Bioidential hormone replacement therapy or BHRT products are not approved by the FDA. Menopausal hormone therapy or MHT drugs are FDA approved, so women need to keep this in mind when making decisions about which therapy or product to use. Both types of drugs are used to relieve the symptoms brought on by menopause and both have levels of effectiveness. It’s important to consider the risks involved what using bioidenticals and know the facts when it comes to the results you can expect to experience.
According to this consumer update by the FDA, MHT drugs are sold only with a prescription and contain estrogen or both estrogen and progestin. Furthermore, the FDA recommends that women use MHTs at the lowest does that produces results and only for a minimal time.
With many BHRT drugs, pharmacies compound or mix them according to a doctor’s prescription. Because of this, the strength of the drugs varies greatly even within a single prescription. Pharmacies also have to use inactive ingredients to bind the ingredients together and those aren’t FDA approved either. So those binding ingredients could have an effect on how the BHRT drug is absorbed by the body.
Also, the FDA warns consumers that some pharmacies have made false claims that BHRTs are safer than MHT drugs because they are made from natural ingredients and that isn’t always the case. The article states that all FDA approved MHT drugs have been evaluated for side effects, had clinical trials and thoroughly tested before they are approved while there has never been a pharmacy-compounded BHRT drug that has successfully met all of the FDA testing standards.
Another claim some pharmacies make is that BHRT drugs can help prevent breast disease, heart disease or Alzheimer’s. That has never been proven and in fact, BHRT drugs can actually increase the risk of developing these conditions.
It’s difficult to actually track any side effects or health problems that have developed in women who use pharmacy-compounded BHRT drugs because by law, pharmacies aren’t required to report any problems with compounded drugs to the FDA.
Also, never believe a pharmacy ad that claims they can specifically tailor and compound a BHRT drug for use with just a saliva test. You can tell if you are in menopause with a single saliva or blood test, but you can’t base a prescription on a woman’s hormone level with just one saliva or blood test.
Another important thing to consider, as mentioned in this article about hormone replacement therapy, is that BHRT drugs can be as high as ten times the dosage as other similar FDA approved drugs. BHRT drugs that are compounded in pharmacies aren’t required to include a sheet about drug safety information or potential side effects either. So warnings about BHRTs possibly increasing the risk of developing heart disease, heart attack, stroke, breast cancer or endometrial cancer are not usually included with the drugs.
No matter whether you and your doctor decide to use MHT or BHRT drugs for your menopausal symptoms, educate yourself as much as possible about the potential benefits and side effects of each one. Take the lowest dose that produces results for you and only for as long as you really need it. And as with any drug, report any adverse effects to your doctor as soon as possible.
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