Today, I’m going to begin a multi-week discussion of a new compound topic: hormone replacement therapy. Hormone replacement therapy (or HRT) has been a major subset of compounding for decades, and even today, it’s still a large part of what we do in the lab.
HRT is typically used by those with hormone deficiencies, such as women who are peri- or post-menopausal or men who need a testosterone boost. There are non-compounded versions of HRT, but being mass-manufactured, they don’t have doses that are customized to individual patients. Many of them are also more expensive than their compound equivalents—and good luck finding insurance that covers them.
Allergens in these non-compound HRTs can also be a concern; standard progesterone capsules are sourced from peanut products—for people with severe peanut allergies, this is an obvious problem.
Finally, there are virtually zero HRT combination products on the market. Unless you want the hassle of having multiple capsules, creams, etc. (and paying for each of them individually!), compounding is the only way to get multiple hormones in a single medicine. In fact, some hormones (like estriol and pregnenolone) aren’t available outside of compounding at all.
Only your medical provider can determine if you need HRT, but for those who do, compounded HRT can be a game changer. I will go into more detail in the following weeks about how HRT can improve a person’s wellbeing, but I’m happy to answer any specific questions in the meantime!
As always, we're available in the lab Monday through Friday, 9am to 5pm. Or you can email me anytime at brandon.ladage@belewdrugs.com. We’d love to hear from you!
Until next time,
Brandon
For more information on compounding, click here