Thank you for this so much. I’m an Ob/Gyn (20+years with a special interest in menopause). This issue makes me crazy. I simplify it further. The word “natural” is meaningless and does NOT equate in any way with “safe”. Cancer is “natural” and even the things we “synthesize” start with something “natural”. What’s the opposite of natural? Unnatural? Supernatural? What does it even mean?? My eyes “naturally” changed and I can’t read anymore without my glasses. We intervene with nature all the time. My suggestion?? Eliminate the words natural and synthetic, which are meaningless in terms of safety and appropriateness to treat menopause and use only Bio / Body identical Bio / Body non-identical. There. Done.
I agree like when they say a food is natural like that means organic or o.k. to eat. Poison mushrooms R natural, but they will kill U if U eat them!! I get so pissed off when I see products with NATURAL on them trying in my humble opinion to try to dupe the public into thinking the item is very healthy. I have been trying for yrs. to get a doctor who takes my insurance to let me do HRT. All refused saying how it would kill me. Well in my opinion NOT taking them is slowing destroying every part of my body. MY bones, my heart, my bladder, my eyes. Then there is broken bones, hip replacement, constant bathroom runs day & night, no sex drive, dry skin, dry hair, dry eyes,NO real sleep & a host of other body parts going south & straight to hell!! There is nothing great about getting old & feeling old. I would prefer the risk of taking hormones then the for sure damage to my body for NOT taking hormones. Those R far worse risks I am having. I even had 2 types of cancer withOUT any hormone replacements. I recall yrs. ago they wanted to do a hystromety. I said NO! I am thinking maybe I should have said YES! Because I would B on hormones maybe now. Of course back then they didn't do the right stuff, but today they seem to have abetter grip on how to administer HRT to each person so it works well for their body. I have heard that after say more then 10 yrs. without hormone replacement it is TO LATE & WILL NOT DO ANYTHING TO HELP A PERSON'S BODY! I wonder if that is totally true. Sure damage already done is done. Even stem cells don't seem to fix something that is broken. Like a back or a hip, but if doctors & big PHARM would work to help make people healthy, they would still B seeing people but would B aiding them in healthy useful stuff to keep them in better health & they would still B seeing their doctors. Just for stuff to keep them well & functioning better longer. Which means they would live better & longer & B seeing their doctors for many more yrs of health care, not SICK care..
Awesome, thank you ! Very helpful. I’m 47 and just started the HRT journey , so excited to learn and finally feel normal again after a few yrs of hell when no dr could figure out what’s wrong with me . Nobody would consider checking my estro/ prog/ test levels bc of “ young “ age . Ppl like you , coming clean and clear explaining facts and science add quality to our life . The only problem , there is so much stigma in medical field about peri and menopause , it’s so hard to get dr to believe us we’re not crazy and the pain is nit in our head or , this is new: “it’s a covid side effect”.I was told my depression , joint pain, low energy , brain fog ( all symptoms in the book for perimen) dr told me it’s long covid and dismissed me , very cruel.I had to do my own research and scavenge through a lit of garbage in youtube to find the good ones.
@@SimpleHormonesvery informative as I had just been Prescribed Hormone Replacement but cause of severe menopausal symptoms im trying to see what are the best option out there.
Awesome video. Wouldn't be a bad idea to make a short text book for doctors and get it out to as many medical schools as possible. 99% of doctors dont know this. And as a HRT community at large we have major issues with Birth Control and Clomid Monotherapy destroying the hormones of our youth. Not to mention me as a patient had to email Dr Tom Travision when I found out his " Harmonized Reference Range For European Aged Males " turns out only had 3k people in the whole study. And they are basing treatment off this. Hell the Veterans Affairs has lowered their internal range to lower than 100ngdl so pretty much nobody qualifies at the VA. We have alot of problems to solve.
@@SimpleHormones Well I mean get ahead of them in PA, NP, and Med School. And hold conferences right next to a school. We don't fight to even get in schools. We go around them and make a path ourselves. Either before or after I get into my Masters im going to start a 501c to start producing articles, maybe studies, and def outreach materials. We have only 28,337 Medical Students per year that graduate. At only 172 Odd Medical Schools. Thats not that difficult to get information to them.
EXCELLENT! Thank you! So very clear. It can help patients to understand what their docs are saying and in some cases reveal that the doc has some gaps in their understanding. 👍👍
Thank you very much. It's a "pet peeve" of mine. Whenever I see doctors (especially) talking about "synthetic hormones," they're always pretty much wrong. I try not to be too obnoxious about it though.
Thank you so much for this. I’ve been put on Prempro. It has helped with the sweats, the fog brain, and lack of sleeping. What is your thoughts about Prempro?
@jmail2976 Thanks for watching. I'm not a big fan of Prempro. It's a combination of a dirty, messy estrogen that comes directly from horse pee, along with a progestin (like progesterone only not the same) called medroxyprogesterone. These 2 hormones work for some menopause symptoms. They DON'T help with sleep or mood the way progesterone can. Prempro was used in the Women's Health Initiative and showed a slight increase in breast cancer risk - but that wasn't that big of a deal. The bigger deal is that medroxyprogesterone is problematic on a number of fronts. We have WAY better HRT options now, like estradiol and progesterone, that relieve or eliminate all your symptoms AND protect you from long-term health risks at the same time.
Great info, and the buzzer was hilarious! I've been on bioidentical hormones - estrogen and testosterone (pellets inserted under the skin) plus progesterone (oral) for about five years now, what a difference they have made for me. I have found that I also have to take an adrenal supplement (ADR Formula by Pure), thanks for covering that as well. Great channel!
I really appreciate your videos. The buzzer as a concept is OK. I think the issue is that it about blew my ears off because it is so extremely loud in comparison to the bell and your voice. Especially when using headphones. But can't say enough good things about your content. Thank you.
What about Wild Yams?? I have been taking them for yrs. I also take DHEA & Pregnenolone too. But I am missing estrogen & hormones made of prescribed just for my body! If U know where I could get the personal HRT treatments in Ca. especially Santa Monica,Ca & the nearby towns. Beverly Hills, or say Culver City etc.. Thanks!
