Many people with numerous health problems are turning to bioidentical hormones as a natural form of symptom management. Thousands of people are taking natural progesterone, testosterone, and DHEA. Although there are times when taking bioidentical hormones is necessary, many people can have their health restored back to normal without taking these hormones.
What’s important to understand is that taking bioidentical hormones doesn’t correct the actual cause of the problem. I’ve spoken about this numerous times in the past, specifically regarding natural progesterone. This is one of the primary bioidentical hormones used, as there have been a number of books written on the benefits of natural progesterone, and more and more medical doctors are recommending natural progesterone to their patients.
And as I’ve mentioned in previous posts and articles, natural progesterone is sometimes necessary to take. For a woman who has had a complete hysterectomy, taking natural progesterone continuously might be necessary. It also might be necessary for someone with a severe progesterone deficiency to take natural progesterone, although for someone who has all of their organs intact, they should only need to take it on a temporary basis.
Part of the problem with bioidentical hormones is that it’s very easy to overdose. It’s not the same thing as taking nutritional supplements. While it can be dangerous at times for someone to take huge quantities of certain nutritional supplements, it’s usually much more difficult to overdose while taking supplements when compared to hormones. Hormones, even in small dosages, are extremely powerful, and while you would think most medical doctors know exactly how much to give their patients, this isn’t always the case. Plus, some patients don’t take the advice of their medical or holistic doctor with regards to how much of the natural hormone to take. And of course some people don’t consult with any doctor at all, as they attempt to self-treat their condition.
Most people don’t understand the physiology of the body, and this is a big reason why there are many problems with bioidentical hormones. For example, most people don’t realize that testosterone taken in large quantities will convert to estradiol, which is one of the three types of estrogens. So when someone has a testosterone deficiency and is given bioidentical testosterone, if they take too much they will feel good at first, but most of the testosterone will be converted to estradiol, which can lead to a condition known as estrogen dominance, which I’ve spoken about in the past.
In this situation, the person taking the bioidentical testosterone will usually begin feeling lousy over time, but won’t attribute this to the testosterone since it made them feel great initially. So what frequently happens is the person will take more natural testosterone, which will continue to convert to estrogen, thus worsening the estrogen dominance condition.
Once again, some people can benefit from natural progesterone, testosterone, and other bioidentical hormones. But if you’re not careful when taking these hormones this can lead to many problems. And even though we’d like to think that most doctors are experts when it comes to recommending bioidentical hormones, the truth is that many doctors don’t have a lot of experience with this.
So while I’m not at all opposed to using bioidentical hormones, if at all possible I will try to restore the health of people naturally first, and without the use of such hormones. Most hormone imbalances can be corrected through a natural treatment protocol. Sometimes giving bioidentical hormones on a temporary basis is necessary. But unless if someone has had an organ removed, there usually is no reason to take bioidentical hormones continuously.
The same concept actually applies with taking synthetic or natural thyroid hormone. Unless if someone has had their entire thyroid gland removed or had it completely obliterated through radioactive iodine, then taking thyroid hormone many times isn’t necessary. Just about all people who are diagnosed with hypothyroidism or Hashimoto’s Thyroiditis are told to take synthetic or natural thyroid hormone on a permanent basis, when many of them can have their health restored naturally.
In summary, while many people can benefit from taking bioidentical hormones, most people don’t need them, and can have their health restored back to normal by following a natural treatment protocol. And most people who really do need to take bioidentical hormones only need to do so on a temporary basis. The same concept applies with hypothyroidism, as people who have their thyroid gland intact usually can have their health restored naturally, instead of taking synthethic or natural thyroid hormone for the rest of their life. So while bioidentical hormones can be helpful, in many cases they should be avoided.