Bio-Identical Hormones

Welcome to the first step towards a personalized preventative health program. Bioidentical Hormones are a therapeutic option to treat hormonal decline or the myriad of symptoms associated with hormonal imbalance.

Signs of hormone imbalance

Insomnia
Heavy, painful periods
Hot flashes/night sweats
Anxiety/Irritability
Weight gain/bloating
Hair loss
Poor concentration/memory
Overwhelm/loss of motivation
Low libido
Fatigue/Depression
Joint pain
Muscle Atrophy/decreased strength

Common things people say when their hormones are balanced:

“I feel like I got my life back”
“Finally, there’s a reason for why I’m feeling the way I am”
“I am no longer dependent on my sleep medication”
“My chronic pain has all but disappeared”
“These hormones saved my life”
“I’m not depressed after all”
“I’ve gotten my “Mojo” back”
“I have so much more energy now“
“My chronic skin problems have disappeared”
“My temperature is normalized and hot flashes are gone”
“My body feels the way it used to”
“My metabolism is back and the weight is gone”

What are Bio-identical Hormones?

Bioidentical hormones are produced synthetically but are an exact human identical match to our body’s own hormones. In contrast, conventional hormone replacement therapy is not human identical but has been altered and then patented by pharmaceutical companies. Bioidentical forms of these hormones are not patentable by these companies. When given an option most people choose to use the human identical form of these hormones as it’s seen as a more natural approach. Since neither forms are “natural” but are derived from plant sources it is very important that a qualified professional who has undergone extensive training in this field to supervise someone on this program. Much of the controversy around hormones falls onto the molecularly altered conventional hormone or non-human identical forms. All of our doctors have received in depth training under the mentorship of Dr Ron Brown OBGYN, the founder of Truebalance and author of “Discovering your Truebalance with Bioidentical Hormones”.

Discovering your Truebalance and what we call your “Hormone Signature”:

Your hormone signature is something that is unique to you. We call it a hormone signature because just like a signature it is an expression of where you are at at this time of life. We discover your unique signature through laboratory testing, questionnaires, consultation and you’re lifestyle circumstances. Once we get this information we put together a plan to put you back into balance.

Effects of hormone imbalance:

Hormones fall by 50% from the age of 20-50 in the average person. For some, this process is very gradual without any major concern and intervention may not be necessary. For others this leads to a very obvious decreased quality of life. It’s important to note that a hormonal imbalance is an effect of lifestyle circumstances, toxicity exposure, stress, nutritional status, family dynamic, inherited traits etc. Therefore when addressing the effect of hormonal decline it’s important to take these other things into consideration. What works for one person may not for another,which is why it’s necessary to take an individualized approach.

10 facts you may not know about your hormones based on scientific literature:

Hormone therapy reduces all cause mortatlity by 23%
Progesterone and Testosterone production drops by 50% between age 20-50 setting up imbalance with estrogen
Falling sex hormones cause loss of muscle mass and slow metabolism
BHRT reduces inflammation and development of chronic disease
50% of women over 40 have Estrogen dominanace leading to prescription of anti-anxiety and sleeping medications
Low testosterone in women leads to symptoms of depression and subsequent anti-depressant prescriptions
Estriol as used in BHRT decreases risk of breast cancer by 58%
Low testosterone in men increases risk of prostate cancer
BHRT restores and preserves memory and mental function
Testosterone protects the cardiovascular system by reducing cholesterol. It helps protect the body from diabetes by maintaining insulin sensitivity

FAQs
Are these hormones safe?

When used at physiological doses (not supra-physiological doses) and under the guidance of a qualified and licensed practitioner using objective laboratory testing and monitoring the patients subjective response yes they are a safe therapy. Given that these hormones are powerful and do require a prescription it is important that caution be used and that patients are well informed before beginning therapy.

Does this mean I have to be on them for the rest of my life?

The length of time someone chooses to be on these prescriptions is completely dependent on the goals of the individual. Once balance has been achieved, it’s up to you how long you would like to experience that level of health. There are no concerns when discontinuing the program other than the symptoms that were previously there before the hormones are likely to return. It is always recommended that if you are to discontinue that you inform the practitioner you are working with.

Why is this therapy not covered and can’t I get prescriptions from my Medical doctor?

The program would be covered under extended medical plans as long as you have Naturopathic Medical coverage. Because most people have drug plans this therapy actually works out to be quite affordable for most as they would have a portion or all of their prescriptions covered depending on what is prescribed. Your Medical doctor may or may not have experience with Bio-identical Hormones. This is a specialized area of medicine requiring extensive continuing education and unless they are either interested in this area or are able to actually take the proper time to go through a program it will not be a suitable course of action. Because of the time and attention required to run these programs, medical doctors would have to operate this system outside of a general practice and would have to charge accordingly.

Am I too young to receive treatment?

Hormone imbalance doesn’t just happen when we’re older. Many young men and women experience hormonal imbalance in the form of

Heavy/irregular periods
Problematic PMS
Frequent miscarriage
Infertility
Thyroid problems
Adrenal fatigue
Endometriosis
Fibroids
Ovarian cysts
Depression and anxiety
… and more

that can all be helped through a well-constructed hormone plan. Because Estrogen dominance and or progesterone deficiency is so prevalent in women at any age group it is advised to discuss your options with our experienced doctors before committing to the program.