Fatigue, Insomnia, Loss of Sex Drive, and Your Hormones by Dr. Kirk Moore
Dr. Kirk Moore
July 09, 2008
Our parents were told that feeling tired, having difficulty sleeping, and losing their sex drive were just normal parts of the aging process. They had to accept these problems and live with them. But it doesn´t have to be that way for our generation. Yes, the aging process can wreak havoc with our body´s systems, but a number of these issues are caused by hormonal changes that can be alleviated with the proper therapy. The truth is that we simply no longer have to live with a loss of youthful vitality.
Tests can be administered to show whether your endocrine system is functioning not just normally, but optimally. Fatigue and stress are often a result of thyroid and adrenal gland dysfunction. And we all know what happens to women during perimenopause and menopause, when estrogen and progesterone levels begin to drop. The results can be painful and aggravating on a daily basis.
Yet, women experiencing menopause fear what they´ve heard about the side effects of hormone replacement therapy (called HRT), and those fears are well-founded. Luckily, there´s now an alternative. Bio-identical hormones significantly reduce the side effects caused by traditional HRT because they´re not synthetic. We actually believe that the synthetic hormones manufactured by pharmaceutical companies are toxic to the body, while bio-identical hormones have the same chemical makeup as the hormones your body already manufactures. They are derived from plants and are natural, while many synthetic hormones are derived from animal sources and altered chemically in the laboratory.
Unlike synthetic hormones, bio-identical hormones must be customized for your individual body chemistry. In fact, it´s virtually impossible to personalize synthetic hormones in this way, which, by necessity, have to be a "one size fits all" prescription. This is also why drug companies can´t patent bio-identical hormones, which have to be tailor-made.
Women aren´t the only ones who suffer from hormonal imbalances! Men can suffer from poor thyroid and adrenal gland function, and testosterone levels can drop and cause low sex drive, as well as sexual dysfunction. Hormone replacement therapy for men can not only give men more energy and help them to lose weight, but it can give them greater muscle mass.
But there are even more issues that can be caused by hormonal problems, and they can occur at most any age. For example, hormones (too high or too low) may be the culprit behind these symptoms:
Weight gain
PMS mood swings
Depression
Constipation and bloating
Infertility
Forgetfulness
Fibromyalgia
What causes your hormones to get out of whack? Well, the aging process isn´t the only culprit. Otherwise, young people wouldn´t have some of these symptoms as well. There are a number of what are called "hormone disruptors" that decrease or increase hormones to abnormal levels. Heredity, birth control pills, cleaning chemicals, pesticide residue on fruits and vegetables, and the hormones injected into beef and chicken are just some of the causes of hormonal imbalances. But the number one problem is stress, which acts like a little Pac Man, running through your bloodstream and "eating" all of your hormones. Stress especially affects your adrenal gland function.
In our practice, we offer a one-year program that begins with tests to determine whether your hormone levels are too high or too low. Your bio-identical hormones are then prescribed and created just for you, and we monitor your levels and symptoms throughout the year, including an evaluation of your nutrition and exercise regimen.
Some of our patients opt for a full preventive medicine regimen, which includes the bio-identical hormone replacement therapy, as well as a comprehensive physical exam, a full panel of blood tests, an EKG (where indicated), and a full evaluation and treatment of risk factors for cardiovascular disease, diabetes, hypertension, cancer, and any other chronic, progressive, or debilitating illnesses that the patient may be at risk for.
The best news is that you probably won´t need to be on your regimen of bio-identical hormones for the rest of your life. Our goal is to regulate your hormones and gradually decrease your dosages over time whenever possible.
Despite the fact that bio-identical hormones are safer than synthetic hormones, few doctors are prescribing them as yet. Many doctors don´t know about them, and the other problem is that the pharmaceutical companies have a great investment in keeping their products on the forefront.
Nevertheless, we have had great success with our patients who have begun our hormone replacement program – both men and women. Certainly, hormone replacement isn´t for everyone, but if your test results indicate that your hormone levels are too low or too high, a bio-identical hormone replacement program can truly change your life.
Tests can be administered to show whether your endocrine system is functioning not just normally, but optimally. Fatigue and stress are often a result of thyroid and adrenal gland dysfunction. And we all know what happens to women during perimenopause and menopause, when estrogen and progesterone levels begin to drop. The results can be painful and aggravating on a daily basis.
Yet, women experiencing menopause fear what they´ve heard about the side effects of hormone replacement therapy (called HRT), and those fears are well-founded. Luckily, there´s now an alternative. Bio-identical hormones significantly reduce the side effects caused by traditional HRT because they´re not synthetic. We actually believe that the synthetic hormones manufactured by pharmaceutical companies are toxic to the body, while bio-identical hormones have the same chemical makeup as the hormones your body already manufactures. They are derived from plants and are natural, while many synthetic hormones are derived from animal sources and altered chemically in the laboratory.
Unlike synthetic hormones, bio-identical hormones must be customized for your individual body chemistry. In fact, it´s virtually impossible to personalize synthetic hormones in this way, which, by necessity, have to be a "one size fits all" prescription. This is also why drug companies can´t patent bio-identical hormones, which have to be tailor-made.
Women aren´t the only ones who suffer from hormonal imbalances! Men can suffer from poor thyroid and adrenal gland function, and testosterone levels can drop and cause low sex drive, as well as sexual dysfunction. Hormone replacement therapy for men can not only give men more energy and help them to lose weight, but it can give them greater muscle mass.
But there are even more issues that can be caused by hormonal problems, and they can occur at most any age. For example, hormones (too high or too low) may be the culprit behind these symptoms:
Weight gain
PMS mood swings
Depression
Constipation and bloating
Infertility
Forgetfulness
Fibromyalgia
What causes your hormones to get out of whack? Well, the aging process isn´t the only culprit. Otherwise, young people wouldn´t have some of these symptoms as well. There are a number of what are called "hormone disruptors" that decrease or increase hormones to abnormal levels. Heredity, birth control pills, cleaning chemicals, pesticide residue on fruits and vegetables, and the hormones injected into beef and chicken are just some of the causes of hormonal imbalances. But the number one problem is stress, which acts like a little Pac Man, running through your bloodstream and "eating" all of your hormones. Stress especially affects your adrenal gland function.
In our practice, we offer a one-year program that begins with tests to determine whether your hormone levels are too high or too low. Your bio-identical hormones are then prescribed and created just for you, and we monitor your levels and symptoms throughout the year, including an evaluation of your nutrition and exercise regimen.
Some of our patients opt for a full preventive medicine regimen, which includes the bio-identical hormone replacement therapy, as well as a comprehensive physical exam, a full panel of blood tests, an EKG (where indicated), and a full evaluation and treatment of risk factors for cardiovascular disease, diabetes, hypertension, cancer, and any other chronic, progressive, or debilitating illnesses that the patient may be at risk for.
The best news is that you probably won´t need to be on your regimen of bio-identical hormones for the rest of your life. Our goal is to regulate your hormones and gradually decrease your dosages over time whenever possible.
Despite the fact that bio-identical hormones are safer than synthetic hormones, few doctors are prescribing them as yet. Many doctors don´t know about them, and the other problem is that the pharmaceutical companies have a great investment in keeping their products on the forefront.
Nevertheless, we have had great success with our patients who have begun our hormone replacement program – both men and women. Certainly, hormone replacement isn´t for everyone, but if your test results indicate that your hormone levels are too low or too high, a bio-identical hormone replacement program can truly change your life.
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