Bioidentical Hormone Replacement Therapy

If you are over the age of forty and several of these symptoms are familiar, you may have declining levels of the hormones the body produces that control these symptoms. Many women become concerned about hormonal shifts just before, during, and after menopause. However, pregnancy, stress, systemic disease, or chronic illness can also cause shifts in hormone levels that affect how we function and feel every day. Men are also affected by hormonal changes as they approach middle age. It's not just about how you feel, though. The right balance of critical hormones has a tremendous impact on our overall health and wellness, and medical science is understanding more each year about how optimal hormone levels play a vital role in everything we do physically.

For many years, the standard has been to address these issues with synthetic hormones, restoring levels within broad “normal” parameters. The physicians at West End OBGYN training and experience have taught them that everyone is different and unique. What’s normal for you might not be normal for someone else. We take the time to invest significant time in discussing and evaluating your life at work and at home, understanding your family history, and carefully considering any health concerns or symptoms of hormone imbalance you may have. Extensive lab testing serves as the benchmark of your current hormone levels and helps her understand your situation and identify an appropriate approach that results in a customized integrative plan that is right for you.

The cornerstone of this plan is bioidentical hormones. Bioidentical Hormone Replacement Therapy, or BHRT, uses medicines that are compounded according to strict pharmaceutical standards and patient specific in their design and application. These are not “off the shelf” products. Instead, they're made by professional pharmacists from substances that occur in nature, not man-made chemicals or synthetics that attempt to imitate what the body produces naturally. These supplements are absorbed and used by the body in ways closely aligned with how nature made us. This helps people get their lives back and creates an opportunity to feel, look, and perform in a way that many people thought they would never experience again.

Pregnenolone – The precursor “mother” of many of our other naturally occurring hormones. It serves as a neuro protector and enhancer.

Dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA) – Another “mother” hormone that promotes production of other necessary hormones. DHEA boosts energy, mood stabilization, bone density, and immune system health.

Progesterone – Essential in fertility, implanting of egg in uterus, and maintaining pregnancy.

Estrogen – Estrogens are actually a family of hormones that help your body in a variety of ways, but they're essential to sex drive, vaginal healing, lubrication, and lactation.

Testosterone – Mostly considered a male hormone, testosterone is necessary in smaller levels for women. It promotes sex drive and helps form muscles. Additionally, testosterone is one of the main producers of red blood cells. Recent research has also shown testosterone is essential to maintaining a healthy heart.

Thyroid – A hormone that helps regulate metabolism and temperature.

Melatonin – A hormone released by your body to help you sleep soundly.

Each hormone controls different functions within your body. Collectively, they all work in concert with each other so that the body performs at an optimal level. At West End OBGYN, our goal is to find the ideal composition of bioidentical hormones to make you feel better than “normal.” When it comes to hormonal balance, there is no one-size-fits-all replacement. BHRT is effective in treating previously mentioned symptoms caused by age-related hormonal imbalance, but it doesn’t stop there, our physicians understand that diet, exercise, stress management, along with vitamin and mineral supplementation work in conjunction with BHRT to establish a whole person approach to health and wellness. Call us today to schedule a consultation. Its time you get back to living the life you want to live.