Bioidentical hormone replacement therapy in Palm Beach Gardens, Florida
Sergey Kalitenko, MD. Bioidentical hormone replacement therapy in Palm Beach Gardens, Florida.
Hot flashes, sex and a midlife crisis
Sometimes the changes that come with aging are easy to dismiss – other times they’re all too apparent.
You’re minding your business at work or home and suddenly you’re drenched in sweat. The hot flashes pass in a few minutes, but you know they’ll be back again and again, and you’ll go through more than one change of clothes tonight.
You just realized you forgot about your dentist appointment, and to make matters worse, you can’t find your keys or purse either.
You find yourself snapping at your kids and spouse a lot more these days and have to apologize all the time. You feel overwhelmed by sadness but don’t have a reason for the feelings.
“Not tonight” has become your nightly mantra and your partner isn’t happy about it. But it’s not because you’ll be sleeping – you’ll be battling insomnia again tonight just like you do most nights.
Welcome to your midlife crisis
Some of the changes that come with aging are normal and healthy, but some are a result of hormone changes and deficiencies that can develop over the years. The symptoms of menopause and andropause (the male equivalent of menopause) can be a heavy burden on your body and mind. But there is hope! A qualified holistic practitioner can provide bioidentical hormone replacement therapy – treatment that restores the balance of your natural hormones.
You may have talked to your doctor and felt frustrated as they told you these symptoms are just a normal part of aging. You know your body, and you know something is wrong. After you press your doctor for solutions, they suggest hormone replacement therapy using synthetic hormones. But do you really what it?
Synthetic hormones
Since natural hormones couldn’t be patented and pharmaceutical companies couldn’t “own” them, they had to come up with an alternative. Instead of using natural estrogen (the primary sex hormone in women), they used a modified horse estrogen. And instead of using natural progesterone (the second-most important sex hormone in women), they offered progestins, a name that sounds a lot like progesterone, but which are actually synthetic chemicals.
Finally, everyone thought these synthetic hormones were the breakthrough the world needed. Patients reported feeling better, doctors had more treatment options and in 2001, pharmaceutical companies were raking in the cash from this billion-dollar industry.
The Women’s Health Initiative (WHI) study
However, in 2002 the WHI study was published. After studying the health of thousands of women, they linked synthetic or semi-synthetic hormones to many life-threatening conditions, like cancer and blood clots. Even the most powerful pharmaceutical companies couldn’t hide these damaging conclusions from the medical community. But they didn’t pull these dangerous drugs off the market.
Instead, the FDA made the companies add warning labels telling women to discuss the drugs with their doctors.
After reading about the hormone scandals that came to light after the WHI study, and considering the serious side effects, I began to seriously question the use of synthetic hormones for medical treatment.
Do menopausal women and men going through andropause even need hormones? Is there another way to get their life back? Would diet, vitamins, and exercise be enough?
Hormones help people
Have you ever seen a person who looks half her age? I remember the first time I saw a woman in her 60s with the body of a 30-year-old. Her skin was stunning, and her beautiful body was lean and curvy. Her fountain of youth? Bioidentical hormone replacement therapy.
One theory of aging is that it’s not your cholesterol, it’s not your blood pressure that kills you. It’s the decline in hormones, and the effects it has on your body, that does you in.
The natural human sex hormones estrogen, progesterone and testosterone, among others, are powerful promoters of good health. High levels of estrogen make a body we associate with strong feminine reproductive health – confidence, sex drive, well-developed breasts, low waist-to-hip ratio. It also has powerful positive effects on fat burning, bone maintenance, blood vessels and cholesterol levels. It protects the brain against mood and memory problems.
Estrogen is kept in check by its partner hormone, progesterone. Progesterone is at high levels during pregnancy and promotes a feeling of calm. It normalizes blood pressure, is a natural diuretic and an antidepressant. Progesterone works on the brain to promote normal brain function.
Testosterone is known as the male sex hormone, but it’s also present in women. It promotes strong muscle development, increases energy and a sense of well-being. It strongly affects libido, and protects against bone loss, diabetes, Alzheimer’s disease and heart disease.
The hormone cocktail that keeps us young
To fight the negative effects of aging, we need all these hormones: estrogen, progesterone and testosterone (women and men both). To avoid the dangers of synthetic hormones, we use bioidentical hormones. These are compounds that are chemically identical to the natural hormones your body produces. Hormone replacement corrects the deficiencies and ensures optimal levels of all these hormones – that means all hormones should be checked and corrected, not just one.
The body is complex and there are additional variations of hormones that can be administered to tailor support to the individual and to alleviate particular symptoms.
A holistic approach to health
The keys are to be aware of the risks of any treatment you choose and to identify the underlying cause of the problem. We don’t just treat symptoms; we spend time understanding the root causes of your problem. This takes careful investigation and proper treatment. Treatment is more than just using bioidentical hormones. Reaching one’s full health potential requires a holistic approach – lifestyle, diet, exercise, mind and body. We tailor your treatment plan to you as an individual, taking your particular health concerns and needs into consideration.
For more information about bioidentical hormone replacement, call or visit our Palm Beach Gardens, Florida location. We are easily accessible from anywhere in the Palm Beach Gardens and West Palm Beach areas.
BIOIDENTICAL HORMONES: HELL OR HEAVEN?
Sergey Kalitenko, MD, a board-certified physician in antiaging, shares the truth about bioidentical hormones and how they differ from their synthetic, man-made counterparts. Using his medical expertise, he shares insights and industry anecdotes, and takes the mystery out of bioidentical hormone replacement therapy. He explains why it may be a viable alternative for men and women of a particular age. His easy-to-understand explanations are relatable, real and relevant. His strategies are backed by years of experience in holistic medicine and proven by the many patients who have visited his two New York City offices. The book includes a “Practical Guide to Bioidentical Hormone Replacement Therapy” that describes the body’s most important hormones and the vital roles they play in health and well-being. Dr. Kalitenko’s book is the top resource for anyone interested in looking and feeling younger, stronger and more energized.