Restoring Hormonal Balance
Customized doses of hormones have improved the quality of life for millions of women who suffer from hormonal imbalance. The ideal process for achieving hormonal balance includes an assessment of hormone levels and complete evaluation of signs and symptoms, followed by replacement of the deficient hormones in the most appropriate dose via the most effective route for each person, and monitoring to fine tune the therapy.

When using customized hormones for replacement therapy, the discussion should be based on physiology (i.e., how the body responds to hormonal stimuli, or too much or too little of a given hormone) versus pharmacology (the study of how drugs affect the various body systems, including side effects) – because Hormone Replacement Therapy (HRT) is the replacement of deficient hormones with hormones that are chemically identical to those that the body naturally produces, but which have declined due to aging or illness.

What are Natural Hormones?
"Natural" hormones simply means that the hormone has the same chemical structure as the one naturally produced in the human body. An example of "Natural" hormones would be Estrone, Estradiol, Testosterone, Progesterone and DHEA. Conversely, "synthetic" hormones refers to the hormones that are chemically altered in structure from the hormones our body naturally makes. An example of "synthetic" hormones would be Premarin, Prempro, Estratest, Provera, Activella, Ogen and all birth control pills.

As many women approach menopause (peri-menopause) the ovaries produce less estrogen. During this time women may experience hot flashes, night sweats, vaginal dryness, urinary tract infections and emotional changes such as depression and irritability. Estrogen replacement helps relieve these symptoms and lower the risk of osteoporosis.

Progesterone is another important hormone in the balance of women's health. Many women will experience PMS symptoms, such as cramping, bloating, headaches, mood swings and lack of sleep. The two weeks before menstration begins, a woman should produce a surge of progesterone. When there is an imbalance between the estrogen and progesterone levels, then PMS symptoms occur. Hysterectomized women also suffer from the imbalance between the estrogen and progesterone levels. Complaints of depression, insomnia, decreased sex drive, breast tenderness and fatigue often present themselves. Simply adding progesterone to the patient's therapy can aid in the relief of symptoms.

In women, testosterone is a vital hormone not only for the libido response, but also for muscle mass production, energy, body fat metabolism and an overall sense of well being. Women produce this hormone just like men, but in a much lower concentration.

Women Prefer Natural Hormones
Mayo Clinic researchers surveyed 176 women taking natural micronized progesterone who had previously taken synthetic progestin (MPA) to see if progesterone, when compared to synthetics, improved the women’s overall quality of life, menopausal symptoms, and satisfaction with HRT. After one to six months, the women reported an overall 34% increase in satisfaction on micronized progesterone compared to their previous HRT, reporting these improvements: 50% in hot flashes, 42% in depression, and 47% in anxiety. Micronized progesterone was also more effective in controlling breakthrough bleeding. In other studies, women using micronized progesterone had specific improvements in the areas of cognition, sleep, and menstrual problems whereas the patients using MPA did not.