All Natural Hormone Replacement with Bioidenticals

Some women (and men for that matter) know that something is ‘off’ with their bodies but they can’t quite put a finger on the trouble. Some women also go to the doctor for a series of tests and a physical and find that nothing is wrong or at least not wrong enough to treat.

I might be that woman. So might you if you’ve landed on this page. My trouble, at the age of 45, was that I was peri-menopausal. My hormone levels were a little off when compared to my baseline of 4 years previous but not enough to really fret over. I was experiencing hot flashes and night sweats, bloating without cause, and insomnia. Other symtoms of hormonal imbalance are water retention, tenderness of breasts and irregular bleeding. If you are suffering from any or all of these symptoms and your doctor is without suggestions you might consider some low-level, all natural, hormone balance.

The supplements and the cream at right are two that I use after I did a home test kit for hormone levels. They put me back on my even keel without any prescriptive or synthetic drugs. I’m not keen on taking pills based on horse urine.

About the All Natural Hormone Cream

The cream at right has a natural progesterone that is bioidentical to the human body’s progesterone. Your body uses this compound in the same manner as it would progesterone that was present or being made in your system when you were a few years younger. A nice side effect is that it also will assist in keeping your bones strong – therefore less likely to develop osteoporosis.

If you’re worried that bioidentical progesterone is some new-fangled, non-tested, product, don’t be. This is an all-natural treatment that has been used since the 1930s. In fact there have been no reported or known side-effects of natural progesterone in over 60 years. Don’t take my word for it though – do a litte research online to see for yourself. Just be sure you are reading about natural vs. synthetic progesterone.

Can A Cream Really Work?

You bet it can! Your skin is your body’s largest organ. You absorb and excrete all types of substances through your pores all day, every day, for as long as you’re living. Creams, patches, gels are in wide use for the last 50+ years. Just think about how many treatments (in naturopathy or in the medical field) are prescribed as trans-dermal or topical. In fact, if I had to give up one of my own treatments I’d give up the oral supplements first. Most of the vitamins and supplements taken orally are eliminated through normal liver function. Not so with a topical or transdermal application where over 90% of the progesterone is absorbed.

Is there a difference between what is called natural hormones and bioidentical hormones?

Yes there is and it is a rather new division, therefore it is still somewhat ‘fuzzy’ in description.

Bioidentical Hormone Replacement Therapy (bHRT for short) is as diverse and as complex as the individual. Most of the prescribed therapies (preferably in creams, tinctures or sublingual drops) are specially made compounds for the individual taking them.

Some pharmacies and practitioners prefer the name ‘natural’ over bio-identical when it comes to the pre-fabricated and FDA approved bioidenticals. The reason? Because no further mixing or compounding is required. Estradiol (E2 – a natural human estrogen) and Prometrium (progesterone) products are prime examples of pre-approved bioidentical hormones ready to go under a few different brand names. As these are prescribed supplements you’ll want to talk to your doctor about your options.

It is important to note that any hormone is best taken transvaginally, transdermally, or sublingually and this is true even of a bio identical based hormone replacement therapy.

I’ve been talking quite a bit about a natural approach to hormone replacement for menopausal or peri-menopausal women, so I’ll share what I’ve learned here about these.

Essentially these bioidenticals are derived from plant sources. Plants that carry the same hormonal compounds as found in our own bodies. This could also be considered in the realm of phytotherapy.

Plants that have been used by herbalists, medicine doctors of old, and in current naturopathic medicine are listed below (and this list may not be complete until I have uncovered and/or found a few studies for each item on the list through secondary sources and supporting research).

I’m including their scientific names here as well so you know what to look for on the bottle or jar of any natural hormone remedies:

• Ashwagandha (Withania somnifera)
• Black cohosh (Actaea racemosa)
• Chastetree (Vitex agnus-castus)
• Kudzu (Pueraria lobata)
• Passionflower (Passiflora incarnata)
• Red clover (Trifolium pratense)
• Soy (Glycine max)
• Wild Yam (Dioscorea villosa)
   
  

Wild yam and soy are the only two that are identical in composition to human hormones and are extracted for use in a scientific lab. The others are supporting plants for hormonal balance.

There is more of this to know – such as the binding agents and which hormones you’re attempting to support at the outset, but every bit of information will get you closer to a personalized solution. I started with the Nutrapathic Hormone Balance and got tested by my doctor until my system felt more aligned – pay attention to your feelings, your symptoms and your system!

Once you start learning about the dangers of synthetic hormones and the most popular prescribed hormone replacement pills such as Premarin (made with the urine of a pregant horse) and Prempro (more horse estrogens mixed with synthetics) – the question arises, “Why the hell are so many millions of women on this crap?”

