HORMONE
REPLACEMENT THERAPY
by
Lawrence Wilson, MD
© March
2013, The Center for Development
Hormones are very powerful substances that are supposed to made
inside the body. When they are not
made in sufficient quantity, one can definitely develop many types of
symptoms. Biochemical research has
made it possible to replace some common hormones such as estrogen, progesterone
and others. However, we find that
with nutritional balancing science, almost all of the time we can restore the
bodyÕs normal hormone production. This is far superior to the use of any
hormone replacement. This
article discusses many aspects of hormone replacement therapy.
PROBLEMS WITH BIO-IDENTICAL HORMONE THERAPY
1. Hormone therapy can cause cancer. I mention this as a
warning, because it can occur.
Worsening some types of hormone-dependent cancers is probably the
biggest danger of the use of artificial and natural or so-called bio-identical
hormone therapies.
I would warn the reader to AVOID ALL SYNTHETIC HORMONE REPLACEMENT,
IF AT ALL POSSIBLE, FOR THIS REASON.
The only exception I can think of is the use of insulin for severe
diabetes. A nutritional balancing
program may take care of diabetes in time, but insulin might be needed until
health can be rebuilt.
2. Bio-identical hormone therapy is not bio-identical at all. The reasons are:
a. So-called bio-identical hormones are synthesized products. Synthetic products
are similar to the ones made within our bodies, but are not identical. Chemicals made by our bodies always
have a D or an L spin. All manmade
products have a combination of D and L forms that is difficult to impossible to
separate out. This may sound a
little esoteric, but this difference in spin causes many differences in the
biological activity of the substance.
b. So-called bio-identical
hormones are delivered in ways that are totally unnatural. Our bodies produce hormones as they
are needed, using a complex feedback system that involves the pituitary gland,
hypothalamus, and other structures that carefully regulate their production,
secretion and ultimate destruction.
Hormone replacement therapies attempt to sidestep this delicate
balancing system. While this
therapy can relieve some symptoms, it is not natural or bio-identical. It is a drug therapy or allopathic,
symptomatic approach to healing.
3. Hormone replacement seriously upsets the delicate hormone
feedback systems in the body. This is especially true of the steroid hormones (DHEA,
pregnenolone, estrogen, progesterone, cortisone, androsterone and
testosterone). However, it is true
of taking thyroid hormone replacement, insulin replacement and others as
well. Testosterone therapy is one
of the least harmful in this respect.
In
other words, hormone replacement, including bio-identical hormone replacement
therapy, may do more harm than good by upsetting the delicate feedback
mechanisms of the body that are designed to regulate hormone production.
Giving one hormone always affects others, and may affect many
areas of physical functioning. The
feedback system is quite complex and not well understood. It is difficult, if not impossible, to
adequately monitor the system to know how much one needs on a daily or hourly
basis.
4. Hormone therapy rarely addresses the root causes of illness. Instead, it mainly treats symptoms. Causes of hormone imbalances include nutrient
deficiencies, toxic metal excesses, toxic chemicals and the effects of
radiation, emotional imbalances and stress from other causes. The only time hormone replacement addresses
a root cause is when the gland that produces the hormone has been surgically
removed or is so damaged so that it cannot function.
Menopause. In the case of menopause, it is true that the ovaries stop
or drastically reduce their hormone secretion. However, in most cases, the body handles this change of life
very well. In other words, menopause should
not be a disease that requires treatment. This applies to surgically-caused menopause (removal of the
ovaries) as well as that which occurs with age.
Millions of women do fine without hormone replacement at
menopause. If symptoms arise such
as hot flashes, vaginal dryness or others, in all cases her adrenal glands and
perhaps thyroid are not functioning well.
As health improves on a nutritional balancing program, the symptoms
usually vanish without the need for hormone replacement. I have encountered only very rarely a
case when hormone replacement is needed or helpful at menopause. For more on this topic, read Menopause on this site.
5. Hormone replacement therapy often masks underlying problems. As with all
symptomatic therapies, natural hormone replacement may give relief from some
symptoms. However, underlying
problems such as heavy metal toxicity, nutrient deficiencies or chemical
toxicity continue unrecognized and unaddressed. This often leads to more serious illness in the future.
