BIOIDENTICAL HORMONE REPLACEMENT THERAPY: Or BHRT, Well, it seems like one of the early things we've learned about menopause treatment is that whenever you see the acronym BHRT associated with the categories, "Women's Health" and "Menopaurse" it actually means something. Not sinister, or anything. It really is a very sophisticated, but simple subject. It refers to the title of this blog: Bioidentical Hormone Replacement Therapy.
As we all research the topics of Menopause, Perimenopause, and Postmenopause, we will run into this new and somewhat controversial treatment subject. What is this treatment? It is the use of supplemental hormones that have a chemical structure that is identical to the hormones that are made by our own bodies. In this case, of course, women's bodies. Therefore, we need to describe them as natural hormones. They are delivered in doses that women's bodies may require, but that they are not producing naturally any more.. These doses of hormones help to minimize or eliminate the symptoms of all phases of Menopause. Therefore we call it BHRT!
These treatments are not not natural or homeopathic or distributed by laymen. You can't buy them out of a magazine. They are prescribed by real doctors. Although all doctors may not prescribe them If this is a direction you want to go, you need to research and identify which medical doctors in your community believe in and are very familiar with these treatments. There are two ways to get your particular treatment prescribed and purchased by you. This cocktail of hormones may be packaged and sold to you by a larger chain pharmacy in a generic sort of "one fits all" method. The manufacturer has concocted and packaged it to fit all women. They are manufactured and sold in a range of "set" doses.
The newer and now a particularly popular program, is to have the doctor test your blood and saliva and come up with a tailor made version just for you. Designed to add hormones where needed and leave alone what is not needed. They must be mixed to your doctors prescriptions by a local pharmacist. Not many of the big chains will do this. Most Metro areas have a few local pharmacies that specialize in this mixing. Send us an email and we will let you know who does this in your area. Wild yams and soybeans are a source of many of the biodentical hormones that women's bodies produce. So, these plentiful food sources are often used because they are plentiful, cost effective and their ingredients are easy to extract and turn int exact replicas of human hormones.
You would take this prescription in a way that would simulate your normal (or once normal) menstrual cycle. The doctor diagnoses that you are in a hormonal production decline and then you would take a regular dose every day for much of the month. On days 18 to 28 the doctor will probably add a supplement of progesterone to mimic what the body did when you were younger. The above is known as "static dosing", but another method is called rhythmic dosing. This method is based on the cycles of nature and is meant imitate the time when women are at their reproductive peak. Rhythmic dosing is relatively new to "BHRT". (There is that acronym that I used to not know).
Big Question: How do take this prescription? Answer: Massaged in a cream, taken orally, a suppository, or injected.
My wife first saw this whole hormone angle promoted and endorsed on OPRAH. Her program is still often a platform for discussions about BHRT from time to time. Part of my trust factor in having my wife try it, is the fact that OPRAH has quite a reputation for integrity.
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