Is Hormone replacement therapy (HRT) a new concept?
No, Hormone replacement therapy has been practiced with pharmaceutical products for more than 50 years. Women have been prescribed hormones to treat menopause and a variety of disorders where fertility has been affected. However, today HRT has gained impetus chiefly because women want to get rid of symptoms of menopause
What happens during menopause?
During menopause, all women stop making the natural sex hormones, estrogen and progesterone. The loss of these sex hormones is associated with many physical and emotional effects. Thirty years ago, estrogen and progesterone were widely prescribed to treat menopause. However, as clinical evidence accumulated, it was realized that the safety of these hormones in the long run was an issue. Laboratory research showed that long-term use of sex hormones after menopause could lead to growth of breast or uterine cancers.
So what is happening now?
Well we have now come full circle. Instead of using the prescription based synthetic estrogen and progesterone, there is a big demand for the naturally occurring sex hormones. Bioidentical hormones are naturally occurring hormones found in plants. The bioidentical hormones also require a prescription; however, many pharmacies can adjust the formulation so that one can have the right amount of estrogen or progesterone.
Who uses Bioidentical hormones?
Bioidentical HRT is very useful for women who have undergone hysterectomy and those who are undergoing menopause. Younger women who have premature ovarian failure or have undergone a hysterectomy may take the bioidentical HRT for many more years.
How are bioidentical hormones available?
These hormones can be delivered as a patch, pill, cream, gel, or even an injection. The two basic formulations are ones which have a constant dosage and those which have a varying dosage of sex hormones. Bioidentical hormones can also be compounded with testosterone to provide a boost to libido.
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