Myths and Facts About Bioidentical Hormone Replacement Therapy for Women

If you’re a woman undergoing the hormonal fluctuations that accompany perimenopause or menopause, you may wonder if you’re ever going to feel normal again. Though you’d originally considered HRT, all the studies that associate it with life-threatening conditions such as breast cancer and heart disease give you pause. 

While there’s a lot of talk now about BHRT, is it really any safer?

At Re-new Institute in Omaha, Nebraska, our aim is never to merely mask symptoms with medications, but to restore the underlying imbalances or conditions that cause the symptoms to arise. Melissa Loseke, DO, and the dedicated Re-new Institute team take a revolutionary approach to healthcare that’s holistic, integrative, and practical. Here we share a few myths and facts about BHRT so you can decide if it’s right for you.

Myth: BHRT is unsafe

Fact: No studies have shown that BHRT is unsafe. While some studies of HRT have been wrongly associated with an increased risk for breast cancer and heart disease, many of those studies have now been retracted or excluded altogether because they included women who were already in poor health or were utilizing medications in the study that were not safe to begin with 

Unlike conventional HRT, BHRT is synthesized from vegetable sources to mimic the structure of human hormones. Because BHRT is “bioidentical” to your own hormones, your body tolerates them more readily. 

Myth: It’s better to suffer through menopause symptoms

Fact: Menopause symptoms aren’t just an inconvenience; they’re detrimental to your overall health. Unbalanced hormones can cause severe symptoms such as:

• Insomnia
• Sexual dysfunction
• Anxiety and depression
• Weight gain
• Digestive issues
• Headaches
• Bone loss

If you can’t sleep because of night sweats or hot flashes, you may experience brain fog, cognitive difficulties, and daytime sleepiness that raise your risk for accidents. Too little circulating progesterone increases your risk for bone loss which leads to osteopenia and osteoporosis. Progesterone protects your bones and may be combined with estradiol to prevent or reverse bone loss.

At Re-new Institute, we determine your current hormone levels with blood tests. Depending on the results, we create individualized BHRT recommendations to balance your hormones again. 

Myth: BHRT is the “wild west” of medicine

Fact: Some forms of BHRT, such as time-released pellets that are inserted into your hip, are FDA-approved. All of the BHRT available at compounding laboratories comes from pharmaceutical companies that produce the BHRT powders in their laboratories. The difference between BHRT and HRT is that the dosage is based on your individual biology, rather than a standard, one-size-fits-all prescription.

Myth: BHRT is a “one-and-done” therapy

Fact: At Re-new Institute, we’re committed to your ongoing health. That means we evaluate you at regular intervals to make sure your BHRT is giving you the benefits you’d hoped for and that you’re responding well to treatment. Depending on the results of our evaluation, we adjust the dosage or components of your BHRT.

When you’re on BHRT, you should feel happier and healthier. When your therapy is working optimally, you’ll experience clear benefits such as:

• Healthier, thicker skin
• Improved sleep
• Reversal of hair loss
• Better mood
• More energy
• Higher libido
• More vaginal lubrication
• General sense of well-being

You may also have less or no bone loss once you’ve balanced your hormones with BHRT. 

If you’d like to restore healthy hormonal balance with BHRT and avoid the consequences of unbalanced hormones, contact Re-new Institute at (531) 721-2545 to schedule your appointment today!