Common Side Effects And Risks Of Bioidentical Hormone Replacement Therapy

Bioidentical hormones are hormones made in a laboratory and derived from hormones naturally produced by the body. These hormones are typically used as a treatment for individuals who have low or out of balance hormones in their body. Hormones are chemicals that tell organs and parts of the body when and how to work. When there is a shortage of certain hormones such as progesterone, testosterone, or estrogen in the body, the individual can experience unpleasant adverse symptoms. Common symptoms include energy loss, weight gain, mood changes, foggy thinking, night sweats, hot flashes, problems sleeping, and loss of muscle mass. The goal of bioidentical hormone replacement therapy is to raise hormone levels back to normal and alleviate any symptoms an individual may be experiencing.

While bioidentical hormone therapy may be effective for many patients, it does pose certain risks and may cause adverse side effects. Learn more about these now.

Development Of Blood Clots

Blood clots are the clumps of blood the body forms in response to a blood vessel tear. The function of a blood clot is to plug the injured blood vessel so it stops bleeding. There are some diseases, types of therapy, and medications that can increase an individual's risk of the inappropriate development of blood clots. These blood clots form when blood stops moving, or when it slows down in the blood vessels. Anything that stops the proper movement of blood through the vessels can increase an individual's risk of developing a blood clot. Blood clots are concerning because they can break off and flow freely throughout the bloodstream. When blood clots become lodged in blood vessels that supply the heart, brain, or lungs, life-threatening medical conditions can occur. A blood clot that becomes lodged in vessels that supply the heart with oxygenated blood can result in cardiac arrest, and a blood clot that gets stuck in the brain's blood vessels can result in a stroke. While this type of therapy alone increases the risk of blood clots by a small amount, an individual's risk can considerably increase when bioidentical hormone therapy is combined with other blood clot risk factors, which include obesity, advanced age, smoking, bed rest, heart failure, and a sedentary lifestyle.

Discover more information about the side effects and risks of bioidentical hormone replacement therapy now.