Compounding pharmacists are confronted every single day with patient misunderstandings, confusion and a lack of education.
Following are some of the myths surrounding compounded natural hormone therapy Myth #1 "Compounded Hormones Are Not FDA Approved" The FDA's job is to approve manufactured drugs for the masses.
Compounding pharmacies customize therapy for one individual.
Compounding pharmacies are strictly regulated by the Ohio State Board of Pharmacy.
**HOWEVER, each of the following hormones compounders use ARE FDA approved: Testosterone, Estradial and Progesterone.
Myth #2 "Insurance Doesn't Cover Compounded Therapy" Actually most insurance companies DO cover not only the cost of compounding, but also reimburse for the cost of the saliva testing, as it is considered a billable lab fee.
Myth #3 "Commercially Made BHRT Products Will Produce The Same Results" Good luck with that! Commercially made BHRT products are "one-size-fits-most".
so the dosage can not be adjusted, we can not customize for the individual, so therefore expectations are not met.
For example, Prometrium®, the commercially-made Progesterone capsule comes in only two doses: 100mg and 200mg.
Prometrium® is dissolved in peanut oil and only lasts in the body for 6 hours.
On top of that, the dosage can not be adjusted, so when the patient gets unexpected results, adjustments can not be made.
The commercially-made Estrogen products on the market (the patches and gels) are developed by drug companies based on blood serum data.
When one uses blood serum hormone levels, the levels have been depleted by the heart so they are very low.
The result is that the drug companies make their products with way too much Estrogen to compensate for these low levels.
If they would use saliva test results, where the hormones are being measured at the tissue level of cells, maybe their products would be dosed accordingly.
Giving too much Estrogen to an already Estrogen dominant woman does not make sense and may actually increase the risk of breast cancer.
Also, some of these products were approved by the FDA after only a 12-week study.
Bonus Myth #4 "Compounded Topical Hormone Therapy Increases The Risk Of Blood Clots" Actually, oral Estrogen has been shown to increase the risk of blood clots.
There are several studies that show there is no risk of blood clotting with topical hormone replacement therapy.
The moral of the story is to always, always think for yourself.
Do the research! It's out there! Become educated and empowered to make the right choice for you!
Following are some of the myths surrounding compounded natural hormone therapy Myth #1 "Compounded Hormones Are Not FDA Approved" The FDA's job is to approve manufactured drugs for the masses.
Compounding pharmacies customize therapy for one individual.
Compounding pharmacies are strictly regulated by the Ohio State Board of Pharmacy.
**HOWEVER, each of the following hormones compounders use ARE FDA approved: Testosterone, Estradial and Progesterone.
Myth #2 "Insurance Doesn't Cover Compounded Therapy" Actually most insurance companies DO cover not only the cost of compounding, but also reimburse for the cost of the saliva testing, as it is considered a billable lab fee.
Myth #3 "Commercially Made BHRT Products Will Produce The Same Results" Good luck with that! Commercially made BHRT products are "one-size-fits-most".
so the dosage can not be adjusted, we can not customize for the individual, so therefore expectations are not met.
For example, Prometrium®, the commercially-made Progesterone capsule comes in only two doses: 100mg and 200mg.
Prometrium® is dissolved in peanut oil and only lasts in the body for 6 hours.
On top of that, the dosage can not be adjusted, so when the patient gets unexpected results, adjustments can not be made.
The commercially-made Estrogen products on the market (the patches and gels) are developed by drug companies based on blood serum data.
When one uses blood serum hormone levels, the levels have been depleted by the heart so they are very low.
The result is that the drug companies make their products with way too much Estrogen to compensate for these low levels.
If they would use saliva test results, where the hormones are being measured at the tissue level of cells, maybe their products would be dosed accordingly.
Giving too much Estrogen to an already Estrogen dominant woman does not make sense and may actually increase the risk of breast cancer.
Also, some of these products were approved by the FDA after only a 12-week study.
Bonus Myth #4 "Compounded Topical Hormone Therapy Increases The Risk Of Blood Clots" Actually, oral Estrogen has been shown to increase the risk of blood clots.
There are several studies that show there is no risk of blood clotting with topical hormone replacement therapy.
The moral of the story is to always, always think for yourself.
Do the research! It's out there! Become educated and empowered to make the right choice for you!
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