Bioidentical Hormones

All women on the cusp of menopause face the issue of hormone replacement. Otherwise, they are tasked with struggling to strike a balance between their biological and emotional well-being all alone and it is not a pretty task. Perimenopuase, a ten-year phase between the onset of hormonal imbalance up to the official menopause,which is when a women's periods have ceased completely for one year, is a very tricky thing. It is the period (usually between 40 to 50 years old) when women experience mood swings, hot flashes, migraines, depression, weight gain, insomnia, and palpitations, among many other symptoms. For a long time the only option available was to replacing dwindling hormonal levels with the synthetic kind like Premarin (estrogen) or Provera (progesterone).

I have been reading this book by Dr. Christiane Northrup called "The Wisdom of Menopause" in preparation for when my time finally comes and have found out that Bioidentical Hormones are the best course to take. I quote from her book:

"Bioidentical hormones are exactly the same as those found in the female body as opposed to synthetic hormones, which are made from horse urine. Equine estrogens aren't normally found in the human female body, and they are associated with side effects such as head aches, bloating, and sore breasts. Plus, their breakdown products can cause DNA damage that is carcinogenic in tissue."

"Bioidentical hormones are synthesized in the lab from hormone precursors found in soybeans or yams, their molecular structure is designed to be an exact match of the hormones found in the human body. They are just like hormones that our bodies are designed to recognize and utilize with less chances of unpredictable side effects and which are used at low replacement doses compared to synthetic hormones."

In the Philippines it is only available through Dr. Rebecca Singson, gynecologist par excellence at Makati Med. It is in lotion form and all one has to do is to take a dime-sized dollop in her hands and massage it in strategic parts of the body like the tummy, neck, hips, or shoulders, once or twice a day, where it readily vascularized by the skin.

One of my best friends attests to its efficacy. She claims that her skin is now as supple as when she was in her twenties, her hair has grown back to its original thickness, and her over-all well-being is simply at its best. She says that after two weeks of use her children and husband said, "Mom, you're back."

You may contact Dr. Rebecca Singson at 892-7879. Please see her. You don't have to suffer through menopause. Don't endure the symptoms; manage them.

Pay back Time

I have been enduring nasty bouts with indigestion lately. Almost overnight, my stomach has become intolerant of my all-time favorites, calamari and steak. I have gone through a strict elimination process, praying to the high heavens for the culprit to be anything other than the two things I had mentioned. But no, each time I ate steak and/or squid the symptoms were the same: overwhelming pain, spastic and relentless, a night of up-chucking, and blinding headaches. Not at all pretty.

So I finally decided to see a doctor today. I think I have mentioned many times that I never get sick, never catch cold or the flu, and never drink medicine. I take after my Dad. I guess I'm lucky that way. Today, I was sent home with four different kinds of medicine: two to take once daily and the other two, twice daily. And you should see the size of them tablets, they're the size of Mouse's toes! I'm serious! And the doctor expects me to take them religiously. Hah! Her verdict was definitive. She put them in very simple terms. "It's age," she declared. "You're oxidizing, just like all middle-aged people do--all those forty and above..parang kinakalawang," was what she said. The nerve!

A blood test is scheduled for next week. In the meanwhile, I had a run through. I took 6 tablets as soon as I got home. Blech!