Bioidentical Hormones

There is much confusion and misinformation when it comes to "bioidentical hormones."

• "Bioidentical hormones"does not mean that the hormones are "organic.”
• "Bioidentical hormones"does not mean that the hormones are "natural.”
• "Bioidentical hormones"does not mean that the hormones are "not really hormones.”

"Bioidentical hormones"means that the chemical makeup of the hormones exactly matches the chemical makeup in the same hormones in your body. It can be man-made but the molecular components are exactly the same as that same hormone in your body. For example, if you look at bioidentical estrogen under a microscope it would look exactly the same as the estrogen your body makes. It could have been created all chemically, in a laboratory, but the components of the compound match your body.

So, why are there hormones that are not bioidentical?

For one thing, bioidentical hormones cannot be patented. The same way you can’t patent water, unless you add some flavorings to it, you can’t patent estrogen unless there is something different about your estrogen.  So drug companies are incented to change the chemical compound. Sometimes makers of specific hormones suggest that the difference they have made is a "good"difference and thus justify the changes. We haven’t found that to be the case. In general we find that women seem to respond better to bioidentical hormones.

Since many women prefer the bioidentical compounds, drug companies have found ways to patent bioidentical hormones by developing better or unique delivery systems: a specific cream to hold the compound, a patch, a pellet.

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Contact us for more information about bioidentical hormones, or call us to make an appointment at (914) 328-3700.