Women’s Bioidentical Hormone Therapy Specialist in Scottsdale, AZ

Hormone replacement therapy uses medication that contains female hormones to replace the estrogen, Progesterone and testosterone that the body stops producing during menopause.

Bioidentical hormone pellet therapy: subcutaneous bioidentical hormones made from plants are implanted into the subcutaneous layer of tissue. They are slowly released as your body needs them and help to alleviate all symptoms related to menopause and hormone imbalance.

Systemic hormone therapy (non-pellet) uses pills, troches, skin patches, rings, gels, creams or sprays. They typically contain a higher dose of estrogen that is absorbed throughout the body and can be used to treat any of the common symptoms of menopause.

Low-dose vaginal products come in creams, tablets or rings and are usually only used to treat the vaginal and urinary symptoms of menopause due to the minimal doses that are absorbed by the body.

Dr. Vanessa Mack (Dean) is an expert In the field of bioidentical hormone replacement therapy and has spent her career dedicated to this field of medicine. She uses her expertise to dial in the perfect balance of hormones for each woman considering her symptoms, risk factors, family history, lab values and more.

Women who haven’t had their uterus removed will typically be prescribed estrogen along with progesterone or progestin (progesterone-like medication) because estrogen alone, when not balanced by progesterone can increase the risk of endometrial cancer, by stimulating growth of the lining of the uterus. Women who have had their uterus removed (hysterectomy), may not need to take progestin. Dr. Vanessa Mack (Dean) uses her expertise to determine which type of progesterone is safe and effective for her patients based on several factors. Her preference is bioidentical oral progesterone in most cases.

The major difference between HRT and BHRT is the substances that are used to create them: traditional HRT uses synthetic hormones, while bioidentical hormones are made from plant estrogens.

The most prescribed synthetic combination hormone replacement therapy for women consists of estrogen and progesterone. The estrogen is made from a combination of equine estrogens extracted from the urine of pregnant mares while progesterone is made from a synthetic form of progesterone called medroxyprogesterone acetate. Although these synthetic hormones contain animal estrogens which are not natural to humans, they bind tightly to the proteins in the cells activated by human estrogen making them suitable for use in humans.

Bioidentical hormones are man-made hormones that are chemically very similar to those the body produces naturally and are very different from their synthetic counterparts. Hormones matched are estrogen, progesterone and testosterone and are used as a treatment for men and women whose own hormones are low or out of balance. Bioidentical hormones come as either pre-made or compounded preparations. The latter are custom-made by a pharmacist based on a doctor’s instructions, and although the individual component hormones are approved by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) the final product in its compounded state is not. Bioidentical hormones are available in a variety of doses and come in the form of pills, creams, gels, sprays, and vaginal inserts and Dr. Vanessa Mack’s (Dean) favorite delivery method: pellets.

Hormone replacement therapy is often recommended for women whose menopausal symptoms are having a negative impact on their quality of life or for women who have had their ovaries removed. A good candidate for HRT would be someone who:

• Has menopausal symptoms such as headaches, sleep problems, painful intercourse due to vaginal dryness, and night sweats
• Has a family history of osteoporosis or colon cancer
• Has had early menopause before the age of 40
• Has had their ovaries removed, known as surgical menopause
• Has entered menopause before the age of 45 due to chemotherapy or radiation treatment
• Has tried other treatments which have not relieved their menopausal symptoms

Dr. Vanessa Mack (Dean) has been treating women going through all stages of hormone imbalance from peri menopause to full menopause. Hormone decline begins around age 40 and for some woman can occur sooner. Do not continue to suffer with these symptoms as they are not only affecting your quality of life, they are effecting your long term health outcomes.

Hormone replacement therapy is widely known and accepted as an effective treatment for menopause symptoms, but it also has a number of other benefits such as:

• Helping the body to process calcium, making bones stronger and reducing the risk of breaking a bone and osteoporosis
• Helping to maintain healthy cholesterol levels
• Helping to improve mood and overall sense of mental well-being
• Lowering the risk of:
1. Colon cancer
2. Diabetes
3. Heart disease
4. Brain disorders like dementia
• Some relief of joint pain
• A lower rate of death in women who take hormone therapy in their 50s

If you would like to know more about bioidentical hormone replacement therapy for women, contact Infinite Wellness Hormone Specialists today! We serve patients from Scottsdale AZ, Tempe AZ, Mesa AZ, Paradise Valley AZ, Chandler AZ, Phoenix AZ, and BEYOND!