“To All My Bioidentical Hormone Sisters (BIHS)…”

1. On October 17th, 2008 at 4:47 pm Tiffany Says:

   Hi This is the first time I’ve ever seen a blog like this. I signed up for the Body Logic therapy 2 weeks ago and see the doc on Nov. 6th. I have a genuine hope that this will help me. I am from Indiana and fortunately there is a Body Logic doc in Indianapolis (Dr. Roger Spahr). I only live 35 min from Indy so this is a blessing & a miracle!!! By the way, I too am a registered nurse (critical care). I am 34 and have suffered with my problems for almost 10 years now!! I was prescribed Effexor then, it helped for a while, but now it does nothing and all the while, I knew my problems stemmed 100% from hormonal issues. The Effexor was only a “band-aid”. Since we are starting our therapy around the same time, I would like to keep posted about your progress. You are probably swamped with comments, but if you get time, I would like to ask you a few questions regarding my symptoms and the therapy. Just send me an email. Thanks Tiffany

2. On October 21st, 2008 at 6:21 am kelly bailey Says:

   Hey, thanks for your blog! it’s going to be helpful/comforting/motivating to a lot of women out there.
   I think I may have a unique problem. I started with bioidentical hormones 6 weeks ago. Not with a body logic doc, but with a local doc who does the pellets, based on blood test. what we’ve found out is that my free testosterone hasn’t increased, although my total testosterone and estrogen have. Have you had this experience?
   Also, thanks to Tiffany for her comments = I didn’t notice that there was a doc in Indianapolis. I’m only 75 minutes from there (Im in cincinnati) so that may be my next step!
   Good luck!! and keep the posts coming….

3. On October 22nd, 2008 at 7:24 am judyb Says:

   Hi Kelly, like I said before, my doc orders saliva tests for the estrogen/testosterone levels. They don’t rely on blood work because it’s not as accurate. Just ask your doctor about it, and I would encourage you to see a BodyLogicMD because they are specialists in hormones and often know more about hormone therapy than regular doctors.

   Judy B.

4. On November 18th, 2008 at 9:52 pm MaryV. Says:

   Hi! This is my first time to ever to blog and I have been dealing with noticeable hormonal symptoms for about 3 years now and have been looking into this bioidentical hormone theray for about a year now. I live in Dallas, TX so I am really close to a Dr. Susan Linder who is in Ft. Worth. Before proceeding to calling and making an appointment I wanted to get more information and feedback from women who are on this type of therapy. To be honest I am more afraid of the cost of all of it, than I am of starting the therapy. I don’t want to go to a regular GYN, just to get a pill to mask my sysmtoms. I want real results that won’t harm my body. I like doing things as natural as possible. Anyway, Thanks for the blog.

   Mary

5. On November 22nd, 2008 at 12:36 am judyb Says:

   Hi Mary, welcome. You are not alone. I’ve heard from a lot of women that say this is their first time on a blog. It’s my first time too. I understand your concern about the cost. I felt the same way. Looking back all I can say is how could I NOT afford this. It has been life changing. The synthetic estrogen I was taking was costing me $50 every 2 weeks, and that was just my co-pay. Now I pay $40 every other month and the dose is 1/10 of what I was taking. The most important thing to consider, at least to me, is the saliva testing. This is key in determining the course of treatment. If you do not find out where your hormone levels are, how can you get the proper treatment? It has been drilled into my head for over 8 years now that all I need is estrogen, and in fact what I need most is progesterone. I do not suffer from hot flashes anymore, I fall asleep and stay asleep without any medication (for the first time in years) and I feel overall normal. Bioidentical hormone therapy has given me my life back. I don’t know what else to tell you, it works. It’s worth the investment. I hope you can swing it. Good luck to you and keep following the blog to hear other women share their experiences. JudyB

6. On November 23rd, 2008 at 1:15 am JoniB Says:

   Hi Everyone:
   I have been on bioidentical hormones for aprox. 8 months. I was suffering terribly with menopause. I felt depressed, angry, weight gain, aged, and not feeling like I could hold my thoughts together. I had to quit my job because my symptoms were horrible.

   I started on the bioidentical creams of testosterone 2mg,30 Bi_Est(80/20) 1.25m/GM , and 15 Progesterone 100MG/.5 and I have to tell you that I was alittle sceptical in thinking that nothing was going to help me. Well I’m here to tell you that this is the best I have felt since I was a young teenager. I am 54 yrs old now and have not felt better. Although I am having one major problem right now.

   I don’t know if this is attributed to the 3 creams that I apply to my wrist daily, but I have the worse arm pain. I will be seeing an orthopedic doctor on Monday to see what is causing this pain in my arm that has come on gradually since I started using these creams. I don’t want to get off of them, because I feel wonderful when taking them. I have gotten off of them several times to see if that was the problem, and my arm pain decreased but have always returned to taking them again because I become so menopausal.

   I can tell you that if you are on the border of deciding whether to take these or not, DO IT!! I would have never believed the miracle of taking my menopausal symptoms away. By the way, my insurace pays for this treatment and I pay copays.

   I would really like feedback from anybody who are using bioidenticals to see if they have any problems with arm pain and if there is something that can be done to alieate my arm pain symptoms.

   JoniN

7. On November 25th, 2008 at 5:10 am judyb Says:

   Hi JoniB, I am so grateful for your story and am glad you’ve been able to get rid of your menopause symptoms. I say the same thing, DO IT! I’m so sorry you are having pain in your arm. Did you speak with your hormone doctor? What about the pharmacist? They are a wealth of untapped knowledge. I hope the Ortho doesn’t suggest you stop. What about putting the natural hormone creams on your belly? Sometimes I use estrogen cream and testosterone there. And don’t forget your thighs, finally a purpose for chubby thighs! Not that yours are chubby. Please check back after your Ortho appointment, I am quite curious as to cause of your pain. Don’t let him blow you off either; we all know how they do that.
   Judyb

8. On December 29th, 2008 at 3:46 pm Laura Says:

   Hello,

   I came across this blog looking for info to send a friend on this subject.
   Glad you are all doing well.

   I am 54, in great health and went on BHRT about 3 years ago, and I am a patient advocate for a well known doctor in California.

   I feel great, but must caution that it takes more than hormone creams. You must eat well, and exercise, too.
   And, you must always use your BHRT correctly.
   Never EVER rub hormone creams on your belly. They should be rubbed into the “limbs” ONLY. Thighs and the underside of the upper arms are recommended, (not wrist, either) becasue they are best absorbed into the “fat base”. Everyone has “some” fat on the inner thighs and upper arms, even if you’re skinny.
   The fat on the belly, however, is not just “fat”… (no matter how little fat you may have there) That fat is actually a “separate organ” which metabolizes estrogens, so you would never want to put any hormone directly into that fat base. (This is another reason why belly fat is the most dangerous kind.)
   Again…LIMBS. I’m sure your doc will tell you this if you ask, and any doc that tells you it doesn’t matter is not well informed on bio-identicals.
   Good luck, ladies!
   L.