The Healthy Choice’s Second Annual BHRT Seminar

Thank you to everyone who attended The Healthy Choice Compounding Pharmacy’s  second annual BHRT Seminar.  This Seminar was for Doctors and Staff interested in learning how to better incorporate Bio Identical Hormone Replacement Therapy into their practice.

This years presenter was Dr. Pamela Smith, MD, MPH, Author of “HRT, The Answers” . 

Dr. Smith  has been featured  on CNN & PBS. 

Click Here to Learn More!

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Hormone treatments of all kinds are growing steadily more popular. Women are taking proactive approaches to finding a healthy hormone balance. Many women feel that if they can keep things in balance they can prevent adverse health conditions from insidiously developing over the years, producing problems with more dangerous consequences. Women are now less likely to accept their lot in life, especially an unhealthy state of being.
Hormone fluctuations can take a strong body and render it weak, unpredictable and unreliable. However, hormonal problems should not be seen as an inevitable part of being a woman or something that we should just accept. Hormonal problems that occur at different stages of life do not have to be accepted as “normal.” It definitely seems, however, that women are experiencing more hormonal difficulties than ever before. Whether it is PMS in their 20s and 30s, menopausal problems in their 50s, or osteoporosis in their 70s and 80s, women don’t have to accept these health problems as a normal part of the aging process. Women, by nature, are made to be strong and resilient. These attributes are necessary components to enable them to bear and raise children. Women’s bodies have been created to be healthy and in harmony and balance. Strength, energy, productivity and glowing health should be enjoyed throughout all the stages of a woman’s life, from girlhood through motherhood to old age. Good health is possible to obtain if we are making the right choices. If our bodies’ needs are not completely met from the food we eat, the amount of exercise we receive, and from reducing the stress in our lives, we may experience health difficulties. Diet, nutrition, exercise, and stress reduction are some of the basic changes women need to make in their lives in order to restore hormone balance. Some women may need hormone supplementation to help bring their bodies back into balance. Obtaining a basic understanding of our hormones will begin the process of restoring our body’s natural synchronization. Hormones have too much impact on our lives to ignore. Every aspect of our lifestyle can affect hormone balance and, just as importantly, hormone balance can profoundly influence every aspect of our lives.
In this article, we look at the role that different hormones have in our body and what happens when that balance gets upset. At the end of the article, we discuss the pros and cons of bioidentical hormones (those identical to the hormones produced by the human body) and those that are not.

The Role of Hormones . . .

Hormones coordinate the continu­ous biochemical activity that occurs in all of our cells in our body and brain. They are the chemicals that make things happen on a day-to-day basis within the systems of our body. As the body’s chemical messengers, they orchestrate our metabolic processes by stimulating changes in body cells. As hormone levels fluctuate throughout your lifetime, you may notice mood chang­es, body composition changes, your overall sensitivity changes, and your potential for various types of activity is different.

There are many different types of hor­mones in our body. Hormones, which originate in various glands through­out the body, are found in the blood, where they circulate to continually bathe our tissues. Receptors within our cells are sensitive to particular hor­mones that causes them to react. The more hormone present in the cell or the more highly sensitized the recep­tors, the more intense the reaction.

Estrogens

Estrogens are some of the most pow­erful hormones in the human body. Almost all tissues have receptors that make them responsive to estrogens. Es­trogens help the urinary tract, breasts, skin, blood vessels, and uterus to stay toned and flexible.

Estrogen levels start to rise in girls before menarche, sometimes as early as age 8. The hypothalamus signals the pituitary to release hormones, which then signal the ovaries to pro­duce more estrogen. Estrogen levels continue to rise in girls until they start menstruation, usually by age 11 or 12. It also starts the development of breasts and the growth of pubic hair and hair under the arms.

In their early 30s, most women begin to experience declining levels of es­trogens and progesterone. With this decline, there is also a drop in fertility.

In their early 40s, most women be­gin the climacteric, which is a period of more rapidly declining hormone levels leading up to menopause. The symptoms during this period become quite obvious. The skin becomes dryer, the hair becomes more brittle, pubic and underarm hair becomes more sparse, there is a loss in libido, and you may experience mood swings. The chart above identifies common menopausal symptoms caused by a deficiency in estrogens, progesterone, and testosterone.

Progesterone

Estrogen and progesterone are made by the ovaries of menstruating women. Progesterone is made by the corpus luteum starting just prior to ovula­tion. Progesterone is a precursor hormone that can be converted by the body into other steroid hor­mones. It prepares the lining of the uterus for the fertilized ovum and is necessary for the survival and development of the conceptus. Progesterone is produced in the pla­centa, which maintains pregnancy, and is secreted at a level of 300 to 400 mg a day during the third trimester. Progesterone is produced in smaller amounts by the adrenal glands and is an important component in the biosynthesis of adrenal cortical hormones.