6. Even so-called bio-identical hormones are toxic. This is most evident
with insulin. Every physician is
familiar with the care that must be used in administering insulin, even though
modern insulin is technically a bio-identical hormone. Too much or too little can cause a
fatal reaction.
When I hear doctors
say that natural hormones are not toxic, I cringe because it is not true. Estrogens, cortisol,
cortisone, progesterone, DHEA, pregnenelone and the others are all powerful
substances that all have toxic effects when not produced inside the body in
just the right quantity at just the right time.
7. One cannot provide the correct dosage of replacement
hormones. The bodyÕs natural hormone secretion varies every minute of every
day and night. It depends on
hundreds of factors such as lifestyle, diet, mental attitude, stressors,
illnesses and many others. This is
impossible to duplicate with hormone replacement therapy of any kind.
Replacement therapy substitutes a rigid and strict routine for the
delicate balancing act the body performs all day with its hormone
secretion. This will eventually
upset the body severely.
8. A hormone's metabolic effect is what is most important, not its
serum, urine or saliva level.
However, serum, urine or saliva are how hormone levels are usually
measured.
This is particularly a problem with thyroid and adrenal hormone
monitoring.
The metabolic effects of hormones are extremely complex and hard
to measure. They often depends
less upon the level of circulating hormone and more on how much enters the
cells and is metabolized properly within the cells. For this reason, cellular tests such as hair mineral
testing often reveal a very different picture than blood, urine and saliva
tests that measure circulating hormone levels.
9. Hormone replacement therapy is costly. The costs include 1)
the hormones, 2) repeated testing that is absolutely required to prescribe them
properly and 3) longer-term costs because one must usually stay on them for
years. Other hidden costs may be
the damage they cause to the body.
In addition to the financial burden, one becomes dependent on
tests and doctors that in itself extracts a human cost. Cost is not important if it saves a
life, but it is important for most people, especially if less expensive
alternatives such as nutritional balancing can be used instead.
MYTHS OF HORMONE REPLACEMENT THERAPY
1. Bio-identical hormone therapy is a natural or naturopathic
therapy. No! It is an allopathic and symptomatic
approach. Just because some
naturopaths offer hormone replacement therapy does not make it a natural
therapy. No hormone replacement
therapy is ever natural because hormones are supposed to be produced within the
body.
The only natural approach to
hormone correction is to rebuild the organ or gland that produces the hormones.
This can be
done in over 90% of the cases using nutritional balancing science.
2. Hormone replacement is just like taking vitamins, minerals or
other substances needed by the body. Absolutely
not! Hormones
are supposed to be produced inside the body, in complex combinations, and in
quantities that vary every minute of the day and night.
In
contrast, vitamins, minerals and other phytochemicals are supposed to be
obtained from outside of the body from our food, water or other
supplements. Most can be stored,
and they can be ingested in rough quantities at mealtimes, with no harm at all
to the body. The body has complex
buffering systems that protect one from ingesting too much calcium at a meal,
for example. This is not true of
hormones and it makes hormone therapy intrinsically far more toxic and
dangerous.
This
is an extremely important difference between supplements of vitamins and
mineral therapy versus hormone therapy.
Yet most holistic and naturopathic doctors think that natural hormones
are just like natural minerals and vitamins. They could not be more wrong!
3.
Once a personÕs hormone levels have become low due to age, toxicity, disease or
for other reasons, one must take replacement hormones to restore normal body
functioning. This
is not true. However, most
medical, holistic and naturopathic doctors do not know how to truly restore the
body, in my experience. The
articles on this website and my books can help correct this problem.
4.
Bio-identical hormones are the same as those produced within the body. This
is not true, and the reasons are explained in the section of this article
above.
5.
Bio-identical hormones are non-toxic. This has been discussed
above. All hormones are toxic
substances to a degree.
6.
Hormone replacement schedules can mimic the bodyÕs own production of hormones. This
is never true because the body changes the level of its hormones minute by
minute, and this can never be duplicated with pills, patches or shots or any
other manmade delivery system.
7.
Blood, urine and saliva tests are accurate to assess how much replacement
hormone is needed at any time. I find this is simply not true. What matters is the effect of the
hormones, rather than the level of circulating hormones.
