Hormone Replacement

 

Hormones are chemical messengers produced by the endocrine glands throughout your body.  These glands receive signals from your brain telling them how to oversee various functions within your body.  The endocrine system is responsible for the regulation of the body’s temperature, sexual desires, growth, healing, aging and immune system.  It allows the central nervous system to communicate with every cell in the body.  Hormones stimulate a multitude of life-giving processes throughout the body which maintain health, harmony, growth and healing. 

                                                      

A predictable decrease in production of hormones begins in middle age and continues until old age.  Hormone deficiencies affect every cell in the body and result in degenerative changes and aging.  Bringing hormone levels back to a youthful level reverses many of the unfavorable effects that begin to appear as we age.

 

Many disease processes, including cardiovascular disease, stroke, cancer and Alzheimer’s disease have been blamed on the aging process.  However, conventional medicine has never treated aging as a disease process nor has it tried to prevent this process.  Now we can look at aging as a significant factor in disease formation and attempt to prevent the symptoms of aging by treating aging as a disease in and of itself.  We have begun to change our thinking that it is normal to deteriorate with age, and therefore acceptable.  Fortunately, we now know that much of this deterioration process is preventable.

 

Hormone Replacement Therapy (HRT) slows cellular degeneration and allows regeneration of tissue, healing and a slowing down of the aging process.

 

Physical deterioration is not a requirement of growing older!  It is now possible to stop much of the undesirable aspects of aging as well as the symptoms and diseases associated with aging.  HRT is an updated science which has been shown to not only prolong life but improve and prolong the quality of life.

 

Dr. Rollins and his associates at AdvantAge Integrative Medicine specialize in HRT regimens as well as diet, exercise and nutritional supplementation to achieve maximum benefits and deter the aging process.  After a consultation and laboratory evaluation a personalized hormone supplementation program will be prescribed for you and monitored until optimal hormone levels are achieved.

 

Frequently Asked Questions about HRT

What are Bioidentical Hormones?

Bioidentical hormones are supplemental hormones that are exactly identical to hormones found in the human body.  In order to be patented, conventional hormone replacement has been synthesized to be different from, and stronger than, human hormones.  This can aggravate estrogen dominance, and is a proven cancer risk.  Bioidentical hormones are different.  They are gentle.  They provide all the benefits of hormone replacement without the side effects.  They are available by prescription from compounding chemists.  

What does "bioidentical" mean?

This is a term first used by Dr. Christaine Northrup.  It means identical to biology, and is used to distinguish human hormones from hormone-like drugs.

Are they effective?

Early double blind studies have been done with promising results.  At AdvantAge Integrative Medicine we have treated thousands of patients with good results.  Individualized bioidentical hormone formulas may be the safest and most effective hormone supplements available. 

Are they safe?

There have been numerous studies documenting the safety of bioidentical hormones, particularly progesterone. The most recent is a 2005 French study published in the International Journal of Cancer. It found that, unlike the progestins used in conventional HRT, natural progesterone does NOT cause breast cancer.

Why doesn't my doctor know about natural hormones?

Although bio-identical hormones have been available for decades, very few doctors know about them.  Alternatively, they may know about them, but have dismissed them because they are not well researched.  Bio-identical hormones can not be patented.  For this reason they have been of little financial interest to pharmaceutical research, and have not been promoted to doctors.

Where can I buy natural hormones?

Individualized natural hormone prescriptions are available from compounding chemists.  A prescription from a physician is required.

How long do I have to take them?

It depends on why you're taking them.  PMS symptoms due to progesterone deficiency can be corrected within just a few months of treatment. Menopausal symptoms may require treatment for approximately one year or longer. Long-term use may be used for prevention of osteoporosis.

  

Will I have to stop my medication?

No.  You may choose to obtain a prescription for bio-identical hormones to replace the hormone replacement that you are using now.  Most other medications are safe in combination with bioidentical hormones. 

Will they interact with my supplements or herbal medicines?

