Bioidentical Hormones: Managing change

Bioidentical Hormones:  Managing change

From Alternatives Newsletter April 2006

Fluctuating hormones are a natural part of aging.  But the physical, mental and emotional upheavals that come with “the change” in life often wreak havoc that interferes with daily living for thousands of women.  What’s worse, these symptoms – there are up to 35 – can last for years.  Hot flashes, mood swings, irregular and painful periods, yeast and urinary tract infections, afflict many women during this time of life.
Menopause is defined as the stage in life when a woman has not had her menstrual cycle for one year.  But many of the most troublesome symptoms of this change actually occur in peri-menopause, a transitional stage of two to ten years before menopause when hormones are fluctuating wildly.
“Research has shown that only about 20 percent of women survive menopause with no symptoms,” said Dr. Patricia Ryan.  “The rest experience problems that range from mild to severe.  Some women manage these changes with diet and exercise.  There are also various herbs, such as chasteberry and black cohosh, which can help,” she added.
“But as hormones wane, many women will feel better only by re-balancing their hormonal systems.  And the best way to do that is through bio-identical hormones,” Ryan said.  “Bio-identical hormones have the same molecular structure as the hormones made by a woman’s body.  Interest in bio-identical hormones surged when research conducted through the Women’s Health Initiative showed that synthetic hormones may carry health drawbacks, including cancer risks,” Dr. Ryan said.
To prescribe bio-identical hormones, levels in a woman are tested and then precise dosages of bio-identical estrogen, progesterone, testosterone and/or DHEA are written to meet that woman’s individual needs.  For more information about bio-identical hormones, contact Dr. Patricia Ryan.

Omaha woman:  Back in balance

Sonya Crane, an Omaha mother of three with a background in human development, had always been healthy.  Suddenly, at age 39, she was plagued with a number of disturbing symptoms such as severe memory loss and muscle weakness, fatigue, anxiety and insomnia.  “I’d forget to pick up my daughter,” she said.  A former track athlete, Sonya had trouble walking up a flight of stairs.  “When it came to cooking, all I had energy to do was boil water,” she added.  A doctor referred her to a neurologist to rule out Multiple Sclerosis.  And Sonya thought she might have cancer because she was so weak. 

Several rounds of blood tests didn’t identify the problem.  However, one test showed that the estrogen in her system was abnormally low for her age.  Knowing the importance of hormones, Sonya tried to convince her doctors to conduct more tests, but they wouldn’t agree.  After all, she was only 39, younger than the normal onset of menopause.

So Sonya arranged for the tests herself.  “I spent $650 on a hormone test through a pharmacy,” she said, “and found out my testosterone, progesterone and estrogen levels were all too low.”

Doctors offered mood stabilizers and sleeping pills.   Sonya opted for hormones, but not the synthetic variety many doctors prescribe.  Instead, she requested bio-identical hormones as a solution to balance her system, because she felt they would more closely mimic her body’s own hormonal make-up.

“By the third day on bio-identical hormones, I was back to my old self again.  I was cooking and baking, and my house was clean.  All my symptoms went away and I feel much happier, more patient and loving towards my children and husband – not to mention having the energy to care for my family, which has always been the highlight of my life!  I’m speaking out because I’m a woman’s and family advocate and if a woman loses her health, she’s unable to care for her family and be loving to her husband.  That’s why women should find doctors who are willing to prescribe optimal levels of bio-identical hormones.”  

Sonya said that Dr. Ryan will continue to monitor her hormone levels to help her achieve optimal balance.  For more information about bio-identical hormones, contact Dr. Patricia Ryan, a professional preventative medicine doctor.

Alternatives Proven Method of Hormone Replacement Offers Protection from Osteoporosis

Declining and imbalanced hormone levels have been wreaking havoc on the human body for decades.  Hot flashes, sleepless nights, loss of libido and osteoporosis become the fate of many women who are approaching menopause and beyond.  In fact, one in three women over 50 will experience osteoporotic fractures, as will 1 in 5 men, according to the International Osteoporosis Foundation http://www.iofbonehealth.org/facts-and-statistics.html.


But conventional medical methods of strengthening bones and replacing hormones often reap negative results, according to Dr. Patricia Ryan, founder of Alternatives: A Center for Conscious Health.  For the past 17 years, Dr. Ryan has been researching and administering Bioidentical Hormone Replacement Therapy (BHRT).  She practices what she believes is the best and safest hormone replacement therapy on the market today:  the Wiley Protocol® http://www.thewileyprotocol.com/.


The Wiley Protocol is a patent pending hormone replacement therapy delivery system that consists of biomimetic estradiol and progesterone in a topical cream preparation, dosed to mimic the natural hormones produced by a young woman’s body.

The creams and their amounts are designed to vary throughout the 28-day cycle because a woman’s youthful hormone levels naturally fluctuate.  The Wiley Protocol targets age 20 as a baseline because heart disease and stroke, Type II diabetes, cancer and Alzheimer’s disease are not usual concerns for a healthy young individual.  

More and more local doctors are just beginning to use this proven method of hormone replacement therapy, and yet, Dr. Ryan has a 17-year track record in the study and practice of bioidentical hormones after years working in traditional medicine, making her one of this region’s leading authorities. “Dosing the hormones correctly is a very intricate science,” Dr. Ryan noted.


“It’s not the same dose every day, which is how many other programs administer hormones.  The body produces hormones in a definite pattern.  When you use same dose every day, even though the levels look fine, a woman may be having hot flashes and night sweats.  Without the proper training and experience, a doctor won’t know how to trouble-shoot a situation like that,” she said.


“I’m following 70 years’ data of normal estrogen and progesterone in women.  I also know to look for the signs of liver problems, which must be figured into the equation.  If your hormone levels are fluctuating a lot, for instance, it means the liver is not adequately clearing out chemicals and needs more support.  It’s not a perfect science, but one that requires a trained medical professional and support staff, like our team at Alternatives, to monitor.”  

Not only do the plant-based hormonal systems like the Wiley Protocol promote a safer and healthier aging process, they also provide protection for bones, Dr. Ryan said.  “For the past seven years many doctors have been prescribing bisphosphonates, such as Fosamax, and consumer lawsuits are now starting to surface from those who have taken these medications for years,” Dr. Ryan noted.   
“The problem is that these bisphosphonates are not natural substances.  Seven years into these drugs we’re seeing strange fractures in bones.  That’s because the drugs do not naturally put down bone.  The only things that do build bone are your own hormones.  You can’t just bombard the body with calcium, you have to have hormones, or you risk calcium deposits everywhere.  If you want calcium to go where it needs to do its job, you must re-establish a normal hormonal pattern so the body will begin building bone correctly again.”


Other experts agree as well.  Dr. Susan Ott of the University of Washington, Seattle, says: “Many people believe that these drugs (bisphosphonates) are bone builders, but the evidence shows they are actually bone hardeners.” 1

1. Ott S. New treatment for brittle bones. Ann Intern Med. 2004; 141:406-407.