Countless women suffer from hormone imbalances at various stages of their life, particularly during the menopause. In the conventional medical world, the most common treatment option offered to women is a standardized hormone replacement therapy. Fortunately, not every woman is the same. Women cannot be standardized, so why should your hormonal treatment be?
Our naturopathic doctors suggest and promote individualized hormone replacement therapy options and utilize various delivery methods (oral, transdermal, and suppository) to meet every woman’s personal needs and preferences . A personalized method of hormone replacement means selecting the correct hormone at the accurate dose and the exact route of delivery for every female patient.
Optimal Collective is Based in Burnaby, we proudly serve women from the surrounding areas as well, including New Westminster, Coquitlam, Port Moody, and Vancouver, helping them find the best personalized hormone therapy solutions.
Who can benefit from hormone therapy?
The benefits of hormone therapy may be more important than the risks. With bioidentical hormone replacement therapy (i.e. correct, conservative dosing of specific forms of hormones) carries low risk (compared to traditional hormone replacement therapy (i.e birth control).
Did you know: both estrogen and progesterone do not have to be taken to treat hormone imbalances. Some women only require progesterone to treat their symptoms. If estrogen therapy is initiated, progesterone is always given to protect from the side effects of estrogen.
If you’re healthy and you:
1. Have hot flashes – Progesterone therapy remains the most common treatment for the hot flashes and night sweats
2. Have other symptoms of menopause – Estrogen can alleviate vaginal symptoms of menopause, for example, dryness, itching, burning, and discomfort with intercourse.
3. Need to avoid bone loss or fracture – Estrogen helps prevent bone loss and osteoporosis, especially if other osteoporosis treatments cannot be handled.
Early menopause or have estrogen insufficiency – Let’s say you had your ovaries surgically removed before 45, stopped having menses before age 45, or had premature ovarian failure before turning 40. Your body has been exposed to a smaller amount of estrogen than the bodies of women who encounter normal menopause. Estrogen therapy can help reduce your risk of particular health conditions, including osteoporosis, cardiac disease, stroke, dementia, and mood swings.
Hormone replacement is an important treatment for:
- Menopausal symptoms, for example, night sweats, hot flashes, depression or anxiety
- Heavy or irregular periods
- Premenstrual syndrome (PMS)
- Premenstrual dysphoric disorder (PMDD)
- Vaginal dryness
- Vaginal discomfort
- Pain with sex
- Postpartum vaginal changes
- Infertility
- Insomnia
- Acne
- Migraines and Headaches
Stopping BHRT
There’s no restriction on how long you can take HRT, but you can talk to our experts about how long they recommend taking the treatment. Most women stop taking it as soon as their menopausal symptoms go away, typically after a couple of years.
When you choose to stop, you can choose to do so abruptly or progressively. Gradually lessening your HRT dose is usually suggested because it’s less probable to cause your symptoms to return in the short term.
Talk to our experts if you have symptoms that continue for numerous months after you stop BHRT or have predominantly severe symptoms. You might need to start BHRT once more.
In a nutshell
Our perception and use of hormones aren’t outdated. Our naturopathic doctors are highly trained in helping you navigate this multifaceted world of hormones with ease.
We can walk you through the common myths and misconceptions of BHRT so that you are entirely informed about the actual benefits and risks. It is important for women to know that they have real options to help them through hormonal changes.