Bioidentical Hormone Replacement Therapy and the Benefits and Risks Involved

The term "Bioidentical" as in Bioidentical Hormone Replacement Therapy simply refers to the fact that the hormones used in BHRT are biologically identical to the hormones that are in the human body. Even though the FDA has not approved bioidentical hormones, many physicians who ultimately prescribe bioidentical hormone replacement therapy truly feel that they are safer than most of the more common hormone replacement therapy drugs that the FDA has approved.

Bioidentical hormones are custom designed for each individual woman, and therefore come in many different formations that can be absorbed into the body. Bioidentical hormones can be prescribed as virtually anything such as creams, oral medications, suppositories or injections. The BHRT prescription is custom mixed by a pharmacist after the physician has evaluated the patient's saliva test.

Bioidentical Hormone Replacement Therapy benefits include:

The hormones therapy is individually prescribed, based on the specific hormone needs of each woman.

Many medical researchers believe that the natural derived hormones makes them a much safer alternative to the more traditional hormone replacement therapies available on the market.

Some preliminary research has suggested that the risks of blood clotting and strokes are less than with traditional hormone medications.

Many patients taking BHRT have reported dramatic results and positive experiences after using bioidentical hormones.

The risks of Bioidentical Hormone Replacement Therapy include:

Many medical professionals believe that bioidentical hormones have not been studied long enough to have thoroughly determined all their risk factors.

Bioidentical hormone therapy as not been approved by the Food and Drug Administration and therefore should not be used.

Many medical professionals acknowledge that there are however many FDA approved prescriptions available on the market such as Estrace and Climara which should be exhausted prior to any other therapies.

Bioidentical hormone therapy has bore the brunt of severe criticism by many organizations and therefore have negative connotations.

Bioidentical hormones, like HRT synthetic hormones are medications that while they may offer health benefits, they also come with several risks. The unfortunate thing is that BHRT has not had all the medical clinical trials that HRT has had and there is no way to thoroughly know all their benefits or risks associated with taking BHRT treatments.

The advantages of bioidentical hormone replacement therapy for perimenopausal and menopausal women include all of the benefits of regularly patented hormone replacement therapy and in most cases without the unwanted side effects and risks associated with the HRT treatments. BHRT can help many patients with many different conditions and symptoms such as:

Premenstrual Syndrome

Symptoms of premenopausal or postmenopausal
Irregular periods
Uterine bleeding
Hot flashes
Bone density loss
Reduces the risk of heart disease
Acceleration of fat burning to help in weight loss
Reduces night sweats
Reduces insomnia
Enhances libido or sex drive
Protects against breast conditions like fibrocystic
Helps improve memory and the ability to think clearly
Prevents vaginal dryness and thinning
Increases energy and reducing depression and fatigue
Improves skin elasticity
Guards bones from breakage as in osteoporosis and encourages new bone growth
Improves blood flow throughout the body

Many women who are in perimenopausal, menopausal may already be taking regular medications for hormone replacement therapy. However for those who feel their symptoms are not being controlled well enough by the standard medications they should consider speaking with their physician about bioidentical hormone therapy treatment.

Certain factors such as other medical conditions, may ultimately determine whether or not BHRT is a viable alternative from standard HRT. Talking to your medical professional gives you the opportunity to discuss the risks and benefits of switching to BHRT vs regular hormone replacement therapies.

References for this article include: www.replenishhormones.com , www.womentowomen.com and www.bhrt1.com