BIOIDENTICAL HORMONE THERAPY
Hormones are chemical messengers in the body used to transfer information
from one set of cells to another set, affecting the function of the last receiver
for the good of the organism as a whole.
Their main functions are:
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The regulation of sexual differentiation and reproductive function,
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Protection of the individual against both acute or chronic physical
as well as psychological stress, and Maintaining the fluid and mineral balance of
the body.
Measuring and treating hormone levels is very important due to the
large number of illnesses, disorders, conditions or clinical states which are associated
to an under-production or imbalance in the levels of circulating hormones. Menopause,
for instance, even though is a naturally occurring process and not a disease or
abnormality, when left untested and untreated can lead to many other biochemical
imbalances or diseases in the body. As seen in Menopause, ovarian function
decreases and, in effect, the loss of estrogen/estradiol/estriol is accompanied
by symptoms such as hot flashes, and bone density loss—ultimately leading to Osteoporosis
and an increased risk for heart disease. This is very important in that Heart
Disease is the number one killer of women in America today, and lack of the proper
estrogen levels/ratios in the body greatly increases that risk.
There has been a wide range of evidence of the dangers of “Synthetic”
(or acetylated and methylated) hormone therapies. Even though the most recent
research released here in the United States, and in many European countries in the
last 15 years, shows synthetic hormone therapy to be unsafe, the medical community
is still distributing and recommending usage of many synthetic hormone therapies.
Another mistake commonly made in mainstream medicine is the lack
of functional hormone testing and regulation. An example is the most successful
estrogen replacement therapy will usually include and require other hormones such
as progesterone, yet many women are put on only estrogen replacement during menopause
or after a complete hysterectomy. Rarely will a person present with
a straightforward state of deficiency in a single hormone, especially estrogen.
In fact, estrogen intervention without progesterone therapy can result in decreased
insulin sensitivity with a potential of insulin resistance and increased triglycerides.
And yet another area in which the combination of estrogen and progesterone will
have the strongest beneficial effects is in the prevention of bone loss or Osteoporosis.
Without the combination in hormone support there is a great concern about abnormal
bone mineral density and the possibility of bone loss.
We need to consider the impact of the continued usage of non-bio-identical
forms of hormone replacement. As with bone loss and Osteoporosis, mainstream
medicine has opted to prescribe medication such as Fosomax. Reported by Dr.
Rain and Gary Klepper, Fosamax is chemically inert and will change the deposition
of calcium into the bone in a similar fashion to fluoride. Fosomax most closely
resembles detergent, basically like swallowing a tablet of Cascade. Studies
have shown that patients on Fosamax have greater brittleness of the bone, and after
5 years show an increased level of fractures compared to the untreated group.
Fosamax is best used temporarily to “buy time” while the patient begins a regimen
of exercise, and supplemental hormones and nutrients. Other impacts of the
continued usage of synthetic hormone therapies are women from teenage years through
post-menopause that are being exposed to increased risk for a variety of cancers,
heart disease and a myriad of chronic disorders simply because of birth control
choices, and treatment for reproductive disorders and infertility. The lack
of factual information has continued the overall confusion that has created an amazingly
high level of dysfunction for women affecting most every part of their health and
life.
The ultimate goal of bio-identical hormone replacement therapy is
to imitate, as close as possible, the hormones that are naturally produced by the
human body. Bio-identical hormone replacement uses molecules which are taken
from plant products and are modified so that their structure matches the hormones
that are produced in the body. Synthetic hormones are not easily recognized
by the body even though they have the ability to alleviate symptoms of hormone imbalance.
Infinite Wellness utilizes progressive testing methods and support
when initiating the use of any bio-identical hormone therapy in a healthcare protocol.
We often find that there are many other supporting pathways linked to the use, or
misuse, of hormones that have to be effectively treated simultaneously in order
for hormone therapy to be safe and an integral part of any complete treatment.
“I had been taking Premarin for 6 years
since my hysterectomy and over those years my prescription always had to be increased
due to my having symptoms reoccur. My doctors seemed a little concerned due
to the high amounts of hormones I was requiring in order to get rid of my symptoms.
I began to gain more and more weight, had shortness of breath and absolutely no
energy. I had never heard of an alternative to hormones given by a doctor,
but on my first visit to Sabrina a whole new world opened up. There were many
mechanisms causing the lack of use of my hormones in my system and the addition
of more of the estrogen caused more “breakdowns” in my body. Sabrina was instrumental
in treating all the problems that had occurred including the inability for my body
to actually use the hormones I was being given. I quickly got energy back,
was able to breathe, lost weight and slowly was able to go down to a very low dose
of Premarin. She then helped me make the healthy choice to use bio-identical
hormone therapy. I feel much better now on this regimen of hormone therapy.
I had no idea of the damage these mainstream medications could do and how bad I
actually felt before seeing her.”
-Mary Beth M., Aurora, CO-
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