What is hormone replacement therapy?
Hormone replacement therapy involves synthetic, or conventional, hormones. Women are able to take estrogen and/or progestin supplements that are synthesized in a lab to treat their menopause symptoms and balance out their hormone levels.
Who can take hormone replacement therapy?
Hormone replacement therapy is not for everyone. You can not use hormone replacement therapy if you have certain medical illnesses including but not limited to: history of heart attack or stroke, estrogen receptor positive breast cancer, or uncontrolled diabetes or hypertension. This therapy is also not safe for women who smoke. These recommendations are based upon the results of two large studies: Women’s Health Initiative and Nurse’s Health Study. The studies showed a higher rate of heart attack and strokes in women on hormone therapy with certain risk factors.
Your doctor will discuss with you the options available based upon what he/she thinks is safe and effective for you specifically.
Bioidentical Hormones
There are differences between hormone replacement therapy and bioidentical hormone therapy. Bioidentical hormones are identical to your original human hormones and the doses are customizable based on what the patient needs. They are known as natural hormones because they are made in a lab using plant or animal sources.
Read more about Bio-Identical Hormones and treatments