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Compounded hormones, otherwise referred to as bioidentical hormone replacement, can help manage hormones and therefore improve many conditions.
Although commonly talked about as a great option for women going through menopause, the reality is that bioidentical hormone replacement is easily tailored to the unique needs of the individual, making it a viable treatment option for quite a number of medical conditions.
Conditions that Benefit from Compounded Hormones
Endocrinologists and doctors typically prescribe compounded hormones to fix or treat hormone imbalances.
Imbalanced hormones are responsible for a wide variety of conditions, we just sometimes don’t know it.
In this post, we’ll share some info about seven of the most common conditions treated and reveal how compounded hormones help.
1. PCOS
PCOS, or polycystic ovary syndrome, is a condition that develops when the female body produces too many androgens (male sex hormones).
This overproduction disturbs the normal ratio of female sex hormones resulting in a number of painful and life-disrupting symptoms.
Scientists believe that insulin resistance plays a huge role in the body’s overproduction of androgens.
Insulin resistance leads the body to create too much insulin, which the body then does not use or absorb properly.
This extra insulin can have a huge impact on your organs, including your ovaries.
Previous treatments involved a synthetic hormone known as Progestin. However, bioidentical progesterone is considered a safer and healthier option for improving your natural hormone ratios.
2. Endometriosis
Endometriosis is a painful condition that occurs when a hormone imbalance allows tissue similar to your uterine lining to grow outside of your uterus. This tissue binds itself to the parts of your body outside of your uterus, usually throughout the pelvis.
It can impact your bladder, bowels, and ovaries and can also be a cause of infertility.
While researchers aren’t 100 percent sure why endometriosis develops, they do believe there is a relationship between its development and high levels of estrogen.
Estrogen is the hormone responsible for thickening your endometrium when you are going through your menstrual cycle.
Compounded hormones can be used to help suppress a woman’s estrogen levels while adding in vitamin D and calcium to prevent bone loss.
3. Osteoporosis
Osteoporosis develops when the body either loses or makes too much bone tissue. When this happens, your bones enter a weakened state and can break easily.
There are quite a few causes for osteoporosis, but one significant reason is an overproduction of the parathyroid hormone.
This hormone is responsible for helping your body regulate calcium absorption. Low estrogen levels can also contribute to poor bone health.
Your doctor will need to do some testing to figure out exactly which hormone imbalance is causing your osteoporosis. Osteoporosis isn’t really curable, but some of the damage can be reversed with proper therapy.
The most important hormone, in this case, is estrogen. Supplementing with vitamin D and calcium supports overall bone health.
4. Thyroid Disorders
The thyroid is the body’s master gland, and it plays a huge role in your health.
Imbalances in the hormones your thyroid produces can cause either hypothyroidism (underfunctioning) or hyperthyroidism (overfunctioning). These disorders can cause sleep issues, weight loss or gain, fatigue, memory issues, eye problems, and even sensitivity to heat or cold.
A properly compounded hormone treatment can go a long way in alleviating the symptoms of any thyroid disorder. It is not uncommon to find estrogen and progesterone imbalances in women with thyroid disease.
Deficiencies in DHEA or testosterone can also cause issues.
Your doctor will need to conduct a full hormone panel to address which hormones are causing your overall issues so that your they can create compounded hormones at the correct ratio.
5. Hair Loss
For some people, hair loss is simply a byproduct of age or genetics. For others, hormone imbalances, diseases, and even certain medications can cause premature hair loss.
In men, androgens (including testosterone) are typically related to hair growth. In women, the ovaries and adrenal glands are responsible for producing androgens at smaller levels and these hormones are thrown off balance during menopause.
Your doctor can do some testing to determine which hormones are causing your hair loss and whatever other related symptoms you may be having.
Your doctor will figure out if you have too much cortisol, too much adrenaline, too much estrogen or testosterone, or even a thyroid disorder.
They’ll then be able to choose what medications your compounding pharmacist should use to create your unique bioidentical treatment.
6. Menopause
Menopause is, of course, one of the main reasons women seek treatment.
The hormone imbalances caused during this change in life alter the way your body functions. This in turn creates a litany of uncomfortable side effects.
Your ovaries stop producing hormones, which throws off the FHS and LH hormones responsible for making sure you have the estrogen, progesterone, and testosterone you need.
These new levels of hormone depletion are far reaching and can have a huge impact on your overall health for many years.
You may start to develop mood swings, memory issues, depression, heart issues, osteoporosis, dry and itchy skin, urinary tract disorders, and even vaginal issues.
Your doctor will work with you to determine which hormones are most impacted. Only then can your bioidentical hormone treatment can be tailored and altered as you progress through menopause.
7. Premenstrual Dysphoric Disorder
Premenstrual dysphoric disorder, or PMDD, is an endocrine disorder that often comes with not only physical symptoms, but mental health complication as well.
This disorder occurs when the brain can’t chemically process the otherwise normal hormone fluctuations that occur during a woman’s monthly cycle.
In addition to traditional menstrual symptoms, women with PMDD may feel incredibly depressed or even suicidal during menstruation.
It is important to remember that many women with PMDD are already using some form of hormonal birth control, which is already altering hormone levels.
Effective treatment may mean coming off of birth control and instead taking compounded hormones.
These can better balance estrogen levels with other hormones throughout the cycle, reducing PMS symptoms and associated mental health complications.
Conclusion
Every woman responds differently to different hormone levels. Therefore, in this case it may be necessary for a women to track her cycle and have bloodwork about a week before her cycle starts.
This would give her doctors the information necessary to properly compound the right hormone levels to control anticipated symptoms.
Bioidentical hormone therapy is becoming increasingly popular in the treatment of all sorts of hormone imbalances.
Talk to your doctor if you suspect your health symptoms are caused by any sort of hormonal complication. Some simple blood work tests to identify the underlying causes of your symptoms may be all you need to move towards a more balanced life.