Bio identical hormones,

[jimjimjamming]

I've been hit by the menopause truck. 50 years old, irregular periods for 4 years, dry old nu-nu, zero libido.And now hot flushes burning me up on the hour. Awful! I have an appt in a couple of weeks with a private specialist & want to go with bio identical hormone treatment. I hate the hot flushes so much, desperately want them to go away. But anxious that the treatment might not work & I will have years of this. Could someone please help to manage my expectations? Thanks

Not sure what you mean by 'bio-identicals'. There is a bit of a drive in the UK at the moment to stop the term being used incorrectly due to the confusion it's causing.

There are some private drs prescribing what they call bio-identical HRT which means they do blood tests or saliva tests and then your HRT is made for you in a private lab. No decent consultant in the UK does this or believes it's right- the drugs are not licensed properly and not regulated.

There are plenty of types of HRT available on the NHS or from private consultants that are 'body identical'- the same molecular structure as our own. But they are packaged in regulated amounts and licensed.

This is written by a consultant who heads the BMS
wwwmenopausematters.blogspot.co.uk/2017/01/bio-identicals.html

Thanks for your swift response, Polly Perky. I've skimmed the document but will go back again for a deeper read because there is so much to take in. I don't live in the UK. There is limited availability of HRT therapies in this country and my very supportive GP has recommended Bio Identical HRT as the treatment she would take herself. Mmmmm... I'm sooooo confused. And hot!

Bio-identical means synthesised in a laboratory to be identical ( as can be) to our own hormones.
The old hrt was made from mare's oestrogen, not as regulated and not as easily absorbed. This type of hrt is mostly if not always, tablet form.
Modern hrt tends to be mostly bio-identical. Patches and gel is the way to go as it is metabolised totally differently. Oral hrt is the one you read most of the horror stories about.

This is the doctor that has appeared in recent press articles. ..

she's been around for years and years....

Very few consultants endorse what she does in terms of blood tests. Basically, she provides a lot of what you can get on the NHS but at a price, and offers blood and saliva tests too. Some items are made in a private lab and they are not legal ( licensed) in the UK.