Guess which one is which….

What is the difference between Conjugated Oestrogen, Body identical Oestrogen like Estradiol and “Bioidentical” HRT?

In the “olden” days, and still sometimes today, we got oestrogen from the urine of pregnant mares…yup. You heard right. Those poor mares would be kept pregnant, and their urine collected, and the mixture of Oestrogens found in that urine was used to make PRE(gnant)MAR(e) (ur)IN(e)…hence the name PREMARIN. These oestrogens are a bit of a mixed batch and not exactly identical to the Estradiol that the human body makes.

As you can imagine this is not ideal, especially for horse lovers! However, they do help with the symptoms of low Oestrogen. These Oestrogens are called “Conjugated Oestrogens”

Body identical HRT on the other hand, is plant derived Estradiol which is identical to the oestrogen our bodies make. Obviously, no animals are harmed in the process and it’s much better to have a molecule that is biologically identical to a human one, that a mixture of oestrogen molecules derived from a different animal! All of the Body Identical HRT that I prescribe is *FDA/EMA/MHRA approved. So, that means I know exactly what is in it and what the side effects and benefits are. I am also guaranteed a specific dosage.

Bio-identical hormones, tend to refer to hormone that is compounded. This could be by a pharmacist or a doctor. What is compounding? Well, the FDA website says “Drug compounding is often regarded as the process of combining, mixing or altering ingredients to create a medication tailored to the needs of an individual patient. Compounding includes the combining of two or more drugs. Compounded drugs are not FDA approved”

Now, this does not mean that all compounded drugs are bad. However, it does mean that they are only as good as the ingredients and the person mixing them and may not be subject to the same scrutiny and standardization as an FDA approved drug.  This means that the compounded drug is not necessarily FDA approved, although they can try to fool you into telling you it is made in an FDA approved lab. Note: An FDA approved lab means the lab is approved as a lab by the FDA. It does not mean that all the drugs they compound are FDA approved. Bio-identical HRT tends to be administered as pellets below the skin. People who sell these drugs tend to tell you that they will “measure your hormone levels” via blood tests or saliva and “tailor” the dose to suit you. But this it itself is flawed and I will talk about this in a future article. “Doc, I just want to check my hormone levels…”

*MHRA= Medicines and Healthcare Products Regulatory Agency
EMA= European Medicines Agency
FDA=Food and Drug Administration

If you would also like to know more about Navigating the menopause, join me at The Utopia Peace and Wellness Transformation festival at La Soledad Estate St Joseph on Sun 5th May in aid of Horses helping Humans. Call 221-3983 for tickets.