@bondjane007 Thanks for watching. Here’s one of my videos that explains the idea of getting hormones from yams. czcams.com/video/rv0UDlMxbeU/video.htmlsi=S-JrFGjWiUnKkwom
The best way to find a hormone specialist is to fill out the form here: simplehormones.com/referral If I take referral requests on CZcams or chat or email they WILL fall through the cracks and get lost.
Hi Steve - I have a question for you as a pharmacist. I’ve been hearing that some women cut their estradiol patches in half, to get a lower dosage of the patch, often told by their doctors to do this. As an example - a 0.1 mg patch becomes two 0.05 mg patches? This doesn’t seem logical to me. It seems like the half-patch will release the 0.1 mg but will “run out” after about 2 days, instead of the 4 days a full size patch is made to last … I’d love to learn from you if and how this works! (I’m talking about the twice weekly estradiol patches here.) Thank you in advance. P.S. My local pharmacists appear mostly overworked and “grumpy” 😄 - I can’t remember the last time I had one who was happy to answer questions …
There are 2 types of estradiol transdermal patches. One is called a “reservoir” design, which basically includes a liquid form of estradiol that is released slowly through a membrane. The other type has the estradiol embedded in a “matrix.” The reservoir type should NOT be cut, since the liquid will all leak out at one time and cause an overdose. The matrix type can be cut - but the cut pieces are susceptible to rapid degradation of the estradiol. Here’s a study that showed significant estradiol loss in cut patches. www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6454296/
@Blueskies7775 Absolutely! There is pretty conclusive proof that progesterone protects the endometrium from overgrowth and cancer. The FDA specifically approves progesterone for that purpose.
very much appreciated the explanation .. no one was explaining in a depth you did .. can you please tell me if cypionate testosterone is bio identical?? thank you so much
Thank you i am french so i try to understand which is safer for a long time i am searching for BHRT and most of docto’s higly recommend they say is is not sentetic all is naturel i am premenapouse but still i have my period so which really safe and you tecommend as i understand not bhrt i cofused so i think it is estrodian right again thank you so very much i live in Arizona i wish i could visit you doctor in your work 🙏🏻🦋
I enjoyed making this one. You'll probably dig my next one, about the chemical synthetic process that allows you to buy progesterone for less than $164,000!
Such a helpful and educational video! Thank you, Steve. 😊 May I ask you what “hemihydrate” refers to … my estradiol patch contains estradiol hemihydrate. Is it bio-identical? (I know it’s synthetic. 😊) Is there anything I need to be aware of, regarding the hemihydrate? I hope this form of the estradiol is safe long term. I feel well on it. Also, we often hear that the “bio-identical” hormones (estrogen and progesterone) are derived from yams … I think that’s why people think they’re “natural”.
Glad you liked it! I enjoy geeking out on this stuff. Hemihydrate refers to the way a WATER molecule is sort of attached to estradiol. Estradiol is hydrophobic - it doesn’t like water. But water can sometimes be added to make the estradiol move into cells more easily.
We DO often hear that Bioidentical hormones are derived from yams. But it’s not that simple. I’m working on another video explaining “The Marker Degradation,” which is the ONLY way we get bioidentical hormones.
Bioidentical means that the structure of the hormone molecule is identical to the the structure of the molecule that your body produces naturally.... your body likes bioidentical... there are non-bioidentical hormones that are used that do not match exactly to what nature produces.... but both have to be made or synthesized. Technically everything manufactured is synthetic. The difference is BHRT is synthesized to match our molecular structure. I wish we could stop saying "bio-identical vs. synthetic" (because they both are synthetic), and instead use the more accurate language of "molecularly/structurally matching vs. non molecularly/ structurally matching". Where do bio identical hormones come from? BHRT-Chemical precursors that come from a plant source and synthesize sex hormones like estradiol. Soy and Mexican wild yams are two plants that contain a precursor called diosgenin, which is the most common starting place for hormone synthesis. It’s important to recognize that plants do not make chemicals that are exactly the same as human hormones. Plants only make chemicals that are similar to human hormones. These “hormone precursors” must be chemically altered to have the same chemical structure as human hormones. This chemical alteration process is called “hormone synthesis.” In the early 1940s, a biochemist at Penn State named Russell Marker developed the “Marker Degradation.” This was a multi step chemical process, starting with diosgenin extracted from Mexican wild yams. In Marker’s process, disogenin was converted into pseudodiosgenin acetate, which was converted into diosone. The process continued from diosone through 3 further steps into to a purified form of progesterone, which was identical to the progesterone produced by humans. The progesterone created could then be further synthesized into other sex steroids such as estradiol (6 more steps) or testosterone (3 more steps). Before Marker developed his chemical synthesis, sex hormones were incredibly expensive to manufacture, on the order of $40,000 per gram. There was no way, at the time, to produce a commercially viable progesterone or estradiol product, since it would be simply too expensive for any patient to afford. The Marker Process is still used to create sex hormones. It’s the only practical, economically viable way to get purified hormones that are not derived from messy, contaminated animal sources. This process involves complex organic chemistry. So essentially bioidentical/ bodyidentical hormones originate from wild yam but go through a synthesis to get the final product. They are manufactured and synthesized to match our molecular structure. Fig 7-13 from Pharmacognosy. 7th Ed. By Varro E. Tyler, Lynn R. Brady, and James E. Robbers. Lea & Febiger, Washington Square, Philadelphia, PA 19106, 1976. Horse urine may be "natural", but horse hormones are for horses, not humans. Nothing natural about putting horse hormones in a human body, nor is there anything natural about how it is sourced.
Do you think my doctor will be open to considering bio identical pharmaceutical progesterone after a hysteroscopy for endometrial hyperplasia? I’ve read that an IUD is the preferred method of treatment post procedure, but I really don’t want the IUD.
