therapy (BHRT) is a cutting-edge technique that uses natural hormones that are identical to those produced by your body organically. However, there are different types of bioidentical hormones. There are commercially available hormone products approved by the FDA, such as micronized progesterone, estradiol, and dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA), as well as compounded preparations. Then there are compounded hormones.
Not all Compounded bioidentical hormones are not FDA-approved. They are not tested for safety or effectiveness despite being advertised as a safer, more effective alternative to conventional hormone therapy. Although custom hormone combinations often include blends of the same ingredients found in FDA-approved bioidentical hormones, some include additional hormones that have not had adequate testing and are not FDA-approved. These hormones combinations also lack consistency in the specific amounts of each ingredient so there is no way to measure how much a client will receive of each component.
Don’t believe the marketing hype
Many compounding pharmacies use the phrase “bioidentical hormone” as a marketing term to imply that these preparations are natural and, thus, safer and more effective than U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA)–approved menopausal medications that use bioidentical or synthetic hormones or both. However, evidence to support these claims of safety and effectiveness is lacking. (Source: https://www.acog.org/clinical/clinical-guidance/clinical-consensus/articles/2023/11/compounded-bioidentical-menopausal-hormone-therapy)
Trust the BHRT expert at Balanced Weight Loss & Wellness
At Balanced Weight Loss & Wellness, Kelly Cudd, FNP has specialized training and is certified in Bioidentical Hormone Replacement Therapy. She tailors your treatment to your specific needs by doing a thorough exam and lab work. She uses only compounding pharmacies that do third party testing. This ensures you receive the correct dosage and superior quality formulas that are more bioavailable.