What Most Doctors DON’T Know About Treating Menopause

For years  ̶– ever since the National Institutes of Health (NIH) released its Women’s Health Initiative (WHI) report in 2002  ̶ – women entering menopause have found themselves in a kind of limbo of neglect.

But it doesn’t have to be that way.

In a recent Washington Post article, Janice Lynch Schuster explains how the alarm regarding hormone replacement therapy (HRT) sounded by the NIH essentially halted any kind of effective medical treatment for menopausal symptoms.  The specter of elevated risk for heart disease, stroke and breast cancer all but shut down prescriptions for synthetic hormones.  What’s more, medical schools stopped training budding doctors in how to manage menopausal symptoms.

Without HRT, women found themselves largely left on their own with few options to help cope with searing hot flashes, bouts of the blues, sleepless nights, painful intercourse, memory lapses and ballooning weight.

Over the years, many women found alternative remedies inadequate to restore quality of life and the ability to function effectively.

Revisiting Women’s Health Initiative Findings

A second look at WHI findings has now caused earlier warnings to be revised.

The initial flood of publicity about the dangers of HRT overlooked the fact only women over 60 had suffered adverse effects.  A new advisory now says that women under 60, unless they are already at risk for heart disease or cancer, can take HRT to relieve symptoms of menopause for up to five years without putting their health in jeopardy.

But is this the best way to treat menopause?

Bioidenticals:  The Natural Solution

Women do have a time-tested, safe and effective alternative for menopausal symptom relief.  Today, a growing number of women are turning to bioidentical hormone therapy (BHRT) and discovering for themselves that menopause doesn’t have to devastate their lives.

BHRT is far more efficacious than the synthetic hormones used in conventional HRT for two important reasons.

First, unlike HRT synthetic hormones, bioidenticals made from soybeans and wild yams exactly replicate hormones produced naturally in the body. That means that their molecular structure allows them to lock onto the body’s receptor sites in precisely the same way as the hormones that are no longer being produced.

On the other hand, synthetic hormones, which are made from animal estrogen sources foreign to the human body, do not “fit” properly with the body’s estrogen receptors.  Their chemical structure does not allow them to be properly metabolized, and they act as toxins.

Second, synthetic hormones come as a “one-size-fits-all” prescription; however, women are not carbon copies.  While one woman may need estrogen, another may need more progesterone, so synthetic hormones may not meet a particular woman’s needs.  As a result, they may do little or nothing to restore a woman’s hormonal balance and may even have detrimental effects.

In contrast, bioidentical hormones are compounded to target specific needs identified in each woman’s individual body chemistry.  This allows for immediate relief from menopausal symptoms and minimal risk of adverse health effects.

Want to Know More?

Many doctors know very little about bioidenticals.  It’s a complex field of study and not one that’s emphasized in medical school curricula.  Thus prospective BHRT patients need to seek out doctors who have pursued specialized education beyond their medical degree.

At BodyLogicMD.com, you can find a highly trained hormone therapy doctor in your area who can assess your needs and create a treatment solution just for you.