BHRT

Oprah and other celebrities comment on bioidentical hormones

BHRT - Oprah comments on bioidentical hormones.

Oprah talks about bioidentical hormones

"This is about your hormones being out of whack, and you don't even know—we haven't had the language to talk about it yet," she said. "All women need to be armed with this information."

What does BHRT do?

BHRT is used to treat the symptoms of menopause, perimenopause and postmenopause.

How is BHRT taken?

Bioidentical hormones are applied via a cream, a suppository, taken orally or are injected.

Vaginal cream for vaginal symptoms only; sourced from plants; estradiol is bioidentical until ingested and converted in the liver to estrone

Though all preparations are molecularly identical before their use, estrogens administered orally are modified by the liver before entering the blood, while those entering through the skin are not.

Creams, gels, and lotions applied to the legs or arms can also deliver bioidentical estradiol directly to the bloodstream, although it’s uncertain how much is absorbed.

Pharmaceutical compounding is frequently used to modify the dose, form, and additives of the preparations, based on the instructions from a health care practitioner.

Is BHRT right for you?

Bioidentical hormones can certainly help to individualize treatment. If you are considering them, be aware of the following:

Some clinicians who prescribe compounded hormones order saliva tests to monitor hormone levels. Some experts believe these tests may be of little use because there’s no evidence that hormone levels in saliva correlate with response to treatment in postmenopausal women.

There is no evidence that compounded hormones have fewer side effects or are more effective than FDA-approved hormone preparations.

Compounded drugs are mixed to order, so there are no tests of their safety, effectiveness, or dosing consistency.

Heath insurers don’t always cover compounded drugs.

The Wisdom of Menopause

Dr. Northrup, author of The Wisdom of Menopause, discussed the basics of menopause, perimenopause and bioidentical versus synthetic hormones.

"'Bioidentical' means it matches exactly the molecular structure of the hormone that your own body produces," Northrup said. "[Synthetic hormones are] made from horse urine and are natural for a horse, but they're synthetic for a human body. ...; It has completely different effects, [but] many women do well on these."

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