For
example, many patients have normal serum thyroid tests. However, they suffer all the symptoms
of hypothyroidism and benefit greatly from a program to improve thyroid
activity such as the use of kelp and other products, along with diet and
lifestyle correction. This is the
most common example of the failure of blood and other tests to assess hormone
activity. However, many others
could be cited.
WHEN HORMONE REPLACEMENT IS HELPFUL AND/OR NEEDED
Insulin for type 1
diabetes, at times. Type 1 diabetes can be a slow disease to
correct. The cause of Type 1
diabetes can be A) an infection in the pancreas can reduces insulin production,
or perhaps B) a toxic metal or chemical such as iron or manganese in the
pancreas that reduces insulin secretion.
In these cases, correction can take months or a few years, perhaps. Insulin may be needed to sustain a
person during this time. Insulin
is also useful in emergencies.
Type 2 diabetes. Most Type 2 diabetics can lower their blood sugar with dietary and
lifestyle changes. In particular,
they must reduce carbohydrates drastically and make sure they are well-hydrated
– with water, not coffee, tea, juices, soda pop, etc. Fruit should be eliminated
completely. Most grains must be
eliminated as well, especially wheat.
Replacing them with cooked vegetables three times daily improves health
and causes rapid weight loss in most cases. They also need animal protein and a few nutritional
supplements.
Most must drink more
spring water, and must stop drinking coffee, alcohol and other caffeinated
beverages. If they will do this,
the blood sugar level usually plummets within days or a week.
Many
type 2 diabetics are also toxic with iron, manganese, lead, cadmium, mercury
and other heavy metals. Many need
more bioavailable chromium, zinc and manganese. For much more on this topic, read Diabetes
on this website. Several other
articles on this website discuss Carbohydrates,
Fruit-eating, Fructose, and Sugar.
Thyroid hormone
Replacement. If the thyroid gland has been removed
surgically, or destroyed by irradiation or RAI, thyroid hormone replacement is
often needed. However, in my
experience with nutritional balancing science, in time the body will often
regenerate the thyroid if a small amount of thyroid tissue is left in the
body. Often this is the case,
especially after RAI or radioactive iodine therapy for GraveÕs disease or
hyperthyroidism. In these cases,
thyroid hormone replacement may sometimes be stopped after months or a few
years of rebuilding the thyroid and improving overall health.
If the thyroid gland
is present in the body and has not been irradiated to destroy it, I find that
thyroid replacement hormones, even natural thyroid hormones, are usually not needed. In fact, they get in
the way of overall healing and literally stop healing at deeper levels at a
certain point. Doctors will say
that one must stay on the thyroid hormones for life. However, most people who follow a nutritional balancing
program can stop their synthetic and/or natural thyroid hormones, and they do
just fine without them.
In most cases, natural or synthetic thyroid hormone replacement
simply masks deeper imbalances.
These are, in almost all cases, iodine deficiency, and toxicity with
copper, mercury, fluoride, bromides, and chlorides from the environment. Other possible causes for low thyroid
can be selenium and zinc deficiencies, and more subtle imbalances such as an
imbalanced oxidation rate, pituitary tumors, and even muscle tension in the
neck area or chiropractic problems in this area of the body.
Another
cause of thyroid problems is a compensation for adrenal gland weakness. Exhaustion of the sympathetic or
fight-or-flight nervous system also contributes to thyroid imbalance.
If
one feels one must replace thyroid hormones, most patients do better on natural
thyroid (Naturethroid or Westhroid, for example), which contain all the
hormones and nutritional factors as well.
HashimotoÕs thyroiditis, also called HashimotoÕs disease. This condition is
common and caused by an infection in the thyroid that reduces its hormone
output. In almost all cases, the
infection goes away quickly on a nutritional balancing program. Thyroid hormone replacement will slow
the corrective process in all cases and is not needed at all. For more on this topic, read HashimotoÕs Thyroiditis.
GraveÕs disease or hyperthyroidism. While hormones are not prescribed for this condition, it is a
common thyroid imbalance that in my experience is due to a toxin in the
pituitary gland, or due to stress, copper or mercury toxicity.
The solution is never to destroy the thyroid gland with surgery or
radiation. It is to address the
causes, as is done with a nutritional balancing program, and the condition goes
away permanently. If stress,
copper or mercury are the causes, it often disappears in a few months. If a pituitary toxin must be removed,
it takes a few years to completely resolve. Nutritional balancing programs need special modifications
for GraveÕs disease. For more on
this, read GraveÕs Disease on this site.
