I entered menopause at 40 years old. I had just had a baby and was breastfeeding him. Likewise, I did not want to take any prescription medications, and my OBGYN recommended compounded estrogen by a Compounding Pharmacy in Arizona. I was able to avoid the side effects of menopause with the use of these compounded meds. I remained on this course of treatment for over 15 years. As I aged, I am now 65, I experienced painful intercourse and was not willing to give up a sexual relationship with my husband. I now use a compounded testosterone cream that has helped me immensely, and I am able to feel again like a young woman.
I would be lost without these compounds. They are essential to my life. Please do not prevent me from my lifelines.
Thank you.

After menopause, I had ten years' worth of hot flashes, about 10-20 daily. I never got more than three straight hours of sleep a night. Getting compounding hormones allowed my physician to tailor my therapy to my needs, and I got relief instantly.

I started on compounded hormones to help with premenopausal symptoms that would come out of no where. I was having my period every two weeks to every four weeks.. never knew when it would show up, my breasts were always tender, bloating, cramps … compounding hormones gave me my life back. I feel safe taking them. Why would they be restricted. Are men doing this.. stop it. This the best thing that has happened to me in my 50s.

After going through menopause and enduring all the symptoms, I thought I would just move on and feel better. What I felt was just the opposite. I had very low energy, no interest in sex but just generally weak. My doctor had me test for hormone deficiencies. Sure enough, I was very low. I was told that this could be reversed, and through compounding medication, made specifically for me I could feel so much better. That was over 15 years ago and I am forever grateful. It changed my life and I would encourage anyone who is having physical and emotional issues to have their hormones tested, and if recommended, use the compound that is specifically for you.

After my thyroid was removed in 1984, I have struggled to get a dosage that worked for me. I would be hyper or so tired on the regular dosages available in the standard drugs. Now I feel good and my physician has been able to tweak my dosage in small increments. I am so sensitive to large changes.

Compounding is my savior.

When the woman's study came out early in 2000 or 2002, I stopped taking Premarin. I then had hot flashes every 35 minutes. After finding that I needed biest not triest and after getting the correct hormone therapy via compounding pharmacy, I am able to live my life well.

The compounding troches have made my life possible.

I have been using a compounding pharmacy for many years. I am sensitive to ingredients in capsules, fillers, binding agents etc. The compounding pharmacy knows which capsules I tolerate and can put the active ingredients in without the added ones that I have reactions to. I also use topical hormones and am able to bring in my own lotions and creams that have minimal ingredients for compounding.
Most recently I had a bad experience with Thyroid medication. I have been on Nature Thyroid for over 20 years and it was recalled. I tried two other natural thyroids and had horrible reactions to them. I realized they had dextrose in them which my body does not tolerate. (Whole body joint and muscle pain.) I am intolerant to multiple ingredients in the synthetic versions of thyroid. I was in a panic. My local pharmacy could not compound it because of the cost. My doctor tried calling the company to see if we could get emergency use while it was recalled. I started calling compounding pharmacies and thankfully Taylors Pharmacy in Winter Park was able to do it.
I am 62 years old and knocking on the door of age related health challenges. With my chemical sensitivities I react to just the side effects of simple medications like Dramamine and Preparation H. What am I going to do when my Doctors prescribe me a future necessary medication with ingredients I react to that could be easily compounded in a way that I can tolerate? For patients with chemical sensitivities and allergies compounding is medically necessary.

Compounded hormones are critical to manage the careful balance I need to regulate emotional and physiological conditions. Management of my hormones are monitored extremely closely between myself and my doctor, and we're very careful to watch for any potential risks and mitigate them well in advance of them before anything dangerous occurs. Getting in the way of my care is going to harm me much more than a low dose testosterone cream ever could.

I was being treated - unsuccessfully - for at least 10 years for vaginal atrophy and vulvodynia, suffering extreme discomfort. Hormone imbalances also greatly affected my quality of sleep, caused moodiness, and resulted in osteoporosis as well as hot flashes that actually got worse over time rather than less. A new family physician prescribed a hormone compound and miraculously many of my symptoms disappeared. The compound has been tweaked a few times to get the proper results for me individually. If I were to not have this individualized compound, I would still be miserable, I would still have osteoporosis and would have to take a medication for that, and I would not have the same quality of life I enjoy now. The ability of my doctor to work with my compounding pharmacist to formulate a compound specifically for my individual situation is vital to me.

When I was 14 I went through puberty. Over the next 4 years I suffered intense cramping, heaving bleeding, irregular periods, huge weight gain, and anemia. I was brushed off by my Dr. as things being ok until I passed out from being so anemic. Any doctor I saw had only one solution and that was to put me on birth control. I have been on multiple forms of BC; pills, shots, iud, and implants. Somewhere during 20 years of birth control I was also diagnosed with Von Willebrand disease which cause large clotting during my periods. From the ages of 14-34 I jumped from BC to BC trying to find something to help. Nothing helped, if one problem improved another became worse. I was 34 before I found a Dr. that was willing to test my hormones. Which offended my gynecologist to the point that she offered to do a full hysterectomy on me to end the "discomfort." That is 20 years of regular doctor visits where no doctor was willing to look at my issues fully and causing me unnecessary misery!!
All of my issues where substantially reduced once I started a compounded hormone cream. I honestly believe that BC caused me more harm than good, since going off of BC I feel like a completely different person. Pharmaceutical companies, the FDA, and the medical community needs to reevaluate the way patients' health is approached. It makes me sick to realize that I suffered unnecessarily for 20 years and in those 20 years medical approaches haven't changed at all. We are now causing unnecessary suffering with a whole new generation.

