Hormones are the body’s chemical messengers. They travel in the bloodstream to different tissues and organs and are secreted from the endocrine glands in the body. They work slowly and, over time, affect many other processes. These processes include growth and development, metabolism, mood, cognitive processes, and cognitive functions, to name a few. These chemicals work with each other to produce or regulate other hormones. 

However, sometimes the body may produce too little or too much of a particular hormone. Even minor chemical changes can cause an imbalance, and this can affect both men and women.

To restore homeostasis, some people take hormone replacement. For some people, traditional treatments work, but many believe a mix of traditional and non-traditional therapies is the best course of action. 

What are compounded hormones? How do they work? And what type of hormone imbalances can they fix? Let’s find out.

What Is Compounded Hormone Treatment?

Compounded hormone treatment, custom HRT, or “compounding” is when hormones are custom created depending on an individual’s needs. They can be formulated into a pill or other forms such as creams or suppositories. 

Most people have heard of  Hormone Replacement Therapy (HRT). This is often referred to as traditional hormone treatment. Biological Hormone Replacement Therapy (BHRT) is an alternative to HRT because The dose and combination is tailored for each person.

What Are the Hormone Imbalances Treated by Compounded Hormones?

Hormonal imbalance affects all people. Symptoms are diverse, and custom HRT can help with the following:

  • Hypothyroidism, a condition where the thyroid glands don’t produce enough thyroid hormones. It can lead to heart attack, joint pain, infertility, and obesity if not treated early.
  • Hypogonadism, a testosterone deficiency. Hypogonadism can cause depression, erectile dysfunction, sleeplessness, and loss of bone mass.
  • A lack of estrogen causes atrophic vaginitis or vaginal atrophy. It’s the thinning, drying, and inflammation of the vaginal walls.
  • Hormone imbalances can also look like premenstrual syndrome (PMS) with symptoms like sleep disorders, menstrual migraines, osteoporosis, and reduced libido.
  • Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome (PCOS), a hormonal disorder causing enlarged ovaries with small cysts on the outer edges. Symptoms can include acne and facial hair.

Benefits of Using Compounded Hormones

Compounded hormone therapy can be beneficial for those who need to take hormone treatments. A few of these benefits are:

  • Personalized Dosages. With standardized dosages, you may get a formulation that’s not right for your body and either end up with unwanted side effects or not get the relief that you need. Compounding allows you to get the right amount of medication for your body depending on your personal symptoms and tolerance.  
  • Absence of Allergens. By compounding medicine, you can request that your dosage be allergen-free. The formulation is tailored, and it can be free of oils, binders, solvents, or dyes that may be present in regular hormone therapy medication.
  • Multiple Delivery Systems. Medications are only effective if you take them, and each individual has their preference on how they want to take their medicine. Your compounding pharmacist can make the medication to be delivered in different ways — in creams, pills, patches, pellets, or injections — and you can choose the method that best suits your schedule and lifestyle. 
  • Many Custom Hormones Are Plant-Based. Most conventional hormone drugs come from animal sources. However, compounded formulations use bioidentical hormones. This type of hormone comes from plant sources like soy and yams. 
  • Continued Dose Optimization. With a compounded product, your health provider can continually adjust and reformulate the dosage to adapt to your ever-changing body. This ensures that you get optimal benefits with the least side effects.

Compound HRT treatments allow patients to try an alternative source of therapy that may give them the results conventional medicine could not provide. 

Where Do I Get Compounding HRT medication?

First, you would see a provider, like me, who understands how to safely administer HRT theu compounding medications.

If you’re interested in embarking on a custom HRT journey, you’ll want to see a qualified hormone health specialist. Many physicians lck the experience or expertise that is necessary to prescribe these treatments. Unfortunately many providers default to offering only standard hormone replacements.

Qualified hormone health practitioners have the training and experience needed to assess and treat conditions caused by hormonal imbalances. Start your journey with compounding, book an appointment with me to learn more.