Women's Health

Women & Hormones

Menopause is a natural transition, not a medical condition

Many uninformed doctors will prescribe hormones to treat hot flashes and other events that they consider “symptoms” of a “disease,” thereby risking the health of millions of women.

Consider these recent studies:

Journal of American Medical Association reported on a study where more than 4,500 women, aged 65 and older, were divided into two groups. Half took a placebo, and the other half took Prempro, an HRT combination of estrogen and progestin. Four years later, the women in the HRT group had developed Alzheimer's disease at TWICE the rate of those taking placebo (40 in the HRT group, and 21 in the placebo).

A government study was abruptly halted after finding an increased risk of breast cancer, heart attacks and strokes in women who took one type of combined hormone pill. That finding shattered the conventional thinking about the health benefits of hormones and prompted millions of American women to stop taking supplements

Women taking a form of hormone replacement therapy (HRT) -- specifically taking estrogen and progestin -- doubles their risk of venous thrombosis, a type of blood clot that travels through the veins to the lungs, leading to life-threatening complications and possible interference with the body's blood clotting mechanism.

We’ve embraced concepts that empower women to fully control their outcomes in a safe manner using bioidentical hormone replacement. To do this, our practitioners who have chosen to become certified in this area of practice have adopted the teachings and philosophy espoused by Dr. Diana Schwarzbein, a renown endocrinologist whose focus is total hormone balancing, both major and minor hormones. Dr Schwarzbein is the well-known doctor to Suzanne Sommers, author of The Sexy Years.

With the recent findings of The Women’s Health Initiative (WHI) about the dangers of HRT (hormone replacement therapy) with estrogen and progestin combinations, you may be wondering about your options for managing menopause. In particular, women are asking whether bio-identical hormone replacement therapy (BHRT) is a safer alternative, or whether there are nutritional supplements that may be equally effective.

Women tend to think of only estrogen and progesterone when they think of hormonal imbalance, but in actuality there are a variety of hormones that all interact. The more common of these include insulin, cortisol, adrenaline, thyroid, DHEA and testosterone in addition to estrogen and progesterone. If any one of these is out of balance, it will affect one or more of the other hormones.

There is much debate occurring about the best way to test for hormone levels in the body and supplement one’s own hormones to maintain reproductive and overall health and prevent disease. Inappropriate use of BHRT is potentially just as dangerous as use of synthetic forms of hormones.

PCOS and Infertility The issue of bio-identical hormones also arises in women dealing with infertility, who often wonder whether injections of synthetic hormones are their only option for achieving fertility. In fact, there are many lifestyle factors that affect fertility, from weight to stress level to balance of other hormones in addition to those involved in pregnancy. Many recent studies have attested to the importance of these other factors in fertility success. Attention to these lifestyle factors is highly recommended by the American Society for Reproductive Medicine (ASRM).

Getting Professional Guidance The pharmacists at RxClubAmerica are trained to evaluate the medical literature, assess hormone levels and advise women about their risks and treatment options as they proceed through the reproductive years and into the menopausal and post-menopausal years.

Our pharmacists also work with each woman to help her create the conditions which will allow her body to produce its own hormones to the extent possible, through nutrition, hormonally balanced exercise, stress management and targeted nutritional supplementation. Then, working with her primary care provider, or a physician recommended by RxClubAmerica, we assist in obtaining bio-identical hormones to supplement any deficiencies.

Restoring Balance: Hormone Testing and Treatment Many studies in the scientific literature have shown that there is a strong correlation between the levels of steroid hormones in saliva and the bioavailable (free) levels of steroids in the bloodstream. The amount of steroid hormone that enters the salivary ducts and then saliva is representative of the fraction of hormones in the bloodstream that are bioavailable to other tissues in the body.

RxClubAmerica pharmacists can provide the testing information and required test kits to allow you to collect the specimen in the privacy of your own home. We will then help you understand your test results, and formulate recommendations for treatment based on an assessment of your lab results, symptoms and health status.

Although the preferred form of BHRT is sublingual, there are other options that will be presented and discussed. We can also recommend a compounding pharmacy to provide you with the medications. Monitoring of response to therapy is crucial, and your RxClubAmerica pharmacist will advise you regarding the required tests and testing schedule.

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