After traditional pharmaceutical hormone replacement did not work for me, my doctor prescribed bioidentical hormone cream. This cream was the only form of hormones that worked for me.

I have taken compounded medications, including bio identical hormones, for over a decade and they have given me tremendous relief from pain and significantly improved my quality of life. Please do not take away my access to this life altering medication.

After going through chemo and radiation therapy for cancer, I had a total Hysterectomy 21 years ago. The natural hormones my body once manufactured abruptly ended. For the last 20 years, I have suffered silently not knowing what was wrong with me and actually scared to take any hormones for risk of cancer. I totally believe that the benefits of balanced hormones mightily outweigh any negligible risk of cancer. Quality of life matters!!! Our bodies need natural plant based (non synthetic non lab created) hormones to thrive….. Please don’t try to regulate every aspect of a person’s health. We are our own best health advocates and we need choices!!! We need bio identical hormone replacement therapy…

At age 43 I was diagnosed as being in full menopause. At such a young age, after consulting with three separate physicians, it was recommended that I need to be on hormone replacement therapy. After much research and again meeting with various physicians, it was determined the best option for me and the healthiest option was compounded hormones. Since being administered cBHT, my life has improved, especially at my young age. Hormone imbalance is real, and it effects everyone differently. Compounded hormones are safe, effective and the care I receive because of the close monitoring is better than any care offered by physicians who administer big pharma drugs. It is important to allow patients to receive the best care and medicine as prescribed by physicians and compounding pharmacies. It is safe, and effective.

Having a history of sensitivities and reactions to traditional pharmaceuticals in pill form (especially soy-derived products, but also others with fillers), I have used compounded HRT for at least a decade. My progesterone is compounded with gel capsules. Our local compounding pharmacy is professional, responsive, and caring. I trust the product they provide me to be safe and have had no negative experience whatsoever with compounded estradiol or progesterone products. Eliminating compounded pharmaceuticals in favor of those manufactured only by big pharma is like shutting down all small organic produce growers and their farmer's markets. It benefits no one but big industry.

Currently I take NP Thyroid and my doctor tests me yearly. My numbers come back great after testing.
After my hysterectomy in 2015 my doctor recommended that I begin getting bio-identical hormone pellets every 3 months. It was explained to me that the hormones in these pellets would help my bone density. My first bone density test was in 2013 and I had a T-score below -2.5 with significantly reduced bone density. Another bone density test in 2021 showed significant improvement in bone density. I take no other supplements or prescriptions for bone density so I can only credit the bio-identical hormone replacement therapy with my improvement.
I spend approximately $500.00 every three months for all of these hormones. My husband and I live on Social Security so finances can sometimes be and issue. Why would I spend that much money on these hormones if I did not see or feel improvements on them. I have a very responsible doctor that tests my hormone levels yearly. I really believe that patients and their doctors are the best judge of what works medically for them and that the government needs to leave decisions on medical care up to the patients and medical professionals.

Dear Congress:

For so long I was struggling with many issues after menopause and most commercial products prescribed to me were adducing to my current issues, in addition to being very expensive.

Thank heaven for my gynecologist, because she issued me a compound prescription designed to address my problems but without all the side effects of the commercial brands I had been trying.

Because my physician was able to eliminate my symptoms with a medicine design for me personally, I was relieved of the persistent problems without all the terrible side effects.

I am eternally grateful for my compounding agency and my physician, so I ask you to please allow this indispensable medical service to continue to help so many millions of patients when conventional medicines are not effective or cause harm.

Sincerely,
Cathryn

Hello, my name is Roxanne Steiny, and I've been using Bioidentical Progestone cream for two years, and I can honestly say if it weren't for this and my estradiol, I would be on daily anti-depressants at best, worse, I may not be typing this message. I was the woman who was never on birth control and was never going to take hormones. I toughed it out for a couple of years after hitting menopause until my annus horriblis 2 yrs. ago. My husband had chronic health issues, I lost my job, and my closest friend was diagnosed with cancer. I became a full-time caregiver and was crippled by lack of sleep at night, exhaustion during the day and wild mood swings and hot flashes. It was becoming nearly impossible to take care of my friend and husband and finally decided in order to function, I would take estradiol and the accompanying progesterone cream my OBGYN prescribed in order to offset the chance of endometrial cancer. I noticed the benefits within weeks and am grateful beyond measure for the access to compounded progesterone. The quality of my life has allowed me to get back to my baseline prior to menopause and live a full life. Given the challenges and extraordinary times we've now endured with COVID, I was shocked to discover the possibility of taking compounded pharmaceuticals away from millions of people like me. I implore the FDA to consider the benefits that far outweigh any risk and to to allow these critical therapies to continue.

I had a hysterectomy when I was in my early 50's and the bio-identical hormones have helped me immensely with relieving hot flashes. They have also given me a libido and helped greatly with moods. Best of all there are no side effects as with pharmaceutical hormones.
Access to this valuable therapy should never be restricted.