Before ovulation, the levels of pro­gesterone are about 2 to 3 mg per day. At ovulation and the devel­opment of the corpus luteum, the production of progesterone rapidly rises to an average of 22 mg per day, with peak production as high as 30 mg per day, a week or so after ovulation. If fertilization does not occur after 10 or 12 days, then the production of progesterone falls dra­matically, triggering the shedding of the lining of the uterus, resulting in menstruation.

Ideally, in a woman’s menstrual cycle, estrogen and progesterone levels should rise from the time of ovulation until just before menstrua­tion. If the levels of progesterone are inadequate, then only estrogen rises during this time, causing many symptoms, such as low blood sugar levels, salt and fluid retention, blood clotting, fibroid and tumor development, increased cholesterol and triglyceride levels, allergic reactions, reduced oxygen levels in the cells, the retention of copper and loss of zinc. Low levels of progesterone also cause interference with thyroid hormone function, which may lead to weight gain and feelings of exhaustion.

Progesterone’s functions are:

-  act as a precursor of other sex hormones (i.e., estrogens and testosterone)

-  maintain secretory endometrium

-  protect against breast fibrocysts

-  act as a natural diuretic

-  help use fat for energy

-  act as a natural antidepressant

-  help thyroid hormone action

-  normalize blood clotting

-  restore libido

-  help normalize blood sugar

-  normalize zinc and copper levels

-  restore proper cell oxygen levels

Menopausal Symptoms Caused by Estrogen, Progesterone and Testosterone Deficiency

Bladder/urethra Infections, change in the urethral opening, frequency and/or urgency of urination, inability to hold in urine

Breasts Shrinking, sagging

Cardiovascular Coronary heart disease, atherosclerosis, angina, decreased endurance

Neuroendocrine Hot flushes, insomnia or frequent waking from sleep, decreased libido

Musculoskeletal Osteoporosis; backache and fractures related to osteoporosis; decreased integrity of muscles

Skin/mucous Atrophy, dryness, itching, easily bruised, loss of skin tone, dry hair or loss of hair, major hairiness of face, dry mouth

Uterus/pelvis Dropping of the uterus and the vagina

Vulva/vagina Shrinkage, itching, painful intercourse, vaginal infection, blood stained discharge

-  protect against endometrial cancer

-  protect against breast cancer

-  stimulate osteoblast-mediated bone building

-  provide survival of the embryo and fetus throughout gestation

-  promote cortisone synthesis as a precursor in the adrenal cortex.

Testosterone

While most women think of testos­terone as a male hormone, it may come as a surprise to you that it is also a female hormone. Women with functioning ovaries produce, on aver­age, three-tenths of one milligram of testosterone per day (men produce 20 times as much). One of testosterone’s roles in women during pregnancy is in the development of the embryo. Testosterone signals the cells of the genetically male embryo to develop as a male.

Testosterone also plays an important role in a woman’s normal physiology. Women produce a small amount of testosterone, which is critical to the healthy functioning of most of the tis­sues in the body. It is responsible for a sense of well-being, sexual libido, and vital energy. It is testosterone in a young woman that stimulates the growth of pubic hair and underarm hair. It also stimulates the skin to produce more oil, which contributes to teenage acne, but also gives shine to the hair and a healthy glow to the skin. There are testosterone receptors in the nipples of developed breasts and in the clitoris and vagina. These receptors make these areas sensitive to sexual stimulation.

Testosterone’s other functions are to keep the cells of the body functioning efficiently, contributing to healthy bones and muscles and making the best use of nourishment for growth and maintenance.

Postmenopausal women commonly experience a decrease in the amount of testosterone in their body, which results in symptoms of decreased sense of well-being, a loss of vital energy, and reduced sexual libido.

Testosterone and estrogen are carried on the same protein in the blood known as the sex hormone binding globulin (SHBG). Between 97 and 99 percent of testosterone is attached to this protein, so very little is left to produce any effect on the tissues in the body. Estrogen stimulates the production of more SHBG, which binds up more testosterone, leaving less available to work on the cells. When women take supplementary estrogen at menopause they actually tie up a little more of the testosterone that’s left. This can cause symptoms of testosterone deficiency. Testoster­one supplementation has sometimes been feared by women because they’ve heard that if they take it they will experience significant growth of facial and body hair. These un­wanted side effects can occur only at excessive dosage levels and can be reversed by stopping the testosterone supplementation.

Thyroid

Thyroid problems are a very com­mon, and often undiagnosed, health problem for women. In thyroid test­ing, when TSH (thyroid stimulating hormone) is measured, it has been found not only to fail to accurately measure thyroid function, but it often misses many cases of thyroid system malfunction. Individuals with thyroid system malfunction seem to exhibit cellular level tissue resis­tance to the thyroid hormone in their blood. Even though normal amounts of thyroid hormone are present in the bloodstream, the individual cells do not receive sufficient amounts to optimally perform.

