People with hormone imbalances simply have too much or too little of particular hormones.
Hormones serve as chemical messengers from the brain that are produced by organs and glands of the endocrine system. Hormones circulate through the blood system and bind with cell receptors much like a lock and key.
Hormones tell cells how to respond. For example if you are frightened, the brain tells certain cells to produce adrenaline.
Most physicians who prescribe hormones use Synthetic Hormones (not natural) such as Premarin® (PREgnant MARe uRINe) and Provera® which can be harmful since foreign substances are introduced into the body.
The FDA has ruled that natural substances cannot be patented and therefore most pharmaceutical companies do not promote them.
Bioidentical hormone prescriptions must often be "customized" by a physician and prepared by special compounding pharmacies. Dosage levels are often measured in micrograms.
Why doesn’t my doctor prescribe bioidentical hormones?
Specialized medical provider training is needed to prescribe bioidentical hormones. In addition to symptom assessments, providers need to be familiar with the specialized testing protocols used.
Interpretation of test results requires medical providers to not only look at lab ranges.
Providers must also consider the optimal ranges for each patient, since we are all different. Knowledge of how to customize prescriptions is also required. In the end, many providers simply do not have the training on the benefits of bioidentical hormones.