Biomimetic Hormones | Natural Hormone Replacement Therapy

There seems to be a lot of confusion these days about Progestins and Progesterone. One can hardly be blamed when the confusion is created by the news media health writers who they themselves are confused about progestins and progesterone. You need to differentiate between the two. Progestins are synthetic hormones which many doctors will prescribe to their patients to use as birth control or as a solution for menopause symptoms. Why? Because doctors, unless specially trained, are prescribing progestins and not aware of natural bioidentical progesterone.

Progestins are manufactured by the large pharmaceutical companies and are marketed under the names of Provera and Prempro. Progesterone is not a generic name but is a naturally occurring hormone made by the body by the corpus luteum after ovulation. Progesteron is created in the placenta in large amounts during pregnancy. It is not marketed by the big pharmaceutical companies because it is a natural hormone, can’t be patented and you can’t be charged a huge price for it. In other words, they can’t make money from it.

Common side effects of progestin use range from irritating to dangerously harmful. Progestin use can cause such side effects as bloating, water retention, depression, weight gain, painful breasts, dry skin, fatigue, rashes, dry eyes, joint and muscle pain, constipation, diarrhea, constipation and anxiety. The more dangerous side effects cause heart attacks, stroke and breast cancer.

To manage the symptoms of menopause successfully, especially if you are experiencing severe menopause symptoms, you need to find a specialist, an anti aging doctor – one who is knowledgeable and experienced in dealing with menopause. If this doctor is able to prescribe bioidentical hormones, then you are on your way to managing and eliminating menopause problems.

If you doctor prescribes you an anti depressant and Provera – it’s best you start looking for another doctor.

So when you read in the press that hormone replacement therapy causes serious health consequences, you should know that they are speaking about synthetic hormone replacement therapy and not bioidentical hormone replacement therapy. Health writers are speaking about progestins such a Provera and not progesterone. They should check their facts. The Womens Health Initiative in 2002 was a study which proved that synthetic hormones caused as increase in the risk factor for heart attacks, stroke and breast cancer. These are the facts about hormone replacement therapy and should not be used to confuse women. You can manage and do away with menopause symptoms with the use of natural bioidentical hormones such as bi-est, tri-est, and natural progesterone used in a cyclical or biomimetic manner. Add to the mix: testosterone and DHEA if you require supplementation. Don’t let the press and media fool you. Find a bioidentical doctor who knows about treating menopause with natural hormones made from plant sources.

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If you first want to try treating your menopause symptoms with natural solutions such as herbal supplements, diet change, exercise and improving your healthy living habits before you try bioidentical hormones, there are some products on the market for you.

Medical research has proven that women need natural hormone supplementation with bioidentical hormones such as estrogen, progesterone, testosterone and DHEA. You may even be hearing a lot about Human Growth Hormone supplementation as well. It’s another hormone that decreases as you age.  Natural hormone supplementation can combat the symptoms of menopause such as anxiety, hot flashes, night sweats, muscle and joint pain, sleeping problems, brain fog, thinning of the vaginal wall and vaginal dryness, memory problems, mood swings, irritability, depression, acquisition of new allergies, urinary incontinence, and weight gain.

However, there are some herbal supplements available which can give some women complete relief from menopause symptoms. These are the herbal solutions which has played a part in traditional herbal medicine and they have been clinically researched, they are safe and well tolerated. In addition, they are not expensive to buy.

Look for products which contain dong quai, vitex, black cohosh, gamma-orzyanol and hesperidin. Such a product containing all these ingredients in the correct amounts is MenoSense which you can buy in your local health store.

If you are having sleep problems and you wake up in the early hours of the morning and can’t get back to sleep, there are other herbal supplements available by the same company. Waking up in the early hours of the morning and not being able to fall back to sleep is due to stress, high cortisol levels and insulin levels which shoot up in the early morning hours. This is a sign of adrenal exhaustion which comes from chronic stress and living a stressful life. MenoSense makes a product called AdrenaSense which helps combat anxiety and insomnia. If sleeping problems are causing a lot of problems in your life and they are severe, perhaps you should be speaking with your bioidentical doctor about supplementing with natural bioidentical hormones.

Low Libido Natural Treatments

A low libido can be improved with the bioidentical hormones progesterone and testosterone. Low libido during menopause and andropause occurs when production of the hormones estrogen, progesterone, testosterone and prolactin drops. A low thyroid also affects libido. However, if you would like to try some traditional herbal supplements for assisting with low libido, try the herbs L-Arginine which benefits both men and women’s libidos.

Tribullus Terrestris or puncture vine is an adaptogen which raises testosterone levels that are low. Ginkgo biloba also assists with low libido and improves blood flow to small vessels which increases sexual sensation. Eurycoma Longifolia is a Malaysian ginseng and helps libido and assists with vaginal dryness. Choline Bitartrate is another herb that boosts a low libido. As well as these herbs, take some Pantothenic Acid or vitamin B6 which assists with cell production and increases endurance.

All of these natural supplements for the treatment of menopause and andropause should help if you are suffering mild symptoms. They must be used in the correct doses and the dose that is correct for you will be determined by a naturopath or your doctor. If you do not find relief from menopause symptoms from these natural herbal solutions, you should look into having your hormones checked and getting a prescription for natural bioidentical hormones from your bioidentical doctor. Whether you take only natural supplements or bioidentical hormones, you must follow a healthy life style in menopause or andropause. Nothing works alone to restore hormone balance if you are not taking care of your body and your health.

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