are bioidentical hormones safe?

Dear Linda,

Whew, great question.  I wish this were a question that I could answer with a simple yes or no.  As with pharmaceutical HRT (Hormone Replacement Therapy), there may be risks to taking bioidenticals based on your medical or family history.   Because we do not have extensive studies on bioidentical hormones, we cannot say unequivocally that they are safe.  That said, physicians have been prescribing bioidentical hormones with apparent safety since Suzanne Somers was a child.  And intuitively, it seems that taking a hormone that is identical to our natural state should be safe.  

Here’s an excerpt from my blog on pharmaceutical HRT:

In deciding whether we wish to consider HRT as a viable option, we really need to evaluate our personal risk-benefit analysis.  In other words we need to list pros and cons, and then weigh those pros and cons in order of importance.

History of breast or other reproductive cancers in your family would cause you to rate your risk higher.  Family history of blood clots, stroke, or heart disease also put you at higher risk.  If you have or have had any of these conditions yourself, the risk may be too high and you'll want to look elsewhere for help.  And if you are a smoker?  HRT is not a great idea for you; your risk of heart attack, stroke and other cardiovascular disease spikes.

These considerations should be factored in as well when you are thinking of using bioidentical HRT.  That said, I have been on a bioidentical patch for nearly three years.  Using data from the latest studies on pharmaceutical HRT that risk is relatively low in the first three years of HRT, then begins to get higher - I’m planning to decrease my dose (I’ve already had it decreased once) and see if I can wean off it.

If your symptoms are mild, you may wish to forego HRT or just use a natural progesterone cream, soy or other herbal prep as a first step.  Generally, in any treatment, using the least invasive remedy with the least side effects is the best idea.  Try one thing at a time and give it time to work - at least a couple weeks before switching or trying something new.  For more info, check out my blogs on Natural Symptom Relief and also two on How To Choose The Right Menopause Remedy For You here on Wellsphere or on my blogsite at www.menopausegoddessblog.org.  Good luck and let us know how it goes.  Lynette