Thank you kindly for the well articulated explanation on natural, synthetic and BioIdentical HRT. Is Estradiol available over the counter or does one require a doctor’s prescription? What if the doctor has limited knowledge about this area and refuses to prescribe, what are the options available? Thank you
1. You're welcome 2. Estradiol is available in the US only by prescription 3. If the doctor has limited knowledge and/or refuses to prescribe . . . it might be time to try and find another doctor
Thank you for taking time to educate and respond. Much appreciated. I am based in Uganda and the attitude among other women is “grin and bear” because this is what nature has dealt us. Currently the gynecologist I have seen have no idea the options you discuss. God help us! Do you offer online consultations?
I just bought a gram of estradiol from China for 20 bucks and mix less than 500mcg with DMSO gel and apply it to my mom's skin 2-3 times per week Women make 3x as much testosterone as estradiol. I'm considering adding an even smaller amount of testosterone.
If Premarin is natural and not synthetic, then how was the manufacturer able to get FDA approval for a brand name? My understanding is that natural substances are not patentable. Therefore, drug manufacturers must alter the molecular structure of a natural product in a lab using synthesis to make it unique and patentable.
@jackiedalseme3138 Interesting question. Premarin was approved by the FDA in 1942, only about 4 years after the FDA was founded. While it took some time to catch on, it was a huge breakthrough in menopause treatment. The patent for Premarin isn’t on the horse urine but on the secret process to concentrate the estrogens from that urine. In fact, a few companies have tried to make generic versions of Premarin, but the FDA squashed them, in favor of Wyeth-Ayerst, the original manufacturer. At some point, maybe I’ll create a video about the fascinating, sordid history of estrogens from horse pee.
Question: If for continuous combined therapy I need to take 100 mg Progersterone daily for a dosage of Estradot =0.50 μg/day, how much Progesterone if my doctor increased my Estradot to 0.75 μg/day?
I tried out the nature's brand progesterone cream " bio identical" from Amazon...a few days no difference ...But! As soon as I added the👉 estradiol cream immediately within hours I got cramping. I did it again today and my overies feel " full" . The directions say take each " bio identical" every day, morning and night. Not sure if that's a good idea or not. I'm trying to figure out a plan of what days of the month these should be used. When you finally need them you frankly don't care what they are called. But it's good information to know.
Be EXTREMELY careful. I used the same and one of my glands in my throat, thyroid, swelled up and took about a year to go down, still slightly swollen but not that noticeable. Apparently glands can do this. Be EXTREMELY careful please.
If “synthetic vs. bioidentical” is not accurately contrasting the Premarin, progestins and ethinyl estradiols from the bioidenticals, what word should replace “synthetic”?
@jackiedalseme3138 That’s a good question. The crux of the problem is that the word “synthetic” has been made the equivalent of “evil.” As in many contexts for our modern, divided society, the nuances are lost when we demonize one word and glorify another. We boil things like hormones down with words that connote good vs. evil and, in the process, lose the plot of the story. What I believe is important is that there are pluses and minuses to every type of hormone therapy. Understanding the differences is what enables patients to make their HRT decision. That’s exactly why I created The Menopause Solution - to help women in menopause make their own HRT decision.
@@SimpleHormones The reason I ask is because I am in a FB bHRT support group and I want to start using a non-demonizing word to describe the "other" type of HRT. I can't think of a good word that is not demonizing. The best I could come up with is "nonhuman" but is that still demonizing. I've seen "fake" and "knock off" but those have even worse negative connotations. I'm at a loss for words!
My Dr just recently prescribed Medroxyprogesterone I've been taking it daily for a month now along with Estradiol. Should I look into other options due to the risks of breast cancer?
Medroxyprogesterone has several disadvantages. 1. It won't help at all with insomnia, anxiety, or depression 2. It may increase the risk of blood clots 3. It was implicated (although very weakly) in increased breast cancer risk in the Women's Health initiative. I'd suggest looking to get progesterone.
@Simple Hormones I love the video, but I agree that the sound effects detract from the listening experience. Especially the nasty loud one associated with the red x. I listen with ear buds. So it's especially obnoxious. I DO appreciate the information.
The best way to find a hormone specialist, somebody who really knows how to manage all your hormone issues and get you to optimal levels, is to visit this page on my website and fill out my Patient Referral Request Form here simplehormones.com/referral If you leave a referral request on CZcams or email it to me, it's extremely likely I'll drop the ball or it will fall through the cracks. Once you fill out the form, be sure to check your email for a message that says "Confirm your email address." Thanks!
Is it true that if you have been thru benzo withdrawal syndrome that you should not use progesterone because it could put you back in withdrawal? Something about Gaba receptors? I experienced nightmare withdrawal and I am terrified to try Bhrt.
I don't know that's a damn good question. Thanks to my pain management doctor I'm in withdrawal.🤬 I needed hormones for pain this whole time not antidepressants, shots in my back back surgery. This whole time the 12 years of suffering I've been through is due to the hysterectomy I had to 32. And not giving any hormones. 🥺😭
hello sir today i watched your video first time.wonderful sir.i want to know that in premenopause condition a woman can be pregnent or not.i m 36 years old and i have hot flashes irregular periods and many other symptoms but my amh is 3.6 can i get pregnent?
The best way to find a hormone specialist, somebody who really knows how to manage all your hormone issues and get you to optimal levels, is to visit this page on my website and fill out my Patient Referral Request Form here simplehormones.com/referral If you leave a referral request on CZcams or email it to me, it's extremely likely I'll drop the ball or it will fall through the cracks. Once you fill out the form, be sure to check your email for a message that says "Confirm your email address." Thanks!
Estradiol is the primary bioidentical estrogen that's used for vaginal dryness. It's possible to find estriol, which may also help, but I'm not sure what countries it's available in. The evidence for estradiol is much stronger than the evidence for estriol.
Yes. You can. Lots of doctors would have you avoid ORAL estradiol with a higher risk for DVTs (Deep Venous Thrombosis). I’m not 100% convinced that estradiol actually increases blood clot risk. But I can definitely see why doctors try to stay on the cautious side.
