Hormones typically decrease as you age, and women in menopause are no exception. Menopause symptoms can be uncomfortable and negatively impact your quality of life. Nevertheless, some women can alleviate menopausal symptoms via lifestyle adjustments. For instance, regular exercising, taking time to unwind, limiting trigger food, and changing your sleep environment come in handy in helping women manage menopause symptoms. However, it is not always this easy, and this is where hormone replacement therapy (HRT) comes in. Here’s what to know about HRT and how our experienced team at RejuvaLife Vitality Institute can help.
The B in BHRT stands for bioidentical which is defined by the Endocrine Society as compounds with EXACTLY the same chemical and molecular structure as hormones in the human body. Any
modification in the compounding process can create changes in the drug structure; this is a biosimilar and results in synthetic identical hormones.
The management of hormone insufficiency is changing. There is a trend to transition to BHRT. The Rose study showed that 2.5 million US women over age 40 may use compounded bioidentical hormone therapy annually, accounting for 28-68% of hormone therapy prescriptions.
For women that seek relief from menopause symptoms, hormone replacement therapy is a great fit. This therapy helps relieve moderate and severe menopause symptoms, including heart discomfort, sleep problems, depressive mood, irritability, anxiety, physical and mental exhaustion, joint and muscle discomfort, sexual problems, vaginal dryness and hot flashes, and sweating vaginal dryness and hot flashes. Also, BHRT can lower the risk of osteoporosis, a condition that affects older women, particularly after menopause, and heart disease, of which the incidence of 1 in 7 for pre-menopausal women rises to 1 in 3 in post-menopausal women.
Menopause marks the debut of declining hormone levels, with women’s bodies producing less progestogen and estrogen. The variations in hormone levels can lead to menopause symptoms, and hormone replacement therapy alleviates the symptoms by significantly replenishing hormone levels to a healthy level.
There are three primary types of BHRT; Estrogen, Progesterone and Testosterone therapies.
There are four routes of BHRT administration which include: oral ingestion, injection, gels or creams, and pellet insertion.
BHRT is now regarded as the most effective remedy for menopause treatment, and it is particularly utilized by women who’ve had a hysterectomy. This therapy alleviates numerous menopausal symptoms, including urogenital atrophy and vasomotor symptoms, typically linked to reduced quality of life.
BHRT provides increased energy, improved sleep, relief from migraine or menstrual headaches, relief from depression, decreased anxiety, increased muscle mass and bone density, decreased
soft fatty tissue, increased coordination and physical performance, improved skin, increase concentration and memory, improved overall physical health, improved libido and sexual satisfaction, and no increased risk of strikes or blood clots.
Pellets have been successfully used for hormone replacement therapy for almost 100 years. Subcutaneous hormonal implants have been used in women since 1938. In 1946, Testosterone and Estradiol Pellets began to be manufactured in the US. Pellets provide consistent delivery and absorption with minimal day-to-day variability and are highly effective. This stabilization translates to serum consistency and better control of symptoms. By bypassing the liver, pellet therapy does not affect clotting factors and there are no GI side effects. They are released in a circadian fashion, there are no compliance issues, they are well tolerated, and the office procedure to insert them is simple and painless.
While BHRT can have many benefits for women with menopausal symptoms, it’s not risk-free and there are absolute contraindications, which include:
Therefore, hormone replacement therapy isn’t suitable for women who have pre-existing conditions listed above.
At Rejuvalife Vitality Institute, we can help test your hormone levels and guide you through the decision-making process when it comes to BHRT. To get started, contact our Beverly Hills office by calling or filling out our online contact form.
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