 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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