Emergencies. As with the other hormones, thyroid hormone can be helpful
in rare emergencies for a short time only. For more information about thyroid problems and natural
approaches to solving them, see the article on this website, Thyroid Disease.
AddisonÕs
disease. According to medical texts, cortisol or cortisone replacement
therapy are needed in these cases.
However, I have worked with a number of people with a diagnosis of
AddisonÕs disease. So far, in
every case, a nutritional balancing program has been sufficient to correct it,
without ever needing adrenal hormone replacement therapy. In fact, adrenal hormones get in the
way of correction.
To read more about this topic, click on AddisonÕs
Disease, Adrenal Insufficiency
and Adrenal
Burnout Syndrome. The side effects of even low-dose cortisone therapy are
so devastating that its use should be reserved as a last resort only if all
else fails.
Other hormones. The principle is the same. If the gland or organ that produces the hormone has been
removed surgically or damaged or atrophied beyond repair, then hormone
replacement is needed.
A possible exception to this is the surgical removal of the
ovaries. In these cases, often the
ovarian hormones can be made by the adrenal glands and other sites in the
body. In some cases, ovary
removal, which should be done only rarely in the case of overwhelming
pathology, can render some women so unwell that hormones may be the only answer
for a while, until they improve their overall health. Then they should not be needed at all.
Topical hormone therapy, for example, for
dermatitis and other skin problems, is far less toxic than ingesting
corticosteroids. However, it will
eventually thin the skin if used repeatedly. Therefore, it should be used only occasionally, if at all.
Short-term therapy for emergencies. For example, cortisone may be used for
a few days to stop swelling of the brain after a head trauma. As long as it is not a longer-term
therapy, it can be life-saving.
If a person will not or cannot follow a
nutritional balancing program.
In these cases, hormone replacement is the second best choice as it may
provide relief from symptoms. This might
occur if a person is very old, very ill, or simply unable or unwilling to
follow a strict diet, lifestyle, supplement and detoxification program.
Melatonin. This hormone is secreted by the pineal gland. It is helpful for many people to
promote restful sleep, especially if one has jet lag, for example. It appears to be fairly safe,
especially for occasional use.
Natural progesterone, testosterone and natural thyroid. These are occasionally helpful remedies for premenstrual
syndrome, fatigue and problems related to aging. However, we find they are rarely needed if one will follow a
nutritional balancing program.
They might be needed for a short time, if one has a lot of toxic metals
to remove that will take months, for example. These approaches are described elsewhere on this website in
articles such as Premenstrual Syndrome.
HORMONES FROM THE ENVIRONMENT
Some
readers may disagree with this article on the grounds that we all ingest some
hormones from food products and even in our drinking water. I would answer that this type of
Òhormone replacementÓ is almost always extremely harmful. Common examples of hormones ingested
from the food or water are:
á
Estrogens
and others found in dairy products and meats. Some of these occur naturally, and many
are chemicals fed to the livestock to increase their weight or for other
reasons. Dairy products containing
these hormone residues generally make the product far less healthful.
á
Soy
and a few other foods contain genistin and other compounds that bind to
estrogen binding sites in the body. Once again, many scientists believe this is not a good thing,
except perhaps for some menopausal women,
a rather small subgroup of the population. I donÕt think it is healthful for anyone, and is the main
reason that traditional people have fermented their soy products to remove these
chemicals.
á
Contaminated
tap water. Most American
and Western European municipal water supplies contain residues of medical
drugs, including hormones. Once
again, this is not considered a healthful situation.
á
Some
pesticides and plastic materials contain hormone-like toxic chemicals that can
mimic estrogens. These are very
common today, unfortunately, and also quite harmful.
In
summary, most of our food-based and water-based hormone sources are decidedly
negative for health.
SPIRITUAL DEVELOPMENT AND HORMONE REPLACEMENT THERAPY
Unless
hormone therapy saves oneÕs life, another problem with it is that it slows and
possibly stops what is called on this website spiritual or mental
development. This is a precise
process that is described in several articles on this site including Spiritual Development, Development – Why And Why Now? and others.
The
reasons why hormone replacement therapy of any kind slows or stops development
include the following:
á
Any therapy that is even
slightly toxic is not helpful for development.
