Bioidentical Hormones and Menopause

If you're going through menopause, chances are you've heard a lot about Hormone Replacement Therapy (HRT), and the risks it carries, such as an increased risk of breast cancer and uterine cancer. What you may not have heard is that Bioidentical Hormone Replacement Therapy (BHRT, aka Biodentical Hormones) have been generally accepted as safer by the homeopathic medical community.

Below are some ways to determine if biodentical hormones are right for you, and what to do if you decide to get treatment while going through menopause.

Types of Menopause

The most common association with the word, "menopause" is the change in a female's life where she stops getting her monthly menstruation. This is a normal change in life that results in a variety of symptoms (more on that below). But there are other types of menopause that can occur in both sexes.

• Male menopause, when the male's body slows its production of androgen (testosterone);


• Surgical menopause, when removal of the ovaries through hysterectomy occurs;


• Induced menopause, when radiation, chemotherapy, or other medical treatments decrease the production of hormones in the body, and -


• Postmenopause, when you have not had a menstrual period for one year.

Menopause greatly affects women, it's true, and more women than men seek treatment for their symptoms. But an increasing number of men are now seeking help through biodentical hormones for their symptoms of menopause.

Symptoms of Menopause

There are several symptoms that both men and women may notice while they are perimenopausal (aka "premenopausal," prior to the onset of menopause):

• Hot flashes (more common in women)


• Decreased libido


• Feelings of itchy, crawling skin


• Depressed or irritable mood and mood swings


• Insomnia or poor sleep quality


• General aches and pains in joints


• Irregular periods (in women)


• Palpitations


• Night sweats (more common in women)


• Difficulties concentrating and memory problems


• Headaches

While this is not an exhaustive list of the symptoms of menopause, they are the most common, and are often the most aggravating.

Using Biodentical Hormones

BHRT is a solution that many people are considering over synthetics. There are a few advantages to using biodentical hormones instead of synthetically created ones.

BHRT is derived from plants and then altered to resemble, most closely, the hormones that were being produced by your body. That means you're more likely to respond favorably and effectively to BHRT.

Additionally, BHRT is delivered in a variety of ways over synthetics so that more can be absorbed into your system, bypassing the liver on the "first dose." This helps alleviate menopausal symptoms faster than synthetics can.