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Today, countless individuals experience considerable hormone fluctuations that take them on daily roller coaster rides. But with more people struggling to maintain healthy hormone levels, the need for effective treatments is growing — including testosterone replacement therapy (TRT) and bioidentical hormone replacement therapy (BHRT).
With fast food diets on the rise and most Americans living a sedentary lifestyle, the need to address hormonal imbalances is bigger than ever. The truth is that many of our hormone levels naturally decline with age. Now add in outside factors, such as dietary patterns and lifestyle, and your hormones could potentially suffer remarkably.
So what are your options?
Besides conventional hormone replacement therapy, researchers have gradually advanced bioidentical hormone replacement therapy (BHRT) in an attempt to offer more treatment diversity for individuals with hormonal fluctuations.
What is Bioidentical Hormone Replacement Therapy (BHRT)?
Bioidentical hormone replacement therapy, also referred to as BHRT, is a type of hormone therapy that replaces declining hormone levels in your body. Hormones are naturally secreted in the body and are considered chemical messengers that possess an array of functions.
Among a multitude of functions, hormones are responsible for growth, sexual and reproductive health, and metabolism. They are released directly into your bloodstream by the endocrine glands, including the pituitary gland, adrenal glands, and the testes.
As we grow older, hormone synthesis can be reduced in some glands, leaving you with symptoms like mood disorders, fatigue, and weight gain. Some medical disorders can also lead to hormone fluctuations, even at a young age.
That’s where hormone replacement therapy comes in — aiming to boost your hormone levels to increase your quality of life and offer symptomatic relief.
So what exactly is bioidentical hormone replacement therapy then?
BHRT are lab-made hormones that can be used to treat hormonal deficiencies. The perk about bioidentical hormones is that they are chemically identical to the original hormones — which means that BHRT can be extremely beneficial, with hormones easily absorbed by your body.
Just like other hormone replacements, bioidentical hormone replacement therapy can aid with common symptoms triggered by hormone imbalances. Therefore, BHRT can be effective at supporting your energy levels, sleep quality, mood, and weight maintenance.
Types of Bioidentical Hormone Replacement Therapy
Bioidentical hormone replacement therapy is available in many forms and shapes — similar to traditional hormone replacement therapy. BHRT thus offers patients diverse and convenient treatment options based on their personal preferences and needs.
Some of the routes of administration to choose from include oral, topical, and subdermal therapy. Your doctor will help you choose what works best for you.
Bioidentical hormones include:
- pills
- creams, gels, and patches
- pellets, and
- injections.
Treatment diversity is particularly important to ensure compliance, as individuals will be more inclined to consistently administer treatment if the route of administration and dosing frequency work for their schedule and preferences.
Many bioidentical hormones have been approved by the FDA (U.S. Food and Drug Administration) while compounded bioidentical hormones — hormones that have been tailored to you specifically — can differ in quality and have not been approved by the FDA.
Is Bioidentical Hormone Replacement Therapy Safe?
Because bioidentical hormone replacement therapy is based on hormones chemically identical to your actual hormones, there is the odd notion that they may be safer than conventional hormone therapy but to-date no medical evidence has been found to support this claim.
In addition, some hormone therapy is marketed as using “natural” substances and is derived from plant and animal sources. However, transforming these so-called natural hormones into bioidentical hormone replacement options requires a significant amount of processing.
While conventional forms of hormone therapy usually have to undergo extensive testing and FDA approval, some bioidentical hormones are not FDA-approved, meaning safety and quality standards may differ.
Bioidentical Hormone Replacement Therapy: Side Effects
When you start treatment with bioidentical hormone replacement therapy, know that just like with most medical interventions, your body needs time to adjust to the medication or new levels of hormones. During this period, you may experience side effects but may continue to have side effects on hormone therapy afterward as well.
The good news is that bioidentical hormones that have been approved by the FDA, include a list of known side effects. As part of the stringent testing requirements by the FDA, all drugs approved require detailed documentation of side effects that have been identified during clinical trials.
For men with low testosterone, however, there is currently no bioidentical testosterone option available that has been approved by the FDA.
You also want to keep in mind that for bioidentical hormone replacement therapies that have not been approved by the FDA, the side effects are not all known — sometimes leaving doctors and patients in the dark about potential links to the treatment received.
Some of the most likely side effects of bioidentical hormone replacement therapy encompass acne, blurred vision, headaches, weight changes, and mood swings.
BHRT vs. Traditional Hormone Replacement Therapy
Now let’s compare bioidentical hormone replacement therapy with traditional forms of hormone therapy, such as testosterone replacement therapy for men.
One of the main distinctions is that bioidentical hormones are considered chemically identical while conventional hormone therapy forms are synthetic hormones that only resemble the actual hormones and have a similar molecular structure — albeit it’s not the same.
Both BHRT and traditional hormone therapy are available in a wide range of forms, varying from oral routes to subdermal and topical forms. Both forms can be effective treatment options but success rates will depend on your personal medical history and needs.
While all conventional hormone treatments are subject to FDA oversight with proven safety and efficacy, most bioidentical hormone replacement therapy for men or women, are not FDA-approved.
This means that medical claims cannot be substantiated and that there is not enough clinical data to back up the efficacy of some BHRT.
Discuss Your Options with Your Doctor
Bioidentical hormone replacement therapy can be an option for treating hormone imbalances and can mark a potential alternative to traditional hormone therapy options — for some people. However, this will depend on everyone’s individual needs so make sure to discuss your options with your doctor.
Keep in mind to address safety and efficacy concerns and choose a form of hormone replacement that can meet your needs.
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