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Alternatives For Hormone Replacement Therapy Print E-mail


Do alternatives for hormone replacement therapy exist? Yes! Available alternatives for hormone replacement therapy are of two primary forms - synthetic therapy and natural hormone replacement therapy.

The synthetic hormone replacement therapy drugs are not the same as natural hormones that occur in the body. Since substances occurring naturally cannot be patented, drug companies alter the molecular structure and create new substances that are patentable and therefore protected for business purposes. Examples are Premarin, Prempro and Provera - these synthetic drugs are different in their molecular structure from the estrogens and progesterone found in the human body.

But alternatives for hormone replacement therapy using synthetic drugs may not treat your symptoms of menopause safely! And the problem with synthetic drugs is - since they are different from what occurs naturally in the human body, the body treats them differently, and the result is often harmful side effects. Synthetic hormone replacement therapy risks may exceed the benefits based on numerous clinical trials such as the Women's Health Initiative studies!

On the other hand, natural alternatives for hormone replacement therapy use natural estrogen and/or natural progesterone hormones. Natural hormones are also referred to as bioidentical hormones. Using safer natural alternatives for hormone replacement therapy is recommended by numerous physicians since the body is able to receive, use and eliminate the natural hormones as needed. Most women may not need synthetic drugs with related side effects to regain health and eliminate symptoms of hormone imbalance.

The two primary hormones for a woman are estrogen and progesterone. Both are needed to function normally and for good health. In a healthy woman and normal menstrual cycle, estrogen is the main hormone produced for the first 10-12 days following the previous menstrual flow. With ovulation, the body begins producing progesterone that continues for the next 12 days or so. If pregnancy does not occur, estrogen and progesterone levels will drop at around day 28 and menstruation begins. However, if there is no ovulation, progesterone will not be produced by the body that cycle. This event is called an annovulatory cycle, and it is happens frequently today for women in their thirties and forties - no ovulation and no progesterone.

What this means is the woman will be deficient in progesterone with an excess of estrogen, which will likely result in symptoms of hormone imbalance. Progesterone balances or opposes many actions of estrogen. Without suitable progesterone in the body, symptoms of hormone imbalance will likely be experienced. The symptoms of hormone imbalance can be signs that your body isnt getting the support it needs.

If the woman has had a hysterectomy, surgical menopause means the body produces little or no progesterone, creating hormone imbalance. And in postmenopausal women, the production of progesterone ceases as ovulation no longer happens. However, estrogen production will still be 40 to 60 percent of what it once was even after menopause.

How does a woman know more about appropriate natural alternatives for hormone replacement therapy? One way is to work with a naturopathic doctor who is schooled and trained in both conventional medicine and natural alternative medicine. If you are currently on synthetic HRT and want to change to natural HRT, you should consult with doctors experienced in the use of natural hormone replacement therapy. Naturopathic physicians are medical doctors that work to restore and support the body's systems by using medicines and techniques that are in harmony with natural body processes. A naturopathic physician will prefer treatments which keep harmful side effects risks at a minimum.

Another way is to take the online hormone health test provided by a leading women's health clinic. The online test takes just a few minutes and is free. Find out more about your health, symptoms, what the symptoms may be telling you and what to do about it based on your answers to important questions. And read more about hormone imbalance and physician-recommended natural alternatives for hormone replacement therapy.

By: Olinda Rola
Article Directory: http://www.articledashboard.com

Olinda Rola is President of InfoSearch Publishing and webmaster of www.safemenopausesolutions.com which is a website of natural health articles and resources.
Read more about natural progesterone at www.safemenopausesolutions.com/naturalprogesterone.html as well as estrogen alternatives for hormone replacement therapy.

Hormone Replacement Therapy

Risks And Benefits Of Bioidentical Hormone Replacement Therapy


The difference between Bioidentical and Synthetic Hormones

Hormone therapy is a treatment used to supplement the body with either estrogen alone or estrogen and progesterone combination, or bioidentical hormones. Estrogen and progesterone are hormones that are produced by the ovaries. When the ovaries no longer produce adequate amounts of these hormones as in menopause, hormone therapy can be given to supplement the body with adequate levels of estrogen and progesterone.

Bioidentical hormone replacement therapy (BHRT) is a modification of conventional hormone replacement therapy. BHRT is the replacement of hormones normally produced by the body with hormones that are biologically identical in chemical structure and function.

