Your hormones are so important for how your body works every day. When hormone levels are off, it can really affect your health in bad ways. Bioidentical hormone replacement therapy, or BHRT, aims to get your hormone levels back where they should be.
It uses ingredients that act just like the hormones your body makes. Two of the hormones that the FDA says are okay to use are estriol and progesterone. These have been tested and approved.
It’s important to know, though, that not all bioidentical hormones have been okayed by the FDA. Especially those that are made special just for you, as they might not be checked the way the others are.
That means it’s not proven if they are safe, if they will really work, or even what’s truly in them. When things aren’t checked out properly by the experts, it leaves room for problems. Your health and safety should always come first. I’d suggest talking to your doctor to get their advice on any treatment and only use what gets a passing grade from the FDA.
Common Forms of BHRT
There are different options for hormone therapy depending on what your doctor recommends and what you prefer.
- Pills: You can take pills by mouth each day. Very common option.
- Patches: These sticky patches you put on your skin release hormones into your body over time. Don’t need to take them every day.
- Creams: Rubbing creams onto your skin gets the hormones into your body.
- Gels: Rubbing gels onto your skin each day works the same as creams.
- Injections: Getting a shot of hormones under your skin or in your muscle on a schedule set by your doctor.
- Pellets: Small waxy pellets implanted under the skin that release hormones over several months. Don’t need many treatments per year.
Conditions Treated with BHRT
BHRT is mainly used to treat symptoms that come with changes in our hormones, especially around menopause for women and andropause for men. These symptoms can really disrupt our lives. Some of the big ones are:
- Hot flashes
- Night sweats
- Mood swings
- Sleep problems
- Low sex drive
- Fatigue
Benefits of BHRT
Bioidentical hormones are specially made to be exactly like the ones your body already produces. When your doctor replaces the hormones you’re missing, it can make a big difference to your quality of life. These hormones can:
- Help you sleep soundly through the night without waking up. Getting good rest will leave you refreshed and ready to take on the day.
- Boost your mood and sharpen your mind. Feeling happier and thinking clearly again is life-changing.
- Give you energy to spare. No more dragging through your days – you’ll feel motivated to take on whatever comes your way.
- Help maintain a healthy weight. Having more energy makes it easier to stay active and control your appetite.
- Stop hot flashes and night sweats in their tracks. No more waking up drenched in sweat.
- Keep your skin, hair, and nails looking their best. Feeling confident in your own skin is priceless.
Risks Associated with BHRT
BHRT can really help some patients feel better, but it’s important to know the risks, too. The risks are kind of like the ones with regular hormone therapy. They include:
- Blood clots
- Strokes
- Gallbladder problems
- Heart disease
- Breast cancer
With that said, it’s very important that a doctor closely watches your treatment. They need to give you the lowest amount of hormones possible for the shortest time it works. That way, we can try to avoid those risks as much as we can.
Customization and Treatment Protocols
One big benefit of BHRT is that we can customize it just for you. The doctor will do a full check-up, including blood and pee tests. This helps us create the treatment that exactly fits your needs.
Customizing like this makes the treatment work better. It addresses what’s missing or causing problems specifically for you instead of a one-size-fits-all plan.
- Your first appointment: The doctor will want to know your whole health history and run some tests. This gives us the info we need to make a treatment plan just for you.
- Customizing the plan: We’ll use your test results to make sure your hormone doses are what your body really needs.
- Check-ups are key: Coming back to see the doctor regularly is important. It lets us monitor your hormone levels and tweak the treatment as needed to keep you feeling your best.
How Does BHRT Compare With Traditional HRT?
Traditional hormone replacement therapy, or HRT, usually uses hormones made in a lab or from animals. But these hormones aren’t always the same as the ones your body makes naturally. BHRT, on the other hand, uses hormones that are exactly like the ones your body already has.
They have the same tiny molecules. This means your body may accept BHRT hormones more easily. They could fit right into your current hormone system like a missing puzzle piece.
Medical Supervision Is a Must
Medical checkups are a must for hormone replacement. When a doctor watches over your treatment, it means the hormones will really help you feel better without any worries.
That way, if anything seems off, the doctor can make quick changes. Maybe your doses need tweaking, or maybe there’s a small problem the doctor can fix right away.
