Ask Dr. Sue: A board certified internist and women's health specialist

Definition:“Bio-identical” means that these hormones are prescribed in the identical form in which they naturally occur in the body.  Your body does not need to change or modify them in any way in order for them to work. “Bio-identical hormone therapy” indicates that we try to prescribe these hormones in the same amount and the same ratio with each other as they would be produced by your own body. Frequently asked questions concerning BHT:

• What hormones are used in BHT?
  • Estrogen – your body produces three kinds of estrogen: estriol, estradiol and estrone.  BHT is called “bi-est” or “tri-est” depending on how many estrogens are used.  These are only available by prescription.
  • Progesterone – all “natural” progesterone comes from the wild Mexican yam.  It is available over the counter and by prescription.
  • Testosterone – Women and men can both benefit from testosterone, but the doses used are significantly different.
  • DHEA – the FDA considers this pre-hormone a “nutritional supplement” because it is closer to cholesterol than to any hormone.

• Is BHT approved by the FDA?  The individual hormones used in BHT are FDA-approved.  The process of putting them into different combinations and formulations (i.e. pill, cream, suppository) is not FDA-approved because the FDA does not regulate every individual comounding pharmacist. 
•  How do I find a reliable compounding pharmacist?  While all pharmacists learn how to compound medications during their training, not all pharmacists elect to invest in the necessary time and equipment required to prepare quality products.  The Professional Compounding Centers of America (www.pccarx.com) can direct you to a qualified center near you.
•  How is BHT prescribed?  BHT is prescribed in the lowest, most effective dose that balances all the hormones each individual woman (or man) needs.  It is not just the level of hormone that is important, but the ratio between one hormone and another is also very important.
• How is BHT used?  I use BHT to re-establish a woman’s hormone profile at any point in her life.  It can be used to correct problems that occur commonly at puberty, during reproductive years and through menopause and beyond.

This entry was posted on Thursday, November 1st, 2007 at 12:55 pm and is filed under Menopause. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.