Hormone Replacement Therapy

Why Consider Bio-identical Hormone Replacement Therapy?

Hormone replacement therapy (HRT) is the most effective treatment for hot flashes and night sweats, by a wide margin. It can also provide the following benefits:

• Better sleep if you have night sweats
• Relief from vaginal dryness
• Improved mood and decreased irritability
• Decreased risk of developing osteoporosis
• Improved cognitive function
• Increased libido and sexual function
• Fewer aches and pains

What is Hormone Replacement Therapy?

HRT is a treatment that aims to relieve symptoms caused by the hormone changes that take place during perimenopause and menopause. During perimenopause and menopause, levels of estradiol and progesterone naturally decline. HRT provides estradiol and progesterone as prescriptions, to increase levels of these hormones in the blood. This therapy is commonly used for women who are experiencing symptoms such as hot flashes, night sweats, vaginal dryness, and mood swings. It can also have some positive preventative benefits, such as reducing the risk of colon cancer and type 2 diabetes.

Types of Hormone Replacement Therapy

There are different types of hormone replacement therapy on the market, providing different hormonally-active medications. What is prescribed at our clinic is sometimes called bio-identical hormone replacement therapy, which refers to prescribing estradiol and progesterone, the same hormones as the body produces. This type of HRT has the best profile of risks and benefits.

Risks of Hormone Replacement Therapy

While HRT can provide many benefits, there are also some risks to consider. However, these risks might be lower than you think, particularly if you have not gone through menopause yet, or you are less than ten years since menopause. If you are considering HRT, you deserve to have a detailed discussion of the risks and benefits in your particular case, so that you can decide if it is right for you or not.