Hi! So I’m taking a medroxyprogesterone pill every night, think it’s 5mg. Should I ask my dr to take me off it and put me on a different progesterone? I still have my uterus so I know I need it. Thank you!
If you’re taking medroxyprogesterone for menopause, I believe progesterone is a better alternative. Medroxyprogesterone protects the uterus from endometrial cancer. But it doesn’t help at all with insomnia, depression, and anxiety like progesterone does. Medroxyprogesterone also has a much worse safety profile than progesterone does.
In the UK (primarily) there's been a distinction drawn between "bioidentical hormones" and "body identical hormones." What UK NHS and doctors usually are meaning by those terms is that "bioidentical hormones" are the same as what your body makes (or used to make) and they're compounded by a compounding pharmacy. "Body identical hormones," on the other hand, are also identical, chemically, to the body's hormones, but these are manufactured by a pharmaceutical company. The distinction has to do with who makes them.
@@SimpleHormones ahhhh ok Thankyou so much this makes sense. They prescribe Body identical here in the uk as they say Bio identical have not been regulated or tested as much I think
@@helenalovelock1030, here in the US, our FDA approved bioidenticals are the same as the UK approved body identicals. Both have been through vigorous testing. I remember Dr. Louise Newson in the UK discussing this. I personally use the FDA bioidenticals here in the US.
Vaginal estradiol (Estrace) doesn't seem to increase growth of the endometrium as much as oral or transdermal estradiol. Some providers will perform a trans-vaginal ultrasound every few years though, just to make sure the endometrium is good.
The best treatment for the loss of hormones is to optimize them using bioidentical hormones - which are both synthetic and exactly the same as the hormones made by human ovaries.
That’s what a lot of people think . . . But it’s a bit more nuanced than that. I’m creating a video to explain how progesterone and other bioidentical hormones are actually made.
@@anatino Yes. In fact, I often mention that estradiol during perimenopause can cause some problems. You never know, from one day to the next, what your estradiol level may be. It’s possible to add estradiol on a day when it’s already sky high. For that reason, providers I work with use it cautiously, sparingly, or not at all in perimenopause. Progesterone is fine though.
BHRT-Chemical precursors that come from a plant source and synthesize sex hormones like estradiol. Soy and Mexican wild yams are two plants that contain a precursor called diosgenin, which is the most common starting place for hormone synthesis. It’s important to recognize that plants do not make chemicals that are exactly the same as human hormones. Plants only make chemicals that are similar to human hormones. These “hormone precursors” must be chemically altered to have the same chemical structure as human hormones. This chemical alteration process is called “hormone synthesis.” In the early 1940s, a biochemist at Penn State named Russell Marker developed the “Marker Degradation.” This was a multi step chemical process, starting with diosgenin extracted from Mexican wild yams. In Marker’s process, disogenin was converted into pseudodiosgenin acetate, which was converted into diosone. The process continued from diosone through 3 further steps into to a purified form of progesterone, which was identical to the progesterone produced by humans. The progesterone created could then be further synthesized into other sex steroids such as estradiol (6 more steps) or testosterone (3 more steps). Before Marker developed his chemical synthesis, sex hormones were incredibly expensive to manufacture, on the order of $40,000 per gram. There was no way, at the time, to produce a commercially viable progesterone or estradiol product, since it would be simply too expensive for any patient to afford. The Marker Process is still used to create sex hormones. It’s the only practical, economically viable way to get purified hormones that are not derived from messy, contaminated animal sources. This process involves complex organic chemistry. So essentially bioidentical/ bodyidentical hormones originate from wild yam but go through a synthesis to get the final product. They are manufactured and synthesized to match our molecular structure. Fig 7-13 from Pharmacognosy. 7th Ed. By Varro E. Tyler, Lynn R. Brady, and James E. Robbers. Lea & Febiger, Washington Square, Philadelphia, PA 19106, 1976. @@SimpleHormones
Sylvia, why the nastiness?? Steve is here giving us free information. He’s better than a lot of medical doctors who medical gaslight us patients. We are lucky to have him!! If you don’t like what he has to say, stay off his channel. It’s that simple.
You are fabulous for sharing this vital info About the difference In such an easy to understand manner. Thank you
Thank you for this so much. I’m an Ob/Gyn (20+years with a special interest in menopause). This issue makes me crazy. I simplify it further. The word “natural” is meaningless and does NOT equate in any way with “safe”. Cancer is “natural” and even the things we “synthesize” start with something “natural”. What’s the opposite of natural? Unnatural? Supernatural? What does it even mean?? My eyes “naturally” changed and I can’t read anymore without my glasses. We intervene with nature all the time. My suggestion?? Eliminate the words natural and synthetic, which are meaningless in terms of safety and appropriateness to treat menopause and use only
Bio / Body identical
Bio / Body non-identical.
There. Done.
You're welcome. I agree that "natural" is not a very precise word.
I agree like when they say a food is natural like that means organic or o.k. to eat. Poison mushrooms R natural, but they will kill U if U eat them!!
I get so pissed off when I see products with NATURAL on them trying in my humble opinion to try to dupe the public into thinking the item is very healthy.
I have been trying for yrs. to get a doctor who takes my insurance to let me do HRT. All refused saying how it would kill me. Well in my opinion NOT taking them is slowing destroying every part of my body. MY bones, my heart, my bladder, my eyes. Then there is broken bones, hip replacement, constant bathroom runs day & night, no sex drive, dry skin, dry hair, dry eyes,NO real sleep & a host of other body parts going south & straight to hell!!
There is nothing great about getting old & feeling old. I would prefer the risk of taking hormones then the for sure damage to my body for NOT taking hormones. Those R far worse risks I am having. I even had 2 types of cancer withOUT any hormone replacements.
I recall yrs. ago they wanted to do a hystromety. I said NO!
I am thinking maybe I should have said YES! Because I would B on hormones maybe now.
Of course back then they didn't do the right stuff, but today they seem to have abetter grip on how to administer HRT to each person so it works well for their body.
