Bio-Identical Hormone Replacement Therapy

Suzanne Somers has brought the subject of bio-identical hormone replacement therapy, known as BHRT, into the spot light. In her books, The Sexy Years and her most recent, Breakthrough, she describes how bio-identical hormones have helped her achieve amazing anti aging results and relieved her menopausal symptoms.

In her book, Suzanne Somers details the eight steps to wellness comprising her "Breakthrough" including getting Bioidentical Hormone Replacement. - "Oh, gosh," Somers remarked. "You want to know about this. And I've got all the studies to back it up in the back (of the book) . . . . men with highest levels of testosterone live the longest and live the healthiest, so you put back what you lose in the aging process, which is what I've doing for 13 years..."

With Bio-Identical Hormone Therapy you will "Discover the Hormone Connection, The Secret to Fabulous Sex, Great Health, and Vitality." Natural hormone replacement works exceedingly well for many women and bioidentical hormones are produced in a manner that are exactly like the same hormones present in your body. A hormone therapy program is tailored to your own body to address the symptoms of a hormone imbalance or deficiency.

Everyday, millions of women suffer from uncomfortable, disabling symptoms associated with the hormonal imbalance of pre-menopause and menopause. This hormone imbalance may be causing you to feel depressed, anxious, fatigued, sexless, generally ill...or just feeling under the weather.

The signs of menopause and related hormonal issues include:

Why hormone replacement therapy? Many women don't have access to the health care needed to get better and thrive. This is where AAG Health can help you, by offering hormone treatments that combine diet, nutritional supplements, exercise and the essential bio-identical hormone medications that are taken as a pill, an injection or in a topical cream form.

What Are Bio-identical Hormones? (BHRT)

A Bio-Identical Hormone is defined as a hormone that is identical in structure to the hormone produced by your body. These hormones are obtained from sterol analogues found in many varieties of plants, primarily the wild yam and soy bean. These estrogen, progesterone and testosterone-like compounds are then transformed to human bio-identical natural hormones.

Bio-identical hormone therapy otherwise known as "natural hormone replacement therapy" is safe, effective and generally free from side effects caused by synthetic hormones. Synthetic hormones like Premarin™, Prempro™, Provera™ and Estratab™ are not bio-identical compared to human hormones. For example, Premarin™ is from a pregnant mare's urine and contains hormones found only in horses, it is therefore not natural or identical to the human body.

The great appeal of Bio-Identical Hormones is that they are natural and our bodies can better metabolize them as it was designed to do, minimizing side effects. On the other hand, Synthetic horse-derived hormones are chemically altered compounds that are quite strong, are not identical to the human body and often produce side effects. The natural, compounded bio-identical hormone medications that AAG Health offers can be matched individually to each woman's needs — something that's impossible with mass-produced synthetic hormones.

We here at AAG Health have been specializing in Bio-Identical hormone therapies for almost 10 years. After treating thousands of women, we have come to the conclusion that the inevitable decline in hormones does not have to be part of “normal aging” and that standard HRT protocols involving synthetic hormone cause more problems then they are worth. Many women diagnosed with depression, low sex drive, weight gain, hot flashes and many menopausal symptoms do better with Bio-Identical hormone therapy instead.

Potential Benefits of Bio-identical Hormone Therapy:

• Increased bone mineral density
• Better hair, nails and skin
• Improved sexual desire
• Improved cognitive function
• Increase ability to cope with stress
• Decreased heart disease and osteoporosis
• Improved blood sugar and insulin levels
• Reduction of fat levels and weight loss
• Increase self assurance and confidence
• Improved mood and emotional well-being
• More energy and a better night's sleep
• Relieve hot flashes, night sweats, vaginal dryness, joint/muscle pain

How Do I Get Started With Bio-identical HRT?