Recent research has also discovered different types of thyroid recep­tors. One type of receptor regulates pituitary stimulation of thyroid production and a different type is present in other areas of the body. It is thought that the pituitary recep­tors may not know that these other receptor areas are low in thyroid hor­mone, and so therefore do not signal for an increase.

Individuals with a malfunction­ing thyroid system often have a slow metabolism, which leads to a low body temperature. The Barnes Basal Temperature Test is a very simple, effective, and low cost way to determine if you might have hypothyroidism. For menstruating women from day 2 to day 12 of their cycles, the basal temperature should normally read between 97.8º and 98.2º F when taken in the underarm position. Some doctors recommend starting thyroid treatment if the tem­perature is below 97.4º F.

It is believed by some specialists that a majority of women with premen­strual syndrome (PMS) have thyroid abnormalities as indicated by TSH response. Thyroid system malfunc­tion has been linked to PMS because of its effect on immune system func­tion and its connection to Candida albicans infections.

Low thyroid function is capable of affecting the onset of menstruation in puberty by either hastening the onset or delaying it. Thyroid hormone has been effective in benefiting women who suffer from excessive flow, scant flow, painful cramps, irregular cycles, and some cases of infertility and miscarriage.

Other symptoms of low thyroid function are frequent headaches, re­peated respiratory infections, fatigue, depression, weakness, dry skin, lethargy, slow speech, decreased sweating, cold sensations, cold skin, thick tongue, coarseness of hair, im­paired memory, constipation, edema of eyelids, pallor of skin and heart enlargement.

DHEA

Dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA) is the most abundant naturally oc­curring steroid hormone secreted by the adrenal glands. It has been called “the mother of all hormones” because it watches over, supports, and regulates the functions of other steroids in their immune system activity. The body uses DHEA to produce the sex hormones: tes­tosterone, estrogen, progesterone and corticosterone. The function of DHEA appears to be important in keeping the metabolic balance of youth (anabolism), as contrasted with the “wearing out” metabolism of old age (catabolism). Levels of DHEA are high in the developing fetus and continue to rise until about the age of 25. At this point, DHEA production drops off sharp­ly. A woman at age 50 has less than one-third the DHEA she had at age 19.

Human Growth Hormone

Human growth hormone (hGH) is another hormone that is pres­ent in large quantities in our body when we are young, peaks in our mid-20s, but tends to disappear as we age. The primary function of hGH in our youth is to help bones lengthen and expand to help us become taller, stronger-boned, and long-limbed. It also promotes growth by helping to transport amino acids between cells and by inducing cells to accept and synthesize amino acids. In ad­dition, it helps our bodies to use the protein we ingest for cellular repair and regeneration. Without hGH, our muscle and organ tissue would start to break down. Human growth hormone, or somatotropin, is a simple protein made up of a single chain of 191 amino acids. It is released by the pituitary gland, starting in childhood and continu­ing into old age. It moves from the bloodstream to the liver, where it is converted into somatomedin-C (also known as growth factors), which are messenger molecules that carry hGH’s message of growth into other parts of the body. Human growth hormone supplementation is said to help elderly people lose 20 years from their biological clock, particularly in the area of bones and muscles.

A Look at Hormone Supplementation

Bioidentical Progesterone

Progesterone treatment has been used in Great Britain since the 1950s and in the United States since the late 1970s. The progester­one that is used is prepared from extracts of wild yam or soybean and is the exact duplicate of the progesterone that naturally occurs in the body. Progesterone directly suppresses circulating LH. It com­bines with progesterone receptor sites and elicits biological effects without undesirable side effects. A woman who takes progester­one feels her symptoms naturally improve. In the treatment of PMS, progesterone is administered dur­ing the symptomatic time, from ovulation until the symptoms cease during menses. A similar proto­col is used for perimenopausal symptoms. Possible side effects from taking progesterone include feelings of euphoria and possibly an alteration in the timing of the menstrual cycle.

Synthetic Progestins are a Poor Substitute for Bioidentical Progesterone

Synthetic progestins are not only less effective than natural proges­terone, but they can also cause side effects. They do not have the full range of biological activity of natu­ral progesterone and have actually been shown to inhibit biosynthesis of progesterone. Synthetic proges­tins can cause abnormal menstrual flow, cessation of flow, nausea, depression, weight fluctuations, fluid retention, insomnia, allergic reactions, jaundice, and fever.

Estrogen Can Be Prescribed in Conjunction with Progesterone

When estrogen supplementation is prescribed by your healthcare practitioner, using progesterone in conjunction can minimize side effects. Estrogen, unopposed by progesterone supplementation, “decreases libido, increases the likelihood of breast fibrocysts, uter­ine fibroids, uterine (endometrial) cancer and breast cancer. All of these undesirable effects of estro­gen are countered by progesterone. Restoring proper progesterone levels is what is known as restoring hormone balance,” according to Dr. John R. Lee in his book Natural Progesterone: The Multiple Roles of a Remarkable Hormone.

Conjugated Estrogens

Conjugated estrogens, such as Premarin®, are the most commonly used form of estrogen replace­ment therapy (ERT) prescribed by healthcare providers. Researchers do not know for sure if conjugated estrogen increases cancer risk. Women with family histories of cancer may be advised against taking standard estrogen therapy. Other side effects of estrogen include vaginal bleeding, high blood pressure, nausea, vomiting, headaches, fluid retention, and impaired glucose tolerance.

Tri-Estrogen

Tri-estrogen, or Tri-est, is a bioidentical triple estrogen com­bination formula that attempts to minimize the risks of estrogen and maximizes its benefits. Tri-est utilizes the benefits of three bio-identical estrogens—estrone (E1), estradiol (E2) and estriol (E3)—in a safe and effective way. Triple estrogen may be administered in a cyclical fashion, in addition to progesterone at the end of the cycle, or daily in combination with progesterone for practitioners who recommend every day dosing.

Natural Testosterone vs. Synthetic

Remington’s, the standard pharma­cy text, states that “Testosterone is not effective orally because it is destroyed by the liver upon ab­sorption.” However, Dr. Jonathan Wright states that an exhaustive search in the medical literature fails to substantiate this statement. Indeed, he has used testosterone orally in his practice and has confirmed activity both by clinical results and by laboratory measure­ments. This unfounded belief in the ineffectiveness of testosterone taken orally has led to the wide­spread use of methyltestosterone in this country.

Popular drug products, such as Premarin® with methyltestoster­one, are frequently prescribed for menopausal women. It is important to distinguish the dif­ference — testosterone occurs naturally in the human body, but methyltestosterone does not. Testosterone is easy to monitor by measuring levels in the blood, saliva, and urine. Testosterone supplementation only produces side effects when the normal physiological levels are exceeded. Side effects disappear when the dosing is lowered appropriately.

Methyltestosterone is a synthetic analog. It is not possible to cor­relate blood levels with clinical activity because it is not nor­mally a component of human biochemistry. By introducing a foreign substance that mimics testosterone, it is not surprising to find that more side effects or undesirable effects occur. Primar­ily, the extra load for the liver to try to detoxify the body from a foreign substance can lead to liver damage. Liver cancer has also been reported as a side effect of methyltestosterone.

In Testosterone, The Hormone of Desire, Dr. Susan Rako contends that it is desirable to use me­thyltestosterone to avoid the production of estradiol from testosterone. Estradiol produc­tion from testosterone is a natural event (and would occur anyway from a patient’s own testoster­one). In actuality, the rate of conversion is not great and is cer­tainly dependent upon the body’s own wisdom of balance. There are no long-term studies to verify that the use of methyltestosterone does not produce problems from even low dose applications, as used in menopausal women. The choice between natural or syn­thetic testosterone is an important topic for patients to discuss with their practitioners.

Thyroid Supplementation

Natural thyroid preparations have been available since 1891, and the individual thyroid hor­mones T3 and T4 have been synthesized since the 1960s. Dr. Broda O. Barnes, a pioneer in thyroid research, has always advocated the use of natural preparations, based on the findings of his many years of researching the efficacy of both natural and synthetic thyroid. Most thyroid hormone is given by prescription and must be monitored by a practitioner. T4 preparations, which are the most commonly used thyroid hor­mone, have proven to be a very poor replacement therapy accord­ing to the Barnes Foundation. Their testing has consistently shown that patients on T4 prepa­rations have an abnormally high T4 level and a very low T3 level, indicating their body’s inability to convert T4 to T3.

DHEA Supplementation

Proponents of DHEA supple­mentation believe it may have a positive impact on diabetes (by stabilizing blood sugar levels), cancer, coronary artery disease (atherosclerosis), osteoporosis, blood cholesterol, aging, and autoimmune diseases. It may also enhance the immune sys­tem to protect against infection, assist in weight loss and convert fat to lean muscle mass, con­trol Alzheimer’s disease, treat menopause, depression, memory problems and herpes. Women with higher levels of DHEA show evidence of less risk of breast cancer and better functioning im­mune systems as they age.

DHEA is available by pre­scription when it is custom compounded and also available without a prescription (over the counter).

Human Growth Hormone

Proponents of hGH supplemen­tation have found that it offers striking health benefits including improvements in energy level and sense of well-being, younger and thicker skin, stronger bones, gains in muscle mass, loss of body fat, a stronger immune system, faster healing of wounds, enhanced exercise and sexual performance, greater cardiac output, lower blood pressure, lower cholesterol, fewer wrinkles, sharper vision, mood enhancements, better retentive memory, improved kidney func­tion, and regrowth of organs (heart, liver, spleen, kidneys) that shrink with age.

