Many health care providers will cover replacement therapy using bioindentical substances, according to Employers Resource. These drugs, similar to the body's natural hormones, can help postmenopausal women cope with age-related changes. Menopause reduces the female hormones, estrogen and progesterone. Such decreases may cause vaginal dryness, hot flashes and cognitive changes. Natural hormone replacement can alleviate these symptoms, yet women must use these therapies with care, as they may cause immediate and delayed side effects.
Oral Dehydroepiandrosterone
Naturally postmenopausal women may benefit from taking adrenal hormones in addition to ovarian hormones like estrogen and progesterone. Dehydroepiandrosterone, or DHEA, is a natural steroid released in pulses from the adrenal gland. It can also be naturally produced and taken orally as a bioidentical hormone. A 2000 investigation published in the medical journal "Gynecological Endocrinology" looked at Kupperman scores in postmenopausal women following treatment with DHEA. The Kupperman scale serves as an overall indicator for the vasomotor and behavioral symptoms commonly reported in menopause. Results indicated that six months of DHEA use enhanced estrogen levels and reduced Kupperman scores relative to controls. More specifically, the adrenal hormone decreased vasomotor symptoms like hot flashes and night sweats. The women taking DHEA did not experience any significant side effects.
Transdermal Testosterone
Surgically menopausal women often experience negative reactions following the removal of their fallopian tubes, ovaries, and uterus. These effects include a reduction in romantic desire and sexual satisfaction. Testosterone, a male hormone, may restore these feelings. When taken transdermally, testosterone is considered bioidentical because the skin can absorb the hormone without the addition of synthetic chemicals. A 2005 experiment presented in the "Archives of Internal Medicine" evaluated the sexual responses of women who had undergone bilateral salpingo-oophorectomy, or removal of the Fallopian tubes and ovaries, and hysterectomy surgery. These patients received an inert treatment or transdermal testosterone for six months. The data showed that, relative to the placebo, the bioidentical increased both desire and satisfaction. Women using the testosterone patch reported no more adverse events than did controls. Some subjects in each group, however, dropped out because of skin reactions at the patch site.
Transdermal Estrogen
Both naturally and surgically menopausal women can use transdermal estrogen to improve their symptoms, as well. A 2010 report offered in the periodical "Menopause" assessed the impact of bioidentical estrogen in several patient populations. The study tested younger and older females, including those with hysterectomies or oophorectomies, for a three-month period. Applying an estradiol gel nightly to one thigh reduced hot flashes and night sweats relative to an inert treatment. More importantly, women applying the estrogen gel did not report any negative reactions. The findings were consistently obtained across all demographic variables including ovarian status, uterine status, and age.
Vaginal Progesterone
Menopausal women often have difficulty initiating and maintaining sleep. Bioidentical progesterone therapy may help alleviate this problem. A 2008 clinical trial described in the journal "Psychoneuroendocrinology" analyzed sleep quality following 21 nights of vaginal progesterone use. Relative to a control group, the bioidentical treatment reduced nighttime wakefulness and enhanced rapid-eye-movement sleep. Progesterone intake did not affect daytime alertness or cognitive performance. Drug-induced side effects were minimal and not different between the placebo and treatment conditions.
References
- Employers Resource: An Active Consumer's Guide To Bioidentical Hormones
- "Gynecological Endocrinology"; Six-Month Oral Dehydroepiandrosterone Supplementation in Early and Late Postmenopause; M. Stomati et al.; October 2000
- "Archives of Internal Medicine": Safety and Efficacy of a Testosterone Patch for the Treatment of Hypoactive Sexual Desire Disorder in Surgically Menopausal Women
- "Menopause"; Estradiol Gel 0.1% Relieves Vasomotor Symptoms Independent of Age, Ovarian Status, or Uterine Status; R. E. Hedrick et al.; Aug. 16, 2010
- "Psychoneuroendocrinology"; Progesterone Reduces Wakefulness in Sleep EEG and Has No Effect on Cognition in Healthy Postmenopausal Women; P. Schussler et al.;September 2008
