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What is BHRT?
BHRT is the cornerstone of anti aging medicine. Rather than treat diseases as we do in traditional medicine, this evolving field treats “quality of life.”
Hormones are the regulators of our bodies. When they’re out of balance, or change due to adolescence, menopause or andropause, we develop symptoms due to this imbalance. Common symptoms associated with andropause include insomnia, loss of libido, depression, thinning hair and skin, decreased memory, decreased muscle mass, decreased energy levels, and a lack of general wellbeing.
Bioidentical hormones, compared to synthetic hormones, are hormones that are synthesized from plant extracts and are identical in molecular structure to the ones we make in our body. BHRT (bioidentical hormone replacement therapy) is designed to treat each individual in a customized fashion based on each patient’s blood and/or saliva test results. A compounding pharmacist that specializes in custom compounding prescriptions will make the prescription in a delivery system and dosage according to the physician’s specifications. They are usually made in the form of a cream or gel that results in a better absorption than a capsule or suppository. Since the prescription is individual, it can be altered according to the patient’s response and continually changing body biology. The typical hormones prescribed are variants of testosterone, progesterone and DHEA.
A thorough hormonal consultation (1-1/2 hour consultation) will be necessary prior to determining the exact combination of hormones required. A follow-up visit will be required once the test results are received. The clinic will then arrange for the compounding pharmacist to prepare the formulation necessary for the patient.
This approach will allow patients to age in a healthy, balanced fashion and feel good while doing so.
Hormone replacement therapy, commonly referred to as HRT, should perhaps be called hormone substitution therapy, since most hormone replacement uses synthetic hormones which are not an exact match to the hormones made by your own body. Synthetic hormones can be used in a safe manner, but as research and the use of bioidentical hormones become more widely used, both women and men are opting for use in the modality of bioidentical, compared to the use of synthetic hormones.
The shift away from the use of synthetic hormones is reflective of the trend to consume organic food, as well as the use of alternative medicine to treat ailments.
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Are you feeling tired?
Do you feel you’ve lost the energy you had when you were 25?
Are you looking for a natural solution using bioidentical hormone replacement therapy to treat your andropause or any other hormonal imbalance?
Having trained with leading experts in New York and Europe, Dr. Stolovitz together with her clinical nurse specialist can successfully treat you using bioidentical hormone replacement therapy.
What are hormones?
Hormones are chemicals released by a cell or a gland that send out messages that affect every part of the body.
No organ in the body can go unaffected by hormones.
The complicated part about hormones is that they cannot be seen like an organ or a body part.
They are intangible.
When we talk about diabetes, people understand it because the disease affects various visible body parts.
Hormones are different.
Imagine you’re the man of the house. You just turned 50 years old.
You’ve always been considered the “rock of Gibraltar” that held things together. You had energy and vitality.
You could outsmart all your colleagues at work with your wisdom, strength and memory skills. You’ve been exercising religiously for the past 20 years.
But lately, no matter how much you exercise, you can’t seem to get rid of the belly you’ve recently developed.
Your muscle mass is decreased. You don’t feel you have the “get-up and go” you used to have 10 years ago.
Your libido is decreased and you need the help of a little “blue pill” to help maintain your erections.
Sound familiar?
Making Decisions
Over the last decade, numerous studies, as well as a detailed look at the studies using synthetic hormones, have been re-evaluated. In addition, little distinction has been made in the public eye comparing the use of synthetic oral hormone replacement with the use of transdermal bioidentical hormones.
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Key Points
In men, hormone therapy is indicated for the use of andropausal symptoms including lack of energy, loss of muscle mass, decreased libido and erectile dysfunction.
The positive effects of hormone replacement or hormonal balance are that they slow down the aging process. When you’re young, you abound with hormones. As you age, your body produces fewer hormones. By replacing these hormones, not only do you help with the symptom relief, you also help maintain a sense of wellbeing.