What are the potential problems with hGH? Because it promotes connective tissue growth, hGH has been reported to cause carpal tunnel syndrome and ar­thritis in some users. It has also been theorized that it may trig­ger precancerous cells to turn to cancerous cells. As the studies continue, researchers have also expressed fear that the hormone may lead to edema, high blood pressure, irreversible joint diameter enlargement, vocal cord thickening, osteoporosis, heat intolerance, or impotence. However, current dosing trends seem to be much lower than the original dosing prescribed by practitioners. There appear to be fewer side effects with more judicious use.

Benefits of Proper Hormone Balance

Restoring hormone balance has been shown to have a beneficial effect on quality of life. Estro­gen and progesterone therapies are believed to reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease, sig­nificantly protect from heart attack, and reduce the bone loss associated with osteoporosis. Treatment with bioidentical pro­gesterone and natural thyroid has been found to be effective in preventing miscarriages, solv­ing some cases of infertility, and helpful in treating menstrual difficulties, mood disorders, and PMS. Obtaining the proper hormone balance may help you avoid minor health irritations, as well as major health con­cerns, throughout the stages of your life.

Resources

This article was originally publised in 1997, as written by Lauri Lee. It was republished with minor modi­fications in January 2002 and again in August 2010.

The original resources included:

-  PMS—Solving The Puzzle by Linaya Hahn.

-  Hormonal Health by Dr. Michael Colgan.

-  Natural Hormone Health by Arabella Melville.

-  What Your Doctor May Not Tell You About Menopause: The Breakthrough Book on Natural Progesterone by John     R. Lee, MD.

-  Natural Progesterone: The Multiple Roles of a Remarkable Hormone by John R. Lee, MD.

-  Estrogen: The Facts Can Change Your Life! by Lila E. Nachtigall, MD.

-  Testosterone, The Hormone of Desire by Susan Rako, MD.

Connections is a publication of Women’s International Pharmacy, which is dedicated to the education and management of PMS, menopause, infertility, postpartum depression, and other hormone-related conditions and therapies.

This publication is distributed with the understanding that it does not constitute medical advice for indi­vidual problems. Although material is intended to be accurate, proper medical advice should be sought from a competent healthcare professional.

Publisher: Constance Kindschi Hegerfeld, Executive VP, Women’s International Pharmacy

Co-Editors: Michelle Davenport and Carol Petersen, RPh, CNP; Women’s International Pharmacy

Copyright © August 2010, Women’s International Pharmacy. This newsletter may not be reproduced or distributed without the permission of Women’s International Pharmacy.

For more information, please visit www.womensinternational.com or call (800) 279-5708.

Women’s International Pharmacy | PO Box 6468 | Madison, WI 53716-0468

Printed on recycled paper

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Connecticut Doctors Who Prescribe BHRT

Dr. Thomas T. Brunoski
4 Ivy Knolls
Westport, CT  06880
(203) 454-5963

Dr. Patrick J. Cahill
1275 Summer Street
Stamford, CT  06905
(203) 353-9099

Dr. Joel Evans, Ob/Gyn
Monique Class, APN
1011 High Ridge Road
Stamford, CT  06902
(203) 321-0200

Dr. Carol Fucinga, Ob/Gyn
396 Danbury Road
Wilton, CT  06897
(203) 834-2237

Dr. Joan Ghofrany, Ob/Gyn
Dr. Sheiva Ghofrany, Ob/Gyn
1275 Summer Street
Stamford, CT
(203) 353-9099

Dr. Edward Jacobson, Ob/Gyn
Greenwich Center for Vaginal Surgery
1 Perry Ridge Road
Greenwich, CT  06830
(203) 869-8360

Dr. Eva Olah, Ob/Gyn
195 Danbury Road
Wilton, CT  06897
(203) 563-0230

Dr. Tamara Sachs
15 Bennitt Street
New Milford, VT  06776
(860) 354-3304

Dr. Russel Turk, Ob/Gyn
Riverside Ob/Gyn
1200 East Putnam Ave.,
Riverside, CT  06878
(203) 637-3337

Dr. Katherine Vadasdi
6 Greenwich Office Park
Greenwich, CT  06831
(203) 869-1145

Dr. Caterina Viola, Ob/Gyn
1 ½ Deerfield Drive
Greenwich, CT  06831
(203) 861-9586

Dr. Joanne Wible-Kant, Ob/Gyn
4675 Main Street, Suite 1
Bridgeport, CT  06606
(203) 372-9998

Dr. Marci Wollinsky-Friedland, Ob/Gyn
31 Bailey Avenue
Ridgefield, CT 06877
(203) 431-6165

Dr. Katherine Zino
Riverside Ob/Gyn
1200 East Putnam Ave.
Riverside, CT. 06878
(203) 637-3337