So here’s your answer…

Because it was sold, pitched to us, as a way to help women with hot flashes as well as keep us youthful. At a time in our lives when estrogen was declining we could regain or hold onto our youth a little longer by supplementing with mare urine. We were told it would help us build stronger bones longer, prevent heart failure, maintain youthful skin and keep cognitive function, longer. All the things that lack of estrogen promised to rob us of!

Sadly the promise was unfounded. Instead we kept all the risks, but added more to our future “what can go wrongs” – like increased chance of breast cancer, blood clots and strokes. Yay.

Now why wasn’t all this tested/documented before it was released and sold to millions of women in the United States alone – not to mention millions across the generations, and in neighbouring countries such as Canada? Mostly because it’s big business, but also because we women were screaming for the ‘magic blue pill’ that would make our hot flashes go away.

Oh, they went away all right. And we started dying off earlier than we needed to.

So what’s new in 2010 regarding research and studies? As far as I can tell – but I’m not finished with my own research – the studies have all but stopped and the same pills are still prescribed by the millions.

Enter bioidentical hormone replacement therapy. Safer. Organic. It may seem – but no major studies have proven it so I’m hard pressed to state it as ‘fact’. However, I can’t see how rubbing wild yam extract on your skin will cause you to contract breast cancer or taking supplements made of proprietary blends of burdock root and sasparilla could cause clotting.

Precisely why, when my doctor advised against synthetic hormone replacement therapy, I took off to a more natural way of achieving hormonal balance.

I’ve spent a lifetime of being corrected, and even sometimes being laughed at by my friends, but as time has passed, time and time again, I’ve been discovered to be correct (sometimes twenty years after the fact) when research studies break out…

Twenty years ago it bothered me. Today, I don’t care as much which is why I’m free enough to speak my mind about what I see wrong with the way the modern world is ‘doing’ ‘things’.

At five years of age…

When I was little, for no reason at all, I wouldn’t eat anything that had been wrapped in, frozen in, or sold in plastic packaging. Why? Because I was stupid enough at the age of 5 to ask my daddy where “plastic came from”. After his explanation I was pretty sure I didn’t want ‘that’ to touch anything I was going to put in my mouth!

It’s no wonder then, that I was a veritable stick right up till the age of 20!

Today…look at all the studies on BPA in plastics. (If you don’t know already, BPA is a synthetic estrogen developed by the pharmaceuticals 30-40 years ago. They re-worked the structure and used it as an agent of some sorts to make plastic when it was dismissed as being viable for estrogen use. Now tell me what you think of this and the last generations’ men and boys – do they seem a little off-kilter to you? Could it have anything to do with being fed synthetic milk in BPA laden milk bottles while they were babies? Laugh if you want to…I’ll see you in another 10 years when the rest of the studies are out.)

Learning About Food in the Grocery Store…

On my 15th birthday we had steak for dinner. It was delicious. Someone at the table commented that the cow must have been fed a lot of corn to give the meat that marbling effect which in turn make it so tender. “Corn? I thought cows ate grass?”

That’s when I began to learn about cows fed a steady diet of corn for the last months of their lives, and how that affects the cow’s health, and the injections they give the cow to make it want to eat more corn (even though the cow knows the corn is actually killing it).

Pretty forward thinking for 20+ years ago, but look at the studies today. Look at the research to support the effects on human health from eating beef from feedlots. Look at the people around you – they’re overweight, even when they’re eating from the recommended food guide.

Do we think this is all some random coincidence?

Entering the Menstral Cycle…

When I was 12 I became a woman. My periods were heavy and uncomfortable. They also never went away! If I can remember back that far, I bled 20 days out of the month. The family doctor put me on a pill as he was worried about me.

I shook. I was cold all the time. My periods were regular, but I was miserable. Here’s something else…I started to grow hair on my chin. I don’t know if that’s a symptom or something else was in play, but when I was told that the ‘pill’ had something in it from a horse’s body I stopped taking them and suffered naturally. Eventually everything worked out.

Peri-Menopausal, Life Today

So here I am, hormones out of whack, visiting the doctor at 46 years of age. He doesn’t want to put me on medications and I say “Amen!” However, I am aware that something is changing about my body and functions and I’m not wild about it! This is why I’ve been learning about bioidenticals.

Although bioidentical hormone therapy has been in use for over 30 years, most people don’t know about it. It’s easier to prescribe a pill, document the effect, change the prescription and worry about the details later. Sadly, the details can be devastating with synthetic hormone use – an increase in blood clots, breast cancer, stroke and heart disease, to name a few.

By the way, I’m not a forerunner in this train of thought and the research isn’t new by any means – it just hasn’t been widely publicized. This has been going on, talked about, studied and researched for at least 10 years.

“Mare piss and synthetic compounds can kill.”

That’s what I’d tell you if you were standing in front of me today. That’s what I’d say if you were a treasured friend.

End of rant.

