Bioidentical vs. Synthetic Hormones: Understanding the Difference

Hormonal imbalance can trigger numerous symptoms, some of which make it impossible to carry out your daily routines. Help is available through hormone replacement therapy (HRT), a treatment that can help you feel more comfortable in your own skin. 

The team at Bio-X Weight Loss Center in Austin and Round Rock, Texas, led by experienced physician assistant Luis Wilmot Jr., offers HRT using bioidentical hormones. Here, we look at how this option differs from synthetic hormones. 

Why choose hormone replacement therapy?

Your body produces many types of hormones, each playing an essential role in its many functions. 

As you age, hormone production levels naturally decline; medical conditions and treatments can also influence hormone production. This dropoff causes your hormones to become unbalanced, which can lead to numerous symptoms. 

Sex hormone fluctuation is among the more common hormonal imbalance issues. Women experience menopause as they move through the later stages of middle age, and men experience andropause. Both can bring disruptive and uncomfortable changes. 

Hormone replacement therapy works by supplementing your natural supply of hormones. The goal is to create an optimal balance and ease or eliminate symptoms. 

What are synthetic hormones?

To be clear, all supplemental hormones are synthetic, meaning they’re created in a lab and not within the body. However, synthetic typically refers to hormones created from animal sources. 

A well-known example is the synthetic hormone Premarin®, created using urine collected from pregnant horses. The name comes from the words PREgnant, MARe, and urINe. 

Premarin treats menopause symptoms in women. However, many women are uncomfortable taking medication created from animal waste products. And, there are ethical concerns about how companies treat the horses used to source the hormone-rich urine. 

How are bioidentical hormones different?

Bioidentical hormones are also lab-created, but they come from plant sources, such as soy. There are bioidentical forms of estrogen, testosterone, and progesterone. They’re called bioidentical because they’re chemically identical to the hormones you produce naturally. 

The body can’t tell the difference between bioidentical hormones and naturally created hormones. 

Some bioidentical hormones come from a single lab using plant materials straight from the farm. Other options come from a compounding pharmacy, which takes bioidentical hormones and combines them with other medications to create custom HRT solutions. 

Why do people often prefer bioidentical hormones?

Ethical and other concerns over hormones created from animal byproducts aren’t the only reasons so many people prefer bioidentical hormones. 

One benefit is the ease of incorporating these supplemental hormones into your system. Because your body can’t differentiate between the bioidentical hormones and your own supply, there’s little chance of negative interactions triggered by supplemental hormone therapy. 

Bioidentical hormone therapy is also highly customizable. We can tailor your treatment to your needs; if you don’t get the desired results, we can make adjustments. 

Don’t live with symptoms when HRT is available

If you struggle with changes brought on by declining hormone production, don’t accept those shifts as an inevitable part of aging. That’s especially true when it comes to your sexual health. 

A fulfilling sex life is an integral part of your overall health. When issues like low sex drive, vaginal dryness, or erectile dysfunction get in the way of intimacy, it’s time to take action. 

Schedule a visit at Bio-X Weight Loss Center by phone or online today to explore how HRT can help you feel and function better.