Natural Hormone Replacement Therapy?

admin — Fri, 28 Aug 2009 21:32:17 +0000

What is Natural Hormone Replacement Therapy?

Whenever a medicine or treatment represents itself as actually having some benefits to the patient, it is only a matter of time before alternative approaches to that care are sought after. Anytime there is a chance to replace a man made drug product with something natural and is just as effective there will be a market for it. Hormone replacement therapy and Estrogen replacement therapy are no different.

Partly due to the results of recent studies devoted to ERT and HRT that show some dramatic risks involved while taking these drugs, women have started taking herbal remedies, natural supplements or flora based products to reduce or diminish their menopausal discomfort. As an example some women swear by St. John’s Wort and Chasteberry that act as a natural anti-depressant.

This trend toward natural cures to hormonal loss due to age, hysterectomies, or menopause has begun to focus more on what are called bioidenticals. These are identical in their cellular structure to hormones produced in the body naturally but they are still a synthetic version derived from the chemicals in plants of soy and yams. Other “natural” non-bioidenticals hormones are a derivative of animal and plant life. The question begging to be asked is are these non-human hormones termed “natural” actually as effective and safer than those used in conventional HRT’s are?

The jury is still out on bioidenticals being safer than standard hormones produced in the body. There have not been any extensive studies to investigate the any obvious difference between natural and human produced or even exogenous hormones available to physicians for prescribing. It is fact that bioidenticals do relieve menopausal symptoms such as hot flashes and vaginal dryness. These bioidenticals are available in various products such as skin patches, creams, and even some FDA approved tablets and products.

The mixing of bioidenticals or custom compounding as it is referred to, by pharmaceutical companies and pharmacists is a myth. Custom compounding of hormones is only necessary when a medical specialist wants to recommend particular combinations of hormones, dosing variations or specific preparations not normally available “behind the counter”. Custom Compounding is also used by clinicians when prescribing a hormone not readily available to female patients such as natural steroid hormones or testosterone. Certain FDA approved products containing the same chemical elements are used by these custom compounding pharmacies but the products are not FDA approved.

In summary there are natural ERT and HRT products on the market that are effective at treating certain ailments associated to hormonal health issues. The caveat seems to be understanding the risk –reward relationship and becoming knowledgeable about the natural products available. The jury is out regarding safety concerns, so once again HRT and ERT candidates seeking treatments that are natural should have a consultation with their health care provider about options before diving into any herbal/ natural hormone therapy treatment.

Contraceptives

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Ethinylestradiol and Hormone Replacement Therapy?

admin — Thu, 27 Aug 2009 21:29:05 +0000

Ethinylestradiol and Hormone Replacement Therapy?

Do not confuse Estrogen Replacement Therapy with Hormone Replacement Therapy. There is a significant difference between the two. Estrogen replacement therapy, which would include ethinylestradiol, is meant to replace lost hormones in a women’s body to what they were prior to menopause on a daily basis and only if she has had her uterus removed [or a hysterectomy] and this would be known as [ERT].

If a women still has her uterus than she would be required to take an added hormone component called progestin so that the estrogen she takes will not affect the lining of the uterus known as the endometrium, which could cause cancer. Therefore, the ethinylestradiol plays an important role in Hormone replacement therapy by balancing the therapeutic role the hormones play in treating symptomatic menopause in middle age females. So it is easy to remember, women with a uterus need HRT, women lacking a uterus due to hysterectomy must have ERT.

Doctors will recommend HRT that is a combination of ethinylestradiol and usually norethindrone, which is the progestin or a variety of progesterone. Ethinylestradiol by itself comes in a tablet or pill version and many will choose this oral form but estrogen is also available in other types of curatives. There are vaginal creams, the vaginal ring known as NuvaRing, another popular form of ethinylestradiol, implants and injections.

There are now also patches that one applies on the skin and the ethinylestradiol is then absorbed through the epidermis. The progestin part of the HRT equation is also available in pill form sometimes in combination with the estrogen. It also comes in various forms such as an intrauterine apparatus, vaginal gel and also in shot form.

Once a woman decides in concert with her doctor that the benefits outweigh any risk with hormone replacement therapy, they should consider using the least effectual amount for the shortest time period advisable, but not more than 3 to 4 years. Ethinylestradiol is a very effective medication for the treatment of menopausal symptoms in women but there are other alternatives a person may want to consider. Drugs in the form of estrogen cream, antidepressants, and certain products derived from soy and even whole HRT and ERT therapy regimens of the herbal/ natural supplement variety have been proven effective at alleviating symptoms of menopause. Some physicians will even recommend these natural protocols as a primary treatment before resorting to the more quantifiable HRT methods of treatment.