Bio Identical Hormones and You and Your Health and Skin Part Three

There are wellness clinics sprouting up all over the place whose main focus is to deal with bio-identical hormones. Their usual protocol is to charge you upfront for blood work and the consultation. Their premises is that you will go on to the hormones based on your blood work – and the blood tests are significant in their costs; but you will get a discount through them usually in return for them managing your hormones. (as a member of Life Extension; you can order the same tests; and several others at about the same price as I was charged, and you have access to doctors and health practitioners who can consult over the phone with you.) While there are many different ways you can approach this; if you can afford it, going to someone who specializes in it is best in my opinion, at least in the beginning. After you are on the hormones, like I said you will have periodic blood tests – my doctor only did 3 in the one year, and I was told later I actually got one extra. And I got a phone call a few times to ask how I was doing. You usually have the option to make appointments that are included if you need to have a sit down and talk through any issues – but they are limited. And of course; you pay for the hormones each month. All in all you can pay between $1500 and $3500 a year, just for the doctor and depending on what you take, $150 – $240 a month for hormones. I got in on a newer situation, so my costs were much lower than above.

I believe that bio-identical hormones DOES HAVE ITS PLACE. But the thing you have to keep in mind is that you are still supplanting substances onto and into your body that your body didn’t make. Therefore; you are ‘giving over’ that job to the bio-identical hormones that your body once took care of itself. Of course; we know that our bodies discontinue this service to us at the rate it was doing before and that is why we have the problems we do. You MUST keep your health at a high level and eat well and exercise. Hormones will help to keep you biologically young but honestly, I heard things like ‘it will help your breasts become firmer’, you will lose weight, etc. I actually gained weight, 5 pounds. The doctor told me sometimes that progesterone could cause water weight gain and offered to give me a diuretic if the problem persisted. I had to be on thyroid medications even though they were bio identical because I was low. You are still on a ‘drug’; so to speak. Just like insulin takes over the job of the pancreas in a diabetic; any hormone you are ‘taking’ is doing the job FOR you.

And I believe that If I had it to do over again – I would probably elect not to take bioidentical hormones, but that is knowing what I know now.

What I knew and understood then was very helpful to me being on them. I still think you need to educate yourself on any HRT therapy. DO read Suzanne Sommer’s books on hormones. She has written many. Two of my favorites were ‘Breakthrough’ and her latest book ‘Knockout’ on Cancer. She writes a very compelling story and has interviews from many alternative doctors who have great motives to promote bio-identical hormones. The reasons are very solid and I agree with them for the most part. But I really must stress, yet again – no one can tell you what to do, no one can insist on any one procedure or protocol that is going to be exactly right for you. You will have to decide what is best and how much time, expense and research you want to do and the level of TRUST you are going to allow your health care practitioner. And a note on Suzanne Sommers; whom I have a great respect for: She also takes HGH injections. She gets chelation. She has dealt with cancer; has been dealt with harshly by the medical community and I can really empathize with that, and therefore her goals are significantly more than the regular lay person looking to balance their hormones. Being a cancer survivor puts you in a different playing field. If you read her book ‘Knockout‘ you will just drop your jaw at what she has endured at the hands of the medical community for sticking to her guns on natural, alternative and holistic care. I salute her!

The bottom line is this: When your hormones are balanced; you feel better, look better, ARE better. Your bones will remain stronger; your heart will be healthier and your female organs as well. That is where DIM comes in as well – protecting your female hormones. I am on DIM as a transitional support for my hormones/female organs.

Another really awesome product that is supposed to help your own body regulate hormones is MACA. I take Maca and I love it. There are many forms; many claims, but you definitely want it from a great source. I take Royal MACA with DIM in it for the extra protection to my female organs, which I thankfully still have. Royal Maca is said to be good for and has a 89% rate of effectiveness for the following symptoms:

Hormone Balance

Promoting energy

Support a healthy sex drive

Supports bone health

Relieve vaginal dryness due to menopause or peri menopause

Relieve PMS symptoms in healthy women

Promotes healthy balance between good and bad estrogen.

This is a lot of information but keeping your hormones regulated will help you to…take some old skin…and make it better!

Hormones Part One

Hormones Part Two