Hormone Imbalances & Natural Longevity Therapy

I. Hypothyroidism – A large percentage of Americans suffer hypothyroidism. Common symptoms include fatigue and weakness, intolerance to cold temperature, constipation, depression, dry puffy skin, muscle aches, joint pains, and susceptibility to recurrent infections. Standard blood tests for thyroid blood tests do not detect the hypothyroidism present in many patients. Many others taking synthetic thyroid hormones such as Synthroid or Levoxyl may still be symptomatic and benefit from desiccated thyroid (Nature-thyroid, Armour). My book, Hypothyroidism Type 2: The Epidemic, offers a comprehensive explanation.  Link to book website

II. Menopause – Symptoms such as reduced libido, fatigue, depression, irritability, aches, pains, sweating and hot flashes are common as women approach menopause. These symptoms may be reversed with replacement of the hormones estrogen, progesterone, and testosterone. Dr. Starr uses bio-identical hormones made by compounding pharmacies.

HRT – hormone replacement therapy – was the chemical approach to the issue and it has had more than its share of problems. In July 2002, the Women’s Health Initiative (WHI) abruptly ended its combination of estrogen and progestin therapy study, as their data was unexpectantly negative. However, Dr. Ted Quigly, MD, found profound flaws in the study. A close reading of the study reveals it grouped women in three categories by age – 50-59, 60-60, and 70-70. The youngest group is the most relevant and the study showed in that group, premarin had a definite benefit. However, provera, had a profound negative effect. So the little-understood lesson of the WHI is that provera, the synthetic hormone, did not do well in the body. Premarin, made from horses urine and more “natural” than provera, provided benefits.

Natural hormones are identical to the hormones your body produces. There never has been a study for women using human bio-identical “natural” hormones. Pharmaceutical companies are unable to patent natural hormones. Bio-identical hormones are available through compounding pharmacies.

somers_book1

Thyroid, estrogen, testosterone, and progesterone are vital to the health of every cell.  As actress and author Suzanne Somers famously points out, hormonal imbalance is causing many people to feel depressed, anxious, fatigued, sexless, sleepless, and ultimately ill. With hormones, normal sexual function, mental health, and a youthful outlook on life return.  Suzanne Somers declares the first step to wellness is bio-identical hormone replacement because “almost every disease starts with hormone decline.”

Somers says that utilizing natural hormones results in better treatment outcomes and fewer side effects than using synthetically altered pharmaceutical hormones such as Premarin, an estrogen derived from pregnant horses, and synthetic progestins such as Provera.  When you create a synthetic hormone, you alter its molecular structure and it seems the body is uneasy with it, and that appears to account for a lot of the side effects. If you give a supplement identical to what the body produces, in the correct amount, it appears to know how to use it in a healthful way.

III. Andropause (Male Menopause) – Men also experience a decline in hormone levels as they age, especially when they are hypothyroid. Hypothyroidism alone can cause decreased libido, muscle aches, fatigue, and accelerate the decline of testosterone levels.  The onset of andropause symptoms is more gradual than female menopause but often similar. Common symptoms include fatigue, depression, irritability, increased sweating, decreased libido and potency, muscle aches and weakness, and loss of the competitive edge. Dr. Malcom Carruthers, president of The Society for the Study of Androgen Deficiency, has conducted research using natural testosterone on thousands of men for over twenty years. The studies reveal no increased risk of prostate cancer or benign prostate enlargement. Overwhelmingly positive results were reported. Increased levels of estrogen in men or molecules that bind testosterone (sex hormone binding globulin) may need to be properly treated for favorable outcomes.

IV. Mild Adrenal Deficiency – If your adrenals don’t work, your thyroid doesn’t work. Cortisol is the stress hormone responsible for a number of normal functions; we would be dead in days without it. Low cortisol levels may contribute to low blood pressure, fatigue, and hypoglycemia. Proper supplementation of iodine/iodide, coupled with desiccated thyroid, resolves most mild adrenal deficiencies. There are crucial iodine receptors in all the endocrine glands. I use iodine/iodide to allow the adrenals to regain normal function. The liberal usage of iodine in my practice had markedly decreased my patients’ requirements for adrenal steroids. In addition, some patients with severe dental problems, especially root canals, require low-dose cortisol because of the stress from chronic infections.

Iodine – the safest of all the essential trace elements in the periodic chart. Iodide - the reduced form of iodine with an extra electron; the combination of iodine and iodide is more effective than either one alone because different tissues in the body prefer one form or the other.

Hormone Replacement Offered:

  • Hypothyroid treatment using desiccated thyroid such as Armour or Nature-Thyroid (www.brodabarnes.org)
  • Compounded T4/T3 for vegans, those who avoid pork, patients with severe allergies, or Hashimoto’s
  • Female menopause with human bio-identical compounded estrogens, progesterone, and testosterone
  • Male andropause (www.androscreen.com) using human bio-identical compounded testosterone
  • Mild adrenal deficiencies using low-dose cortisol
  • Iodine/Iodide replacement

Bio-identical hormones are usually applied topically – through your skin. This allows us to use lower doses than can be done with synthetic hormones taken orally.

translation