There may be no area of medicine that has sparked more controversy in recent times than hormone replacement therapy (HRT) for men and women. Most of the debate concerning HRT has centered around the significant side effects that can occur when taking HRT. What is usually ignored by the media (as well as by many doctors and researchers) when considering the risks of HRT is the type of hormones that are used for replacement.
Numerous negative effects of HRT have been discovered through large scale studies and patient use. These negative effects are largely the result of treating patients with synthetic hormones that the human body was never designed to safely utilize. Synthetic hormones are generally used by drug companies in replacement therapies because they are more profitable than non-synthetic hormones, yet synthetic hormones can often cause significant health problems.
Ideally, if a patient has a low level of a certain hormone, it would be supplemented or replaced with a chemically identical hormonal substance. That way, the body receives exactly what is missing. This is called bioidentical hormone replacement therapy (BHRT).
The problem with BHRT from the perspective of a drug manufacturer is that bioidentical hormones are natural substances that can not be patented. Without a patent, any manufacturer can produce the drug, driving the value of the drug down and reducing the manufacturer’s profits. For this reason, BHRT is of little use to a drug manufacturer. In order to make a profitable hormone, the drug manufacturer must alter the molecular structure of the hormone, thereby rendering it both synthetic and patentable. As mentioned above, these synthetic, patentable hormones often cause significant side effects in humans, and the side effects have led to HRT’s bad reputation for safety. Unfortunately, when HRT studies are released, newspaper and magazine articles are written, and medical advice is given, the distinction between synthetic hormones and bioidentical hormones is rarely made. The failure to explain the difference between synthetic and bioidentical hormones has led to a lot of needless confusion.
At Lee Silsby Pharmacy, we only use bioidentical hormones in the replacement therapies we compound. Developing a hormone replacement treatment plan for a patient often requires a high degree of individualization. Because of this, we offer bioidentical hormones in a great array of strengths, combinations, and dosage forms. Depending on the needs and desires of the patient and his or her doctor, we can compound bioidentical hormones in transdermal creams, vaginal creams, capsules, suppositories, nasal sprays, tablet triturates, or lozenges.
Individual BHRT consultations with pharmacist Robert Wright are available at a cost of $85 per half hour. The goal of a specialized BHRT consultation is to educate and inform the patient and assist his or her practitioner in developing a treatment plan. If you would like to schedule a BHRT consultation, please contact us.
Hormones that we commonly compound for BHRT upon the request of a physician include the following:
Progesterone
Testosterone
Estradiol, Estriol, and Estrone
Triiodothyronine (thyroid hormone)
Levothyroxine (thyroid hormone)
DHEA
Pregnenolone
Androstenediol
If you are looking for a knowledgeable physician to prescribe BHRT in the greater Cleveland area, please contact us. We can assist you in finding an experienced clinician.
