Bioidentical Hormones: Lack of evidence.Are bioidentical hormones safe? The health care field, the media and certain celebrities may try to convince you that something that is natural, herbal, or similar to your bodies’ own natural processes is automatically healthy and without any safety issues. I am here to tell you that they are dead wrong. Consider this: Tobacco is perfectly natural and so is heroine and arsenic. You still need to be careful, and if you are taking any prescribed medications or you are about to undergo surgery, be sure to tell your physician what you are taking. I will give you some examples of deadly mixtures: Many herbs and supplements interfere with prescription and over-the-counter medications. Do not take St. John’s Wort for depression if you are taking oral contraceptives because you might just find yourself carrying an unwanted bun-in-the-oven. This herb makes the pill less effective! I’m sure an unwanted pregnancy will counteract the mood-lifting benefits you experienced from St. John’s Wort. Large doses of Vitamin E may improve the look of your skin, but it may also make you bleed to death during surgery. You might look pretty in your coffin, but I have a feeling that the risk outweighs the benefits for all of you out there. Garlic, ginkgo biloba and any other herbs that improve your blood circulation may also cause complications during surgery such as…ummmm…death due to bleeding! Bioidentical Hormones These hormones are chemically identical to the estrogens produced in a woman's body. The main selling feature of this hormone is that it is natural and identical to your bodies’ own hormones. There haven't been enough large research studies yet, but the studies that have been done have shown that they are effective in relieving hot flashes and vaginal dryness. However, we do not yet know the side effects of these hormones. If you understand that the breasts are glandular organs which are sensitive to any hormonal changes in the body, whether these hormonal changes come from our own bodies, or anything we take in, then you must realize that it is quite possible that our breasts will also be sensitive these hormones. It just makes sense. Science has proven that women who are exposed to more estrogen, even if it's produced in their own bodies due to early menarche, late menopause, no pregnancies, and obesity, have a greater chance of getting breast cancer. Common sense begs the questions, "Then why wouldn't bioidentical hormones increase our risk of breast cancer?" The International Menopause Society states there is lack of evidence that the benefits and risks of these hormones are any different than conventional hormone treatments. In general terms, hormones are to be taken in the lowest dose for the shortest time possible to be safest. Talk with your doctor about the benefits and risks for your unique situation. Here's what one person wrote in on January 27, 2011: I was on the Climara patch and progesterone for hot flashes and it worked well until I started having terrible migraines. I then tried the bioidentical hormone creams, which worked just as well, but unfortunately caused migraines also.
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