"Natural" is so poorly defined in medicine that it is virtually meaningless. Some say Premarin (a pharmaceutical preparation of estrogen made from the urine of pregnant mares) is natural because it comes from a horse.

But is that natural for a human woman? Is it natural for You? 

You should schedule an appointment with your doctor or with Dr. Roush to get crystal clear on your best, and safest, solution. 

Plant hormones either have no hormonal activity in human metabolism, or have it at about 1/400th to 1/1000th the strength of human hormone. To demonstrate how powerful hormones (and plants for that matter) can be, even at that fraction plant hormones are often enough to help symptoms. 

The term "bioidentical" refers not to plant hormone in the raw. Bio-identical hormones are those taken from plants (either soy or one species of wild yam) and acted on with enzymes until they are in-distinguishable from human hormone. The result is a "natural" hormone, but the process does not occur in nature!

At one end of the spectrum conventional practitioners think the pharmaceutical hormones are safer because they are more rigidly manufactured. We have learned to regard most information from drug companies as marketing rather than science. While the goal is always science-based medicine, their science is too often suspect.

At the other end of the spectrum is Suzanne Sommers saying all women should use bioidentical hormones to achieve the levels that are necessary to continue menstruating well into aging. Who wants that?! 

An aging actress as a source of science? Not in our clinic.

We sit in the middle. It makes sense that  bioidenticals  are safer because they follow normal female metabolism. Still we study the conventional and alternative literature to carefully assess the risk of any hormone prescribing.

Then we make the assumption that any hormone from any source has that risk.

Assuming the risk keeps patients safer.

Our doctors are experienced and educated in hormone prescribing for perimenopausal and menopausal women and for men. 

We share decades of experience in prescribing hormones from all sources for hundreds of individuals. As women and men age, there can be substantial changes in hormones that may lead to a host of symptoms including night sweats, fatigue, mood changes, sleep disturbance, loss of vitality, sexual dysfunction and others.  

Many women will experience the symptoms of hormone changes through peri-menopause and menopause starting as early as forty but more commonly toward fifty and may last for several to many years. These symptoms can often feel like they “came of out nowhere” and be mild or quite debilitating.  

Some women simply report that they don’t “feel like themselves".  Our goal for these women is to restore energy, sleep, joy, hair and skin quality changes, a healthy weight and improve sexual function.  

Prescribing hormones for women is an art and a science.  We are skilled at both.  We are knowledgeable about the risks and benefits, standard dosing practices, and understand that each woman’s hormone need is unique to her.  

Men on the other hand may experience more gradual changes in symptoms as their hormones change.  

They often report feeling like they are “getting older”.  These symptoms may include a lack of vitality, less motivation, changes in muscle mass and strength, weight gain, and also changes in sexual function including sex drive and erectile dysfunction 

As with women, we take a thorough approach including a detailed history, physical exam and blood work.  

We then offer treatment options which may include hormone therapy such as the use of testosterone and other balancing hormones.  

At Core Wellness and Core Restore, we are also skilled in the use of Pellet Therapy which can provide long-lasting, hormone-balancing benefits without the hassle of daily dosing.  

Please schedule a consultation to learn more.   

Until your doctor knows more about you and your symptoms and most likely does some simple, non invasive, tests there is no way for us (or any doctor) to recommend any specific solution for your symptoms. We do not have a "One Size Fits all" approach to balancing hormones. 

While we do know diet and exercise and overall well being plays a big part helping to balance your hormones, when it comes to considering hormone therapy, the first step is the schedule an appointment with the doctor to discuss your symptoms and most likely do some initial hormone tests.  Armed with that information the doctor will be able to advise you on the best treatment and/or therapy for you.