Whether at the doctor’s office or through a home saliva hormone testing kit, these are the recommended hormones to assess – if you’re going through menopause or peri-menopause or feel your hormones are out of whack.

Estradiol: Estradiol is also labelled E2 estrogen. This is the strongest estrogen that your body produces. It promotes cell proliferation and is produced with every menstrual cycle. If your hormones are off kilter and you’re noticing it, this is the most probable cause. It is the first prescribed hormone in most replacement therapies. On a personal note, I tested super low on E2 (to a count of 7 but as hormonal levels change with our cycles, this could be different in a week’s time).

Progesterone: Progesterone is one of the neutral hormones. It is a balancing hormone to E2 (or estradiol – see above). This is the hormone that protects your uterine lining and breast tissue. If you have low progesterone levels you may find that you have an estrogen dominance (not in my case as seen above). Progesterone also assists your body to build new bone and aid in the prevention of osteoporosis.

Testosterone: This hormone is a love/hate thing for me. I’ve always been a little high, but as I’ve aged my testosterone level is growing higher. Concern over a genetic disposition to heart troubles as high levels can triple heart risks for older women. The hormone might cause facial hair growth but will also increase libido. (See what I mean about love/hate?)

DHEA: Found in your adrenals, (the orchestrator of hormone availability as it was explained to me), DHEA converts to testosterone and the estrogens. If you are tested and are deficient this one is an easier ‘fix’ than other hormones with a DHEA supplement.

AM Cortisol: Cortisol, also made in the adrenals, as a reaction to stress. High cortisol causes weight gain, decreased libido, low energy, and mild confusion or forgetfulness. My cortisol levels were only slightly out of whack, but given other factors in my life, I was told to assess and make changes in my daily stress levels immediately.

If you don’t have time to get to the doctors or if your doctor is too expensive and you don’t have coverage you might like to consider a home kit for saliva hormone testing.

Why would you want to do this?

The results will give you a decent indication of what is changing or amiss in your body. The nice part about a saliva test is that you’ll discover which hormones are actually being circulated through your system. Circulation equals instant availability – as opposed to a blood test which may only show which hormones and their levels are present. Not necessarily the same thing, right?

Get yourself a test if you are experiencing any/all of the following and/or get to your general practitioner. Do not rely on home tests alone if something is terribly amiss.

• Irregular periods.
• Hot flashes and night sweats.
• Forgetfulness or confusion.
• Depression or anxiety.
• Afternoon lethargy.
• Bloating without cause.
• Lack of libido.
• Vaginal dryness.
• Yeast or urinary tract infections.
• Thinning hair or skin.
• Unexplainably stiff joints in morning.
• Incredible craving for carbohydrates and sweets.
  

Saliva test kits are available online, are non-intrusive and have many benefits. Wouldn’t you rather know than guess?

Bioidentical hormones are used in replacement therapy (and other situations) as an alternative to synthetic hormones. Unique bioidentical compounds are manufactured in a lab, extracted from organic sources and have the same molecular structure as hormones made by your own body.

Synthetic hormones are not organic and have received a lot of controversy over the years – moreso today than ever as the results of repeated usage is finally showing up in the elderly. An example of a recent scandal look no further than BPA found in plastics that had once been certified food safe. BPA is actually a derivative of a synthetic estrogen (a synthetic hormone) and is now being reported as causing major damage in our youth.)

Since drug companies (big business with lots of profit) can’t patent a bioidentical mixture, compound or genetic structure, they’ve invent synthetic hormones that can be patented and sold for massive profit – at our expense, on two counts (out of pocket and overall health).

On the other hand, bioidentical hormones have been around for years. Unfortunately they have been dismissed and disregarded by many physicians and practitioners as part of the hippie, tree-hugging, health kick. Times are changing though, especially given that the synthetics are receiving such bad press. Today you’ll find several branded versions of bioidenticals available for use in hormone replacement therapies.

Although many proport individualized testing and monitoring with a physician, you can begin the process yourself with home test kits and a good book or website on the topic of bioidenticals.

Bioidenticals are available in all hormone ‘categories’ such as estrogen, progesterone, testosterone, and DHEA.

If you can afford to work with a practioner or physician (or for that matter find one who supports this type of therapy) you’ll be tested, prescribed and re-tested every three months or so until your hormones balance out.

This website will be dedicated to discovering more about bioidentical hormones that you may or may not be considering to use as a hormone replacement therapy.

I have been on my own personal journey of discovery ever since I saw the very popular program on Oprah about them and the success that many people have had. Off the prescription drugs and, through a doctor’s care, onto the bioidenticals.

By the time you’re finished reading here you should know all that I know and hopefully a little more (gleaned from your own experiences and research). Please leave comment on any page and share your personal experience or knowledge. Many others will benefit from this style of collaboration. (Your email will never be published live on the site so you don’t have to worry about thousands of people sending you spam email.)