In the last several months we've been flooded with calls, faxes and e-mails from women anxiously seeking information and help in finding a Long Island specialist who prescribes bioidentical hormones. The task has been a difficult one for our pharmacy and physicians to keep up with, but we feel this is a irrefutable way to bring about change in the local medical mindset.
If you are considering BHRT:
Your objective is for you to have a health provider who will want to work with you to find the best means to help you through this difficult period in your life.
Frequently the best place to start is with your gynecologist or any other practitioners that specializes in menopause. Interestingly, some nurse practitioners have more experience with bioidentical hormones due to their interest in preventative health.
Remember that all health providers, doctors or nurse practitioners are like us. They have spent many years learning to be authorities in their area of specialty and even more years practicing their expertise and they like to feel that they are good at what they do. They went into the profession to help people but nowadays are regrettably restricted by managed care rules and financial considerations and having to work in assembly-line conditions. He or she probably did not get much training in sex hormones (female or male) in medical school or residency programs. Remember it is only in the last couple of years that women's health programs in hospitals have even been started.
When making an appointment, specifically ask for a "hormone consultation". This appointment should take about 30 to 60 minutes to first ascertain the possible reasons for your symptoms and blood tests. You will then be prescribed appropriate therapy according to your labs and a follow-up will be scheduled afterwards.
Many physicians have been flooded with these calls and should know what you are talking about. If the office doesn't know what you are talking about or doesn't offer one, that should be a sign that you need to try elsewhere.
My doctor is not familiar with this therapy and/or does not want to even discuss it with me.
To often this is the problem we are facing here in our community. The pharmaceutical companies have inundated your doctor with point of view that synthetic hormones are just as good as bioidentical ones, that their synthetic hormones are the most trustworthy because they've been so methodically tested, and that women have no good alternative for the relief of symptoms of menopause. All these arguments are untrue, but they are the set of guidelines doctors have heard over and over.
If your doctor would like more information before prescribing bioidentical hormones, e-mail us and let us know at SPPHARMACY@HOTMAIL.COM
and we will send your doctor, a practitioners booklet with information on monitoring and prescribing BHRT.
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