Are Bioidentical Hormones Safe?

Posted by Dr. Christy Cline

With the use of hormone therapy on the rise, many people ask, are bioidenitcal hormones safe compared to synthetic. Ultimatly they want to know are they lowering theri risk by taking bioidentical hormones. To fully understand this lets first explore what hormones are and what they do in our bodies.

Hormones are chemical messengers produced by endocrine glands and released into the blood stream. Once in the blood stream the hormones travel to specific target tissues and organs in the body. Here bioidentical doctor stethescope hormones coordinate many aspects of our physiology and behavior such as:

metabolism
muscle and bone growth
reproductive function
sleep
mood
movement
digestion
and more

Problems with physiology and behavior mentioned above can occur when the glands producing hormones are malfunctioning. Sometimes this means they are making too much and other times too little. To combat this, doctors created Hormone Replacement Therapy (HRT) for endocrine and hormone disorders. HRT involves the use of any form of hormone therapy to treat patients with a hormone deficiency or other hormone imbalance symptoms. A common example is the use thyroid medication for deficient thyroid production. Another common use of HRT is for women with menopausal symptoms. In this article our focus will be on this use and the hormones used like estrogen, progesterone, and testosterone.

What are the Safety Concerns with Hormone Replacement Therapy?

Over the years, HRT has been used to treat many hormone disorders. However some doctors call HRT's safety into question sighting side effects found in research trials. The main study, The Women's Health Initiative used synthetic Non-Bioidentical Hormones like Premarin and Provera. This study specifically found that women taking these synthetic hormones for menopause and perimenopause had significantly more health risks. These synthetic and animal derived hormones increased risk of cardiovascular diseases (heart attack, stroke), cancer (breast, ovarian, and uterine) and blood clots. Since then the rise of bioidenical hormone replacement therapy has emerged. Many choose Bioidentical Hormone placement Therapy for their effectiveness at treating hormone imbalance and there assumed better safety profile. We wanted to show you what research says about the question are bioidentical hormones safe.

Research Shows Bioidentical Hormones Are Safe?

Bioidentical hormones are hormones formulated to have the exact same structure and function as what your body naturally makes. They are mainly derived from plants and contain no artificial chemicals or synthesized products. To be clear plants are the raw material used to create the hormones, but the finished product of bioidentical hormones are hormones.

This form of hormone therapy is the most natural and thought to be more efficient and safe due to the homogeneous nature it has with your bodies own hormones and chemicals. As a result bioidenical hormone doctors use and recommended this form of hormone therapy above all others.

Indeed several research articles have shown the superior safety of bioidentical hormones compared to their synthetic hormone counterparts. For instance, a 2006 review article on the subject found that "bioidentical progesterone does not have a negative effect on blood lipids or vasculature as do many synthetic progestins (like Provera), and may carry less risk with respect to breast cancer incidence. They further stated that, "studies of both bioidentical estrogens and progesterone suggest a reduced risk of blood clots compared to non-bioidentical preparations."

A similar review article asked "are bioidenical hormones safe?" They found that physiological data and clinical outcomes clearly demonstrate that bioidentical hormones are associated with lower risk of breast cancer and cardiovascular disease. They also reported they are more efficacious than their synthetic and animal-derived counterparts.

To be fair not all research articles show such favorable outcomes but most do. For women suffering with menopause symptoms there is strong evidence and logic to support use of bioidentical hormones. It makes sense that animal hormones and synthetic hormones might cause the problems noted above since they bind to the hormone receptors so strongly. The route of administration may also play a significant role in their side effects as well. Almost all of the non-bioidentical hormones are pills and therefor have to go through the liver where they can cause changes in liver processing, cholesterol metabolism, and general inflammation. These molecules are also foreign to the body making them harder to be removed from the body. Generally speaking the benefits for bioidentical hormone use outweigh the risks, but lets look as some of the other benefits of bioidentical hormones.

Bioidentical Hormones Benefits without the Risks

As these research articles demonstrate bioidentical hormones are safe and provide more benefit compared to their synthetic counterparts. Women with menopause can treat their hot flashes, insomnia, weight gain, vaginal dryness, low sex drive and weight gain while minimizing risks. Bioidentical Hormone Therapy is the only treatment that allows for customized dosages tailored to your specific symptoms and current hormone levels. Synthetic hormone levels cannot be changed or customized.

Some other benefits include:

Effective compared to their synthetic counterpart.
Natural and efficient metabolized.
Bioidentical hormones are administered transdermally, permitting easy absorption and avoids processing through the liver.
Dosage can be adjusted to meet patient’s requirement.

This is not to say that using bioidentical hormones carry no risk, however. The point is that the risk is much smaller. People can have side effects from taking bioidentical hormones but they are more rare. Side effects from the use of Bioidentical hormone may occur if this drug is not taken as directed. This is a common feature when any medication is used the wrong way. Side effects of BHT may also arise if:

Your hormone levels are not checked.
The different levels are not balanced between all the hormones.
The level of hormones get too high.

Starting Bioidentical Hormone Therapy

Bioidentical Hormone safety is certain as the research suggests. They are also well tolerated and provide symptom relief for both men and women with hormone imbalance. Using customized programs that address individual needs, Bioidentical Hormone in Phoenix can help get you back in balance. However, be sure to use a qualified BHRT physician to ensure safety and proper administration of this treatment. A bioidentical hormone doctor will typically test your hormone levels directly before administering and also use the least amount needed to achieve the desired result. This effort will minimize side effect and ensure fast resolution of your symptoms.