I have heard that after say more then 10 yrs. without hormone replacement it is TO LATE & WILL NOT DO ANYTHING TO HELP A PERSON'S BODY!
I wonder if that is totally true. Sure damage already done is done. Even stem cells don't seem to fix something that is broken. Like a back or a hip, but if doctors & big PHARM would work to help make people healthy, they would still B seeing people but would B aiding them in healthy useful stuff to keep them in better health & they would still B seeing their doctors.
Just for stuff to keep them well & functioning better longer. Which means they would live better & longer & B seeing their doctors for many more yrs of health care, not SICK care..
Awesome, thank you !
Very helpful. I’m 47 and just started the HRT journey , so excited to learn and finally feel normal again after a few yrs of hell when no dr could figure out what’s wrong with me . Nobody would consider checking my estro/ prog/ test levels bc of “ young “ age .
Ppl like you , coming clean and clear explaining facts and science add quality to our life .
The only problem , there is so much stigma in medical field about peri and menopause , it’s so hard to get dr to believe us we’re not crazy and the pain is nit in our head or , this is new: “it’s a covid side effect”.I was told my depression , joint pain, low energy , brain fog ( all symptoms in the book for perimen) dr told me it’s long covid and dismissed me , very cruel.I had to do my own research and scavenge through a lit of garbage in youtube to find the good ones.
I have these same issues. Did you start on HRT? If so, what kind? I’m still looking. I hope you are better.
Loved the content but the buzzer sound was really irritating and superfluos
It was so distracting I couldnt listen to the content
There's definitely a difference between horse pee & naturally derived plant based.
Yes there is a difference . . . but many people don't understand what the terms mean.
@@SimpleHormonesvery informative as I had just been Prescribed Hormone Replacement but cause of severe menopausal symptoms im trying to see what are the best option out there.
Awesome video. Wouldn't be a bad idea to make a short text book for doctors and get it out to as many medical schools as possible. 99% of doctors dont know this. And as a HRT community at large we have major issues with Birth Control and Clomid Monotherapy destroying the hormones of our youth.
Not to mention me as a patient had to email Dr Tom Travision when I found out his " Harmonized Reference Range For European Aged Males " turns out only had 3k people in the whole study. And they are basing treatment off this. Hell the Veterans Affairs has lowered their internal range to lower than 100ngdl so pretty much nobody qualifies at the VA. We have alot of problems to solve.
It sounds like a great idea . . . convincing doctors who don’t see hormones the way I do. But I’m not the guy who is going to do that.
@@SimpleHormones Well I mean get ahead of them in PA, NP, and Med School. And hold conferences right next to a school. We don't fight to even get in schools. We go around them and make a path ourselves.
Either before or after I get into my Masters im going to start a 501c to start producing articles, maybe studies, and def outreach materials. We have only 28,337 Medical Students per year that graduate. At only 172 Odd Medical Schools. Thats not that difficult to get information to them.
EXCELLENT! Thank you! So very clear. It can help patients to understand what their docs are saying and in some cases reveal that the doc has some gaps in their understanding. 👍👍
Thank you very much. It's a "pet peeve" of mine. Whenever I see doctors (especially) talking about "synthetic hormones," they're always pretty much wrong. I try not to be too obnoxious about it though.
@@SimpleHormones 🙏🏼🙏🏼
You are so nice and always answering back to comments.
Thank you!
You're very welcome! I can't always get to all of them, but I do my best.
Your heart and knowledge is so awesome ! Thank you 🙏🏻
Trying to maneuver through painful VA in perimenopause. Thank you for this information.
Thank you for this clear explanation!
Informative videos! Struggling with hormones understanding what the Dr prescribed. Doesn’t help my Dr only spent 4 minutes with me
That's unfortunately a common story. The average primary care appointment is 13-16 minutes. Yours is apparently even shorter.
Thank you so much for this. I’ve been put on Prempro. It has helped with the sweats, the fog brain, and lack of sleeping. What is your thoughts about Prempro?
@jmail2976 Thanks for watching.
I'm not a big fan of Prempro.
It's a combination of a dirty, messy estrogen that comes directly from horse pee, along with a progestin (like progesterone only not the same) called medroxyprogesterone.
These 2 hormones work for some menopause symptoms. They DON'T help with sleep or mood the way progesterone can.
Prempro was used in the Women's Health Initiative and showed a slight increase in breast cancer risk - but that wasn't that big of a deal. The bigger deal is that medroxyprogesterone is problematic on a number of fronts.
We have WAY better HRT options now, like estradiol and progesterone, that relieve or eliminate all your symptoms AND protect you from long-term health risks at the same time.
Great explanation!!
Are there natural bioidentical hormones for thyroid , estrogen, and progesterone?
👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻 thank you so much for explaining it !
Great info, and the buzzer was hilarious! I've been on bioidentical hormones - estrogen and testosterone (pellets inserted under the skin) plus progesterone (oral) for about five years now, what a difference they have made for me. I have found that I also have to take an adrenal supplement (ADR Formula by Pure), thanks for covering that as well. Great channel!
@juliestein9063 Thanks for watching. Glad you liked the buzzer. Several people HATED it. I liked using it.
I really appreciate your videos. The buzzer as a concept is OK. I think the issue is that it about blew my ears off because it is so extremely loud in comparison to the bell and your voice. Especially when using headphones. But can't say enough good things about your content. Thank you.
What about Wild Yams?? I have been taking them for yrs. I also take DHEA & Pregnenolone too.
But I am missing estrogen & hormones made of prescribed just for my body!
If U know where I could get the personal HRT treatments in Ca. especially Santa Monica,Ca & the nearby towns. Beverly Hills, or say Culver City etc..
Thanks!
@bondjane007 Thanks for watching. Here’s one of my videos that explains the idea of getting hormones from yams.
czcams.com/video/rv0UDlMxbeU/video.htmlsi=S-JrFGjWiUnKkwom
The best way to find a hormone specialist is to fill out the form here:
simplehormones.com/referral
If I take referral requests on CZcams or chat or email they WILL fall through the cracks and get lost.
