What Are The Pros And Cons Of Natural Hormone Treatment Versus Synthetics?
The naturally occurring hormones when incorporated into a cream are absorbed through the skin (transdermally), so they avoid first-pass metabolism by the liver.
First-pass metabolism is a phenomenon where drugs that are taken orally are absorbed through the stomach and intestine, travel to the liver, and are broken down so that only a small fraction of the active drug circulates to the rest of the body. This first pass through the liver greatly reduces the availability of the hormones by breaking them down into less active forms.
Synthetic hormone pills (such as medroxyprogesterone acetate, estradiol valerate and methyltestosterone) are rapidly metabolized by the liver on the first pass, so only a small amount of hormone is received by your system.
Most synthetic hormones have side effects not usually associated with naturally occurring hormone. For example medroxyprogesterone acetate is a synthetic progestin that is similar to progesterone, but with a very narrow spectrum of action on the uterus but unlike bio-identical progesterone has significant side effects. It is sold as Provera® and is commonly used to treat heavy menstrual bleeding.
Medroxyprogesterone acetate may cause birth defects if taken during pregnancy. It passes into breast milk and damages the infant, so it is not suitable for postnatal depression. Medroxyprogesterone acetate increases the risk of blood clots, especially in smokers. It can cause depression, suicidal feelings, and dementia. It predisposes women to breast, ovarian, and uterine cancer.
If medroxyprogesterone acetate is used long term, it increases the risk of stroke and heart attack. The minor side effects of synthetic medroxyprogesterone acetate are weight gain, itchy skin rash, acne, hair loss, insomnia, bloating, menstrual irregularities, vaginal discharge and tender breasts.
Most importantly in terms of treating perimenopausal women the progesterone receptor is extremely fussy as to what “key” switches it on. The progestins do not interact with the progesterone receptor in the same way that bio-identical progesterone does and therefore the perimenopausal woman’s symptoms do not respond to a progestin in the same way that they do to natural progesterone.
Synthetic Hormones can be VERY Dangerous!
Please read the comments below
They are important
There are also many other issues with synthetic progesterone as was highlighted in results of the WHI (Women’s Health Initiative) studies.
Two excerpts from the article recommended below:
“On July 9, 2002, however, the WHI came to an abrupt halt. The study proved unequivocally that the drugs were unsafe and significant factors in increasing the risk of heart attacks, strokes and breast cancer in the more than 16,000 women studied.
This led doctors to take millions of women off Premarin, Prempro and Provera overnight.”
and
“Sadly, seven years after the WHI study finding Premarin/Provera unsafe, the hormone-replacement debate can be summed up in three words: confusion, ignorance, misinformation. Meanwhile, millions of women have embraced bioidenticals, leaving their conventional physicians looking stubborn and foolish.”
Please read this article written for the Wall Street Journal
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB123717056802137143.html
Please be aware that these results relate ONLY to synthetic hormones!
