Hormone imbalance can occur at any age. You do not have to be menopausal to have a hormone imbalance.
Symptoms of hormonal imbalance may include: PMS, irregular or heavy periods, increased breast tenderness, difficulty getting pregnant, hot flashes, night sweats, brain fog, and decreased libido. We test for imbalances using blood, saliva and/or urine tests. If it is determined you have an imbalance we use only bioidentical hormones for replacement. Bioidentical refers to hormones that have the same exact molecular structure and function as hormones made in the human body.
It is important for our patients to be educated on their options and understand the difference between bioidentical hormones and non bioidentical hormones.
There are several safeguards that we believe are important in hormone replacement including measuring your levels after initiating therapy, balancing your estrogen and progesterone (yes, even if you have had a hysterectomy), dosing with the lowest possible doses that still achieve symptom relief and additional testing to make sure you are utilizing the hormones in the correct way.
I believe hormone replacement is a choice. Educating our patients so they understand their options, the differences between bioidentical and non-bioidentical hormones and how they relate to the studies is important to us. We want every patient comfortable with the path they choose.