Bio-identical Hormone Replacement therapy must be customized for each woman following an extensive evaluation from an AAG Health doctor. Only after a thorough review of a women's symptoms and history along with a specific lab test measuring hormone levels can an effective hormone therapy regimen be designed. Following your lab tests and medical evaluation, the physician will set up a prescription bio identical hormone replacement therapy program tailored specially for you.

You may contact one of our patient care specialists at 1-800-325-1325 if you are interested to getting more information on getting the lab test that our physicians require to properly diagnose your hormonal status. For your convenience we use LabCorp that offers all of the specific tests we require, they also have drawing stations throughout the country. We have negotiated very low prices for our specific panels.

When the lab test results are in you will then have your initial consultation with the AAG Health doctor who discuss the importance of good nutrition, fitness and lifestyle choices in your journey to better health with Bio-Identical hormones.

Eating healthy and exercising are important aspects of a successful bio-identical hormone therapy or hormone replacement therapy (HRT). If your hormones are out of balance, your body will not optimally respond to improved nutrition and exercise. As your hormones, nutrition and fitness, improve – you should begin to feel like your old self with improved health & wellness, libido, sex drive and vitality.

AAG Health Bio-identical HRT Case Study

Grace was a 49-year old woman who came to us with menopausal symptoms. We ordered a complete hormone panel and after her AAG Health Clinic medical evaluation we changed her diet to low-glycemic foods with good sources of lean protein and plenty of vegetables and fruit. We added pharmaceutical grade daily vitamins and recommended that she continue with her gym membership and keep on exercising 3 – 4 days a week.

We placed Grace on a specially compounded bio-identical cream called Biest (a blend of two estrogens), along with low dose bio-identical testosterone and progesterone creams. She was also HGH deficient, so she also opted for an injectable HGH treatment.

Five weeks later she came back for a check up and a follow up blood test to measure her hormones. “I feel fantastic,” she said, and explained that she hadn't felt this good since her late twenties. She said that her friends, family and husband had noticed a big difference in her and the AAG Health Hormone Replacement program was one of the best things she had ever done!

A year later Grace still feels great. She follows her diet and exercise program religiously, takes her hormones and follows the AAG Health protocol faithfully. Her most recent hormone panel shows that her hormones are all in balance, within normal levels and are completely optimized.

Not every hormone therapy patient is as easy to help as Grace. She put in a lot of work and with her discipline and commitment to healthful living which included a fitness and nutritional program, it paid off big time. In some patients we have to adjust the dose 3 to 5 times to get it right and sometimes have to adjust the diet and exercise program. There is no one-size-fits-all and no recommended amount here because we are all different. And that's the key to it all. Individualized hormone optimization programs that combine diet, exercise, nutritional supplements and bio-identical hormone medications all work together to ensure better vitality, health and quality of life for women.

Some of the health related areas specific to women's hormonal imbalance to consider when discussing bioidentical hormone replacement with your physician are:

•  Hormone replacement therapy can help with vaginal dryness.
•  Testosterone therapy in women can boost sex drive.
•  Bioidentical Hormone therapy: What are the options?
•  Hormone replacement therapy and your heart.
•  Hormone therapy and your skin.
•  Hormone therapy and sleep.
•  Hormones and oteoporosis.
•  Premature ovarian failure.
•  Perimenopause.
•  Hot flashes.
•  Night sweats.
•  Weight gain.
•  Depression.

BioIdentical Hormone Notes:

Bioidentical Estrogens and micronized (finely ground for better absorption) Progesterone for menopausal symptoms should be FDA-approved and made available only with a prescription. Bioidentical estradiol comes in pill, patch, cream, and various vaginal topical preparations, creams, rings and gels. Progesterone comes in a capsule form or as a vaginal gel.

Bioidentical Estradiol in pill form is converted in the liver to estrone, the weaker bio-identical estrogen. Estrogen in a patch enters the bloodstream as bio-identical Estradiol. HRT creams, gels, and lotions can also deliver bioidentical Estradiol directly to the bloodstream.

