I have an autoimmune disease and a genetic neuro disease that affects the autonomic nervous system. Menopause and lack of natural hormones were a shock to my system, and caused a myriad of severe medical issues. I also have many allergies to fillers typically used in medications. My GYN prescribed FDA approved estrogen and progesterone therapy, one of which put me into tachycardia for 12 hours. A friend referred me to a compounding pharmacy, and I've been successfully able to use bioidentical estrogen and progesterone for eight years. Without the availability of these compounds, mixed especially for my sensitivities and allergies, physical and mental decline would be severe for me.
Without hormone replacement, I suffer with cognitive impairment (word finding difficulty, memory loss), increased joint and muscle pain, frequent UTIs and yeast infections, urinary incontinence, depression, skin breakdown, migraines and visual changes. My doctors tell me that bone and muscle loss, insulin resistance, cardiac issues and impaired cognitive function would likely also be added to this list.
I am followed closely by my doctor and compounding pharmacist, who work together to provide what is best for my individual needs.
Please consider that all women are very different, and especially when dealing with hormones, which affect every system in the body, compounding options are the difference between growing older at a young age (I'm only 54!) or enjoying a good quality of life well into senior years. It's imperative that we have the option of this individual care.