No. As your health improves with natural remedies, you may need to decrease the dose of the hormones.  This can be easily determined by symptom evaluation and lab testing.

What are Phyto-estrogens?

Phyto-estrogens are plant hormones, and although they are different from human hormones, they are gentle, with an adaptogenic effect.  They stimulate estrogen sensitive tissue if estrogen is low, and protect it when estrogen is too high.

Is Wild Yam Cream the same as Natural Progesterone Cream?

No.  Wild yam cream contains phyto-estrogens, and it may increase the body's production of progesterone, but it, in itself is not a hormone or a precursor to a hormone.  Natural progesterone cream is a bioidentical hormone.

What are Natural HRT formulas available in health food stores?

They are combinations of nutrients and herbs containing phyto-estrogens.  Phyto-estrogens are effective for menopause and hormonal imbalance.  They can be part of the treatment plan but they are not hormones. 

What is Natural Progesterone?

Progesterone is the most popular and well-known bioidentical hormone.  Progesterone is normally produced by the ovaries in second half of the menstrual cycle, and by the placenta during pregnancy.  By balancing the effects of estrogen, it relieves estrogen dominance and prevents breast cancer. It can also relieve symptoms of very low estrogen (menopause).  Artificial progestins such as oral contraceptives and medroxy-progesterone (Provera) are NOT progesterone.

Are there natural estrogens?

Yes.  Bioidentical estrone, estradiol and estriol are available from compounding chemists and in some conventional HRT.  Except for estriol which is very mild, even bioidentical estrogens have some cancer promoting effects if they are not balanced by progesterone.

What about testosterone?

Testosterone is thought of as only a male hormone, but that is far from true.  Men and women need testosterone for promotion of muscle mass, strong bones, energy, sexual desire, and more.  Most women of menopausal age are also deficient in testosterone.

How are Bioidentical hormones made?

Most hormones from compounding pharmacies are obtained from plant sources (usually soy).  They are refined into the actual hormone through a series of processes.  Interestingly, most people with soy allergies can use a soy-derived hormone because virtually all traces of soy are removed in the refinement process.

Why do we prefer to use sub-lingual (melt under the tongue) tablets?

Most hormones exist in a free and bound portion.  That is, about 90-95% of most hormones are bound up to a protein and not biologically active in this form.  The remaining 5-10% is the free or active form.  When we take hormones in pill form and swallow them they must be digested and are immediately metabolized by the liver.  This requires the use of higher doses of hormone and puts a strain on the liver. 

Because the binding proteins cross-react to some extent with other hormones, the administration of one hormone can cause others to bind up more and thus lower their levels.  For example, some women taking hormone contraception pills (very strong) become relatively low on thyroid or testosterone due to these hormones being more protein-bound. 

The sub-lingual tablets go directly into the bloodstream like in your own body.  This is as close to nature as we can get.  This also minimizes the body’s attempt to bind up the hormones.

What about pills?

We will use pills but prefer the sub-lingual tablets as outlined above.  Some people just don’t like the aftertaste of the tablets or find they mildly irritate their mouth (rarely).  Some people might get some side effects of the hormone being absorbed so quickly under the tongue.  For these people we are glad to use pills.

What about creams?

Creams are a good method of hormone delivery.  We find most patients find them to be more of a hassle to apply twice daily than just taking a tablet.  Another issue is that the metabolism of some hormones are affected by enzymes in the fat tissue just under our skin.  For example, testosterone is converted to estrogen by an enzyme (aromatase) found in fat, thus a testosterone cream is more likely to result in higher levels of estrogen.

The problem with some Natural Hormone prescriptions.

If you obtain a script for bioidentical hormones from another doctor, be careful. At the right dose, natural hormones are a fantastic treatment for polycystic ovarian syndrome, endometriosis, fibroids, PMS, depression and menopause. At the wrong dose, they will not work for you.

There are two main problems with the way that natural hormones are prescribed: