Hormone menubar
Synthetic Sex Steroids - “Frankenstein version of natural hormones”
Synthetic Sex Steroids
-
"Frankenstein version of natural hormones"
Follow the money!
The drug industry changes a natural hormone molecule to make it
patentable. Bioidentical hormones are not a patentable product,
so the
drug industry chemically alters the
natural hormones to make synthetic, but patentable and multi-billion dollar
profitable substances E.g.
Provera , used in birth control, HRT, and endometriosis, Cenestin® or
Enjuvia® in U.S., Congest® in Canada (synthetic conjugated equine estrogens), and ethinylestradiol (a synthetic estrogen) all used in birth control
. Alternatively, conjugated equine estrogens (CEEs) derived from the urine of
pregnant mares are used in Pfizer's Premarin® and Duavee®(bazedoxifene
and Premarin, for women who
have NOT had a hysterectomy), primarily for
HRT, but also for vaginal atrophy and as a preventative for postmenopausal
osteoporosis.
Patented hormones have different effects than
bioidentical hormones
Premarin (conjugated
equine estrogens (CEEs) ) Derived wholly or in part from URINE of
pregnant mares or synthetically from ESTRONE and EQUILIN. It contains a
combination of sodium estrone sulfate (52-62%) and sodium equilin sulfate
(22-30%) totalling 80-88% between them. Sodium estrone sulfate serves as a prodrug source of
ESTRONE, which is in
turn a prodrug of ESTRADIOL, both having normal estrogenic activity. However,
sodium equilin sulfate is a prodrug of the estrogen
equilin and then 17β-dihydroequilin, which in CEEs has greater potency in
the liver compared to bioidentical
ESTRADIOL,
similar to (although to a lesser extent than) the
synthetic estrogens such as ethinylestradiol , which
disproportionately affects liver protein production compared o bioidentical
ESTRADIOL. (Kuhl, 2005)
There are many other hormonal components in Premarin, but the major active
estrogens in CEEs are estradiol and 17β-dihydroequilin, having
potent estrogenic activity accounting for most of the effects of CEEs.
Provera (medroxyprogesterone acetate).
A progestin (synthetic PROGESTERONE)
A variety of synthetic steroids and sterols have
been contrived. Most synthetic hormones are steroids,
but some non-steroidal molecules can interact with the steroid receptors because
of their similarity in shape. Some examples of synthetic steroid hormones,
include:
• Glucocorticoids: prednisone ,
dexamethasone ,
triamcinolone
• Mineralocorticoid:
fludrocortisone
• Vitamin D:
dihydrotachysterol
• Androgens:
Oxandrolone ,
nandrolone (also known as
anabolic steroids )
• Estrogens:
ethinylestradiol (used today in almost all oral
combination contraceptives);
diethylstilbestrol (DES/prevent miscarriage/banned in 1971);
• Progestins:
norethindrone (Aygestin/oral
contraceptive),
medroxyPROGESTERONE acetate (Provera/HRT)
Don't expect your doctor to offer bio-identical
hormones unless its delivery method can be patented. Companies may
then offer bioidentical hormones in such as transdermal skin patches. E.g.
Vivelle, Estraderm, and Climara.
What's the problem with synthetic hormones?
Compared to the effect of natural steroids, some synthetic steroids can have
either a weaker or stronger effect on
receptors they
activate.
Synthetic hormones can cause many serious health problems.
The 2002 Women's Health Initiative report
showed very clearly that synthetic hormones made by pharmaceutical companies
caused many serious health problems in women. (Rossouw et al, 2002; de
Lignières
et al, 2002; Fournier et al, 2005 )
Some of the known side effects are:
• Increased risk of abortion and congenital
abnormalities if taken by pregnant women
• Fluid retention
• Epilepsy
• Migraine
• Asthma
• Cardiac and renal dysfunction
• Depression
• Breast tenderness
• Nausea
• Insomnia
• Cancer
• Drop in PROGESTERONE levels
The Woman's Health Initiative (WHI)
study demonstrated that a combination of Premarin (conjugated equine estrogens(CEEs) )
and
Provera (synthetic PROGESTERONE) produces a:
• 26% increase in invasive breast cancer;
• 29% increase in heart attack risk or CHD death;
• 41% increase in stroke risk
• 200% increase in risk of blood clots.
These and other synthetic hormones should be banned ,
but the Pfizer (formally Wyeth) company, for example, has been accustomed
to making annual sales topping 1 billion dollars on
the sale of Premarin and Prempro, and so it doesn't take a rocket scientist to
figure why they're still on the market!
Interesting research article expounds on this topic
Use bio-identical sex hormones
The most often supplemented sex hormones are
available in bio-identical form by prescription
Many bioidentical hormones are also
available OTC in the U.S. :
(i)
Estrogens: 17 beta-estradiol (an
isomer of ESTRADIOL, essentially the same
molecule),
ESTRONE (E1) and
ESTRIOL(E3);
(ii)
PROGESTERONE (as 2% cream)
(iii) TESTOSTERONE
(iv) DHEA (in low doses). An adrenal precursor
to TESTOSTERONE)
You can legally
purchase a prescription drug from abroad for your own personal use without a prescription.
Most people are unaware that U.S. Code 21, Section 331 allows you to
legally import around a 2-3 month/50 dose supply of any prescription drug for
your own personal use, without
References
Kuhl H (2005). "Pharmacology
of estrogens and progestogens: influence of different routes of administration" (PDF). Climacteric.
8 Suppl 1: 3-63. . Pubmed .
de Lignières
B,
de Vathaire F,
Fournier S,
Urbinelli R,
Allaert F,
Le MG,
Kuttenn F.
(2002 Dec) Combined hormone
replacement therapy and risk of breast cancer in a French cohort study of 3175
women.
Climacteric. 5(4):332-40.
PubMed
Fournier A,
Berrino F,
Riboli E,
Avenel V,
Clavel-Chapelon F.
(2005 Apr 10) Breast cancer
risk in relation to different types of hormone replacement therapy in the
E3N-EPIC cohort.
Int J Cancer. 114(3):448-54.
PubMed
Rossouw JE,
Anderson GL,
Prentice RL,
LaCroix AZ,
Kooperberg C,
Stefanick ML,
Jackson RD,
Beresford SA,
Howard BV,
Johnson KC,
Kotchen JM,
Ockene J (2002 Jul 17)
Writing Group
for the Women's Health Initiative Investigators.
Risks and benefits of estrogen plus progestin
in healthy postmenopausal women: principal results From the Women's Health
Initiative randomized controlled trial.
JAMA. 288(3):321-33
PubMed
