Compounding Pharmacy

Women's Health

Possible Symptoms of Menopause

Any woman entering premenopause, menopause or who is post-menopause should consider natural hormone replacement therapy to relieve the symptoms associated with menopause and most importantly for it's long term benefits:

• Prevention of osteoporosis
• Restoration of bone strength
• Improve muscle strength
• Improve cholesterol levels
• Decrease risk of depression

Natural hormone replacement is not the same as taking the commercially available prescription hormones. Natural hormones are bio-identical and match your hormones exactly, meaning they are the same in chemical structure as the hormones your body produces. Natural hormones are not associated with the many side effects of synthetic hormone replacement.

Natural hormones also work to prevent the bothersome short term effects of menopause such as:

• Hot flashes
• Night Sweats
• Decreased Sex Drive
• Mood Swings
• Vaginal Dryness
• Difficulty concentrating
• Insomnia
• Urinary tract infection
   

What are Natural Hormones?

The term natural can be confusing. When referring to hormones, natural means that the chemical structure is identical to the hormones that your body produces. Many products in health food stores are termed natural but it does not mean they are or work the same as natural hormones. Olympia Compounding Pharmacy uses pharmaceutical grade hormones to make your natural hormone replacement medications, these hormones are a drug and do require a prescription. All compounded prescriptions at Olympia Pharmacy are custom made by a registered pharmacist.

Most medications used to treat menopausal symptoms in the past have been synthetic hormones. A synthetic hormone has a structure similar to your own hormones, but it is not identical. The synthetic hormone will act differently in your body, often causing troublesome effects. Natural and synthetic hormones should not be considered interchangeable.

What hormones should I take?

Prior to menopause your body makes estrogens, progesterone, and testosterone. Most hormone replacement regimens include all of these components. There is not one specific dose that works for everyone, all regimens are custom designed as each woman is different and has special needs.