á
Any therapy that restricts
the normal feedback systems of the body is harmful for development. All hormone replacement therapies do
this to some degree, as they cannot perfectly mimic the bodyÕs self-regulating
tendencies.
á
All therapies that involve the use of synthetic
substances, in particular, often slow development.
CONFUSING HORMONE-RELATED SITUATIONS ON HAIR MINERAL ANALYSES
Hair
mineral analyses often reveal more about hormone
cellular effects than they do about circulating hormone levels. This is a very complex subject. It is, however, a very helpful measure
in some cases. Here are a few of
the most confusing situations that
practitioners encounter when evaluating hormone metabolism and trying to use
serum, urine, saliva and hair for assessment:
A hair analysis indicates low
adrenal and thyroid effect or response (slow oxidation), but adrenal and
thyroid hormone levels are normal.
This occurs
often. It means that hormone
secretion is okay, but the body is not able to respond to the hormones. Reasons for this include:
á
The
hormones the body is secreting may not be of good enough quality to act
properly.
á
A
deficiency of a co-factor or releasing factor is making the bodyÕs hormones
less effective.
á
Reduced
cell permeability is reducing the hormoneÕs ability to enter the cells.
á
Once in
the cells, the body is not able to utilize the hormones properly.
A person is on ÒadequateÓ hormone
replacement according to serum or saliva hormone tests, but a hair analysis and
the personÕs symptoms indicate low hormone effect.
This is extremely common.
It means the replacement hormones are not balancing the body enough, and
could be making things worse by upsetting the bodyÕs natural hormone feedback
systems.
The reason for this is the problem is not a
lack of hormones, but usually such causes as toxic metals, nutrient
deficiencies and other biochemical imbalances. A nutritional balancing program will slowly enable the
person to get off the replacement hormones after a time. In some cases, staying on the
replacement product slows or can even stop progress. However, I do not take people off prescription drugs, as
that is a more personal decision that is often made best with the approval of
the prescribing doctor.
Serum or saliva hormone levels
are low, but a hair analysis reveals fast oxidation or an excessive hormone
effect. This is also very common. Possibly, excessive cell permeability (if
fast oxidation is present) is allowing hormones to enter the cells faster than
is ideal. It is an adaptive
mechanism and part of the alarm reaction.
In this case, taking supplemental hormones can be very dangerous and can
even lead to death. However,
convincing a client of this fact can be difficult, especially if the person
feels better on the hormones.
Other causes for low thyroid and adrenal
hormones in a fast oxidizer, for example, include a temporary stress reaction,
or that the hormone test was done at a time when hormones were low, while a
hair mineral test represents an average reading over a three month time
period. Other complicating factors
are also possible, such as a falsely elevated sodium or potassium reading due
to using a water softener, swimming in pools often, or for some other reason
that should be checked carefully.
Finally, the hair test reflects the stress response, and not hormone
levels. This must be recalled and
one needs to understand both types of tests to evaluate the differences
properly. However, in most cases,
giving thyroid or adrenal hormones to fast oxidizers is not helpful and can be
dangerous!
A hair analysis shows a complex
metabolic pattern such as four lows, four highs or another, but hormone levels
appear within normal limits. The same principles apply. The nutritional balancing program will
slowly undo the complex patterns on the hair analysis. Stopping supplementary hormones is
often helpful if the client desires it, and is best done with the blessing of
the prescribing doctor for legal reasons.
The client has GraveÕs disease
or hyperthyroidism, but a hair analysis indicates sluggish thyroid activity and
slow oxidation. This is the rule, not the exception. See the article on Thyroid
Disease for a deeper understanding of why this occurs in almost every case.
HOW TO WEAN YOURSELF OFF
CORTISONE THERAPY OR EVEN THE NEED FOR HIGH DOSES OF ADRENAL SUPPLEMENTS
A
fact that is not well known is that therapy with hydrocortisone, Prednisone and
related products often causes a low level of B-complex vitamins. The only way to remedy this in the
short term is to take extra amounts of vitamin B complex. Often up to 100 mg per day or more of
the B-complex vitamins are needed to offset this effect of cortisone
therapy. When one does this, many
people find it much easier to wean themselves off hydrocortisone therapy.
Thyroid, Megapan ;;;
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