Hormone Replacement Therapy is most often used for menopause.

Typical symptoms of menopause may include hot flashes, vaginal dryness, low libido, weight gain, irritability, moodiness and sleep disturbances. Yet any woman who has experienced endometriosis, PMS, weight gain, low libido or fibrocystic breasts may also need to contact their compounding pharmacists or physician. A better solution for women needing hormone therapy may be the use of more natural hormones rather than synthetic ones. Compounding pharmacists are meeting the needs of perimenopausal and menopausal women through the use of plant-derived hormones that are biologically identical to those naturally occurring in women.

Women have traditionally used synthetic estrogen supplements to protect against osteoporosis and heart disease. These synthetic hormones are appealing to patients because they treat menopausal symptoms and offer some protection against osteoporosis and heart disease. Yet they often have side effects – breast tenderness, breakthrough bleeding and fluid retention – for those who use them.

A better solution for women needing hormone therapy may be the use of more natural hormones rather than synthetic ones. Compounding pharmacists are meeting the needs of perimenopausal and menopausal women through the use of plant-derived hormones that are biologically identical to those naturally occurring in women.

It is your body.

Why not give yourself the option of a customized, more natural hormone therapy?

More than 30 million American women are menopausal. An additional 20 million more are within a few years of this personal transition. And as the number of women seeking hormone replacement therapy has grown, so has the mass production of pills, patches and creams by the drug industry.

Still, not all women are the same, and commercially manufactured products do not always account for the unique differences between individuals. There is another option, though: hormone therapy designed specifically for your body.

Estrogen

Estrogens actually refers to a group of related hormones, each with a unique profile of activity. Under normal circumstances, a woman’s circulating estrogen levels fluctuate based on her menstrual cycle.

For Hormone Replacement Therapy, these hormones are often prescribed in combination to re-establish a normal physiologic balance. The three main estrogens produced in female humans are:

• E1 (Estrone; 10-20% of circulating estrogens) is the primary estrogen produced after menopause.

• E2 (Estradiol; 10-30% of circulating estrogens) is the most potent and major secretory product of the ovary, and the predominant estrogen produced before menopause.

• E3 (60-80% of circulating estrogens)

Progesterone

Progesterone is a term that is incorrectly used interchangeably to describe both progesterone which is “chemically identical” to what the body naturally produces, and synthetic derivatives. Synthetic progestins are analogues of progesterone, and have been developed because they are patentable, more potent, and have a longer duration. Medroxyprogesterone acetate, the most commonly used synthetic progestin, was shown in a large study to cause significant lowering of HDL “good” cholesterol, thereby decreasing the cardioprotective benefit of estrogen therapy. Side effects are a frequent cause for discontinuation of HRT. Only about 20% of women who start synthetic HRT remain on it two years later.

Androgens

Androgens are hormones that are important to the integrity of skin, muscle, and bone in both males and females, and have an important role in maintaining libido. Declines in serum testosterone are associated with hysterectomy, menopause, and age-related gender-independent decreases in DHEA and DHEA-sulfate. DHEA (dehydroepiandrosterone) is an androgen precursor from which the body can derive testosterone.

After menopause, a woman’s ovaries continue to produce androgens; however, the majority of the androgens produced in the female body, even before menopause, come from peripheral conversion of DHEA. As the body ages, production of DHEA declines so that by the time a woman goes through menopause, the production of DHEA is often inadequate. Additionally, ERT may cause relative ovarian and adrenal androgen deficiency, creating a rationale for concurrent physiologic androgen replacement. Recently, attention has turned to the addition of the androgens to a woman’s HRT regimen in order to alleviate recalcitrant menopausal symptoms and further protect against osteoporosis, loss of immune function, obesity, and diabetes.

Androgens, such as testosterone and DHEA:

• enhance libido.
• enhance bone building (increase calcium retention).
• provide cardiovascular protection (lower cholesterol).
• improve energy level and mental alertness.

Testosterone

Symptoms of testosterone deficiency affect approximately 1 in 200 men and may include:

• weakness
• fatigue
• reduced libido
• osteoporosis
• depressed mood
• loss of energy
• erectile dysfunction
• aches and pains

This condition is commonly referred to as “Andropause”.

A man may be considered hypogonadal at any age if total testosterone is less than 200 ng/dl, or bioavailable testosterone is less than 60 ng/dl. Basaria and Dobs of Johns Hopkins University recommend that elderly men with symptoms of hypogonadism and a total testosterone level < 300 ng/dl should be started on hormone replacement.

Testosterone

Symptoms of testosterone deficiency affect approximately 1 in 200 men and may include:

• weakness
• fatigue
• reduced libido
• osteoporosis
• depressed mood
• loss of energy
• erectile dysfunction
• aches and pains

This condition is commonly referred to as “Andropause”.

A man may be considered hypogonadal at any age if total testosterone is less than 200 ng/dl, or bioavailable testosterone is less than 60 ng/dl. Basaria and Dobs of Johns Hopkins University recommend that elderly men with symptoms of hypogonadism and a total testosterone level < 300 ng/dl should be started on hormone replacement.