Personalised Hormone Plan
At New Model Medicine, we treat a wide range of hormone imbalances including:
Menopause
Perimenopause
Supportive treatment for PCOS and endometriosis
Supportive treatment for heavy menstrual flow
BIOLOGY OF PERI AND MENOPAUSE
Female hormones decline a 100-fold in the space of five years around the transition into menopause (men’s only drop 2% per year), fluctuating wildly for 3-7 years prior to the cessation of menstrual periods. Once the fluctuations stop, they remain at very low levels for the rest of our lives.
During this time, our usual duties towards our families and society increase rather than diminish. And yet, we expect of ourselves to carry on as though nothing is happening to our biology.
Sex hormones have many roles in our biology besides reproduction. They maintain our cardiovascular health, bone health, optimal brain function and energy and vitality.
HRT / BHRT
The million women study was the largest study on HRT use and was stopped early (http://www.millionwomenstudy.org/aims/) as it found an increased risk of breast cancer, stroke and increased clotting risk with HRT. This study did not use human-like hormones (but rather horse-derived equine estrogens and srong synthetic progestins); it also included older women who had been menopausal for quite some time.
We learned from it that there is an optimal window for starting HRT- (within 10 years max since the last menstrual period). Since 2015, the British menopause society acknowledged that oral micronized progesterone – body/ bio-identical progesterone is the best tolerated with the least side-effects when compared to synthetic progestins. Also, some studies showed that bio-identical progesterone (body identical) may have a lower risk of breast cancer when compared to other synthetic progestins.
Estrogen when given via the skin (transdermal) as a patch or gel has a much lower risk of clots or other cardio-vascular complications compared to pills/tablets.
Therefore, there are licensed bio-identical/ body-identical hormones, such as estradiol (gel/patch) which can be given together with oral micronized progesterone (licensed as Utrogestan and available in a fixed dose capsule of 100mg capsule)
This is the best bio-identical hormone option to treat menopause and it is licensed to be used when periods have become less frequent (less than 3 per year) or stopped altogether. This may also be available on the NHS.
Women at earlier stages of perimenopause, whose estradiol levels can be very high, may benefit from other hormone/ supplements interventions, personalised to their own hormone profiles.
Also, about a third of the women I see have already tried the licensed bio-identical hormone combination and as they don’t feel balanced, they may need further dose adjustments or other lifestyle changes to support hormone therapy.
The aim is to achieve hormone harmony and all options that may suit your particular hormone profile will be discussed and explained at the time of the appointment.