First of all, the strength of the bioidentical hormones purchased over the counter or over the Internet are not nearly at the same strength as ones prescribed by a doctor and purchased at a pharmacy/compounding pharmacy. They are in large part a waste of money, and of course, they are not covered under insurance. Let me put a myth to rest, *it is absolutely NOT TRUE that health insurance will never cover bioidentical hormones. *Most physicians who truly are experts in BHRT do not accept insurances in their practices, because the insurance companies flatly refuse to pay for hormone balancing (which is very short sighted, since a hormonally balanced patient is a healthier, thus less expensive patient), or the reiumbursement rates are so low that a physician would be forced to see multiple patients in an hour. One of the important components of true bioidentical hormone replacement therapy balance is the doctor doing more than just looking at a set of lab values----it takes time to take a complete history of a patient, an exam, and a frank discussion about the patient's symptoms, amount of time experiencing discomfort, family medical history, etc. Most of the doctors who are proficient in BHRT spend about an hour with a patient at the first visit---the insurance companies pay for about 10 minutes worth of time. My health insurance does pay for more than half the cost of my hormones (progesterone, testosterone, estriol cream for vaginal dryness, and my thyroid hormones) so my out of pocket expense for a month is about $40-45. That's way less than the $750 my insurance company and I were paying for the 7 medications I no longer take. Bioidentical hormones are safe, far safer than the synthetic Premarin/Prempro hormones still (despite all the evidence of increased cancer risk) being prescribed by too many doctors-----but hormones are powerful substances, and absolutely without a doubt should only be taken when needed, in appropriate, physiological doses, and under a doctor's supervision. Some of these websites promote no prescription and no testing needed------that's absolutely nuts and it's taking a great risk with your health. Many women in menopause (me included) are what is known as estrogen dominant----and you have no way of knowing for sure unless you get a hormone panel. You could significantly raise your cancer risk by adding additional estrogen to the already too much estrogen in your body (without proper balancing of progesterone)-----this is important, this is your health you are talking about
please take hormone balance for the serious health issue it is! You also need the expertise of a knowledgeable physician who can help you develop a comprehensive plan including the right supplements----I'm constantly amazed at the number of people who still are not taking Vitamin D3, have never had their levels tested, and their doctors have never talked to them about it. Supplements, too, have the power to help, but also the power to harm in the wrong doses (or interactions with medications).
Many women who are dealing with hormonal imbalances are not only dealing with the sex hormones (estrogens, progesterone and testosterone) but they are also dealing with thyroid hormone imbalances----another serious health concern and one not addressed on these websites. You need to have a doctor who is proficient in thyroid issues and will test both your T4 and T3 thyroid levels. I highly recommend Mary Shomon's books to learn more about the subject. I'm blessed to finally have a doctor who is passionate about thyroid imbalance issues (he is hypothyroid himself, so he knows how lousy it makes a patient feel when they are out of balance) ----this is the first time in my life my thyroid is balanced and I feel so much better it's amazing.
If anyone would like assistance in finding a doctor and/or compounding pharmacy in their area who can help them with bioidentical hormone balance, or anyone who would like a list of books to read to learn more about BHRT (I prefer to recommend books written by doctors and health care professionals rather than celebrities) please drop me an email at
holyhormones@gmail.com and I will send the list to you via email. If you are looking for a doctor in the Southern CA area (no, not the Hall Center, my doctor is BOARD CERTIFIED in Internal Medicine, specializes in bioidentical hormones and thyroid imbalances and his practice fees are far more reasonable than most because he truly beleives that women of modest means should have access to bioidentical hormones---he's terrific and I travel cross country to be his patient) or in the Charlotte, NC area (this doctor wrote a BHRT book that I recommend highly) please also drop me an email and I will get t he information out to you as soon as possible. Best wishes to all for hormonal health!
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