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Additional Information
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Customized Hormone Replacement Therapy: Fact vs Fiction
Hormones are the body’s messengers that transport information from the brain to the glands, from the glands to the cells and from the cells to the brain. Hormones rejuvenate, regenerate and restore our bodies. As we age, it becomes increasingly important for both men and women to keep their hormones balanced to protect against fatigue, mood swings, disease, obesity and to enjoy an overall healthier sense of well being.
Customized hormones have become a hot topic in the media, and are stimulating discussions in women’s groups and among healthcare professionals. Unfortunately, many commentaries erroneously report the drugs which were used in various studies, failing to differentiate manufactured products from compounded hormones.
What are Customized or Natural Hormones?
Customized hormones have a molecular structure that is identical to hormones that are naturally produced by the human body, and are intended to replace these hormones when their levels decline due to aging, disease, or surgery. Used in connection with hormones, the term "natural" can be confusing. When we say "natural" we mean molecularly identical to the hormones produced in your body.
It is the structure of the hormone, not its origin, that ultimately determines how it will be utilized and metabolized, and the benefits and side effects that will be produced. For example, concentrated urine from dehydrated pregnant mares contains estrogens, a major portion of which is equilllin, an estrogen that is never produced naturally in humans and does not follow normal human metabolic pathways. On the other hand, plant-derived hormones have a chemical structure that is identical to that of human hormones. The basis for the use of customized estrogens, progesterone, and androgens is physiologic.
Natural vs Synthetic Hormones
In order for replacement hormones to fully replicate the function of hormones which were originally naturally produced and present in the human body, the chemical structures must match exactly. Synthetic non-bio-identical hormones have similar but not identical structures, so they are not the “perfect fit” for hormone replacement. Synthetic -“patented,” “conventional,” “artificial,” or “horse”- hormones have been chemically altered, and are not identical in structure or activity to the naturally-occurring hormones they are intended to replace. Synthetic hormones are hormones that have been modified in some way (different in chemical structure from hormones produced by the body) or have been isolated from another animal species, for example, from pregnant mare’s urine. Such hormones are not natural or identical in molecular structure to the body’s natural hormones.
Researchers have long held that there are significant differences between hormones that are natural to humans (customized) and synthetic (non-bio-identical) preparations. The structure of the hormone, not the source, is the key. The term “customized" does not indicate the source of the hormone. Customized hormones are chemically processed from precursors found in yams or soy plants, yet they are identical to the hormones produced by the human body; hence the term “customized plant-derived hormone.” These hormones are able to follow normal metabolic pathways so that essential active metabolites are formed in response to hormone replacement therapy.
Understanding HRT Studies
Many women (and physicians) were caught off guard in 2002 when a governmental study was released on the effects of hormone therapy on women and breast cancer. It is for this reason that when discussing hormone therapy for women in menopause, one must first discuss and understand the Women’s Health Initiative. The study was first published in 2002 and brought fear to women everywhere about the risk of using hormones.
The Women’s Health Initiative was designed to define the risks and benefits of using synthetic hormone therapy to potentially prevent heart disease, breast and colorectal cancer, and osteoporosis in postmenopausal women. It is important to note that the women in this study were all postmenopausal, average age of sixty-eight. This fact is significant as most of these women had 15 years since the loss of their hormones to develop diseases that estrogen, progesterone, and testosterone might have prevented.
The fact that the study used synthetic hormones and not the natural customized hormones should not be overlooked as well. Synthetic hormones are not metabolized the same way human “customized" hormones are metabolized. There is a great deal of scientific and biochemical research which shows how differently synthetic hormones act in the body as compared to natural customized hormones.
Negative Publicity on Customized HRT
Often, negative publicity or attempts to restrict the availability of customized hormones originate with Wyeth, the pharmaceutical company, who has a significant interest in protecting their market share. Pharmaceutical manufacturers alter the chemical structure of a natural substance to create a synthetic product that can be patented and profitable to produce; while customized can not be patented.
How are customized hormones made?
Customized hormones are derived from natural plant resources, primarily wild Mexican yam and soybean. These plants are chemically synthesized in a laboratory into exact replicas of certain human hormones. In response to a prescription from a licensed practitioner, the hormones are then carefully and accurately formulated by a highly trained compounding pharmacist. This process allows the pharmacist to custom prepare prescription applications based on the individual patient’s needs.
Compounding pharmacists use FDA approved pharmaceutical grade chemicals with certificates of analysis to verify purity. These bulk chemicals originate from the same sources that supply pharmaceutical manufacturers. It is a misconception that pharmacists extract hormones from soy and other plant materials.
What is right for you?
The decision to use any form of HRT should only be made following a thorough medical examination and evaluation of baseline hormone levels, and women receiving HRT should be regularly monitored to allow practitioners to use the lowest dose of hormones that will provide therapeutic benefit, thereby minimizing the risk of side effects. This is why, at South River Compounding Pharmacy we advocate having blood levels drawn or saliva testing at least annually to monitor each patient’s levels. We integrate this with family history, personal history, diet, exercise, supplements, medications, and current symptoms to optimize each patient individually.
Please let us know if you would like us to help you. We are here to help, and look forward to hearing from you soon.
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South River
Compounding Pharmacy
Southside: 2300 Robious Station Circle, Midlothian, VA 23113
West End: 3656 Mayland Court, Richmond, VA 23233
Serving the Greater Richmond, Virginia area, including
Chesterfield, VA, Hanover, Henrico, Powhatan |
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