TO BHRT OR NOT TO BHRT-THAT IS THE QUESTION!! June 28, 2010
Posted by Lyn in : Hot BHRT Topics, Uneducated doctors , add a commentI heard it again! One of my neighbors, late 30’s, actually talked her doctor into doing a hormone check on her and of course, “Your results are normal!” Why the big surprise? Her practitioner used blood serum to check her hormone levels, where the levels have been depleted by the heart, and the ranges that are used are set for post-menopausal women. At least her levels were checked. I do appreciate that. What I don’t appreciate is the “normal’ ” comment. What is normal anyway? Is “normal” for someone else the same thing as “normal” for you?? I think not. Hormone imbalances are not age OR gender specific. They can happen to women age 18-98 AND men. I will say it again: in this area of women’s health, where the waters are very muddy and the misinformation and untruths are perpetuated, it is up to YOU to become empowered and educated. Do the research; read the books. In fact, a great place to start is with Natural Hormone Balance by Dr. Uzzi Reiss. This is a great read and written in layman’s terms to give you the truth on natural hormone balance. Secondly, it IS OKAY TO QUESTION YOUR DOCTOR WHEN S/HE GIVES INFORMATION. Much of what we do is outside the realm of medical training. Trust me on this-NATURAL HORMONE BALANCE WAS NOT TAUGHT IN MEDICAL SCHOOL. For example, when your practitioner tells you that customized hormone replacement therapy is not FDA approved so it should not be an option, YOU can actually inform your practitioner of the reason: The FDA approves drugs that are manufactured for the masses. When we customize therapy for just one, WE are instead strictly regulated by the Ohio State Board of Pharmacy. HOWEVER, THE PRODUCTS THAT WE MAKE ARE INDEED FDA APPROVED: ESTRADIAL, PROGESTERONE AND TESTOSTERONE. So that argument is really an untruth. Let’s get with the program people!! YOU are in charge of YOUR health. YOU need to get educated. YOU need to think for yourself. It is OK to ask questions and to even question your doctor. Only YOU know the best plan of action for YOU.
Take Charge Of Your Own Journey January 15, 2010
Posted by Lyn in : Natural Hormone Compounding Doctors , add a commentI am always amazed by the feedback from our clients. On occasion, we have had a few of our “hotties” not get optimal treatment. Take Lisa D. for example. She is a 45 year old periomenopausal woman who chose to visit her family doctor. Without looking at her saliva test results or our recommendations for HRT, he instead prescribed Climara patches and Prometrium 100 mg capsules. Both of these commercially made medications are bioidentical-Climara is estradiol amd Prometrium is progesterone. They are one size fits most. The problem I have is that many doctors who prescribe BHRT this way use the client’s symptoms to make their diagnosis.My question is why? Why aren’t hormone levels being checked before treating these clients? Aren’t other body issues treated by measuring levels? Can you imagine a doctor prescribing blood pressure medication without checking your blood pressure? How about being given a prescription for a cholesterol lowering medication without measuring total cholesterol, LDL and HDL? How about treating diabetes without getting blood sugar readings? Why the inconsistency when it comes to hormone therapy? I believe doctors owe it to their patients who come to them expecting a recommendation for natural hormone therapy, to check their levels BEFORE making a recommendation for therapy. We believe that saliva testing is the most accurate testing available for measuring hormones at the tissue level.(we do make saliva kits available on our website’s online store). Furthermore, we believe that one woman’s hormone levels aren’t another woman’s hormone levels, so why prescribe a “one size fits most” therapy? Let’s get those hormone levels checked with a saliva test, study personal symptoms and family history, and then make a recommendation for a prescription for a natural compounded hormone that is made just for that woman. The beauty of this is that it can be tweaked throughout the month if needed, and we can make adjustments to the dosage very easily. I think every woman owes it to herself to become educated and knowledgeable about her body before visiting her doctor, so she can take charge of her own journey!