Women’s Hormone Replacement Therapy
Hormone Replacement Therapy for Women
As we age, our hormone levels decrease naturally starting around the age of 30. Typical signs of aging are often due to hormonal imbalances such as sluggishness, poor memory, brain fog, lack of energy, hair loss, poor sleep quality, and more. This is because hormones are chemical messengers in our body that control everything from hunger to libido. In fact, hormones have hundreds of functions in the body. They can affect mood, concentration, heart, bones, and skin, as well as the health of your internal organs.
For those still looking for a way of addressing the symptoms of hormonal imbalances, you may need Bio-Identical Hormone Replacement Therapy (BHRT) at ScriptWorks.
What are Bio-identical Hormones?
Bio-identical hormones are structurally identical to hormones that are produced by the human body. As you can see in the figure, sometimes therapy contains a much different molecule than what you make in your own body.
Potential Benefits of Bio-Identical Hormone Replacement Therapy (BHRT)
- Reduced vaginal dryness/atrophy
- Reduced risk of heart disease and stroke
- Reduced hot flashes
- Reduced risk of osteoporosis and the potential to restore bone strength
- Reduced risk of depression
- Improve energy levels
- Improve sleep quality and mood
- Improve concentration, memory, and mental acuity
- Improve sex drive
- Improve cholesterol levels
- Better maintenance of muscle mass and strength
Are you experiencing symptoms like this? There is a possibility that some of these symptoms might be a result of a hormonal imbalance.
Common Compounded Hormones Available at ScriptWorks
3 main types of estrogens produced in our bodies:
- Estrone (E1)
- Estradiol (E2): used topically, vaginally, or orally
- Estriol (E3): often in vaginal creams alone & commonly in combination with estradiol topically or orally
- Bi-est: a combination of estriol and estradiol
- Tri-est: a combination of estriol, estradiol, and estrone
Potential positive effects of estrogen:
- Improves cognition/insomnia
- Improves vaginal dryness/atrophy
- Prevents heart disease/stroke
- Prevents osteoporosis
- Improves skin hydration and elasticity
NOTE: Balancing levels of estrogen and progesterone are important. Therefore, these two hormones are commonly taken together. In menopause, women’s bodies barely make any progesterone as opposed to estrogen that does still get produced although less. Recommended to take at bedtime.
Potential positive effects of progesterone:
- Reduces the risk of osteoporosis
- Reduces the risk of heart disease
- Reduces the chance of migraines /hormonal headaches
- Reduces symptoms of PMS
- Improves sexual desire
- Improves insomnia
Used for men AND women
- Men’s testicles primarily make testosterone, therefore it’s a major male hormone.
- Women’s ovaries also make testosterone, though in much smaller amounts.
- Postmenopausal, premenopausal, and perimenopausal women may benefit from testosterone therapy.
Potential positive effects of testosterone in men and women:
- Improves menopausal symptoms
- Improves sexual desire
- Improves cognition/memory
- Improves stamina
- Reduces the risk of heart disease
- Reduces the risk of Alzheimer’s disease
- Improves muscle strength and bone density
- Most abundant steroid hormone in the body produced by the brain and adrenal cortex
- Converts to estrogen, progesterone, and testosterone
- Declines with age starting in the late twenties and stress may change levels at any age
Potential positive effects of DHEA:
- Improves energy levels
- Reduces the risk of heart disease
- Reduces cholesterol and percentage of body fat
- Improves memory/cognition
- Improves immune system
- Improves sexual desire
- Synergistic effect in combination with DHEA
- Converts to DHEA, estrogen, progesterone, and testosterone
- Low level is a possible indicator of stress as it inhibits the production of cortisol
Potential positive effects of pregnenolone:
- Improves cognition/memory
- Improves mood/anxiety/depression
- Improves sleep quality
- Reduce the percentage of body fat
- Improves energy level
- May support the skin’s ability to retain moisture. Adequate hydration is essential for maintaining healthy, supple skin
Available Dosage Forms & Tips for Administration
Usage of specific dosage forms depends on compliance, type of response desired, and medications involved.
- Immediate-release capsules
- Compounded to dissolve without delaying or prolonging absorption, therefore the onset of effect is faster. However, it may require multiple doses throughout the day.
- Slow-release capsules
- Compounded to dissolve over time in order to be released slower into the bloodstream while having the advantage of being taken at less frequent intervals
- Oil-filled capsules
- Oral Liquid suspensions
- May take with food or right after a meal to prevent stomach upset
- ScriptWorks primarily uses hypoallergenic cream bases which deliver hormones in a stable, non-irritating creamy dosage form.
- Also available are anhydrous gels and creams to help with stability.
- Vaginal Suppositories and popular tiny vaginal inserts as well as vaginal tablets are available.
- Vaginal Creams are also a popular choice for hormones that are prescribed to be delivered vaginally with or without an applicator.
- These creams can be made without any potentially irritating chemicals that might be causing burning or irritation.
- Some hormones are prescribed in our anhydrous gels designed specifically for vaginal applications and stability.
- Sublingual troches are either soft gelatin base or a harder polyglycol base. Either can be quartered if needed and are made to be dissolved under the tongue or in the cheek.
- ScriptTabs are very tiny sublingual tablets that typically dissolve under the tongue within a minute. This dosage form is very popular as patients can get potentially quicker absorption than other sublingual methods.
Commercially available hormones like Testosterone Injection and Human Chorionic Gonadotropin Injections are readily available as are injection kits, instructions, and patient instruction videos
What can a Practitioner Expect when Working with ScriptWorks?
ScriptWorks fields questions about dosage forms and therapy options from doctors and patients routinely. Our team of pharmacists is available to consult with either patients or prescribers with any dosing question or therapy concern.
Our goal is to provide each patient knowledge about hormone metabolism, side effects, and what to look for if levels are too high or too low and when to call their doctor if something doesn’t feel right.
Doctors or patients can reach us to talk about our hormone replacement therapy services and customized compounding therapy.
Why ScriptWorks?
Beyond that, they go out of their way to be helpful and informative and are truly a pleasure to work with.
California doctors trust ScriptWorks for their patients.
Our pharmacy is committed to providing patients with medications compounded at the highest standards.
Compounding Vaginal Suppositories
Compounding a Topical Hormone Cream
Compounding Strawberry Sublingual Troches
How to Properly Use Compounded Cream Medication Using a TopiClick Dispenser