Aging Fabulous - This is when the fun starts!

Hormone Replacement Therapy - HRT.

by Teri on May 15th, 2007

Oy - such controversy in Hormone Replacement Therapy.

I am not ready for this - yet. But I will be soon. My cycles are not what they used to be, and I have an occasional hot flash, and night sweats. But I suppose I will need to make a decision with my doctor was to when and if HRT is right for me.

So, which are better? Bioidentical Hormones or Synthetic Hormones? And what the heck is the difference in the first place?

This is an important decision, and like I said, one that only you and your doctor can make. I think that it is wise to know the differences. And that as women, we should have a choice in selecting which are more appropriate for ourselves. If we even choose to use HRT at all.

Put in simple terms, Bioidentical hormones are a form of manufactured estrogen and progesterone that are identical to what is produced naturally by the ovaries. These are often derived from natural sources, such as plants.

Synthetic hormones are often sourced from natural plants as well, but they are usually slightly different from the kind made by the body. They are supposed to work better than what our body naturally produces.

Doctors have been prescribing both of these forms for years, but the main difference is in how these therapies make us feel. Synthetic hormones are created with a different molecular structure, and sometimes create side effects because our bodies don’t know what to do with them. So the Bioidentical ones should not have the side effects.

My mother had to have a hysterectomy in her thirties and went on hormones shortly thereafter. I sometimes wonder if that is why she had so many heart problems in her early fifties. A few years ago her doctor put her on a patch, and within days she felt better, but soon began having heart palpitations, something she (thankfully) didn’t take too lightly. So, the doctor reduced her dose, but she still had these intermittent palpitations, so they took her off of it. Guess what? The heart palpitations stopped.

So not matter which you choose, make sure you are aware of what is happening to your body and keep track of the changes.

I am wondering, if either are better for you? And do you have a preference? Some even say that HRT should not even be used, as menopause is just your bodies natural way of aging, and that we can very easily deal with the side effects without any therapies whatsoever.

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POSTED IN: 40's Plus, 50 Plus, Aging for Women, Anti Aging, Health, Menopause