Long Island Doctors Who Prescribe BHRT

Dr. Deborah Blenner
1165 Northern Blvd., Suite 300
Manhasset, NY  11030
(516) 627-4433

Dr. Robin Bliss
Women’s Health Care of Suffolk
200  Motor Parkway
Hauppague, NY  11788
(631) 435-4322

Dr. Roxanne G. Carfora
Center for Healthy Living
301 Maple Ave.,
Smithtown, NY  11787
(631) 265-9355

Dr. David Edelson
Health Bridge
1000 Northern Blvd, Suite 230
Great Neck, NY 11021
(516) 627-1087

Dr. Martina Frandina
1991 Marcus Ave., Suite M101
Lake Success, NY  11042
(516) 437-2020

Dr. Marc Harvey
2 ProHealth Plaza
Lake Success, NY  11042
(516) 608-6800

Dr. Susan Maloney, Ob/Gyn
Northshore University Hospital
825 Northern Blvd., Suite 301
Great Neck, NY  11021
(516) 472-5700

Catherine Mueller, NP
All Women’s Ob/Gyn
124-16 Rockaway Beach Blvd., Suite BL
Belle Harbor, NY  11694
(718) 634-9500

Dr. Dreux R. Patton
12 Medical Drive, Suite A
Port Jefferson station, NY  11776
(631) 331-4400
Dr. Anita Sadaty, Ob/Gyn
900 Northern Blvd.,
Great Neck, NY  11021
(516) 466-0778

Dr. Hera Sambaziotis
9091 Marcus Ave, Suite M101
Lake Success, NY  11042
(516) 437-2020

Dr. Valerie Schulz
Northshore University Hospital Ob/Gyn
1554 Northern Blvd, 5^th Floor
Manhasset, NY  11030
(516) 390-9242

Kathy Sebastopoli, RN
825 Northern Blvd, Suite 301
Great Neck, NY  11710

Dr. Peter Simonson
257 Lafayette Ave., Suite 120
Suffern, NY  10901
(845) 369-9100

Dr. Richard Sollazzo
38 Landing Ave.,
Smithtown, NY  11780
(631) 361-6160

Heidi Talansky, PA
900 Northern Blvd
Great Neck, NY  11021
(516) 466-0778

Manhattan Doctors Who Prescribe BHRT

Dr. Richard Ash
The Ash Center
800 Fifth Ave., 61st Street
New York, NY 10065
(212) 758-3200

Dena Berlin, NP
530 1st Ave., Suite 9Q
New York, NY 10016
(917) 596-0078

Dr. Shari Brasner
1125 Park Ave.
New York, NY 10128
(917) 492-9200

Dr. Deborah Coady
430 West Broadway, 2nd Floor
New York, NY 10012
(212) 941-0011

Dr. Rodika Colloka-Kump
The Hoffman Center
539 West, 236 Street
Bronx, NY 10463
(718) 548-4560

Dr. Laura E. Corio, Ob/Gyn
113 East, 64th Street
New York, NY 10065
(646) 422-0730

Dr. Lynn Dennerlein
3400 Bainbridege Ave.,
Bronx, NY 10487
(718) 920-7361

Dr. Sharon Diamond
Mt. Sinai Hospital
61 East, 86th Street
New York, NY 10028
(212) 876-2200

Dr. Peter Dottino, Ob/Gyn
800A Fifth Ave.,
New York, NY 10021
(212) 888-8439

Dr. Sophia Drosinos
635 Madison Ave.,
New York, NY 10022
(212) 857-4542

Dr. Janis Regina Enzenbacher, Ob/Gyn
105 Shad Row
Piermont, NY 10968
(845) 680-6600

Dr. Lauren Feit
Life Steps Ob/Gyn
936 Fifth Ave.,
New York, NY 10021
(212) 570-9200

Dr. Ilene Fischer
Murry Hill Ob/Gyn
150 East, 32nd Street
New York, NY 10016
(212) 447-5330

Dr. Patrick M. Fratellone
The Group for Women
47 West, 57th Street, 5th floor
New York, NY 10019
(212) 421-3202

Dr. Sandra Gelbard
993 Park Ave.
New York, NY 10022
(212) 388-5303

Dr. Judith Gershowitz
99 University Place (between 11th & 12th)
New York, NY 10003
(212) 260-7700

Christine Gunther,NP
185 West End Ave., Suite 1D
New York, NY, 10023
(212) 496-9800

Dr. Jessica Halprin
3333 Henry Hudson Parkway
Riverdale, NY 10463
(718) 601-2941

Dr. Emily Hartzog
The Group for Women
245 Fifth Ave., 2nd Floor
New York, NY 10016
(646) 935-2257

Dr. Karen Kirsch
Life Steps Ob/Gyn
62 East, 88th Street, Suite 201
New York, NY 10128
(212) 860-4800

Dr. Zina Kroner
121 East, 60th Street, 3rd Floor
New York, NY 10022
(212) 838-4020

