I was being treated by Dr. Anderson best doctor to date. I was with him for several years. My compound was near $300 a month, then my insurance stopped covering his visits. The only medicine that ever worked for me was/is being denied and the only doctor (who ALSO suggested prolotherapy that was also denied) is now being denied by the FDA. I am still suffering to date from injuries caused due to lack of proper treatment. In 2018, when I was denied my doctor I weighed 110pds my last appt with him and today I'm doing good to weigh 90 pounds WHERE does this stop! The FDA you're killing your own people.

Since the age of 47, I have been researching hormone balancing in order to maintain the best possible health for the rest of my life. I currently take bi estrogen, progesterone and thyroid compounded hormones to achieve the best balance available to me.

My doctor and I monitor my hormone levels with blood testing which we review at my annual Medicare Wellness visit.

I do not support the use of pharmaceuticals that use molecules that are not bio-identical to my body. It just doesn't make sense.

Worse yet my insurance does not cover the compounded hormones, but it does cover man-made and formulated medications which are not natural to my body.

Please support optimal health by approving compounded medications that are most suitable for our bodies.

Thank you!

I went into surgically induced menopause at 42 during breast cancer treatment. My hormones were seriously messed up. Had 25-30 hot flashes every day, terrible brain fog, and very disrupted sleep. I finally found a doctor who suggested compounded progesterone to sleep better at night. I'm 70 now, have been using it for years and my quality of life is greatly improved. I cannot for the life of me understand why you would consider removing a life saving treatment. Please don't do this!

I have recently retired at the age of 65 and have recently moved to Tennessee with my husband. My career was in nursing as a trauma unit nurse in the emergency room. About 10-12 years ago I started feeling like I couldn't concentrate, organize or remember anything and felt unusually physically exhausted. Sure, the emergency room does that to you, but this was very different. I felt like I was fading away, something really bad was physically wrong with me. I felt like I need to quit my job because I wasn't able to keep up mentally especially since I wasn't sharp enough to do this job anymore. One of the emergency room doctors was telling me about how he had had some hormone testing done. He referred me to a doctor where we worked on my hormones virtually. She did the HRT testing until we uncovered so many hormone imbalances, and realized there were so many reasons for my symptoms, "no wonder you feel like you're dying". With the approval of my doctor, she had troches compounded for me. Within a month of taking this HRT troche, I was brand new. She saved my life. I can't even put into words what taking this hormone replacement has physically and mentally done for me.

I have used a hormone cream that is balanced just for my needs. I do not want to take the prescription remedy that the masses take which has all kinds of side effects and have not been helpful to me in the past. I like that my bloodwork or saliva is checked every two months to ensure that my hormone cream is balanced. This year has been especially difficult for me because I have undergone two major surgeries. The compounding pharmacy has provided me with medication tailored to my specific needs. In the past, I have needed B12 shots that I could get from the pharmacy to give to myself weekly. They were a lifesaver. I hate to think of not having medications available for my doctor to prescribe to me. It’s very scary to think that the government can take away something that is needed in so many people’s lives.

I had ovarian failure at the start of puberty and have been on HRT ever since. I started with Premarin and then into birth control pills. I always had issues and some form of side effects.

When I finally found compounded hormones they were able to find and maintain the right balance of hormone replacement therapy for my needs now that I am 58.

My healthcare decisions are mine and mine only.

Hi, My name is Kim and I started compounded hormone therapy 10 months ago. I was suffering from hot flashes for 2 years and felt very uncomfortable, also recovery after a workout took a few days and my muscle tone was getting smaller. I had anxiety and was always tired. I was referred to Dr. Howard in Naples and that's when I began treatment, it started off slow, but after a few months my flashes were getting better and my other symptoms were improving as well! It has been a life-changing experience for me, and many other people I talk to. We must speak out so we do not lose this extraordinary natural approach to improving our health.

I am 76 years old and have been on compounded testosterone for 4 years. I MUST stay on it I've been told and cannot possibly afford the non-compounded version. I was under the impression that prescriptions were supposedly trying to be made MORE affordable, but this will put drugs out of reach for many people like myself. Sounds like another story with big PHARMA money lobbying again to protect the high-price alternatives. Absolutely DISGRACEFUL. SHAME ON YOU!!!!!!!!

I have been taking my troche for over ten years and compounding is the only source of my medicine. If the FDA shuts this down we will have no other option for this scrip. I am so worried about this. I have many other medical issues to deal with and do not need to have this be a problem as well.

