The Difference Between Bio-identical and Synthetic hormones
If you have reached premenopause, menopause or andropause, you may be asking what is the difference between synthetic hormones and bio-identical hormones. Synthetic hormones are manufactured in laboratories by one of the major pharmaceutical companies in a one dose fits all pill. They are chemicals, man made and therefore synthetic and produce unwanted side effects such as fluid retention, bloating, sore breasts, dizziness and nausea. There are also potential dangers that were revealed by the Womens Health Initiative research in 2002, dangers such as increased risk of increased risk of breast, stroke or uterine cancer.
Bioidentical hormones, unlike synthetic hormones, are extracted from natural plant sources, such as soybean and wild yams, and their molecular structure is the same as that of the hormones manufactured in our bodies. They act in the same way as our own hormones when we were producing our own hormones. Bioidentical hormones are taken in a rhythmic or biomimetic manner, imitating the monthly rise and fall of the hormones in our body. They are compounded by a compounding pharmacist into cream, lozenge or pellets in the doses prescribed by your bioidentical doctor to fulfill your specific hormone requirement needs. Each prescription is made specifically for you.
Within a few days of beginning bioidentical hormone replacement therapy (BHRT), you will find that most or all of your symptoms have disappeared. Other advantages of replacing your diminished hormones are; weight loss, improved sense of well being and mood, improved libido, lower cholesterol levels, decreased risk of heart attack and stroke, decreased risk of osteoporosis, improved look and feel of nails, skin and hair, and more.
Your bioidentical hormone doctor will answer all your questions, perform blood tests to check your hormone levels can provide you with all of the safety information, inform you of symptoms and health solutions such as improved diet and nutritional supplements and provide you with the guidance you may need to navigate your menopause, premenopause or andropause. After an appointment with your doctor, you will have the information you need and be fully informed before making the final decision on whether to take synthetic hormones or bio-identical hormones.
A qualified anti aging specialist or bioidentical doctor can help you achieve a healthy and happy lifestyle with treatments and lifestyle changes that will allow you to sail through menopause with a breeze.
Filed Under Andropause, Bioidentical Doctors, Bioidenticals, Biomimetics, Menopause | Leave a Comment
Smoking and Bioidentical Hormones
I’ve had lots of emails from our readers who still smoke, asking about the dangers of smoking and bioidentical hormones together, so many in fact, that I thought I should do some research and talk to my bioidentical doctor about the issue.
Now everybody knows, unless you’ve been living under a rock for the last 20 years, that smoking is definitely bad for you and your health. We all know that with smoking your chances of lung cancer, emphysema, heart disease and bronchitis. We also know the dangers of smoking from second hand smoke on the people and children around us. Second hand smoke can cause lung cancer.
Aesthetically, smoking gets on your clothes, smells up your home, burns your clothes and makes you smell like an ashtray. Along with this, there is the cost of smoking which can add up to big dollars over time. If we say that smoking costs $7.00 on average per day, $210 per month, and $2,520 per year, the costs add up. There are more fun ways to spend your money than wasting it on cigarettes.
From a vanity point, for those interested in how they look as they age and interested in anti aging, smoking dries out your skin, causes wrinkles around the eyes and the mouth, discoloured skin and overall increases the aging process. It also, by the way, causes the early onset of menopause in women. Smoking causes free radicals to form in your body which causes damage to DNA and disease.
Smoking reduces the absorption of vitamin C – a very important antioxidant for the health of your skin. Vitamin A, which protects the skin from damage, is reduced in the body. Collagen, which is vital for the elasticity of the skin, is broken down by the production of an enzyme produced when one smokes a cigarette. Also, smoking constricts the blood flow in the capillaries, which cuts off oxygen and nutrients required to nourish the skin.
