Once upon a time in the Heart of Centerville was an adorable little cottage where a team of stunning patient counselors lived! They were terribly busy helping women and men navigate the muddy, muddy waters of hormone imbalance by educating them on the strategies for natural hormone balance through customized natural options. Everyone was happy learning new strategies that didn’t involve antidepressants and drugs(!) and women left the cottage feeling validated and respected, AND feeling better than they had in years.
One day it came to the attention of Lyn, the director of the tiny little cottage, that somewhere in the land, 3 myths were being perpetuated. She got fed up and in a fit of energy, burst forth with these 3 “myth busters!”
Myth #1 “Compounded Hormones Are Not FDA Approved”
The FDA’s job is to approve manufactured drugs for the masses. WE customize therapy for one individual. So WE are strictly regulated by the Ohio State Board of Pharmacy.
**HOWEVER, each of the following hormones we use ARE FDA approved: Testosterone, Estradial and Progesterone.
Myth #2 “Insurance Doesn’t Cover Compounded Therapy”
Actually most insurance companies DO cover not only the cost of compounding, but also reimburse for the cost of the saliva testing, as it is considered a billable lab fee.
Myth #3 “Commercially Made BHRT Products Will Produce The Same Results”
Good luck with that! Commercially made BHRT products are “one-size-fits-most”. so the dosage can not be adjusted, we can not customize for the individual, so therefore expectations are not met.
For example, Prometrium®, the commercially-made Progesterone capsule comes in only two doses: 100mg and 200mg. Prometrium® is dissolved in peanut oil and only lasts in the body for 6 hours. On top of that, the dosage can not be adjusted, so when the patient gets unexpected results, adjustments can not be made. The commercially-made Estrogen products on the market (the patches and gels) are developed by drug companies based on blood serum data. When one uses blood serum hormone levels, the levels have been depleted by the heart so they are very low. The result is that the drug companies make their products with WAY TOO MUCH ESTROGEN to compensate for these low levels. IF they would use saliva test results, where the hormones are being measured at the tissue level of cells, maybe their products would be dosed accordingly. Giving too much Estrogen to an already Estrogen dominant woman does not make sense and may actually increase the risk of breast cancer. Also, some of these products were approved by the FDA after only a 12-week study.
Bonus Myth #4 “Compounded Topical Hormone Therapy Increases The Risk Of Blood Clots”
Actually, oral Estrogen has been shown to increase the risk of blood clots. We have several studies that show there is no risk of blood clotting with topical hormone replacement therapy.
Once these myths and untruths were addressed across the land, Lyn, her Happy Hormone Cottage and all who came to get tested, get treated and get better lived happily ever after!
The moral of the story is to always, always think for yourself. Do the research! It’s out there! Become educated and empowered to make the right choice for YOU!