Dr. Jennifer LaFontant
Gun Hill Medical Pavillion
1309 E. Gun Hill Road
Bronx, NY 10469
(718) 231-7900

Dr. Ellen Manos
125 East, 63rd Street
New York, NY 10021
(212) 759-6623

Dr. Lee Morrone
62 East, 88th Street, Suite 201
New York, NY 10128
(212) 860-4800

Dr. Sabina Ostolski
200 Park Ave. South, Suite 1103
New York, NY 11003
(212) 253-5501

Dr. Robin Phillips
1126 Park Ave.,
New York, NY 10128
(212) 534-5300

Dr. Elizabeth Poynor, Ob/Gyn/Oncologist
1950 Fifth Ave.,
New York, NY 10028
(212) 426-2700

Dr. Gae M. Rodke
185 West End Ave., Suite 1D
New York, NY 10023
(212) 496-9800

Dr. Heidi Rosenberg
150 East, 32nd Street, Suite 101
New York, NY 10016
(212) 683-3595

Dr. Peter S. Sailon
955 Park Ave.,
New York, NY 10028
(212) 879-9191

Dr. John Salerno
161 Madison Ave., Suite 75W
New York, NY 10016
(212) 582-1700

Dr. Carolina Sierra
1841 Broadway, Suite 914
New York, NY 10023
(212) 541-8080

Dr. Valerie Wells, Ob/Gyn
40 East, 84th Street (between Park & Mad)
New York, NY 10028
(646) 385-7923

Dr. Constance Young
177 Grand Concourse, Suite 1K
Bronx, NY 10457
(718) 901-8110

New Jersey Doctors Who Prescribe BHRT

Dr. Kristine Gedroic
22 Elm Street
Morristown, NJ 07960
(973) 993-4445

Sharon Jacobson, PA
Englewood Ob/Gyn
370 Grand Ave.,
Englewood, NJ 07631
(201) 894-9599

Dr. Nancy Lentine
96 East Main Street, Suite 3
Little Falls, NJ 07424
(973) 237-0700

Dr. Melissa Weinstein, Ob/Gyn
275 Forest Ave.,
Paramus, NY 07652
(201) 967-9191

Dr. Sandy H. Yeum
769 Northfield Ave.
West Orange, NJ 07052
(973) 325-5670

Putnam Doctors Who Prescribe BHRT

Dr. Jeanne Grove
Penfield Obstetrics & Gynecology
43 Willow Pond Way, Suite 200
Penfield, NY  14526
(584) 377-5420

Dr. Cynthia Ligenza
1756 Route 9D
Cold Springs, NY  10516
(845) 265-1006

Dr. Stacey Madoff
1089 Main Street
Fishkill, NY  12524
(845) 896-9864

Dr. Daniel Perks
600 Westage Business Center Drive
Fishkill, NY  12524
(845) 221-0792

Dr. Judy Siegel
623 Warburton Ave., Suite 102
Hudson, NY  10706
(914) 478-3001

Linda Stocker, CNM
Mid Hudson Medical Group
664 Stoneleigh Ave., Suite 209
Carmel, NY  10512
(845) 279-3300

Cathleen Quaglietta, RN
Women’s Medical Care
600 Westage Business Center Drive
Fishkill, NY  12524
(845) 231-5600

Rockland Doctors Who Prescribe BHRT

Dr. Michelle Battista
Ramapo Valley Ob/Gyn
974 Route 45
Pomona, NY 10970
(845) 354-1113

Dr. Suzanne Flapan
Ramapo Valley Ob/Gyn
974 Route 45
Pomona, NY 10970
(845) 354-1113

Tara Scaglione, CNM
Comprehensive Ob/Gyn
26 Fireman’s Memorial Drive
Pomona, NY 10970
(845) 362-5900

Syracuse Doctors Who Prescribe BHRT

Dr. Kratzert, MD, FACOG, Ob/Gyn
Dr. Dalpe, MD, FACOG, Ob/Gyn
Dr. Weinstein, DO, FACOG, Ob/Gyn
Women’s Wellness Place
739 Irving Ave., #300
Syracuse, NY 13210
(315) 478-1158

Westchester Doctors Who Prescribe BHRT

Dr. Maria Abbattista
700 White Plains Road
Scarsdale, NY 10583
(914) 472-2222

Dr. Diane Ainsworth
700 White Plains, Rd
Scarsdale, NY 10583
(914) 472-2222

Dr. Constantine Bakas
101 S. Bedford Road, Suite 413
Mt. Kisco, NY 10549
(914) 666-5780

Dr. Nancy Beran
645 Marble Ave.,
Thornwood, NY 10594
(914) 769-1600

Dr. Susan Blum
The Blum Center for Health
34 Rye Ridge Plaza
Rye Brook, New York, 10573
(914) 652-7800

