Menopause is more than just hormonal changes. Understanding your body’s changes during this phase is very important. By making the proper lifestyle changes you can ease your transition, as well as safeguard your health, to what can be the best years of your life. Most women will live 25 to 30 years, after menopause. This translates to about one third of your life. By paying close attention to Menopause therapy you will enjoy what could be the most productive and satisfying years of your life.

In our bodies, estrogen is made from cholesterol primarily in the ovaries. A small amount is also produced in the adrenal glands or it may be converted from testosterone. Estrogens are predominantly female hormones that are important for maintaining the health of your reproductive organs, breasts, skin and bones. During menopause, when your ovaries no longer produce estrogens, the lower levels of estrogens in your body can lead to symptoms such as hot flashes, insomnia and mood swings.

More importantly, estrogen protects our bones and cardiovascular system while helping to control blood glucose levels. For some women the symptoms associated with menopause are intolerable and Menopause therapy must be considered. Consider the lifestyle changes discussed in the following articles:

– Weight loss during menopause;
– Vitamins for menopause

If you’ve tried the suggestions in these articles and they have proved to be insufficient to overcome your symptoms then the next step in menopause therapy is to consider hormone replacement therapy.

I recommend the use of bioidentical hormones. Bioidentical hormones, being estrogens, progesterones and testosterone, are substances that have the same chemical structure as the hormones in our bodies. They are made from botanical plants such as soy and yams. Our bodies cannot convert the plant hormones into human hormones; therefore, these plant hormones are pharmaceutically processed to match our own hormones.
Much confusion exists for both women and health professionals over the latest buzzwords “Bioidentical or synthetic” hormones. What is the difference?

Synthetic hormones indicate hormones created in the laboratory that do not chemically match the hormones made by our bodies whereas bioidentical hormones match our hormones precisely. Both bioidentical and synthetic hormones are created in pharmaceutical laboratories using chemical means. Also both come from natural sources ( yams, soy…), and then are manipulated in the laboratory to create either identical or synthetic hormones.

In relation to menopause therapy, the effects from bioidentical and synthetic hormones are very different. Since bioidentical hormones have a molecular structure identical to our own, their effects are more consistent with our own hormones. Women respond quicker at finding relief from hot flashes, insomnia and vaginal dryness. Also, bioidentical hormones are not mass produced, as they are compounded in pharmacies, and can be tailored to your specific needs.

If you are interested in using bioidentical hormones you must first see your doctor and if he thinks you need hormones he will have to write a prescription. Bioidentical hormones are available at any compounding pharmacy. The pharmacist individualizes your Menopause therapy at the request of your physician and you. Usually, these hormones are compounded into creams to be applied on the skin (transdermal) or vaginally ( transmucomal). They can also be made into lozenges. Be aware that the lozenge form will require a higher dose of hormones since they will pass through the liver to be metabolized which can lead to unwanted side effects.

Tags: Bioidentical Hormones, Estrogen, female hormones, hormone replacement therapy, Menopause Therapy