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amanda prince menopause and aesthetics

What are "Bio-identical" hormones Vs "Body identical" hormones?

Writer's picture: Amanda PrinceAmanda Prince



How you manage your menopause is your decision, be guided by advice that is available based on evidence and clinical trials.

Bio -Identical Hormones


Bio-identical hormones are hormones  which are often marketed as being a natural form of hormones and may be called “natural supplements”.  However they are compounded mixtures of hormones which have no licensing in the U.K and are often made following expensive salivary hormone measurements which can be inaccurate and vary daily.


These products are unregulated by the Medicines and Healthcare Products Regulatory Agency (MHRA). They’ve also not been subject to stringent randomised, controlled trials. In some clinics, women are prescribed progesterone creams, which are known to be poorly absorbed through the skin and these products have not been subject to the same safety testing or quality control as the regulated HRT products in "body identical HRT".


The use of bioidentical compounded hormones is not recommended by the British Menopause Society, nor are they available in the NHS as prescribed medicines.


It is VERY confusing.  It is important that you get advice from a clinician with extra training and interest in Menopause who will openly explain and discuss licensed treatments and make it clear about what sort of treatment you are getting.


Bioidentical compounded HRT is not prescribed at this clinic

 

 

 

Body Identical Hormones

 


The safest and most regulated type of HRT are “Body identical” hormones which are medications that have been subject to safety testing and quality control and are regulated by the MHRA.  In other words, they are safe, and trusted by the NHS, These are the medicines recommended in guidelines laid down by the National Institute of Health and Care Excellence (NICE).


This includes oestrogen you take through your skin in a patch, gel or spray, and micronised progesterone, known as Utrogestan in the UK.

Micronised progesterone and is also made from the yam plant and mirrors your body’s own natural progesterone.


Transdermal ( gel or patch) administration of estradiol is unlikely to increase the risk of venous thrombosis or stroke above that in non-users and is associated with a lower risk compared with oral administration of estradiol. The transdermal route should therefore be considered as the first choice route of estradiol administration in women with risk factors.

 

The benefits of body identical hormone therapy can be achieved using conventionally licensed products, without having to resort to unregulated compounded varieties from specialist pharmacies. They are available from your usual pharmacy

 

How you manage your menopause is your decision, be guided by advice that is available based on evidence and clinical trials.



If you would like to talk about whether HRT is right for you, please get in touch to book a consultation


Regards Amanda




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