Bioidentical Hormones - Description, Advantages, and Cautions

The symptoms of menopause can be many and varied. Some women experience just a few, while others have them all. And for some, the symptoms are barely noticeable, while for others they're almost debilitating.

Some women whose symptoms are severe have found relief in hormone replacement therapy (HRT), which uses synthetic hormones to replace the ones that are deficient. But these synthetics are strong and can have their own, occasionally severe, side effects. Now, women are beginning to find hope in a new form of treatment that uses natural alternatives - bioidentical hormones.

A basic description
Bioidentical hormones are natural plant-based forms of estrogen and progesterone that are custom-mixed to match the hormones in an individual woman. In order to determine the types and amounts of hormones needed, the woman's own hormone levels are first measured with a saliva or blood test. Then the physician prescribes a "blend" that is calculated to replace what the woman's body is missing. This blend is made up by a compounding pharmacist and dispensed to the woman, whose hormone levels are retested on a regular basis in case the doses need to be adjusted.

Advantages
Many patients and quite a few doctors believe that bioidentical hormones are better than their synthetic counterparts for a number of reasons. Natural substances can be used (metabolized) by the body more effectively. Unlike synthetic hormones, whose doses are standardized, natural ones can be adjusted - customized - to fit the needs of the individual patient. And in research studies in Europe, they've been shown to be quite safe.