The field of hormone replacement therapy has had a hard time of it since July 2002 when the Women's Health Initiative--a large investigation studying the effects of hormone replacement therapy--issued urgent, frightening warnings recommending that women stop hormone replacement therapy immediately. I remember the day like it was yesterday--July 8, 2002, I was attending continuing education In Keystone, Colorado. Immediately fear spread like wildfire among patients and providers resulting in most patients stopping HRT and most providers refusing to prescribe it or to severely restrict prescribing hormones. (I am relieved to report that many of those dire sounding claims have been proven wrong in subsequent studies.) Currently few doctors prescribe hormone replacement therapy, fewer subspecialize in bioidentical hormones, even fewer custom tailor a hormone regimen that takes into account your unique needs, and only a handful of doctors will prescribe hormones for longer than one year.
Because your health, vibrancy, life satisfaction, and even your longevity are profoundly affected by hormones, invest the time in yourself to interview then hand select a doctor who listens to you, doesn't rush you, one who considers all of who you are when planning your care. Spend some time considering what you need from a hormone doctor, after all, you are hiring to help you not simply to be disease-free, but to live with vitality, vibrancy and feeling fantastic. Do not simply choose a name off an insurance or because her office is close. Cultivate a medical team that serves your needs, even the ones you have been too sheepish to talk about until now--I always recommend to patients to take an inventory of doctors on your team, lay off the ones who aren't a perfect fit, then interview and hire new doctos who exceed your expectations. Your diligence will pay you handsomely with vibrant health and by allowing you to "feel like you again."
Hormones are complex, interdependent plus they change all the time, even from one moment to the next. With all the media attention persuading us to believe one way then a different, sometimes opposite way about hormones, is it even clear any more what a hormone is? It's simple: hormones are chemical messengers that allow communication from one locataion in the body to another. Hormones are very cool silent messengers that influence our health, our mood, our energy, even our relationships with others throughout our entire lives. Mid-life men and women experience changes in hormones that affect their health and well-being so it's important to work with a hormone specialist to help you achieve optimal hormone balance!