Bio Identical Hormones are hormones that are molecularly the same chemical shape as the hormones the body produces. When hormone levels are low, many people do not feel optimal. By using small amounts of bio identical hormones to replace what is deficient, people often feel better. Often they will comment “ I feel like myself again”.
Bio-identical hormones are manufactured in a lab. The lab will take wild yam (dioscorea) or soy and chemically convert them into the chemical shape that mimics the body’s hormone shape. Local compounding pharmacies then use these hormones to create a base for administration. Compounding pharmacies will then make what we ask them to make. As a result there are endless combinations and ways of administering hormones to fit a person’s need. Hormones can come in pill form, cream, under the tongue (sublingual) oil, vaginal suppositories, gel, triturates, etc. All doses are individualized to meet a patient’s specific need.
Bio-identical hormones most commonly prescribed include estrogen, progesterone, testosterone, DHEA and pregnenalone.