When discovered I was in POI (premature ovarian failure) at a young age, I needed HRT in order to maintain my health and quality of life. Without HRT, I am at a higher risk for osteoporosis, and cardiovascular and neurological diseases. Also, my quality of life would have suffered having to deal with the menopausal symptoms such as mood swings, hot flashes, heart palpitations, headaches, lack of energy, sleeping issues, depression, anxiety, and many other possible symptoms. I am a Registered Nurse and some of my patients have shared the benefits they also have experienced with HRT. Please, do not take away the right for women to have hormones compounded! Thank you!

I have been providing compounded and commercially available bio-identical hormone therapies to patients since 2005. Since 2006, I have served my community as a BHRT consultant, working with many local physicians and medical practices. I have established working relationships and trust in this community with the providers, and hundreds of patients. Some of our patients have been working with us for over 10 years, and we have seen many success stories with BHRT in that time. We also engage in saliva testing our patients periodically to check current free hormone profiles, as both a diagnostic tool and a means of checking the success, or failure, of our recommended dosing. Many local providers, based on clinical evidence and what they hear from their patients, send patients to us not only to provide BHRT but also to consult with us and make recommendations to them. We have an extensive and systematic method of collecting pertinent patient family, medical, and hormone histories to aid us in making our recommendations. The information we use to help make our decisions can be referenced from many publications including those of Leon Speroff, a name well known in the publication of textbooks of Obstetrics and Gynecology. We do not, nor have we ever, made any claim that BHRT is "safer" than traditional hormone replacement therapies. I would say, however, that any hormone replacement therapy, when properly and appropriately "balanced", can potentially mitigate some risks. It is not the hormone therapy, whether traditional or bio-identical, that lowers risks, but the appropriate and well-studied balancing of these hormones in the correct ratios, as well as a thoughtful and diligent collection of patient data, that can help mitigate risks. It should also be noted that bio-identical hormone replacement therapy is not limited to compounded products. Bio-identical simply refers to hormones with the same molecular structure as hormones secreted by the human body. Therefore, some commercially available estradiol, progesterone, and testosterone products are bio-identical. Does the fact that these products are manufactured in a pharmaceutical company's lab somehow render them "safer" than products being compounded in any number of local compounding pharmacies staffed by people educated and licensed to provide a service as old as the profession of pharmacy itself?  We comply with all pharmacy board and USP regulations including the periodic assay of our products and also strive to provide the best service and high-quality compounded products possible as it is a reflection of our professionalism and the backbone of our business. I challenge anyone who fails to see the importance and necessity of small, locally-owned compound pharmacies to ask yourselves, in a properly regulated and professionally overseen environment, can compound pharmacies coexist with large pharmaceutical manufacturing corporations by filling in patient care and treatment gaps that are very difficult if not impossible for the current US healthcare system to accommodate? Should so many women who have benefitted from these services not continue to have these therapies as an option? The voices being expressed in this forum are not backed by deep pockets and teams of attorneys, but they need to be heard.

Hello,

I am a 42 yo wife and mother of 3 children. Since March 2020, bioidentical hormones have not only improved my health but also my mental health and relationships at home.

I started taking Progesterone to balance my very heavy cycles to avoid surgery which my mother had when she was in her 30s. My cycles are manageable and I am nicer to be around.

I started taking T3/T4 since hypothyroidism and Hashimoto's run in my family. I have better moods and other functions.

Since July 2020, my 16 yo daughter takes bioidentical Progesterone and it has changed her life. She started having a cycle at 10 yo which is when her intense headaches began. Her pediatrician did not know how to help her beyond getting more sleep, drinking more water, and reducing blue light exposure. Not only does the Prog help reduce her excruciating cycles, but it also reduces her daily headache frequency by 90%. She feels better and is easier to be around, so it has improved the relationships in our home.

I do not know what we would do without our bioidentical hormones that are compounded. It has changed our family for the better.

Hello,
I am a 53-year-old woman who has been on Compound hormones since I was 38 after my hysterectomy. Being hormonally balanced throughout the years has saved my marriage and made me a better mom to raise 3 children who have become wonderful adults!
My doctor recommends compounded hormones for the rest of my life! My husband would agree:)
Please do not take this away from us women and men suffering. Compound Hormones save lives.

