What Is Bioidentical Hormone Replacement Therapy?
Ivy offers bioidentical hormone replacement therapy (BHRT) to help restore your natural hormonal balance. Bioidentical hormones are naturally sourced from yams or soy and designed to replicate what your body naturally produces. Every patient is unique—in age, family history, weight, metabolism, and how the body absorbs hormones. BHRT creates a customized treatment plan tailored to your individual needs, delivering the precise balance of hormones your body requires.
Bioidentical hormone replacement therapy uses hormones that are chemically similar to those the human body naturally produces. These may include estrogen, progesterone, or testosterone, depending on the patient’s needs and the health care provider’s treatment plan.
The goal of hormone replacement therapy is to restore balance when hormone levels have changed, and symptoms have begun to affect quality of life. These symptoms may include hot flashes, night sweats, mood changes, sleep issues, brain fog, vaginal dryness, or low energy.
Who Can Benefit from Compounded BHRT?
Compounded bioidentical hormone replacement therapy is often discussed in relation to menopause and perimenopause, but that is not the only situation where hormone therapy may be considered. Patients are prescribed compounded BHRT when a healthcare provider determines a customized option is necessary to improve outcomes, to deliver more than one hormone at a time, or to deliver a specific hormone dose for a particular patient.
Patients absorb BHRT differently and may need to try a few formulations of the hormone before he or she receives maximum benefit. At Ivy, we will work closely with you to make sure your hormone replacement journey is successful and you fully understand the risks and benefits of hormone replacement.
For women, symptoms of hormone fluctuations often begin during perimenopause when hormone levels start to fluctuate and symptoms begin to appear. Treatment decisions should always be individualized and based not only on symptoms, but also on medical history, and a conversation with a knowledgeable health care provider.
Men often experience “male menopause” or “andropause”. These symptoms can stem from declining testosterone levels or a relative increase in estrogen.
At Ivy, we work with your health care provider to design customized hormone replacement therapy matched to your unique physiology and hormone profile. Personalized hormone therapy delivers more precise treatment and potentially better health outcomes for both women and men.