Many women are confused about the treatments available for menopause. While they may be experiencing severe symptoms, the news about Hormone Replacement Therapy (HRT) use is not encouraging. HRT may increase the risk of heart attack, stroke, breast cancer, and blood clots in the lungs and legs. On the other hand, there is lesser known treatment-Bioidentical Hormone Replacement Therapy (BHRT)-that can help effectively diminish menopausal symptoms without the dangers of synthetic drugs. In her new book, Dr. Amy Lee Hawkins provides women with a complete guide to understanding and using BHRT to diminish or eliminate the symptoms of menopause.

What You Must Know About Bioidentical Hormone Replacement Therapy is written in easy-to-understand language. It covers the basics of hormones, discusses the controversy surrounding hormone replacement, details hormone treatment principles, and provides a guide to maintaining a healthy weight and metabolism. Each discussion is supported by up-to-date scientific articles published in respected research journals and medical texts. In addition, the book's appendix includes numerous questionnaires that can help you understand your personal situation.

If you are struggling with the symptoms of menopause, you want to choose the safest and most effective route to feeling better. What You Must Know About Bioidentical Hormone Replacement Therapy provides the information you need to make the best possible decisions about your health.

Dr. Amy Lee Hawkins, Pharm.D., received her degree from the top-ranking pharmacy school at The University of California, San Francisco. She has completed extensive training and continuing education in compounding pharmaceuticals and specializes in bioidentical hormone replacement therapy, pain management, dermatology, and nutrition consultations. Dr. Hawkins is founder of Hormones in Harmony, is a board-certified pharmacist in California and Nevada, and is a member of the American Academy of Anti-Aging Medicine. As a bioidentical hormone therapy specialist, she provides consultations and seminars aimed at promoting longevity for both women and men.

Acknowledgments,

Preface,

Introduction,

1. Introducing Your Hormones

CORTISOL,

DEHYDROEPIANDROSTERONE (DHEA),

ESTROGEN,

HUMAN GROWTH HORMONE (hGH),

INSULIN,

MELATONIN,

PREGNENOLONE,

PROGESTERONE,

TESTOSTERONE,

THYROID HORMONES,

VITAMIN D,

HOW HORMONES AFFECT EACH OTHER,

2. Hormone Replacement Therapy

THE REPRODUCTIVE STAGES OF A WOMAN’S LIFE,

THE HORMONE REPLACEMENT CONTROVERSY,

THE BIOIDENTICAL DIFFERENCE,

3. Bioidentical Hormone Replacement Therapy Guidelines

USING CAUTION,

GETTING DOSAGES RIGHT,

PREPARING FOR TREATMENT,

SEX HORMONE REPLACEMENT,

METABOLIC HORMONE REPLACEMENT,

HORMONE REPLACEMENTS FOR STRESS AND BURNOUT,

BHRT SUCCESS STORIES,

4. Alternatives to Hormone Replacement Therapy

NON-HORMONAL TREATMENTS FOR SYMPTOMS OF MENOPAUSE,

NON-HORMONAL TREATMENTS FOR INSULIN RESISTANCE,

NON-HORMONAL WAYS TO BOOST YOUR METABOLISM,

NON-HORMONAL TREATMENTS FOR STRESS,

Conclusion,

About the Author,

Index,

For many years, people have been seeking solutions to the various and complex symptoms that accompany the process of aging. Conflicting medical literature (influenced by the money and muscle behind the pharmaceutical industry) has thus far left health care professionals—as well as the people who rely on their advice—baffled, wondering which therapies are sound and which should be avoided. More often than not, physicians prescribe a cocktail of potentially harmful medications that only conceal the symptoms: Prozac for depression, Xanax for anxiety, Ambien for insomnia, Fosamax for osteoporosis, Metformin for high blood sugar, Alli for excess weight, Premarin for hot flashes, and the list goes on. These drugs offer limited relief of pain or discomfort, but they certainly don’t address the underlying issues, and they can cause side effects. The fact is that a large number of the health problems associated with getting older are the result of unbalanced or diminished hormone levels. This is particularly true for women, who must deal with the hormonal fluctuations of menopause.

Prozac helps mask symptoms of irritability and depression, but doesn’t address unbalanced hormone levels or the inability to produce enough serotonin, which are the roots of these conditions. Xanax may decrease anxiety, but the real problem may be a lack of progesterone. Similarly, Ambien can help you get some sleep, but recurring night sweats due to low estrogen levels may wake you up. Fosamax increases bone density at first, but over time may actually increase the risk of fracture. Alli may help you lose a couple of pounds, but the underlying cause of your excess weight may be thyroid or adrenal dysfunction. Premarin, an estrogen derived from horses, can alleviate general symptoms of menopause, but this estrogen is a foreign substance to the body, and much more potent than estrogen made naturally by humans. To truly remedy these conditions, there seems no doubt that hormonal balance must be restored. But there is so much confusion surrounding hormone replacement therapy that most people don’t know what they should do.  

In recent years, a form of hormone therapy known as bioidentical hormone replacement therapy has been brought to light as a safe treatment option. Stories on talk shows and in magazines have discussed this treatment only in a superficial way, leaving intelligent people with even more questions that their traditional physicians cannot seem to answer. People still want to know: What exactly are bioidentical hormones? Are they all hype, or can they actually help? Are they the same as natural hormones? Are they safe? Who’s a candidate for treatment? What is the standard duration of therapy? What are the common side effects of these products? Will they help with weight control, mood, and energy level? The purpose of this book is to answer these and a myriad of other related questions.

If you are a woman entering menopause, this book will allow you to navigate this phase of life more comfortably and healthfully. It provides a detailed explanation of the menstrual cycle, all the hormonal effects it produces, and how this process changes over the years. You’ll also become acquainted with the hormones behind stress, metabolism, energy, and mood. Before long, you will have a rich understanding of your body’s delicate hormonal balance and its intricate hormonal fluctuations. At this point, you will learn how to achieve optimal hormone levels through bioidentical hormone replacement therapy. But whether or not you choose hormone replacement therapy, this book also outlines many non-hormonal treatment options, including vitamins and other supplements, and dietary and lifestyle changes that can benefit your well-being enormously.

If you’ve been desperately searching for a way to alleviate symptoms of hormonal imbalance without a handful of drugs or a regimen of hormone replacements that aren’t quite the same as what your body used to make naturally, What You Must Know About Bioidentical Hormone Replacement Therapy is the guide book for you. Reading this book and talking about bioidentical hormone replacement therapy with a progressive health practitioner can help you learn the advantages and risks involved with this type of treatment, allowing you to decide if it is the right choice for your body.