Ever since the dangers of hormone replacement therapy (HRT) were exposed in 2002 during a study conducted by the Women’s Health Initiative, this left a huge void for treating the signs of menopause. This study found that HRT use dramatically increased the risk of heart disease, blood clots and breast cancer, in fact, the risks were found to be so high that the study was actually stopped due to these findings. Since HRT was the treatment of choice for treating the hormone imbalance symptoms associated with the signs of menopause, this left a lot of women with limited options; this is where bioidentical hormone replacement therapy (BHRT) comes in. Since BHRT is made from plant products that exactly match the chemical composition of hormones produced naturally in the body a lot of people assume they are safer than HRT which is produced from the urine of pregnant horses, but this is not necessarily true.

BHRT is associated with compounding; this process involves a pharmacist blending up a specific blend of hormones based on each woman’s hormonal imbalance needs. A doctor does a saliva or blood test to determine a woman’s hormone needs and writes out a prescription which is then taken to a compounding pharmacy. As far as BHRT is concerned, it’s the compounding process that garners a lot of controversy. Because each dose of compounded BHRT is unique this makes it impossible to do clinical testing to determine whether it is safe or not, therefore, compounded BHRT is not FDA approved. However, there are BHRT medications that are FDA approved, just not the compounded versions.

Another controversy that has swirled around compounded BHRT is people making unsubstantiated claims about its effectiveness and safety, especially when these claims compare it to HRT. The FDA has begun cracking down on these claims, stating that no conclusive evidence has shown that compounded BHRT is any safer than HRT.

Potential Dangers of Bioidentical Hormone Replacement Therapy, 7.0 out of 10 based on 1 rating

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