#18: Bio-identical hormones from your GP?

Simply Hormones Podcast

SH interviews Prof John Studd who continues to care about improving hormonal health in women.

SimplyHormones Presents: Professor Studd on Bio-identical Hormones

KC: I'd like to talk if I may about bio identical hormones. A lot of women are very interested in this because they are told it's a more natural way to go because the hormones are absorbed in a more natural way than the equine oestrogen that's mostly prescribed. Do you have an opinion on that?

Bio-identical hormones have been available in the UK for 20/30 years!

PS: Sure, I mean I've used nothing else but bio identical hormones for the last 20, 30 years. It's been very common in Europe and what's happened now is the Americans, now that they've overcome their love affair of horse urine and horse oestrones, they've just discovered it, they've just discovered the importance of using oestradiol, oestrone, testosterone and they've labelled this bio identical hormones and gullible people all around the world are thinking of this new American discovery which is a re-awakening on their part, a discovery of what we've been doing for 20 or 30 years and it's quite true. If I hadn't used Premerin for 20 years I think there's no place for it whatsoever. We're not horses, we're not plants either, we should use natural human hormones, and that is oestradiol, oestrone and testosterone EHEA, which is the precursor to testerone perhaps, and natural progesterone if you can, and that's all possible except the progesterone; we by and large use progestogen because it works. Progesterone cream doesn't work, it's not even absorbed, we've just spent, or I've just spent £100, studying this preparation and it's not even absorbed, it has no effect with the bones, the mood, the flushes, the sweats.

KC: It's not metabolised.

Want effective Progesterone cream? Ask your GP for Utrogestan

PS: It's still a racket that you go on the internet for £35 a pot per month and it's a waste of your money. I wish it did work, it would be very, very useful and convincing logically and so we really, although we use the bio-identical oestrogen and testosterone we are by and large stuck with sythentic norethisterone or Provera, although there is a more natural progresterone called Utrogestan, which is effective, and so the compromise is that I use this almost natural progesterone Utrogestan.

KC: So are the bio-identical hormones that you ‘re identifying with, where are they derived from, are they?

Hormones naturally sourced from Vegetables

PS: They all come from a laboratory. They don't dig them out of the ground or dig them from trees, they are all made in a laboratory, by vegetable precursors and they're pure and they are the same as the natural hormones in your body and my body.

KC: So it's just a case if women really want to go down the road of bio-identical hormones it's really only available from a private practice isn't it?

Get your bio-identical hormones from your GP!

PS: No that's not true. There's no reason why a general practitioner should not give you oestradiol either by tablets or preferably transdermally, that's by patch or by gel, that would be my ideal way of giving hormones, through the skin, just rubbing the oestrogen gel or testosterone gel, or a patch, but the patch caused rings, black rings where they use it very much or with an implant of course, which is very effective, a very convenient way of giving natural oestradiol and natural testosterone.

KC: That's very interesting that you've explained that more fully, women can now go to their GP and say that I heard that you can prescribe me XYZ and they are then getting a la carte prescription aren't they?

PS: They may choose not to, and this happens more and more these days, and so many GPs have just shut up shop for HRT and the menopause and there's no justification for it and it's wrong.

GP's could offer effective, cheap treatment

KC: ‘Cos there are about 7/10 women that experience debilitating symptoms, so it's not good on their part that they are not getting the advice they need.

PS: They are not getting very simple, very safe, very beneficial treatment. It's also very cheap treatment.

KC: Yes, OK, we'll have to stir up the GPs then to get their act together. I know the British menopause society is trying to push for GPs to be more informed.

PS: We've been trying that for now for 20 or 30 years!

KC: Yes, trying to get everybody singing from the same songsheet it's a difficult one to achieve isn't it?

Thank you very much for that. Interview ends.

If you’d like to know more about Professor John Studd: www.studd.co.uk

Professor John Studd DSc, MD, FRCOG was consultant gynaecologist at the Chelsea & Westminster Hospital, London and also professor of gynaecology at Imperial College.

He is now in fulltime private practice and runs the London PMS & Menopause Clinic at 46 Wimpole Street London W1G8SD. At the same address he has The Osteoporosis Screening Centre for the assessment and treatment of osteoporosis.

He is Vice-President of the National Osteoporosis Society and Chairman of the British Menopause Society.

In 2008 he was awarded the Blair Bell Gold Medal of the Royal Society of Medicine which is given every five years for the obstetrician/gynaecologist who has made the greatest lifetime contribution to the specialty.

www.studd.co.uk

For information on Menopause in a non-medical setting, there are over 200 pages waiting for you at www.simplyhormones.com

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