A few years ago I got fed up with being tired all the time, depressed, stressed out, and overweight. I read about bioidentical hormone replacement therapy, but was skeptical. I decided to talk to some of my friends who had mentioned that it helped them. Then I researched it myself and by so doing, began a life-changing journey.
If you are interested in the natural way to balance your hormones or are starting bioidentical hormone replacement therapy, below is a list of hormones you will want to know about.
Hormones Replaced in BHRT and What They Do in the Body
All the hormones listed below are naturally made by both males and females, just in differing amounts. They all decline with age, but to a different degree depending on the individual.
Pregnenolone
Pregnenolone is the grandfather hormone because it is the precursor from which DHEA, progesterone, testosterone, and the estrogens are all made. Most people produce 60% less pregnenolone when in their 70s than they did when they were in their 30s. Pregnenolone is an over-the-counter product. Some of the biggest benefits of taking pregnenolone are that it helps you remember, gives mental clarity, and counteracts the stress hormone cortisol. The most common dose for men and women is 100 mg a day taken orally.
DHEA
DHEA, or dehydroepiandrosterone, along with testosterone, progesterone, and the estrogens, can be manufactured by starting with wild yams or soy. One who has soy allergies can usually take the end product without a reaction. However, your body cannot convert yams or soy into DHEA, so avoid yam and soy products that claim to be natural sources of DHEA. DHEA levels tend to be lower in people who suffer from depression and osteoporosis. It is also taken to bolster the immune system, increase energy and to prevent Alzheimers.
DHEA can also be purchased without a prescription. Like Pregnenolone, DHEA is a precursor to the sex hormones. However, 7-Keto DHEA is a metabolite that will not convert into testosterone and estrogen. For women who have stabilized their estrogen and testosterone levels, 7-Keto is a better choice. The most common dose for women is 25mg taken orally once a day. Men typically take 100mg orally each day.
Testosterone
Testosterone helps build muscle, burn fat, and strengthen bones. If you have no energy or sex drive, your testosterone level could be low. When it gets really low, people’s skin becomes tissue paper-thin and they walk really slow. Testosterone cannot be taken orally because the liver will immediately metabolize it. So it should be taken topically in a cream or injected into the muscle. Men usually inject 200mg a week or apply between 50 and 100 mg a day. Women commonly apply between 2 and 8mg a day.
Estrogen
There are 3 estrogens used in BHRT: estrone (E1), estradiol (E2), and estriol (E3). They are all interrelated because your body will convert one estrogen into the other based on its needs. Estradiol is the estrogen that is mostly used for menopausal symptoms: hot flashes, night sweats, and mood swings. Estriol is one of only two substances (the other is tretinoin) that has been shown in clinical trials to decrease wrinkles.
Progesterone
Progesterone gets its name from Latin: “pro” meaning for and “gest” meaning to bear or carry. It is for gestation, but does a whole lot more. If a woman does not have enough progesterone and has more estrogen than needed, she suffers from estrogen dominance. Some of the symptoms include anxiety, irritability, breast tenderness, water retention, food cravings, and acne. Progesterone is taken orally, usually between 100 and 200mg an hour before bedtime for those who have difficulty sleeping. On the other hand, a sublingual dosage form or a topical cream is used for those who are low in progesterone but don’t want to be drowsy.
Thyroid Hormone
Thyroid is the name of the gland that produces the thyroid hormone. Thyroid hormones contain both T3 (liothyronine) and T4 (levothyroxine). If a blood test reveals thyroid test levels that are low, high levels of thyroid stimulating hormone (TSH), and you feel like your metabolism needs a boost, you might benefit from taking thyroid tablets. Thyroid will increase your energy, decrease your cholesterol, and help you not feel cold all the time. Thyroid tablets come in 15, 30, 60, 120, 180, and 240 mg and should always be taken on an empty stomach. Thyroid capsules can be tailor-made to any dose needed and are usually made to be sustained release so they last longer than the tablets.
T3 (Liothyronine)
If you have taken levothyroxine (T4) in the form of Synthroid or Levoxyl before and it has not helped enough, you may benefit from thyroid (T3 and T4) or just plain T3. Liothyroine tablets come in 5, 25, and 50mg, and like thyroid, need to be taken on an empty stomach. Capsules can be custom made to any strength needed.
Human Growth Hormone
HGH has been used for decades by athletes because it increases muscle mass, strengthens bones, and promotes the break down of fat. It also makes you feel great by giving you energy. It can also decrease wrinkles. The biggest drawback of HGH is the price. There are 4 manufactured brands: Tevtropin, Omnitrope, Genotropin, and Saizen (listed from least to most expensive). Depending on the dose, a month’s supply could run you from $250 to $1,000 a month.
Human Chorionic Gonadotropin
HCG is the hormone that is detectable by pregnancy tests to indicate that a woman is pregnant. However, it has been given in an extremely low dose in weight loss programs. It resets the hypothalamus in the brain and tells it not to store any incoming calories as fat. It is so effective that the majority of people who take it are not hungry while on it and lose a pound a day. HCG is taken daily for at least 23 days and no more than 40 days a time, but multiple courses can be done if spread out by months at a time. This is not to be confused with homeopathic HCG drops that can be obtained without a prescription. No prescription is needed for the drops because there is no HCG in them. To lose weight quickly, a prescription for HCG is needed.
Female Hormones used in BHRT
Every hormone listed above is made by the female body and used in female hormone balance. A woman can benefit from the supplementation of each one when insufficient levels are made. If your testosterone level is low you may have no energy, no sex drive, and may be at risk for osteoporosis.
Male Hormones Used in BHRT
Men also make all of the hormones listed above, but they don’t need supplemental doses of estrogen. In fact, many older men develop breasts because their bodies are converting too much of their testosterone into estrogen. They would benefit from a manufactured product called anastrozole, which prevents the body from converting androgens into estrogens.
Progesterone is considered a female hormone, but it is also made by the male body and will induce much deeper sleep at night and can help prevent problems with the prostate gland.
Other References
This list is just an intro to hormones and their functions. There are many helpful books and numerous clinical studies that show the benefits of supplementing the body with exogenous bioidentical hormones when body levels decline. For more information on BHRT, check out: A Guide to Bioidentical Hormone Replacement Therapy or click here for directions to our pharmacy and talk with the on-call pharmacist.