Bio-identical Hormones. Are they any good?

Bio-identical hormones can be good and bad. It all depends on how they are used. At the Medicine Shoppe Pharmacy, we work with our patients' physician to provide compounded bio-identical hormone replacement therapy. The most important part of planning your medication dosage is testing your hormone levels to see if there is an imbalance. It is important to understand how the different hormones influence and affect each other. 

Our hormones are essential for a huge part of our well-being including helping preserve strong bones, reducing the risk of stroke and maintaining libido. They can cause problems when they are too high or too low. With this in mind, it becomes obvious that their safety and effectiveness is dependent on working with your physician to find the right balance.

Hormones can be out of balance due to a lot of different factors like age, health profile, diet and level of activity. Always feel free to talk to our pharmacist about ways you can help your body stay healthy through your diet and activity levels.

Tips that might help:

• Maintain a healthy diet and weight.
• Incorporate physical activity into your lifestyle.
• Hormone testing is important both before starting and during any hormone replacement therapy.
• Remember to go for scheduled test as recommended by your physician.
• Do not adjust your dosage without talking to your doctor.
• Talk to your pharmacist or physician about any concerns you might have.
• Most compounded bio-identical hormone replacement therapy medication (like creams) will be dispensed in a metered dosage container. Always pay attention to your directions to make sure you are getting the right amounts. 
• Sometimes, it takes a few dosage adjustments and testing to find the right dose that works for you. Feel free to talk to your doctor or our compounding pharmacist if you have any questions about your dosage.

Learn more about compounded medications here.

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