cover image What You Must Know About Bioidentical Hormone Replacement Therapy: An Alternative Approach to Effectively Treating the Symptoms of Menopause

What You Must Know About Bioidentical Hormone Replacement Therapy: An Alternative Approach to Effectively Treating the Symptoms of Menopause

Amy Lee Hawkins, Pharm.D . SquareOne, $17.95 (192p) ISBN 978-0-7570-0380-6

Certified pharmacist Hawkins issues a ringing endorsement of a lesser-known and non-patentable method of treating menopause in this short, accessibly written primer. A specialist in the procedure she recommends, bioidentical hormone replacement therapy (BHRT), the author ascribes the health issues experienced during otherwise similar courses of treatment to the use of hormones derived from other animals and plants, rather than "bio-identical" ones taken from humans. Closely involved in this area as the CEO of Pharm-D Partners, Inc. and founder of Hormones in Harmony Consulting, Hawkins diligently includes everything that a woman or her health specialist might wish to know before starting treatment, including the tests required, an inventory of the symptoms that indicate out-of-balance sex hormones, and information about the dosages administered during BHRT therapy. She recommends a specific titration schedule for those currently on synthetic hormones and discusses the optimal maintenance schedule for smoothly transitioning through menopause in radiant health. Additionally, women for whom hormone replacement is either undesirable or not possible will find a treasure trove here of alternative nutritional solutions to the health concerns associated with menopause. (Oct.)