I suffered from menopause, osteoporosis, and depression and could not find relief anywhere. Then I discovered BHT and got my life back. I had tried many things up to this point but nothing worked. Not only did my life improve but I also felt safe, no more crazy hormones from horses that gave me cancer but low levels of safe hormones from plants. They saved my life and also improved my bones.

I have been using compound pharmaceutical hormones, as prescribed by my endocrinologist, for the past several years. The use of these safe, natural compounds has had an amazing impact on my physical and emotional well-being. My compounding pharmacy, consistently provides excellent products, of the highest quality, in a timely professional manner. DO NOT RESTRICT THE USE OF COMPOUNDED PHARMACEUTICAL MEDICINES!

I'm 46 years old, work part-time at a hospital and attend classes part-time towards another degree. Without access to bioidentical hormones through my naturopathic doctor, I would be a severe mess, likely would have stopped working, and wouldn't have the healthy energy to want to finish school. Go ahead and regulate/ban hormones but not bioidentical (natural) hormones. Why not look at all the research first!

I was diagnosed with stage IIIb colon cancer at age 42 and it was determined through genetic testing that I most likely have an inherited condition called Lynch Syndrome which predisposes me to many other cancers. The two cancers with the highest risk after colon cancer (for those with Lynch Syndrome) are ovarian and endometrial cancer. Since we were done having children, I opted to reduce my risk and have a complete hysterectomy (uterus. ovaries, fallopian tubes, cervix - all of it!). It was an easy decision for me at the time because I didn't really understand how going into surgical menopause earlier than normal would impact my body and overall health. Within weeks of my surgery, however, I started to realize the effect of the surgery when the frequent hot flashes started. I've also experienced weight gain, osteoporosis, and other unwelcome changes to my body, as well as, what I feel has been an escalation of the aging process. Because of my genetic predisposition to a variety of cancers, my oncologist strongly advised against using synthetic hormones - so I just "suffered in silence" for several years until I heard about the bio-identical compounded hormones. I have been using these hormones for the past 6 months now and I've noticed a significant improvement in several areas. I'm sleeping better and wake with more energy, the hot flashes are pretty much gone and my body is regaining some of its previous "youthful characteristics". I've been very pleased with the process and I'm so grateful that there is an alternative to synthetic hormones, that are safe for my body. I prefer not to take medications if I can help it and it's wonderful to know that the hormones I'm taking are a much better fit for my body's own hormonal needs. A more natural option. My body is happier and I don't worry because this option doesn't come with an increased risk of cancer. On the contrary, the bio-identical compounded hormones protect my body from certain health conditions, including heart issues, further bone loss, and even some cancers. These hormones have definitely improved my quality of life!

Dear Lawmakers-
Why is women's health so neglected in our country, especially during the menopause years? As a nation, we would rather put women on antidepressants or tell them "it's all in your head", rather than treat the hormonal imbalances head-on that all women face during menopause. At age 51, I began to have hot flashes every 15 minutes, all day and night. I was soaking through my clothes while trying to be professional in seeing my patients (I am an optometrist). I was not sleeping at all due to the hot flashes. As you can imagine I was irritable, had no libido, achy, had brain fog, and was constantly exhausted. I went about a year in misery (trying every over-the-counter option there was with no relief, and having those OTC items raise my liver enzymes) when my doctor suggested I try hormone replacement. I have a great health insurance plan, and do you know how much regular hormone replacement costs per month WITH good insurance?! $200.00 per month!! With 2 kids in college, that is NOT an option for me. My doctor talked to me about a more natural alternative, compounded HRT. This is still expensive, but at $50.00 per month, much more affordable, easier on my body and works like a charm. I know I am not alone in begging you to preserve compounded HRT. If you are not holding big pharma and insurance companies accountable for charging reasonable fees for meds to treat menopause the way it should be, you must allow compound pharmacies to fill that gap instead. Please act responsibly for women's health.

When I was 44 I had a panic attack which was followed by extreme depression. I could not stop crying even with daily exercise, yoga, and meditation. I couldn't be left alone in fear of hopelessness. This affected my work, my parenting, and my day-to-day. After a few months, I went and had my hormone levels checked and found my progesterone levels were terribly low. My doctor sent a script to the compound pharmacy and within a few days, I started to feel like myself again. Without the diligence, of my doctor and access to compound hormones, I feel my life would be completely different and I would be living off of Xanax, sleeping through my life. Forever grateful!