Hormone Therapy

Hormones regulate numerous bodily processes, including metabolism, sexual desire, and reproduction, with levels often changing as people age, notably in men over 40 and women nearing menopause. Hormone replacement therapy commonly aims to rebalance estrogen and progesterone levels during various stages of a woman's life: puberty, perimenopause, and menopause.

Estrogen, crucial for female development and pregnancy support, fosters an ideal environment for early embryo stages. Estrogen boosts heart health by increasing HDL (good cholesterol), reducing LDL (bad cholesterol), enhancing blood flow, and neutralizing harmful free radicals. Progesterone prepares the uterus for pregnancy and regulates the menstrual cycle.

As women reach menopause, estrogen and progesterone levels drop, ending the menstrual cycle and causing symptoms like hot flashes, vaginal dryness, painful intercourse, mood swings, anxiety, sleep disorders, and decreased sexual desire. This decline also raises the risk of heart disease.

Hormone replacement therapy can ease menopausal symptoms, improve sleep, and relieve vaginal dryness and painful sex.

Bio-Identical Hormones

There are two main types of hormones used in hormone replacement therapy: bioidentical hormones (Natural hormones) and synthetic hormones.

Bioidentical hormones have a chemical structure identical to those naturally produced by the human body. Due to this similarity, bioidentical hormones function like the body's own hormones and typically have minimal side effects, can be effective in much smaller dosing. They are derived from plants such as wild yam and soybean plants. These plants contain special precursor molecules, which scientists can process into identical chemical structures as the body’s original progesterone, estradiol, testosterone, and other hormones.

Scientists create synthetic hormones in laboratories, which lack structural similarity to natural hormones, potentially causing more side effects, and are not able to address the hormone deficiency and imbalance issues completely. These hormones come in standardized dosages, limiting customization for patients. A few examples of synthetic hormones include Provera (medroxyprogesterone), Halotestin (fluoxymesterone), Estinyl (ethinyl estradiol), Prempro, and Estratest.

Men may also benefit from hormone replacement therapy to restore testosterone levels, which can begin to decline after age 40. Reduced hormone levels can impact sexual function, muscle strength, and bone density. Hormone replacement can help men regain sexual function and muscle strength, and slow bone loss.

Since everyone has unique health needs, doctors customize hormone replacement therapy for each patient. A wide variety of HRT types and dosages are available for both men and women.

Prime Pharmaceuticals & Compounding Pharmacy, licensed by state boards, can formulate hormones using FDA-approved chemicals for use in the United States. We can create personalized doses in various forms, such as transdermal creams, sublingual troches, suppositories, delayed-release capsules or tablets, and injectables. Compounded bioidentical hormones enable patients to receive the precise amount of hormones they need.