Hormone Therapy

The definition of a bioidentical hormone is simply a hormone that is atom for atom the same hormone that is endogenously produced in the human body. It is produced in a lab from the active ingredients of the wild yam and it looks and acts just like our natural hormone

• Fewer side effects than synthetic hormones
• Protection against heart disease
• Improved cholesterol, lipid and CRP(C Reactive Protein)levels     
• Improved cognitive function
• Maintain healthy bones, muscles and stamina
• Slower appearance of aging
• Better maintained libido
• Feel and look younger

• Aging and genetics
• Poor diets – excess sugar & carbohydrates, lack of healthy fats & oils, low fiber & water intake, insufficient vitamins, minerals & nutrients, processed & fast foods
• Exposure to toxins – pesticides, preservatives, second-hand smoke, etc.
• Stress depletes the adrenal glands and can create an imbalance among all hormones
• Lifestyle – lack of daily exercise, poor or insufficient sleep, alcohol, smoking, etc.
• Poor general health

• Alleviate the symptoms of hormone depletion caused by aging, stress and/or environmental factors
  Give protective benefits that were originally provided with balanced hormone levels in your 20s and 30s.
• re-establish hormone balance.
• Allow for rectangularizing of our life span so that quality of life can be maintained, not just quantity.

Listed in alphabetical order.  Not every patient will need all of these balanced. 
Replacement is based on clinical symptoms, physical examination and diagnostic testing

• Cortisol is produced by the adrenal glands.  It is released in response to stress and controlled by the hypothalamus.  Most of us have high levels of cortisol due to our high stress lifestyles.  Sustained cortisol release can raise your blood pressure and sap your energy.  In the short-term, high levels of cortisol can create insulin resistance, weight gain and decrease your immunity to illness and disease.  Long term, it can lead to stroke, heart attack or diabetes.

Signs of imbalanced cortisol

• Fatigue
• High blood sugar
• Insomnia
• Inability to fight infection
• Decreased memory, reaction time, problem-solving & learning
• Feeling burned out
• Can’t lose fat with exercise

Balanced Cortisol

• Increased alertness
• Increased energy
• Improved mood & ability to handle stress
• Improved digestion
• Eases inflammation & pain
• Improved immune response
• Better body composition

• DHEA is produced by the adrenal glands. It begins to drop when we are thirty years old and declines linearly until we die. In fact, death ensues as soon as the DHEA levels hit zero. Some people, therefore, use DHEA levels as a biomarker for aging. DHEA plays a critical role in lowering our cholesterol, keeping our hearts healthy, minimizing fat deposition, preventing the development of diabetes, arthritis, and senility. CHI uses DHEA as an essential part of our treatment program and monitors DHEA sulfate levels to assure optimal blood DHEA levels.

Signs of Imbalanced DHEA

• Loss of stamina
• Fatigue
• Apathy, mental fog or memory loss
• Loss of lean muscles around the middle
• High blood pressure, blood sugar, or cholesterol

DHEA Replacement

• Improves Heart Health
• Slows onset or progression of diabetes
• Favorably impacts arthritis
• Reverses declining mental acuity

Estrogen is an essential sex hormone that declines abruptly in women during their menopause. When women do not initiate a prompt estrogen replacement program at the time of menopause, they undergo accelerated aging manifested by: osteoporosis, senility, heart disease, loss of muscle mass, loss of skin elasticity and thickness, atrophy of the female genitalia, and depression.

Estrogen replacement therapy significantly delays or prevents this accelerated aging process seen in women following menopause. In fact, women who take estrogen replacement have half the degenerative diseases of women who do not take estrogen replacement and live an average of 3.5 years longer. CHI uses natural estrogen replacement.  We measure estradiol levels and adjust dosages to pre-menopausal levels.

The confusion about estrogen comes from the Women’s Health Initiative Study which evaluated horse derived estrogen (Premarin) and a synthetic progestin (Medroxyacetate Progesterone or Provera). These results do not apply to Bioidentical Hormone Replacement Therapy which has been proven to be safe.

Signs of Imbalanced Estrogen

• Fatigue​
• ​Hot flashes and/or night sweats
• Vaginal dryness
• ​Joint aches
• Low libido
• Stress incontinence or recurrent UTIs (urinary tract infection)

Estrogen Replacement

• Relieves menopausal symptoms
• Hot flashes
• Night Sweats
• Vaginal Dryness 
• Increases female life expectancancy
• Protects against coronary artery disease
• Boosts brain function
• Helps prevent osteoporosis
• ​​Protects against Alzheimer’s disease
• Improves skin and muscle quality

Melatonin is produced by the pineal gland and is stimulated by darkness. This is why we have a pulse of melatonin release several hours after sundown. Melatonin plays a crucial role in restful, restorative sleep, regulating our 24 hour sleep-awake cycle, and in facilitating our immune system. Studies have shown that Melatonin increased the lifespan of mice by 25%. Similar studies have shown Melatonin to reduce the risk of breast cancer in mice. Melatonin may also decrease the chance of other cancers such as prostate cancer in males. Melatonin is an extremely powerful antioxidant that is able to enter the mitochondria of cells and neutralize free radicals.

