Jake Ames, MD, HMD.
How do I know if I need Bio-identical Hormone Replacement Therapy?
The Holistic Bio Spa has been doing bio-identical hormone replacement therapy in women for 25 years. The average woman enters menopause between ages 48-52. It is defined medically when there has been an absence of menstruation for 12 months. There is a perimenopause period that can start a few years before menopause which can produce menopausal symptoms.
Symptoms can include:
- Night and day hot flashes
- Sweats
- Brain fog
- Dry skin
- Hair loss
- Loss of libido
- Vaginal atrophy and dryness
- Weight gain
- Depression
- Anxiety
Bio-identical Hormone Replacement Therapy: What is it?
Bio-identical hormones are identical molecularly with the hormones that your ovaries and adrenal glands make. Most of them are made from plants, and without getting into chemistry they do contain different isotopes (molecular weight), so they are not absolutely identical, but work the same in your body as the hormones your body originally made before menopause.
Bio-identical hormone replacement therapy can be taken orally, topically, sublingually or implanted as a pellet. The problem with taking estradiol orally and sublingually is that your liver will convert the estradiol to estrone easier which is more carcinogenic. The ideal ratio of estradiol (E2) to estrone (E1) is 2:1. This can only be achieved with hormone pellet implants (testosterone and estradiol).
Some women do not want to come into the physician’s office and get pellet insertion every four months, so they elect to have topical estradiol, progesterone and testosterone creams. These hormone creams can be applied to the skin or vagina. Usually, the hormones are separated into three different jars at first, to find the correct dosage of all three hormones. Later all three hormones can be put into one jar for convenience and to save on costs.
Within a week to a few weeks, your hormone levels should be at a 25-year-old level, and you should have an elimination of your menopausal symptoms. Also, estradiol protects you from osteoporosis and Alzheimer’s disease. We are using these hormones as part of our anti-aging program.
At the Holistic Bio Spa, we are experts in interpreting laboratory analysis, and we do comprehensive hormone panel testing in women and men. We treat the patient’s signs and symptoms, not a lab value.
No part of this blog may be reproduced in any form without written permission. The content on this blog was written by Jake Ames, MD, HMD and is not intended to be a substitute for medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment by your primary physician.
