Bioidentical hormone replacement therapy (BHRT) replenishes the hormones our body needs to function using customized bioidentical hormones. This is a natural approach to creating balance in the body.
Hormone Balance
Most hormones are produced by a group of glands known collectively as the endocrine system. Even though these glands are located in various parts of the body, they are considered one system because of their similar functions and relationship to each other.
Menopause
Menopause is not a single point in time when hormone production is switched off, but a gradual decline that brings an end to female fertility. During menopause, a woman’s levels of estrogen and progesterone diminish – leading to a lack of menstrual periods.
Andropause
Men at mid-life are just as susceptible to an age-related drop in hormone production as their female counterparts. Andropause, the so-called male menopause, signifies the retreat of the key male hormone testosterone.
Stress & Adrenal Hormones
The adrenal glands, otherwise known as the “stress glands,” enable our bodies to cope with stress and survive. Shaped like two tiny pyramids, they sit atop the kidneys and from this central location mobilize the response to changes in our environment.
Thyroid Imbalance
The thyroid is a small butterfly-shaped gland that sits behind and below the Adam’s apple. A wide range of factors from hormone imbalances to mineral deficiencies and environmental pollutants can interfere with thyroid production, leading to health problems.
Fertility & Hormones
While nearly half of infertility cases in women can be attributed to physical causes such as not producing an egg or problems with the uterine lining, many cases are left unexplained. In the absence of a physical cause, female infertility may be explained by something as simple as a hormonal imbalance.
Menstrual Cycle Mapping
Evidence shows that hormonal imbalances can be the root cause of many chronic health issues, and imbalances that affect a woman’s menstrual cycle are no exception.
Conditions that can be influenced by a woman’s menstrual hormones include premenstrual syndrome (PMS), premenstrual dysphoric disorder (PMDD) and infertility. Out-of-balance levels can contribute to symptoms such as migraines, mood swings, and heavy bleeding or painful periods.
Weight Management
Many know that maintaining an ideal weight is difficult despite the best efforts with diet and exercise. What most don’t know is that an undetected hormone imbalance can be the missing link – sabotaging our hard work to stay slim.
Sleep Disturbances
In a perfect world, the master stress hormone cortisol should be in sync with the master sleep hormone melatonin. Each hormone counter-balances the other in a precise rhythm – when cortisol is high melatonin should be low, and when melatonin is high cortisol should be low.
Neurotransmitters
Neurotransmitters are chemical messengers used by the nervous system to relay information from one nerve to another.
Optimal neurotransmitter balance is required to maintain proper health. Imbalances can cause the brain and the body to be over- or under-stimulated, producing neurological or psychological symptoms.
Urine Hormones & Estrogen Metabolites
Urinary hormone metabolites testing provides a unique diagnostic view that no other hormone testing offers.
Because it assesses both parent hormones and their corresponding metabolites, it reveals how the body is breaking down key hormones like estrogens, progestogens, androgens, cortisol and melatonin.
Heavy Metals & Nutrients
These toxic elements can significantly increase our risk of developing conditions like dementia, infertility, diabetes and cancer. They are also known to cause damage to the liver, kidneys and brain, as well as the cardiovascular, nervous and endocrine systems.
Vitamin D
Many are unaware that vitamin D is not officially a vitamin – but actually a prohormone. In fact, we make most of our vitamin D when our skin is exposed to sunlight.
Iodine
Common symptoms relieved by BHRT: fatigue, insomnia, hot flashes, night sweats, weight gain, mood swings, depression, anxiety, low sex drive, vaginal dryness, foggy memory, erectile dysfunction, gynecomastia in men, hair loss, hypogonadism, irritability, metabolic syndrome, muscle loss.
BHRT focuses on the biochemistry of an individuals body and uses the theory that many disease processes can be corrected with first bringing balance to the body and only using traditional pharmaceuticals if your unable to obtain symptomatic relief with body-balancing. Custom compounding of bioidentical hormone therapy is the process of creating custom dosages that are highly individualized to the person being treated. This differs from traditional medicine in the sense that we are not using standardized dosing as a “one-size fits all” therapy or placing band-aids over symptoms.
Bio-Identical Hormone Replacement Therapy (BHRT)
Each patient’s symptoms are unique and each patient’s paths to optimization is unique. Most patients report some symptom resolution in as little as two to four weeks, but full optimization may take up to 6 months. Your journey will be specialized to fit your specific needs. Just as it doesn’t take you 1-2 weeks to get out of balance, it doesn’t resolve that quickly either.