Helping hot flashes without synthetic HRT

Hot flashes can really suck.  Ask any woman going through menopause (men experience the same symptoms as well).  Aging can really be annoying and people will do anything to slow down its progress.  Many women who suffer from menopausal symptoms such as hot flashes will usually seek out the advice of their OB/GYN who will usually point them in the direction of hormone replacement therapy (HRT).

One of the most commonly prescribed forms of HRT is Premarin, which is actually Pregnant Mares Urine (PreMarIn).  Nice huh?  Most of the other forms of HRT drugs are synthetically produced and have adverse effects upon your body’s biochemistry.  The Women’s health Initiative looked at the effects of HRT on women and found that it had serious adverse effects such as increased risk for heart attack, stroke and blot clotting.  See WHI study here.

So what causes theses menopausal symptoms and what can we do about them?

Cause: Estrogen dominance and progesterone deficiency

Here’s a list of symptoms of estrogen dominance (source: The Estrogen Alternative – Raquel Martin & Judi Gerstung, D.C.)

• Hot flashes, Night sweats, Insomnia
• Weight gain
• Fibrocystic breasts
• Endometriosis
• Depression
• Fluid retenion and bloating
• Thyroid imbalance
• Infertility & risk of miscarriage
• Irregular menses and PMS
• Cramping
• Acne, Psoriasis
• Inflammation
• Loss of libido
• Vaginal atrophy and yeast infections

Solution: test your hormone levels and supplement with topical progesterone cream and phytoestrogens as needed.

I use salivary hormone testing in my office.  You can read why here.  After determining if there is estrogen dominance we supplement with topical bio-identical progesterone cream and we may also use supplements such as black cohosh to help balance the endocrine response.

Q: Why don’t you use oral prescription progesterone?

A: Oral progesterone must pass through the liver before it is distributed in the blood stream.  Topical goes straight through the dermis and into the blood stream, by passing the liver, thus we can use a lower dose.

Q: Why bio-identical and not synthetic?

A: Bio-identical hormones have the same chemical structure as the hormones naturally made in your body.  Synthetic hormones are foreign to the body and may trigger adverse responses.

If you would like to solve your hormonal issues, send me an email with the subject: Hormone Testing and we can mail you a salivary hormone test kit and help you on your road to recovery!