The Australian Menopause Centre is now Emsee Menopause Centre.
Hormone options · Also known as body-identical
Bio-identical hormones, explained plainly.
Some women are prescribed hormones that are compounded just for them. Here is what that means, what the research tells us, and what it does not yet tell us, so you can have an informed conversation with your Doctor.
Bio-identical hormone replacement therapy
Three things worth knowing first
Bio-identical hormone replacement therapy is often shortened to BHRT. It is one of several hormone options a Doctor can talk through with you.
01
Made for you
The preparations are compounded to an individual prescription written by a Doctor.
02
Pharmaceutical-grade ingredients
The active ingredients are pharmaceutical-grade (USP) bioidentical hormones. The finished compounded preparations are not individually TGA approved.
03
Your Doctor explains your options
That includes the benefits, the risks and the TGA-approved alternatives, before anything is prescribed.
The research
What we know, and what we do not yet know
What we know. Large cohort studies, including the French E3N study, used compounded bioidentical hormones. That research helped inform the controlled trials of set-dose products that are now on the TGA register.
What we do not yet know. Because each prescription is individual, there is no controlled-study data on the effectiveness and safety of these specific preparations.
Further reading: Mayo Clinic Proceedings article and PubMed Central article.
When it may be an option
A Doctor may consider a compounded preparation when:
A commercial product has not worked
A product on the shelf has not achieved the outcome you and your Doctor were hoping for.
You need a different strength
The strength you need is not available commercially.
You need a different way to take it
The application method that suits you is not available commercially.
Your Doctor will talk with you about whether a compounded preparation is appropriate in your situation, and about the TGA-approved alternatives. The decision is made together, and it is always yours.
Your next step
Talk it through with a Doctor who knows menopause.
Your first appointment is a bulk billed menopause assessment, by telehealth. Your Doctor reviews your history and goes through your hormone options with you.
Medical disclaimer. The information on this page is general in nature and is not a diagnosis or a recommendation for your circumstances. Compounded preparations are not individually TGA approved. It does not replace advice from a qualified health practitioner. Treatment decisions, including whether any hormone therapy is appropriate for you, are made with a Doctor who has taken your history. If you need urgent care, contact your GP or the nearest emergency department.