Bio-Identical Hormone Replacement Therapy Guide

Our extensive BHRT Practictioner Guide is now available for free download! Click here to download the BHRT Guide PDF.

BHRT has been, and continues to grow, as the largest segment of custom compounded medication treatments. And we at MYERS have been on the leading edge of BHRT since opening our compounding lab in 1998.

Dr. Pati is an internationally recognized expert in the field. Her compassionate approach, exceptional insight and comfortable delivery style provide a complete and easy-to-understand assessment of patients’ physical as well as emotional needs, frequently-overlooked hormonal interactions and effective treatment protocols.

Dr. Vincent Bellonzi , D.C., C.C.N offers additional insights into the holistic nature of hormone therapy and the benefits of bioidenticals. At the Austin Wellness Clinic, he has specialized in nutrigenomics, or the interaction between genetics and nutrition. Along with Dr. John Haest, MD, he has been developing protocols for adrenal function, anti-aging, hormone balance, human performance, allergy resolution, detoxification, and neurotransmitter balance.

Hormone therapy has been the subject of a great deal of misinformation and confusion. We have developed a Bioidentical Hormone Therapy Guide that is intended to clarify the critical issues and provide you with the most accurate description of the therapies and their benefits. If you’ve heard any of the popular myths below, you’ll appreciate how this guide dispels them with the facts you need to know.

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• Myth 1: Women who suffer from PMS and hot flashes usually just need depression medication or estrogen supplementation.
• Facts: Hormone imbalances can present as a wide variety of symptoms, from PMS to depression, as well as weight gain, headaches, sleeplessness, anxiety, decreased sex drive, fatigue, dry hair or skin, even hair loss. Properly diagnosing and treating hormone imbalance symptoms requires a holistic approach – one that evaluates a broad range of the patient’s physical and psychological attributes.
  
• Myth #2: Hormone therapy is risky. It can increase morbidity and mortality from breast cancer, cervical cancer, stroke and cardiovascular disease.
• Facts: The Women’s Health Initiative (WHI) Study of 1991 caused confusion and widespread panic among patients and practitioners. But it was flawed. It focused on synthetic estrogen-only treatments in (older) postmenopausal women. It failed to consider the inherent weaknesses of synthetic estrogens and that the age of the subjects predisposed them to such risks. In March 2004, that part of the study was also closed down. The press release announced that: "After careful consideration of the data, NIH has concluded that with an average of nearly 7 years of follow-up completed, estrogen alone does not appear to affect (either increase or decrease) heart disease, a key question of the study. It has not increased the risk of breast cancer during the time period of the study.".
  
• Myth #3: All hormone supplements are the same.
• Facts: Hormone treatments such as Premarin, Prempro and Ceestin are synthetic, i.e. they are not true hormones. Molecular differences between synthetic progestins and progesterone result in differences in their pharmacological effects on breast tissue. Some of the pro-carcinogenic effects of synthetic progestins contrast with the anti-carcinogenic properties of progesterone, which result in disparate clinical effects on the risk of breast cancer. In other words, bio-identical hormones are associated with lower risks of breast cancer and cardiovascular disease, and are more efficacious than their synthetic and animal derived counterparts..
  
• Myth #4: If a hormone supplement doesn’t appear to resolve symptoms, increase the dosage.
• Facts: The symptoms of imbalances among the family of endocrine hormones are subject to significant overlap. An above-normal level of one hormone can present the same symptoms as a below-normal level of another. In many cases, both below- and above-normal levels of the same hormone can present the same symptoms. It is critical to assess and evaluate all of the endocrine hormones to determine which may need adjustment..
  
• Myth #5: Saliva testing is the only acceptable method for measuring hormones.
• Facts: Testing is not a “one-size-fits-all” proposition. Saliva, blood spot, serum and urine testing each have their advantages and disadvantages..
  

The best approach is to evaluate every situation independently, and proceed based upon the patient’s symptoms, current treatment regimen, and the hormones being measured.