Signs of Imbalanced Melotonin

• Poor, short or restless sleep
• Hard time getting sleep, staying asleep or waking up
• Feeling tense, irritable, anxious or aggressive
• ​Looking older due to prematurely gray hair and dark circles under your eyes

Melatonin Replacement

• is completely safe​
• Restores youthful sleep patterns
• Effectively treats jet lag
• Boosts immune system
• Has anti-cancer effects
• Decreased risk of breast cancer

Pregnenolone is produced from cholesterol and is the “grandmother hormone” of all steroid hormones in the body. Pregnenolone acts as a precursor to our essential steroid hormones such as DHEA, Testosterone, Estrogen, Glucocorticoids, Mineralocorticoids and therefore an ample supply is critical

Pregnenolone also has significant direct effects. It is extremely important for optimal mental performance and is synthesized by the supporting neuronal cells in the brain. Studies have shown that when Pregnenolone is administered, memory is enhanced and mood is improved. Pregnenolone has nerve growth factor ability and has been used in spinal cord injury patients and stroke patients.

Signs of Imbalanced Pregnenolone

• Decreased memory or concentration
• Fatigue
• Prone to illness or aches & pains
• ​Poor mood or brain fog
• 
  

Pregnenolone Replacement

• Supports other hormones
• Fights the effects of fatigue and stress
• May relieve arthritis pain
• Improves heart health
• Boosts the immune system
• Protects against coronary artery disease
• Improves mood and memory
• Essential to full brain function
• May protect against Alzheimer’s disease
  

Progesterone is also a sex hormone that keeps estrogen in balance and necessary in the female hormone replacement program, even for women who have had a hysterectomy.  Some men require progesterone to balance their hormones.  Progesterone increases bone mass, reverses osteoporosis, and burns fat. CHI uses natural Progesterone replacement in our female Bioidentical HRT program as indicated by the individual’s blood levels.

Signs of Imbalanced Progesterone 

• Insomnia or poor sleep
• Itchy or restless legs, esp. at night
• Anxiety, nervousness, irritability, depression
• Heavy periods for women
• Bloating esp. in the belly and ankle
  Fatigue

Progesterone Replacement

• Natural antidepressant and tranquilizer
• Improves female libido
• Protects against cancer
• Boosts thyroid action
• Helps the body use fat rather than store it
• Helps prevent osteoporosis
  

Both men and women need testosterone for optimal health. Testosterone is needed for libido, muscle strength, leanness, and sense of well-being.

Menopausal women have low to non-detectable testosterone levels with resultant loss of libido and increase in body fat. Return of libido and improved mood return within days of testosterone replacement by transdermal cream. Regrowth of muscle and bone occurs within months and is facilitated by a weight resistance training program.

The testosterone level in males peaks at age 17 and declines 1% per year thereafter. A middle-aged male can therefore have a testosterone level 40% below his peak in young adulthood. This problem can be compounded by the increased production of sex binding globulins, which make the lowered testosterone that is present even less effective. Loss of testosterone in males leads to atherosclerosis and heart attacks, obesity, fatigue, depression, and anxiety. These symptoms come on long before the male loses his sex drive or becomes impotent. There is no evidence that testosterone replacement therapy in males causes prostate cancer or prostate enlargement. In fact, some Urologist-Oncologists say that testosterone may decrease the incidence of prostatic hypertrophy and prostate cancer. CHI uses testosterone replacement as an essential part of Hormone Replacement Theory (HRT) program for both men and women based on the patient’s total and free testosterone levels and their levels of sex binding globulins.

Signs of Imbalanced Testosterone

• Erectile Dysfunction
• Decreased Libido
• Fatigue
• Loss of muscle definition, mass & strength
• Increased need for sleep
• Irritability
• Memory loss
• Weight gain & increased abdominal fat

Progesterone Replacement

• Increases longevity
• Boosts male and female libido
• Facilitates a healthy heart
• Helps prevent osteoporosis
• Increases muscle strength and improves appearance
• Improves bone density
• Protects against obesity & diabetes
• Improved mood, memory & reduces anxiety
  

Thyroid hormone is essential for life. Proper thyroid levels are needed for optimal functioning. Conventional medicine replaces thyroid only when indirect laboratory measurements indicate that it is low. At CHI, we perform more in-depth thyroid testing including measuring the free thyroid hormone and thyroid antibodies.

Signs of Imbalanced Thyroid

• Weight gain & slow metabolism
• Fatigue
• Cold hands & feet
• Chronic constipation
• Muscle weakness
• Depression
• Elevated cholesterol & risk of heart disease

Thyroid Replacement

• Controls metabolic rate
• Helps with weight maintenance
• Improves heart and vascular health
• Renews energy
• Improves concentration
• Regulates body temperature

All cells are receptors for Vitamin D3 (cholecalciferol).  It controls phosphorus, calcium, bone metabolism and neuromuscular function. Vitamin D3 is the only vitamin the body can manufacture from sunlight (UVB). Yet, with today’s indoor living and the extensive use of sunscreens due to concern about skin cancer, we are deficient in life-sustaining, bone building and immune modulating Vitamin D3.

Signs of low Vit D3

• No real obvious symptoms. That is why serum testing is essential
• Prone to colds and flu
• Psoriasis
• Osteopenia & osteoporosis

Vitamin D3 Optimized

• Improves mood
• Decrease back pain
• Improved bone density
• Decreased inflammation
• Improved immune response
• Decreases cancer risks
• Decreases autoimmune response
• Decreases falls
• Decreases heart disease risk