Many conditions can be improved by treatment with bio-identical hormones. The obvious things have to do with female problems such as menopause, and PMS. Other conditions include, chronic pain, fatigue, sleep disorders. Even diabetes, Alzheimers, and hypertension can be improved by understanding your hormone levels.
Ideally you would start by getting tests to measure your hormone levels. This can be done either using blood tests, saliva tests, or urine. Many doctors say that testing hormone levels doesn't tell you anything but I've found that it does. Its a matter of understanding the tests that we are using and being able to extrapolate from having seen many people.
Once you have some lab levels, many supplements can be used to help balance hormones. It doesn't just have to be bio-identical hormones. Depending on your symptoms and what is out of balance, I will prescribe supplements or hormones to help you feel better.
Friday, May 22, 2009
Wednesday, May 6, 2009
Bio Identical Hormones
There is a lot of controversy about bio-identical hormones and what it means to take them.
Today I will just provide you with a brief definition of what they are. Your body is always making hormones in the various glands such as the thyroid, adrenals, and ovaries or testes. The adrenal glands alone make over 20 different hormones.
In certain situations when your body isn't making enough hormones its a good idea to replace them. Most commonly, we think of menopause as one of those times, but there are other medical conditions that will do better with hormone replacement as well.
Bio Identical hormones are hormones made in a lab with an identical chemical structure to the ones in your body. For example, estradiol is a bio-identical hormone, but Premarin is not. Premarin is natural in that is comes from horse urine, but isn't biologically the same as your own natural estrogen.
The idea is that when you use bio-identical hormones, your system doesn't have to work hard to use them, and is less likely to have a negative reaction.
On my next post, I'll give you more details about how and why to use them.
Today I will just provide you with a brief definition of what they are. Your body is always making hormones in the various glands such as the thyroid, adrenals, and ovaries or testes. The adrenal glands alone make over 20 different hormones.
In certain situations when your body isn't making enough hormones its a good idea to replace them. Most commonly, we think of menopause as one of those times, but there are other medical conditions that will do better with hormone replacement as well.
Bio Identical hormones are hormones made in a lab with an identical chemical structure to the ones in your body. For example, estradiol is a bio-identical hormone, but Premarin is not. Premarin is natural in that is comes from horse urine, but isn't biologically the same as your own natural estrogen.
The idea is that when you use bio-identical hormones, your system doesn't have to work hard to use them, and is less likely to have a negative reaction.
On my next post, I'll give you more details about how and why to use them.
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