Has anyone out there tried bioidentical hormones?

Goatgirl,

I too am currently using bioidenticals.  The rule is start low and go slow, measuring your hormone levels all along the way.  I have been in menopause since 2008 and did very well for quite a long time, but over the years saw my strength, attitude and energy simply tank.  Then got into vaginal atrophy, dryness and painful sex, (what little I was having because my libido was also in the dump.)

I agree with Cheryl, about not listeneing to the research that only used Premarin and Prempro (WHI).  But this really does become a quality of life issue.  Your body is screaming for something and blood work might tell you what's out of whack.

Hope you find some answers and a doctor who knows what he/she is doing.

 

I am on estrdiol and provera and its starting to help me. My OBGYN told me that a low dose of estrogen is what you really need to help with the menopause symptoms and then you have to take a small amount of progestreone with it to keep cancer away from down there. My OBGYN told me that ladies who take 100 or 2000 mg of progesterone thats a birth control form 

He told me that estrogen is what we really need for these symptoms 

Hello all,

Really struggling myself, but if honest reluctant at present to shell out money to doctors in London, costs for consultations seem pretty steep to me.  Doctors of no help, usual take prozac...it's all in you mind...not..

Being a sensible soul I appreciate the need to reappraise one's life style etc, but I am struggling..what do I do? 

Sorry to highjack discussion!  I do think bio's may just work better..goatgirl thanks for starting this discussion, I note that you mention taking bio's in "troch" form, - oral?  Are you based in UK?  I don't think we have any "compound" names escapes me, pharmacies here?

Sorry just worn out today, and brain appears to have shut down for day.

 

Hi Goat Girl

be careful with black cohosh - its something i wouldnt take - it can cause liver damage and should only be used short term ..

jay x 

I quite agree with Jaynee on black cohosh!

One thing I have learned about "trochs" or lozenges is that the hormone is better absorbed due to delivery, hormone is absored slowly into blood stream, different delivery to creams or other oral method...I read about this, has not occured to me before now. 

So I would say that your "trochs" may help you  better, small uptake by liver more of hormone slowly released into blood stream.over a period of time..this sounds like the perfect way to take hormones..I am guessing...?

I think in US things slightly more advanced than here...or maybe we just have to pay more...but the idea of saliva testing rather than a blood testing seems to be the more sensible thing..

I think in London we'd pay through the nose..ie a thousand or so..last time I looked Dr Studd and his peers were all charging quite a bit, and what concerns me is the one glove fits all approach...

good luck with your meds, sounds like your on the right track!

weary of Wiltshire!

 

Also just want to say that I am going for some adrenal tests nest week all thankfully on NHS - my own muddled thinking tells me that if the adrenals are stressed than possibly nothing will help until adrenal problem is addressed..just thought I'd mention this one ....still looking into this..

Hi GG, whereabouts are you? UK, EU, US? Bioidenticals can be prescribe by standard doctors and they exist in pharmaceutical brand names too. So you have them compound - for this you'll have to go a private consultant and you have the prescription type. typically estrogen = estradiol patches or rub-on gels (several brands) ; progesterone = progesterone capsules in the UK= Utrogestan; EU = same + Progeffik, in the US = Prometrium. If you go through the posts here you'll find lots of info on it. If you wish to know what's bioidentical pharma and what's not in google "Harvard bioidentical hormones" and you'll find a list.