Hormones are important for memory and brain aging. Hormones are responsible for body strength, agility, muscle mass, bone strength and good skin tone. Unfortunately, since we all must age we want to age well and with vitality in this new era of medicine.
Our grandparents accepted getting old and becoming less active with every decade. Our generation isn’t prepared to give up so easily.
Replacing these hormones gives each individual a positive outlook on combating aging.
Hormone therapy can be custom compounded and can be titrated both to symptom response and blood test results.
Testosterone, estrogen and progesterone
Both men and women have all three of these hormones; the difference between men and women is in the different concentrations of these hormones circulating in the body. Estrogen and progesterone are the dominant hormones in women, while testosterone is the dominant hormone in men.
Estrogen
Estrogen is present in men in small quantities. Some men have higher estrogen levels than others. This results in an imbalance with testosterone and can be seen in men who develop breasts as they age.
Testosterone
Testosterone is made in the testes and the adrenals in men. Testosterone is responsible for muscle strength, exercise endurance, libido and energy levels.
Testosterone levels decline gradually with age in men.
Signs and symptoms of reduced testosterone are loss of libido, decreased muscle mass, reduced sense of wellbeing, erectile dysfunction and reduced bone density.
DHEA
DHEA, or dihydroepiandrosterone, is a precursor of estrone, testosterone and estradiol. It is a precursor hormone and is also known as a neurosteroid. It is 30 times more prevalent in brain tissue than it is in the blood.
There is an age-related decline in DHEA in the fifth and sixth decade of life.
This hormone can also be replaced in low doses but must correlate with blood levels.
Thyroid
Thyroid hormone is produced in the thyroid gland. It’s responsible for general metabolism and temperature control. Imbalance of the thyroid results in symptoms of fatigue, weight gain, cold intolerance, depression, hair loss and dry skin.
All of these hormones are intertwined and work together in a certain balance. An imbalance in any of these hormones will result in symptoms.
Bioidentical Hormone Preparations
Bioidentical hormones are manufactured to be molecularly identical to the hormones found in the human body. They are available in both commercially and compounded forms. The commercial forms are available as gels or oral tablets.
The compounded forms are available in tablets, gels, suppositories and creams according to the physician’s specifications. They are not manufactured on a large scale and can only be produced for the individual patient as specified by a physician or health care practitioner with in-depth experience in prescribing hormones.
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Testing
Serum blood levels are most available to practitioners, while saliva testing is commercially available through a variety of labs. Saliva testing is popular because it’s easy to use and relatively inexpensive. There is some evidence that saliva levels correlate with serum blood levels.
There is currently no standard practice for measuring hormone levels. Traditional conventional medicine in both family practice and gynecological practices do not routinely test testosterone and estrogen levels in the treatment of male menopause.
The goal of BHRT is to restore the balance of hormones in the body. Without knowing what imbalance exists, it becomes very hard to come up with a strategic plan of action for these patients. As such, it becomes important to use the results of the laboratory testing paired with a list of clinical symptoms in order to determine and individualize the patient’s needs and establish a regime tailored to the individual. We monitor side effects and risk for cancer in our BHRT program.
This is about individualized therapy. The shotgun approach of the 80’s and 90’s is outdated. Today’s society is educated and wants more. Our baby boomers are active and still have many productive years ahead of them. They want to live their lives feeling strong, energetic while trying to defy the effects of aging the best way we know how.
Diet, Exercise and Lifestyle
While we’re all searching for a magic pill, hormone solution, food or supplement, remember one thing:
There’s no magic answer.
If you’re lucky enough to be given a good set of genes and you’re able to maintain an active and balanced lifestyle through diet, exercise, and a balanced hormone program, you can live your life to its fullest.
Don’t be afraid to give yourself a challenge.
Use the knowledge and the tools we have to find a happy solution at every stage of your life.
Remember, if 40 is the new 30, then 60 is the new 20, so 80 must be the new…?
We look forward to meeting with you in our clinic.
** Not covered by RAMQ