Bioidentical Hormone Therapy
Hormones are very individual. Not everyone needs the same blood levels.
They also do need to be in a good balance with one another, otherwise we feel unwell. The metaphor of a hormone orchestra is frequently invoked here. Each hormone has its place and should harmonize with the other hormones in terms of level and rhythm.
If you have a hormone deficiency, you can stimulate their production with nutrients. This is often sufficient, but not always. In such cases, therapy with bioidentical hormones can be beneficial.
However, many people are afraid of bioidentical hormone therapy because they think of artificial, synthetic hormones that are foreign to the body, such as the oral contraceptive pill.
However, bioidentical hormones are hormones that are 100% identical in structure to what our body already knows. Ultimately, you substitute exactly those structures of which your own body has too few in order to achieve a natural level of hormones - just as much as the body should normally produce itself.
The contraceptive pill has the opposite effect: it introduces foreign hormone variants, which ultimately suppress the body's own hormone production. There is therefore a completely different mechanism of action behind this.
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A common treatment issue in women is oestrogen dominance, often associated with the menopause, when the first thing to decline is progesterone production, which is no longer in balance with oestrogen. However, oestrogen dominance increasingly occurs before the menopause due to lifestyle and environmental factors, sometimes even in women in their 20s.
With oestrogen dominance, the oestrogen itself may be too high - but it is also possible that the oestrogen is within normal limits, but the ratio to progesterone is out of balance. Treatment with bioidentical progesterone can provide relief for a number of symptoms caused by oestrogen dominance.
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Increased premenstrual syndrome (PMS)
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Headaches or migraines, especially premenstrual (before menstruation)
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Heavy and/or prolonged bleeding
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Bleeding between periods
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Sensitive breasts
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Water retention
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Weight gain
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Sleep disorders
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Low sexual desire
Even before the menopause, balancing the ratio of hormones can lead to a better state of health.
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Men can also benefit from bioidentical hormone therapy, as they also go through their transition - known as andropause.
Due to environmental factors and lifestyle, men are also increasingly affected by testosterone deficiency at a younger age and this can lead to a variety of complaints.
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Weight gain
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Lack of motivation
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Lower sexual desire
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Erectile dysfunction
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Lack of focus
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Sleep disturbances
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Water retention
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Reduced muscle growth and strength
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Hair loss all over the head
Oestrogen dominance, which is also possible in men, can lead to the same symptoms.
Another treatment for bioidentical hormones is mitochondrial weakness, as pregnenolone, the “mother hormone of all steroid hormones”, is produced in the mitochondria. Our sex hormones and the stress hormone cortisol are in turn formed from pregnenolone. If the mitochondria are not working properly, our sex hormone and stress hormone production can also suffer. The latter gets us out of bed in the morning and through the day and is therefore also important, although “stress” is often initially associated with something negative.
If you suspect you have a hormone deficiency, you are welcome to book an appointment so that we can address your hormone orchestra together.