Hi Steve - I have a question for you as a pharmacist. I’ve been hearing that some women cut their estradiol patches in half, to get a lower dosage of the patch, often told by their doctors to do this. As an example - a 0.1 mg patch becomes two 0.05 mg patches? This doesn’t seem logical to me. It seems like the half-patch will release the 0.1 mg but will “run out” after about 2 days, instead of the 4 days a full size patch is made to last …
I’d love to learn from you if and how this works! (I’m talking about the twice weekly estradiol patches here.) Thank you in advance.
P.S. My local pharmacists appear mostly overworked and “grumpy” 😄 - I can’t remember the last time I had one who was happy to answer questions …
There are 2 types of estradiol transdermal patches. One is called a “reservoir” design, which basically includes a liquid form of estradiol that is released slowly through a membrane. The other type has the estradiol embedded in a “matrix.” The reservoir type should NOT be cut, since the liquid will all leak out at one time and cause an overdose. The matrix type can be cut - but the cut pieces are susceptible to rapid degradation of the estradiol. Here’s a study that showed significant estradiol loss in cut patches. www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6454296/
@@SimpleHormones Thank you so much for this explanation and the link to the study! I read it! 😊
Are there any studies suggesting that bio-identical synthetic progesterone can protect against endometrial cancer?
@Blueskies7775 Absolutely! There is pretty conclusive proof that progesterone protects the endometrium from overgrowth and cancer. The FDA specifically approves progesterone for that purpose.
very much appreciated the explanation .. no one was explaining in a depth you did .. can you please tell me if cypionate testosterone is bio identical?? thank you so much
Very helpful.
So, where is progesterone and estradiol sourced from?
Thank you i am french so i try to understand which is safer for a long time i am searching for BHRT and most of docto’s higly recommend they say is is not sentetic all is naturel i am premenapouse but still i have my period so which really safe and you tecommend as i understand not bhrt i cofused so i think it is estrodian right again thank you so very much i live in Arizona i wish i could visit you doctor in your work 🙏🏻🦋
This is awesome. Thank you.
I enjoyed making this one. You'll probably dig my next one, about the chemical synthetic process that allows you to buy progesterone for less than $164,000!
The video is confusing. So is Premarine equals Pergamol and Menopur? Horse and nun pee? Other than both are urine based, what are the similarities?
Such a helpful and educational video! Thank you, Steve. 😊
May I ask you what “hemihydrate” refers to … my estradiol patch contains estradiol hemihydrate. Is it bio-identical? (I know it’s synthetic. 😊) Is there anything I need to be aware of, regarding the hemihydrate? I hope this form of the estradiol is safe long term. I feel well on it.
Also, we often hear that the “bio-identical” hormones (estrogen and progesterone) are derived from yams … I think that’s why people think they’re “natural”.
Glad you liked it! I enjoy geeking out on this stuff. Hemihydrate refers to the way a WATER molecule is sort of attached to estradiol. Estradiol is hydrophobic - it doesn’t like water. But water can sometimes be added to make the estradiol move into cells more easily.
We DO often hear that Bioidentical hormones are derived from yams. But it’s not that simple. I’m working on another video explaining “The Marker Degradation,” which is the ONLY way we get bioidentical hormones.
@@SimpleHormones Thank you very much for the explanation!
Thank you so much for this!
Hi. I'm using utrogestan 200 and estrogen
Bioidentical means that the structure of the hormone molecule is identical to the the structure of the molecule that your body produces naturally.... your body likes bioidentical... there are non-bioidentical hormones that are used that do not match exactly to what nature produces.... but both have to be made or synthesized.
Technically everything manufactured is synthetic. The difference is BHRT is synthesized to match our molecular structure.
I wish we could stop saying "bio-identical vs. synthetic" (because they both are synthetic), and instead use the more accurate language of "molecularly/structurally matching vs. non molecularly/ structurally matching". Where do bio identical hormones come from? BHRT-Chemical precursors that come from a plant source and synthesize sex hormones like estradiol.
Soy and Mexican wild yams are two plants that contain a precursor called diosgenin, which is the most common starting place for hormone synthesis.
It’s important to recognize that plants do not make chemicals that are exactly the same as human hormones. Plants only make chemicals that are similar to human hormones. These “hormone precursors” must be chemically altered to have the same chemical structure as human hormones. This chemical alteration process is called “hormone synthesis.”
In the early 1940s, a biochemist at Penn State named Russell Marker developed the “Marker Degradation.” This was a multi step chemical process, starting with diosgenin extracted from Mexican wild yams.
In Marker’s process, disogenin was converted into pseudodiosgenin acetate, which was converted into diosone. The process continued from diosone through 3 further steps into to a purified form of progesterone, which was identical to the progesterone produced by humans.
The progesterone created could then be further synthesized into other sex steroids such as estradiol (6 more steps) or testosterone (3 more steps).
Before Marker developed his chemical synthesis, sex hormones were incredibly expensive to manufacture, on the order of $40,000 per gram. There was no way, at the time, to produce a commercially viable progesterone or estradiol product, since it would be simply too expensive for any patient to afford.
The Marker Process is still used to create sex hormones. It’s the only practical, economically viable way to get purified hormones that are not derived from messy, contaminated animal sources.
This process involves complex organic chemistry.
So essentially bioidentical/ bodyidentical hormones originate from wild yam but go through a synthesis to get the final product. They are manufactured and synthesized to match our molecular structure.
Fig 7-13 from Pharmacognosy. 7th Ed. By Varro E. Tyler, Lynn R. Brady, and James E. Robbers. Lea & Febiger, Washington Square, Philadelphia, PA 19106, 1976.
Horse urine may be "natural", but horse hormones are for horses, not humans. Nothing natural about putting horse hormones in a human body, nor is there anything natural about how it is sourced.
Do you think my doctor will be open to considering bio identical pharmaceutical progesterone after a hysteroscopy for endometrial hyperplasia? I’ve read that an IUD is the preferred method of treatment post procedure, but I really don’t want the IUD.
