Download BIOIDENTICAL HORMONE TREATMENTS

Estrogen’s primary message for reproductive tissues, in men and
women, is ‘‘D ivide, divide, divide; don’t bother fully developing,
just keep dividing.’’ An extremely rapidly dividing, poorly
developed cell is a cancer cell.
Uncontrolled and elevated estrogen levels edge us in the direction of
breast, ovarian, uterine, prostate, and/or testicular cancer.
BI O I D E N T I C AL H O R M O N E
T R E AT M E N T S - I N FO R M AT I O N
A decrease in hormones at menopause can create a wide variety
of health problems --- many of which you cannot feel, but are
critical to your well being:
o D epression & irritability, fatigue
o Low sex drive, libido
o C ardiovascular disease
o W eight gain and decreased muscle tone
o M emory loss and foggy thinking
o Insomnia & sleep disturbances
o H air thinning and loss
o Bone loss - O steoporosis
o C ancer
o Acne
W e recommend a full ‘‘intake’’ interview and salivary testing prior to
initiating hormone replacement in order to correlate symptoms and
accurately recommend individualized treatment.
R eproductive H ormones: Both men and women produce estrogen,
progesterone and testosterone. M en produce more testosterone;
women have higher levels of progesterone and estrogen.
Estrogen : E1/E2/E3
E2 or Estradiol, is the strongest of the three estrogens and has the
greatest effect on maintaining bone density.
E1, or Estrone, is the second strongest and the most potentially
carcinogenic form of estrogen. For women, the ratio of estrone
increases after menopause, contributing to increased breast and
uterine cancer rates for post-menopausal women.
E3 or Estriol, is the weakest of the three
estrogens, and potentially the most protective against reproductive
cancers. W omen who give birth before age 30 and breastfeed their
children have a higher ratio of E3/estriol later in life.
Estrogen stimulates cell division in the uterus, vagina, ovary, breast,
and prostate cells. Estrogen blocks the
activity of osteoclasts, cells that break down bone, thereby
maintaining bone mineral density. In addition, estrogen stimulates
nervous system activity and enhances libido.
Estrogen D eficiency and M enopause: Low estrogen levels can
contribute to vaginal dryness, hot flashes, irregular menstrual cycles,
mood changes and decreased libido.
Estrogen D ominance: an increase in estrogen activity
as progesterone precipitously drops during peri-menopause may be
associated with PM S; anxiety; headaches, weight gain; fluid
retention; hypertension benign prostatic hypertrophy (BPH ); and
reproductive cancers.
Progesterone:
‘‘Pro’’ means ‘‘in support of,’’ and ‘‘gesterone’’ refers to gestation;
thus, ‘‘progesterone’’ means ‘‘in support of gestation.’’ It is the
hormone that soars during
pregnancy, helping to maintain the lining of the uterus and
stimulate nerve production and maturation in the fetus.
D uring the monthly menstrual cycle, progesterone slows and
maintains the lining of the uterus; slows and promotes maturation
of breast cells; calms the nervous system; and enhances libido.
Progesterone also helps stabilize blood sugar levels and relaxes blood
vessel walls.
Low progesterone levels contribute to insomnia, anxiety,
panic attacks, dysglycemia, hypertension, PM S, infertility, and
altered thyroid and adrenal function.
Progesterone serves as a building block for stress-related hormones
(cortisol and cortisone) as well as testosterone and small amounts of
the three estrogens.Progesterone also helps the body more
effectively utilize thyroid hormone.
Testosterone
Produced primarily in the male testes and the female ovary,
testosterone is an anabolic (growth-inducing) hormone. For men at
the time of puberty, testosterone increases muscle mass; bone
mineral density and sebum production (contributing to acne)
T estosterone promotes hair facial and body hair growth and red
blood cell production.
In addition, testosterone increases overall metabolism by 5 --- 10
percent. For both men and women, testosterone increases libido.
C hanges in hormones change our lives. Something can
and should be done to restore and rebalance healthy
hormones.
Adrenal Hormones – Cortisol
C ortisol, produced in the adrenal glands, affects the activity of
several other hormones, including insulin, aldosterone, thyroid and
D H EA. C ortisol regulates fat, protein and carbohydrate metabolism,
with the aim of maintaining blood sugar levels within a very narrow
range.
Progesterone: In late perimenopause and menopause, progesterone
levels drop to almost nothing.
T estosterone: U nless a woman has had an oophorectomy (surgical
removal of the ovaries), testosterone levels usually remain the same
or increase after menopause. If the ovaries are removed, testosterone
levels drop by 50%
depending on the amount made by the adrenal glands.
.
C ortisol modulates immune system response, with physiological
levels moderating inflammation and excessive cortisol levels
suppressing immune function.
C ortisol modulates heart contractility and blood pressure. H igh or
low levels of cortisol can affect moods and sleep.
Physical or psychological stress and disease processes may disrupt
normal adrenal function.
In early stages of stress, cortisol levels are elevated; with
prolonged stress, cortisol levels drop. For women, changes in cortisol
production can contribute to PM S, infertility,
menopause or other female disorders.
T oo much or too little cortisol production can lead to a host of
conditions, including dysglycemia, obesity, chronic fatigue,
fibromyalgia, depression, anorexia nervosa, PT SD , panic disorders,
and many chronic illnesses.
526 Bryne Drive
Barrie Ontario
DHEA, DHEA-S (Dehydroepiandrosterone)
705-735-0639
D H EA is a metabolic hormone that serves as a building block for
estrogen and testosterone in the adrenal glands and D H EA has
hormonal characteristics of its own.
T he adrenal glands (just above the kidneys) produce almost
all of the D H EA-S in the body.
W omen experience the greatest decrease in D H EA production
between 50 --- 60 years of age which is a correlated with decreased
immune function and age-related diseases, chronic illnesses, thyroid
disorders, obesity, decreased sex drive, chronic fatigue,
rheumatological disorders, insomnia, and depression.
Because D H EA is a precursor to testosterone, D H EA levels should
be tested if testosterone levels are low. Excessive cortisol production
or corticosteroid
therapy will lower D H EA levels.
HORMONE CHANGES WITH AGE
Estrogen drops 40 --- 60% in menopausal women compared
withtheir reproductive-aged levels.
Hormone replacement best suited for women:
•
•
•
When periods are becoming irregular or
just stopped (age 45-55)
Less than 5 years post menopause
No personal or direct family history of
breast, uterine or ovarian cancer
Why Salivary Hormone Testing?
Salivary hormone testing measures unbound, or free, hormone levels
in the body, unlike serum based hormone testing. Salivary hormone
testing accurately reflects the active and unbound hormones which
are biologically
available to their receptors in target tissues.
T he ease of sample collection allows for accurate timing to obtain
samples at critical intervals throughout the day, yielding more
accurate results than blood testing. Since hormone levels may vary
during the day or during the month, multiple saliva specimens can
be collected,
conveniently offering precise measurement.
If you are currently taking hormone replacement, including birth
control then you are asked to discontinue the medication for 12-24
hours prior to salivary testing.