Bio-Identical Hormone Replacement Products for Women.

Hormone Combination: Bi-Est & Tri-Est

1) Bi-Est is available as oral capsules, sublingual compounds, transdermal cream / gel, vaginal cream
2) Tri-Est comes in oral capsules or transdermal gel / cream
3) Tri-Est or Bi-Est & Progesterone cream HRT combination

There are two ways of taking combined hormone treatment. Cyclic / Sequential method or Continuous method. In both treatment methods, estrogen is taken every day. Using the Cyclic/Sequential method, estrogen is supplemented with a progesterone for 10–14 days of the month. In the continuous method, a progesterone is included daily.

Estradiol: Estrace® - Pill / Vaginal CreamEstrogel - Transdermal Gel*
Estrasorb - Topical Cream / Lotion
Estring - Vaginal Ring / Cream
Vagifem - Vaginal Tablet / Cream, (an estrogen made to get into the vaginal tissues**)
Patches: Alora; Climara; Estraderm; Esclim; Vivelle DOT

Progestin - Progesterone:
Prometrium - Pill
Prochieve - Vaginal Gel

*Transdermal cream, gel, and patch forms of hormone administration for estrogen avoids primary passing through the liver and does not increase risk of clotting as does oral estrogen pills and tablets.

**Local vaginal estradiol products placed directly into the vagina are used for "local" hormonal treatment of vaginal menopause symptoms. The local treatment involves the secretions and surrounding tissues of the vagina. "Systemic" vaginal estradiol products are used for treating menopause symptoms affecting the vagina as well as other parts of the body for symptoms such as hot flashes, night sweats, headaches, muscle / joint pain, bloating etc.

Combined hormone medications / compounded formulations - Estrodial / Progesterone such as Combitpatch, Prefest and Climara Pro are comprised of an estradiol ingredient that is bioidentical but the progestin (progesterone) component is not. Combined hormones medications are not FDA or Federal Drug Administration approved.

Human Growth Hormone: For adult women who have a growth hormone deficiency (HGH deficiency), injections of human growth hormone can:

• Increase bone mineralization and density
• Increase muscle mass and tone
• Decrease body fat and weight
• Increase exercise capacity

PREMARIN® (conjugated estrogens tablets, USP) is a prescription treatment used after menopause. PREMARIN® is used after menopause to reduce moderate to severe hot flashes; to treat moderate to severe dryness, itching, and burning, in and around the vagina; and to help reduce your chances of getting osteoporosis (thin weak bones).

PREMPRO® (conjugated estrogens/medroxyprogesterone acetate tablets) is a prescription treatment used after menopause. PREMPRO® is used after menopause to reduce moderate to severe hot flashes, to treat menopausal changes in and around the vagina, and to help reduce your chances of getting osteoporosis (thin, weak bones).

Estratab ® Estrogen and Estratest ® Estrogen / Testosterone is used to treat hot flushes ('hot flashes'; sudden strong feelings of heat and sweating) in women who are experiencing menopause ('change of life', the end of monthly menstrual periods). Some brands of estrogen are also used to treat vaginal dryness, itching, or burning, or to prevent osteoporosis (a condition in which the bones become thin and weak and break easily) in women who are experiencing or have experienced menopause. However, women who need a medication only to treat vaginal dryness or only to prevent osteoporosis should consider a different treatment. Some brands of estrogen are also to relieve symptoms of low estrogen in young women who do not produce enough estrogen naturally. Some brands of estrogen are also used to relieve the symptoms of certain types of breast and prostate (a male reproductive gland) cancer. Estrogen is in a class of medications called "hormones". It works by replacing estrogen that is normally produced by the body.

It's Time To Get Your Life Back!

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"HGH - Human Growth Hormone | Bioidenticals | BHRT - Hormone Replacement Therapy - LIVE BETTER !"

AAG Health - The Bioidentical Hormone Replacement Experts.