Thank you kindly for the well articulated explanation on natural, synthetic and BioIdentical HRT. Is Estradiol available over the counter or does one require a doctor’s prescription? What if the doctor has limited knowledge about this area and refuses to prescribe, what are the options available? Thank you
1. You're welcome 2. Estradiol is available in the US only by prescription 3. If the doctor has limited knowledge and/or refuses to prescribe . . . it might be time to try and find another doctor
Thank you for taking time to educate and respond. Much appreciated.
I am based in Uganda and the attitude among other women is “grin and bear” because this is what nature has dealt us. Currently the gynecologist I have seen have no idea the options you discuss. God help us! Do you offer online consultations?
We can get estradiol over the counter here. Onas naturals makes a good one.
I just bought a gram of estradiol from China for 20 bucks and mix less than 500mcg with DMSO gel and apply it to my mom's skin 2-3 times per week
Women make 3x as much testosterone as estradiol. I'm considering adding an even smaller amount of testosterone.
Super useful video. Is micronized progesterone bio-identical?
@drsunny6538 Thanks for watching. Yes. Progesterone is Bioidentical. “Micronized” refers to how small the particles of progesterone are.
If Premarin is natural and not synthetic, then how was the manufacturer able to get FDA approval for a brand name? My understanding is that natural substances are not patentable. Therefore, drug manufacturers must alter the molecular structure of a natural product in a lab using synthesis to make it unique and patentable.
@jackiedalseme3138 Interesting question. Premarin was approved by the FDA in 1942, only about 4 years after the FDA was founded. While it took some time to catch on, it was a huge breakthrough in menopause treatment. The patent for Premarin isn’t on the horse urine but on the secret process to concentrate the estrogens from that urine.
In fact, a few companies have tried to make generic versions of Premarin, but the FDA squashed them, in favor of Wyeth-Ayerst, the original manufacturer.
At some point, maybe I’ll create a video about the fascinating, sordid history of estrogens from horse pee.
Question: If for continuous combined therapy I need to take 100 mg Progersterone daily for a dosage of Estradot =0.50 μg/day, how much Progesterone if my doctor increased my Estradot to 0.75 μg/day?
You may or may not need an increased progesterone dose, That would be something to talk over with your provider.
I tried out the nature's brand progesterone cream " bio identical" from Amazon...a few days no difference ...But! As soon as I added the👉 estradiol cream immediately within hours I got cramping. I did it again today and my overies feel
" full" . The directions say take each
" bio identical" every day, morning and night.
Not sure if that's a good idea or not.
I'm trying to figure out a plan of what days of the month these should be used. When you finally need them you frankly don't care what they are called. But it's good information to know.
Be EXTREMELY careful. I used the same and one of my glands in my throat, thyroid, swelled up and took about a year to go down, still slightly swollen but not that noticeable. Apparently glands can do this. Be EXTREMELY careful please.
If “synthetic vs. bioidentical” is not accurately contrasting the Premarin, progestins and ethinyl estradiols from the bioidenticals, what word should replace “synthetic”?
@jackiedalseme3138 That’s a good question. The crux of the problem is that the word “synthetic” has been made the equivalent of “evil.”
As in many contexts for our modern, divided society, the nuances are lost when we demonize one word and glorify another. We boil things like hormones down with words that connote good vs. evil and, in the process, lose the plot of the story.
What I believe is important is that there are pluses and minuses to every type of hormone therapy. Understanding the differences is what enables patients to make their HRT decision. That’s exactly why I created The Menopause Solution - to help women in menopause make their own HRT decision.
@@SimpleHormones The reason I ask is because I am in a FB bHRT support group and I want to start using a non-demonizing word to describe the "other" type of HRT. I can't think of a good word that is not demonizing. The best I could come up with is "nonhuman" but is that still demonizing. I've seen "fake" and "knock off" but those have even worse negative connotations. I'm at a loss for words!
My Dr just recently prescribed Medroxyprogesterone I've been taking it daily for a month now along with Estradiol. Should I look into other options due to the risks of breast cancer?
Medroxyprogesterone has several disadvantages. 1. It won't help at all with insomnia, anxiety, or depression 2. It may increase the risk of blood clots 3. It was implicated (although very weakly) in increased breast cancer risk in the Women's Health initiative. I'd suggest looking to get progesterone.
OH MY, the sound effects are not needed
😂 I listened to the video again because I couldn't remember the sound effects. I kinda like them! They just add a bit of emphasis.
@Simple Hormones I love the video, but I agree that the sound effects detract from the listening experience. Especially the nasty loud one associated with the red x.
I listen with ear buds. So it's especially obnoxious.
I DO appreciate the information.
Hello can you recommend someone in Kansas that is a knowledgeable provider of BHRT?
The best way to find a hormone specialist, somebody who really knows how to manage all your hormone issues and get you to optimal levels, is to visit this page on my website and fill out my Patient Referral Request Form here simplehormones.com/referral If you leave a referral request on CZcams or email it to me, it's extremely likely I'll drop the ball or it will fall through the cracks. Once you fill out the form, be sure to check your email for a message that says "Confirm your email address." Thanks!
Is it true that if you have been thru benzo withdrawal syndrome that you should not use progesterone because it could put you back in withdrawal? Something about Gaba receptors? I experienced nightmare withdrawal and I am terrified to try Bhrt.
I don't know that's a damn good question. Thanks to my pain management doctor I'm in withdrawal.🤬 I needed hormones for pain this whole time not antidepressants, shots in my back back surgery. This whole time the 12 years of suffering I've been through is due to the hysterectomy I had to 32. And not giving any hormones. 🥺😭
hello sir today i watched your video first time.wonderful sir.i want to know that in premenopause condition a woman can be pregnent or not.i m 36 years old and i have hot flashes irregular periods and many other symptoms but my amh is 3.6 can i get pregnent?
Yes. You CAN get pregnant at any time during perimenopause or premenopause.
Hello... I came by your video just now....is topical application of premarin an issue?
Premarin applied topically is not an issue. There are newer formulations that are equally effective and may cost less. But Premarin does work.
