Hormone Health:

""Natural" progesterone cream sold over the counter, is gaining in popularity among women looking for relief from symptoms of menopause or PMS."

- Wall Street Journal - August 30, 2005

C. W. Randolph, R. Ph., M.D., a trained pharmacist, board certified gynecologist, and one of the nations leading authorities on bio-identical hormone therapies (BHRT), was recently interviewed by the Wall Street Journal to discuss the safety and effectiveness of safety and efficacy bio-identical progesterone cream for treatment of symptoms associated with menopause and PMS. To expand on this article, Dr. Randolph offers the following insight.

"Over 38 million American women are now entering pre-menopause or menopause and they are seeking alternative solutions to treat the symptoms associated with PMS and menopause," says Dr. Randolph. "The problem is that medical studies, including the Women's Health Initiative, have shown that synthetic hormones increase a woman's risk of heart attacks, stroke, breast and uterine cancer, and Alzheimer's. Commonly prescribed synthetic hormones such as Premarin or Prempro, are a potential poison to these women and significant changes must be made in the ways these patients are advised and treated by their physicians."

It is important to recognize that bio-identical progesterone is very different from synthetic progestin. Bio-identical progesterone has the same molecular structure as the progesterone produced in the human body and the body recognizes it. Progestin is a synthetic drug whose molecular structure is different, thus triggering dangerous side effects in the body.

Bio-identical progesterone can be dispensed in capsules, tablets, gel caps, suppositories (vaginal or rectal) sublingual drops and creams.  Topical creams have been shown to be the most effective mode of administration.  When bio-identical progesterone is applied topically, it is absorbed transdermally (through the skin) immediately into the bloodstream and then distributed and utilized in progesterone target tissues.  Transdermally absorbed progesterone works within the body in essentially the same manner as the progesterone that is endogenously secreted (produced within the body) to enter the blood stream directly.

In contrast, oral routes of administration have been found to be much less effective.  When progesterone comes into the body through the mouth it must go to the liver first to be metabolized, where some of the progesterone is lost in bile.  What remains is then metabolized into more than thirty-five different biochemical substances before it can enter the bloodstream.  Very simply, cream formulations of human-identical progesterone are much more effective than oral dosage forms.  Transdermal absorption allows the body to receive, recognize, and utilize human-identical progesterone in exactly the same manner it would the progesterone produced by the body's own ovaries.  Biochemically speaking, you couldn't ask for anything better.

You can buy some form of "natural" or bio-identical progesterone cream over-the-counter in most health food stores.  The good news is that it is available.  The bad news is that you don't always know what you are getting.  Most of the product labels do not specify whether or not they meet the following criteria for product excellence. 

• Is the progesterone truly bio-identical?
• Is the concentration appropriate for you?
• Do the hormones used in the formulation meet the United States Pharmacopoeia gold standards for quality and purity?
• Was the progesterone product actually compounded under the strict guidelines approved by the National Association of Compounding Pharmacists?
• Is the concentration of oil in the cream formulation one that will promote or inhibit transdermal absorption?

One main question you may have is why you haven not heard more about bio-identical progesterone cream before now. If it is safe and more effective than synthetic substitutes, why isn't your doctor prescribing it as an option to you?

It really boils down to two things. 1) Lack of knowledge by the consumer and 2) the general practice physician and the ability of major pharmaceutical companies to twist and manipulate the idea of hormone replacement to capitalize on a business opportunity. You see, since synthetic HRT is produced in a lab and has a genetically modified structure, it can be patented. This allows for the big drug companies to market and sell this product exclusively, thus creating profits.

Since bio-identical progesterone cream is molecularly the same structure as what the body produces, it cannot be patented. Big pharmaceutical companies would not market such a product as it gives them no exclusivity to profits.

The pharmaceutical industry also continues to be the top funder of specialty forums and continuing medical education meetings for doctors. They also offer physicians some nice "perks," such as dinners, fishing trips and sporting event tickets. Credible or questionable, the dollars the pharmaceutical companies spend gets them the ear of the physician.

It really comes down to business dollars versus patient care. The good news is that the consumer may soon have more power than the pharmaceutical industry. They now realize that they may be faced with a difficult decision when it comes to symptoms versus treatment. They are looking for alternatives because an all or nothing scenario doesn't work for them. Bio-identical progesterone cream has been proven safe and effective time and time again, when compared to it's synthetic counterpart.

"Smart, informed and demanding women are finding their voice and they want data that they can believe and trust," said Dr. Randolph.

Recommended supplements:

Dr. Randolph's Natural Balance Cream