Bioidentical Hormone Replacement Therapy (or BHRT) is the gold standard when it comes to treating hormone imbalances in women and men.
Following are seven things anyone considering BHRT should know:
1. What is BHRT?
BHRT uses replacement hormones that are an exact carbon copy of the hormones produced naturally by your body. Because these hormones are structurally identical to your natural hormones, they function within your body just as your naturally produced hormones do. As a result, they do not cause the negative health outcomes and side effects that can be caused by synthetic hormones (which are structurally different from the hormones produced by your body).
2. Numerous Hormones Can Be Treated During BHRT
Contrary to what many people think, BHRT isn’t just about estrogen and progesterone therapy for women and testosterone therapy for men.
BHRT often includes testosterone therapy for women, as well as estrogen control for men.
BHRT can also treat deficiencies in other hormones, like DHEA, pregnenolone, thyroid, growth hormone, and thyroid.
It’s also important to know that age is not at issue so much as whether or not a person has a deficiency. While hormones imbalances are more common as people age, deficiencies in these hormones can occur at any point during a person’s life. And if there’s a deficiency, it can generally be treated (regardless of age).
3. Customization of Treatment Is Essential
Hormone therapy should never be administered on a one-size-fits-all basis. No two people are exactly the same physiologically. As a result, treatment should be tailored to each person’s unique needs.
Personalizing treatment in the way just described requires expertise. Your provider should have ample experience in prescribing hormone therapy and should use a combination of lab testing and monitoring symptoms to optimize your dosing.
Also, adjusting dosage should not be a one-and-done process. Your physiology is not static, and how your body metabolizes hormones will likely shift over time. As a consequence, treatment should include lab testing every 6-month intervals (at a minimum), with ongoing adjustments to dosing as needed.
4. BHRT Can Relieve a Variety of Symptoms
Hot flashes and weight gain often come to mind when people think about symptoms that can be relieved by properly prescribed BHRT. But these two symptoms just scratch the surface. BHRT can also provide relief from the following: fatigue; low sex drive; insomnia; depression; mood swings; anxiety; irritability; muscle loss; brain fog; joint pain; loss of bone density; difficulty regulating body temperature; dry skin/hair/nails; hair loss; sexual dysfunction; and more.
When treatment is executed correctly, you should have good symptom relief without any side effects.
5. Hormone Therapy Is Not Just for Women
Just as women go through menopause as they age, men go through a process known as andropause. Starting in their late 20s or early30s, most men will start losing their testosterone at a rate of about 1% per year. For some men this decline will start sooner or will occur at a faster pace. So…hormone therapy is most definitely for men, too.
6. BHRT is Safe, as Well as Effective
When properly prescribed by a provider with sufficient expertise, BHRT is safe for both women and men.
Older studies that found a correlation between hormone therapy and various health risks have long since been debunked. While the details are beyond the scope of this article, suffice it to say that the studies in question were substantially flawed.
Many well-designed and peer reviewed studies that have been done more recently have underscored the many health benefits that optimized hormones can provide to people as they age.
7. Hormone Therapy Is Not a Short-Term Quick Fix
BHRT is an ongoing process. And ideally, it should be a collaborative effort between you and your provider.
While it’s entirely possible you will see some results in the early days of treatment, for most people it takes a number of weeks to get dosing perfectly dialed in. And as described above, an experienced provider will re-evaluate and adjust your regimen at regular intervals, so your levels remain optimal over time. The true benefits of BHRT are the ones you will enjoy long-term.
Keep in mind also that you will continue hormone therapy for as long as you want to see its benefits in terms of improved health and symptom relief. Since most people don’t envision a time when being healthy and feeling good will no longer be important to them, this means hormone therapy becomes an ongoing and integral aspect of caring for yourself.
Beyond BHRT
Balanced hormones are critical to ongoing health, but there are other important legs to the stool. The following will help you to maximize the benefits from your hormone therapy:
- Maintain a healthy diet
- Get plenty of sleep
- Exercise regularly (including cardiovascular exercise, strength training, and stretching)
- Manage stress
Most of all, make sure you choose a qualified provider who has plenty of experience with bioidentical hormone therapy. This will ensure your BHRT is customized for your needs and properly monitored for effectiveness and safety.
At Renew Youth, we have been providing individualized hormone therapy for men and women since 1999. Call us at 800-859-7511 or use our easy contact form to schedule your complimentary 30-minute consultation.