And how does smoking effect hormone levels? What are the dangers of smoking and bioidentical hormones? For younger women trying to get pregnant, smoking can cause infertility. For premenopausal and menopausal women, smoking is one of the worst habits to keep. If one inhales enough nicotine, it will convert in the body to an anti-estrogen, a catechol estrogen or otherwise know as a xenoestrogen which will make it necessary for your bioidentical doctor to prescribe higher doses of the bioidentical hormone estrogen to combat your menopause symptoms. Catechol estrogen damages the DNA and causes cancer.
These are all the facts about the dangers of smoking, especially during menopause and while using bioidentical hormones. I asked my doctor about bioidentical hormones and smoking and she said that it will increase the chances of lung cancer by 62%, and your risks of breast cancer and stroke increase dramatically too. Smoking will decrease the circulation in your arms and legs, possibly leading to blood clots. In other words, if a patient continued to smoke, she would stop prescribing bioidentical hormones until the patient ceased smoking.
One of the things you have to do once you reach menopause if you are not living healthily before menopause is to make major lifestyle changes. One of the first things you should do is quit smoking, as well as remove chemicals from your life, exercise and eat a nutritious diet. Bioidentical hormones will ease the passage through menopause and combat menopause symptoms. Using bioidentical hormones and smoking is not a wise health choice. Making these changes will increase your health and wellbeing and reduce your menopause symptoms.
There are many ways to help you quit smoking if you are still smoking at menopause. There are smoking cessation aids such as nicotine patches and nicotine gum. There is also various medications available on the market which you can obtain from your bioidentical doctor by prescription. These drugs are called Wellbutrin, Chantix and Zyban. Talk to your doctor about solutions for getting rid of the habit of smoking. If you are smoking and using bioidentical hormones, you should also speak to your doctor about this subject.
It’s obviously not a good decision to continue smoking and use bioidentical hormones at the same time. You must remember, bioidentical hormones are still hormones and must be used carefully and as prescribed by your bioidentical doctor. So, for my readers who have emailed and asked about the dangers of smoking and bioidentical hormones, the choice is clear: Don’t do it.
Filed Under Bioidentical Doctors, Bioidenticals, Estrogen, Menopause, Perimenopause, Progesterone, Testosterone, Uncategorized | Leave a Comment
Bioidentical Doctor’s List
We have added a new bioidentical doctor to our bioidentical doctors’ list.
The doctor’s name is Dr. John Haest, M.D., located in Austin, Texas at the Austin Wellness Clinic. His contact information to book at appointment is on our US bioidentical doctors page.
Dr. Haest of the Austin Wellness Clinic in Austin, Texas treats the symptoms of menopause in a holistic manner, using an integrated approach including lifestyle, health nutrient supplementation, saliva hormone testing and and only natural bioidentical hormone replacement therapy for the treatment of hormone deficiency.
“Hormone replacement therapy is one of the many tools the doctors at Austin Wellness Clinic use when optimizing a person’s well being. Hormones regulate nearly every metabolic process in your body. When your hormones are not properly balanced, your metabolic functions are affected resulting in symptoms, reduction in quality of life, and if not treated, ultimately disease. It also becomes much more difficult for your body to benefit from optimized nutrition and fitness. With a healthy lifestyle comprised of regular exercise and a well balanced diet, bioidentical hormone therapy or hormone replacement therapy (HRT) can be a great adjunct to a preventive health strategy.”
”Millions of women today are suffering from hormonal imbalance and experiencing the signs of menopause and perimenopause. The frequency and severity of symptoms can vary greatly among individual women. The most common symptoms are weight gain, hot flashes, night sweats, difficulty sleeping, mood swings, vaginal dryness and loss of libido. Often times, bioidentical hormone therapy is part of the solution.”
The doctors at the Austin Wellness Clinic use saliva testing and treat menopause, premenopause and andropause with natural bioidentical hormone therapy. If you would like to read more about their program and in depth treatments and weightloss services, please visit their website to read further.
If you are seeking a bioidentical doctor in your city or state, you can also check out our doctors page.
Filed Under Bioidentical Doctors, Menopause, Perimenopause | Leave a Comment
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