OT bioidentical hormones | Arthritis Information

any info would be appreciatedI want to know more too.........  I have a friend who SWEARS by this. I used bio-identical hormone replacement for about 2 years.  I had saliva testing done and then the compounding pharmacist mixed the cream to my specific needs.  It really helped me when I was going through the start of menopause.

Edited to add: biodentical hormone cream is made from natural sources. 

It was easy to use.  Just a little bit went a long way.  I highly recommend it.
kweenb2009-05-01 12:11:03Whats it for/do? It's natural hormone replacement. You know, like estrogen, progesterone, testosterone.
Thats v. interesting, the only time I'm pain free is when I'm full of girly hormones. I've asked my Rheumy if I could take small dose of hormone instead of taking pain killers but he's adamant NO. Being peri-menopausal my hormones are up and down like a yo-yo. When I'm hormone free the pain comes back worse than ever (or it just feels like that because its been so nice being pain free... sometimes for 2 weeks at a time). I think I'll have a chat with my GP see what he thinks. Having had an hysterectomy I understand that taking girly hormones when you've still got your ovaries is not done because of the cancer issue. However if this is a good thing to do for menopausal women it might be worth thinking about. I'm almost excited at the prospect of taking something to help one condition and makes me pain free too. this is so very interesting, wills08..... Babs, my name is Sarah. This was the first board I'd ever joined and I got mixed up with the name thing. Anyway, my Rheumy whilst not agreeing to a small daily hormone tablet says that it is well documented.  I must admit, I'd rather ave rocks for boobs than suffer the pain in my hands. My menstral cycle has been all over the place since Jan and its been grea. However I've been hormone free for 2 weeks now and have been really tired and low this week. I HATE this disease and its ability to make me feel like this. Its ridiculous to want to go into menopause to ease the pain isnt it? Babs, my GP is deferring to my Rheumy at present, but I suppose when I finally trip over into menopause it might be a different matter. I totally agree with you and have said as much to my Rhuemy and GP, its madness to give me liquid morphine as pain relief when a hormone would do the trick. Unfortunately (I think), my liver enzimes are very, very good and as such process pain relief out of my body very quickly. God help me when I get proper bad. I find this connection so interesting.  I was not aware there was something scientific on it, just a feeling I have had all along!  Sure seems women get the wrong end of things sometimes!

I just went to my gyno thursday and talked to her about this subject. She said it is fairly new so not alot of pharmacys know how to mix these plant-based hormones.Also said it was expensive and not all insurances cover this since it started.call your insurance first to see... hope this helps...

here's some info at this link on the minniepauz home page:

What is "bioidentical" hormone therapy?

This term means different things to different people. It’s really manmade hormones that are just the same as the hormones the body makes. There are several products with hormones like this that are on the market and are well-tested. But this term is most often used to mean drugs that are custom-made from a doctor’s order. These custom-made products are also known as bioidentical hormone replacement therapy (BHRT). Despite product claims, there is no proof that BHRT products are better or safer than MHT drugs approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA). BHRT also can be expensive as many insurance and prescription programs do not pay for these drugs because they are viewed as experimental.

http://www.womenshealth.gov/faq/menopause-treatment.cfm#iDr. Phil's wife Robin, did a whole show on this very subject, so I am going to check with my Doc. too.  Robin was also on Oprah and she has written a book about hormone replacement.  Not sure of the title though.  I think that hormones play a bigger part in our life than the medical field cares to admit.  Why haven't they done this testing?  It took them about a month to come up with Viagra for men!!??  I think that the PH in our bodies plays a large part in many illnesses.

Having had breast cancer 2 years ago I would say 'do your research' before opting for any hormonal treatment.

[QUOTE=janalex2]Having had breast cancer 2 years ago I would say 'do your research' before opting for any hormonal treatment.

[/QUOTE]

Couldn't agree more.  "Bio-identical hormones" are still powerful, body-altering substances.  Don't let the "natural" lull you into a false sense of security.  After all, arsenic and uranium are natural too.research is, of course, tantamount to any decision about hormones....  but I have a very strong feeling that in many cases, hormones have an affect on RA and maybe other AI diseases.... I have two friends who are women in menopause..sisters..... who have just been DX'd w/ Lupus and RA singularly...