@@SimpleHormones thankyou
I need to find a doctor that will not gaslight me by giving me medication I don’t want but to give me Armour Thyroid and not give me statins
My zip code is 87413
Sometimes doctors get over confident and a bit narcissistic
The best way to find a hormone specialist, somebody who really knows how to manage all your hormone issues and get you to optimal levels, is to visit this page on my website and fill out my Patient Referral Request Form here simplehormones.com/referral If you leave a referral request on CZcams or email it to me, it's extremely likely I'll drop the ball or it will fall through the cracks. Once you fill out the form, be sure to check your email for a message that says "Confirm your email address." Thanks!
Hi. How can I know which is a Bio Identical vaginal estrogen cream, is the ESTRADIOL word the key? In Mexico you can get hormones over the counter.
Estradiol is the primary bioidentical estrogen that's used for vaginal dryness. It's possible to find estriol, which may also help, but I'm not sure what countries it's available in. The evidence for estradiol is much stronger than the evidence for estriol.
Where can I find of what components hormones are made?
Can I take BHRT if I'm susceptible to dvts?
Yes. You can. Lots of doctors would have you avoid ORAL estradiol with a higher risk for DVTs (Deep Venous Thrombosis). I’m not 100% convinced that estradiol actually increases blood clot risk. But I can definitely see why doctors try to stay on the cautious side.
Hi! So I’m taking a medroxyprogesterone pill every night, think it’s 5mg. Should I ask my dr to take me off it and put me on a different progesterone? I still have my uterus so I know I need it.
Thank you!
If you’re taking medroxyprogesterone for menopause, I believe progesterone is a better alternative. Medroxyprogesterone protects the uterus from endometrial cancer. But it doesn’t help at all with insomnia, depression, and anxiety like progesterone does. Medroxyprogesterone also has a much worse safety profile than progesterone does.
@@SimpleHormones thank you!
What is the difference between body identical vs bio identificical ?
In the UK (primarily) there's been a distinction drawn between "bioidentical hormones" and "body identical hormones." What UK NHS and doctors usually are meaning by those terms is that "bioidentical hormones" are the same as what your body makes (or used to make) and they're compounded by a compounding pharmacy. "Body identical hormones," on the other hand, are also identical, chemically, to the body's hormones, but these are manufactured by a pharmaceutical company. The distinction has to do with who makes them.
@@SimpleHormones ahhhh ok Thankyou so much this makes sense. They prescribe Body identical here in the uk as they say Bio identical have not been regulated or tested as much I think
@@helenalovelock1030, here in the US, our FDA approved bioidenticals are the same as the UK approved body identicals. Both have been through vigorous testing. I remember Dr. Louise Newson in the UK discussing this. I personally use the FDA bioidenticals here in the US.
@@crh251 ahh ok Thankyou 👍🏻
Is it true that Progesterone is not required is using vaginal Estrace only?
Vaginal estradiol (Estrace) doesn't seem to increase growth of the endometrium as much as oral or transdermal estradiol. Some providers will perform a trans-vaginal ultrasound every few years though, just to make sure the endometrium is good.
So what is best ?
The best treatment for the loss of hormones is to optimize them using bioidentical hormones - which are both synthetic and exactly the same as the hormones made by human ovaries.
Promentium is made from yam plant
That’s what a lot of people think . . . But it’s a bit more nuanced than that. I’m creating a video to explain how progesterone and other bioidentical hormones are actually made.
@@SimpleHormones thank you
Is it ok to take 200mg Promentium without Estrogel (14 days a month starting in ovulation day)?
I am 45 years old and perimenopause hell.
@@anatino Yes. In fact, I often mention that estradiol during perimenopause can cause some problems. You never know, from one day to the next, what your estradiol level may be. It’s possible to add estradiol on a day when it’s already sky high. For that reason, providers I work with use it cautiously, sparingly, or not at all in perimenopause. Progesterone is fine though.
BHRT-Chemical precursors that come from a plant source and synthesize sex hormones like estradiol.
Soy and Mexican wild yams are two plants that contain a precursor called diosgenin, which is the most common starting place for hormone synthesis.
It’s important to recognize that plants do not make chemicals that are exactly the same as human hormones. Plants only make chemicals that are similar to human hormones. These “hormone precursors” must be chemically altered to have the same chemical structure as human hormones. This chemical alteration process is called “hormone synthesis.”
In the early 1940s, a biochemist at Penn State named Russell Marker developed the “Marker Degradation.” This was a multi step chemical process, starting with diosgenin extracted from Mexican wild yams.
In Marker’s process, disogenin was converted into pseudodiosgenin acetate, which was converted into diosone. The process continued from diosone through 3 further steps into to a purified form of progesterone, which was identical to the progesterone produced by humans.
The progesterone created could then be further synthesized into other sex steroids such as estradiol (6 more steps) or testosterone (3 more steps).
Before Marker developed his chemical synthesis, sex hormones were incredibly expensive to manufacture, on the order of $40,000 per gram. There was no way, at the time, to produce a commercially viable progesterone or estradiol product, since it would be simply too expensive for any patient to afford.
The Marker Process is still used to create sex hormones. It’s the only practical, economically viable way to get purified hormones that are not derived from messy, contaminated animal sources.
This process involves complex organic chemistry.
So essentially bioidentical/ bodyidentical hormones originate from wild yam but go through a synthesis to get the final product. They are manufactured and synthesized to match our molecular structure.
Fig 7-13 from Pharmacognosy. 7th Ed. By Varro E. Tyler, Lynn R. Brady, and James E. Robbers. Lea & Febiger, Washington Square, Philadelphia, PA 19106, 1976.
@@SimpleHormones
Go away!
That's funny! There's a very simple solution if you don't like my videos . . . don't watch them.
Sylvia, why the nastiness?? Steve is here giving us free information. He’s better than a lot of medical doctors who medical gaslight us patients. We are lucky to have him!! If you don’t like what he has to say, stay off his channel. It’s that simple.
You go away! 😂
Silvia. You've got a problem. Big one.