All Natural Hormone Replacement with Bioidenticals

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.

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.