Bioidentical hormones are synthetic or nonsynthetic chemicals which can be extracted and derived from a variety of different sources such as plants (soy or yams) or animals (pigs or horses). Then hormones are modified in such a way that the molecular structure is identical to the hormones normally produced by the body.

Problems with research studies

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) considers bioidentical hormones to be natural regardless of their source, and as a result they cannot be patented. Since pharmaceutical companies cannot patent biologically identical hormones, they don't have enough financial interest in funding studies regarding BHRT and producing such products. Instead they invent synthetic hormones that are patentable, thus making BHRT a less visible alternative, even to some health care professionals. However bioidentical hormones have been studied in Europe and found to be safer than synthetic hormones sold by the drug companies.

Health Risks of Hormone Replacement Therapy

Bioidentical hormones, like their synthetic counterparts (HRT), are powerful substances that may offer health benefits, but also come with risks. It is difficult to determine the extent to which BHRT is associated with most risks and side effects because of the lack of long-term clinical trials using BHRT or comparing bio-identical hormone replacement with other forms of HRT in the United States.

Risks and possible side effects include associated with HRT:

* Increased risk of endometrial cancer in women with a uterus if estrogen is taken without progesterone or a progestin

* Slightly increased risk of breast cancer after 4 or more years of HRT, as shown in the WHI study that used continuous combined oral estrogen and progestin (Prempro). Estrogen alone or other HRT regimens may not raise the risk of breast cancer significantly.

* Increased breast density, making mammograms more difficult to interpret and possibly increasing breast cancer risk. This appears to be an effect primarily associated with taking oral progestin continuously with estrogen (e.g., Prempro).

* Slightly increased risk of ovarian cancer.

* Slightly increased risk of blood clots, associated primarily with oral estrogens such as Premarin

* Increased risk of gallbladder disease, associated primarily with oral estrogens such as Premarin

* Slightly increased risk of heart attack or stroke, both in women with cardiovascular disease and in healthy women. This effect may be associated primarily with HRT using continuous combined oral estrogen and progestin (Prempro) or the daily use of an oral progestin such as Provera with estrogen.

* Breast pain (often a temporary problem)

* Nausea, associated primarily with oral estrogens

* Bloating and fluid retention, primarily associated with progestins, e.g., medroxyprogesterone acetate

* Negative effects on mood, primarily associated with progestins, e.g., medroxyprogesterone acetate



Note: These side effects seem to be associated with oral estrogen and not with transdermal estrogen.

Some women find that trying a different type of HRT, such as switching to bio-identical hormones, using a transdermal product instead of pills, or trying a different regimen, may reduce or eliminate side effects and work better for them.

Women with the following conditions are especially at risk for suffering serious hormone replacement therapy side effects:

* Vaginal bleeding of unknown cause

* Chronic disease of the liver

* History of breast or uterus cancer

* History of blood clots in the veins, legs, or lung


BHRT Benefits

Advantages of bioidentical hormone replacement therapy for menopausal and peri-menopausal women include all of the well-known benefits of patented hormone replacement therapy-and often more without most of the unwanted side-effects and risks associated with traditional hormone replacement.

BHRT was prescribed for it's short-term benefits but, more and more, doctors and researchers are becoming aware of and prescribing BHRT for it's long-term benefits. BHRT is used to eliminate or reduce various problems and symptoms at different stages of women's lives, which may include:

* Premenstrual Syndrome (PMS)

* Premenopausal/postmenopausal symptoms

* Irregular menstrual periods

* Uterine bleeding

* Hot Flushes

* Osteoporosis (bone-density loss)

* Reduces risks of heart disease

* Accelerates fat burning for increased weight loss

* Reduces nights sweats and insomnia

* Enhances sex drive and libido

* Protects against fibrocystic breasts

* Helps improve memory lapses and foggy thinking

* Prevents vaginal thinning and dryness

* Increases energy and reduces depression

* Improves the skins elasticity

* Guards bones from osteoporosis and encourages bone growth

* Improves blood flow

By: Yury Bayarski
Article Directory: http://www.articledashboard.comYury Bayarski is the author of Price-RX.com - prescription drug price comparison website. Please follow this link to read more about Bioidentical Hormone Replacement Therapy

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