Dr. Robin Bradley
Full Circle Family Care
1241 Mamaroneck Ave.,
White Plains, NY 10605
(914) 421-1500

Dr. Patricia Calayag
1990 Central Park Ave.
Yonkers, NY 10710
(914) 793-5588

Dr. Lourdes Castano
777 North Broadway
White Plains, NY 10591
(914) 682-0728

Dr. Vincent D’Amico
30 Greenidge Ave.
White Plains, NY 10605
(914) 428-4400

Dr. Fatima Diaz
2 Overhill Road, #260
Scarsdale, NY 10583
(914) 722-9440

Dr. Sarina Distefano
755 North Broadway, Suite 560
Sleepy Hollow, NY 10591
(914) 631-0337

Dr. Alyssa Dweck
90 S. Bedford Road
Mt. Kisco, NY 10549
(914) 242-1380

Dr. Bonnie Eilen
170 Maple Ave., Suite 309
White Plains, NY 10601
(914) 328-0932

Dr. Evelyn Eusebe-Carter
12 Church Street
White Plains, NY
(914) 997-6023

Dr. Jill Fetell
13-15 Neperan Rd.,
Tarrytown, NY 10591
(914) 631-7911

Melissa Ferrara, FNP
811 North Broadway
White Plains, NY 10603
(914) 997-4100

Dr. Regina Fitzgerald
1990 Central Ave.
Yonkers, NY 10710
(914) 793-5588

Dr. Regina Giuffrida
90 South Bedford Rd.
Mt. Kisco, NY 10549
(914) 962-5060

Dr. Irene H. Grant
167 Benedict Ave
Tarrytown, NY 10591
(914) 524-0715

Dr. Suzanne Greenidge
Woman to Woman
1020 North Broadway
Yonkers, NY 10701
(914) 375-2800

Dr. Anita Grover
105 S. Bedford Rd, Suite 302
Mt. Kisco, NY 10549
(914) 666-5125

Dr. Carol Harracksingh
Hudson Valley Women’s Medical Group
225 Veterans Road, Suite 102
Yorktown Heights, NY 10598
(914) 245-3056

Dr. Joanne Kitaine
59 Kensico Drive
Mt. Kisco, NY 10549
(914) 241-4900

Mimi Y. Kang, MD, FACOG
Tiffany Werbin-Silver, MD
Westchester Health
59 Kensico Drive
Mt. Kisco, NY 10549
(914) 241-4900

Dr. Polly Kanganis
130 Pondfield Rd
Bronxville, NY 10708
(914) 771-9441

Dr. Joon Lee
2 Overhill Road, Suite 260
Scarsdale, NY 10583
(914) 722-9440

Dr. Annette Maffei
Women’s Medical Associates
105 South Bedford Rd
Mt. Kisco, NY 10549
(914) 666-5125

Dr. Theresa Mahon
25 Veteran Rd., Suite 102
Yorktown, NY 10011
(914) 739-1697

Dr. Batsheva Marcus
The Medical Center for Female Sexuality
2975 Westchester Ave.,
Purchase, NY 10577
(914) 328-3700

Joanne Mazzio,CNM
Hudson Valley, Ob/Gyn
Cortlandt Medical Center
1985 Crompound Rd.,
Cortlandt Manor, NY 10567
(914) 739-1697

Dr. Catherine McGovern
170 Maple Ave., Suite 309
White Plains, NY 10601
(914) 949-8338

Dr. Dennis McGroary
322 Underhill Rd.
Yorktown, NY 10598
(914) 232-1919

Dr. Kevin Meacham
2071 Boston Post Rd.
Larchmont, NY 10538
(914) 833-1000

Dr. Barry Miesel
170 Maple Ave.,
White Plains, NY 10601
(914) 949-8338

Lucille C. Milne, CNM
Midwifery
15 North Broadway
White Plains, NY 10601
(914) 328-8444

Mary Morton, P
1940 Commerce Street, Suite 2
Yorktown Heights, NY 10598
(914) 962-5577

Dr. Antoinette Nigro
90 S. Bedford Rd
Mt. Kisco, NY 10549
(914) 241-1050

Dr. Nancy Pawl
Larchmont Women’s Ctr
2345 Boston Post Road
Larchmont, NY 10538
(914) 833-0444

Dr. Lisa Roth-Brown
Women’s Medical Assoc.
105 S. Bedford Rd.
Mt. Kisco, NY 10549
(914) 666-5125

Dr. Minerva Santos
691 East Main Street
Shrub Oak, NY 10588
(914) 245-6800

Dr. Jodi Sutton
Mt. Kisco Medical Group
90 South Bedford Rd.,
Mt. Kisco, NY 10549
(914) 242-1597

Dr. Christina Veit, Ob/Gyn
150 White Plains, Rd
Tarrytown, NY 10591
(914) 631-1292

Dr. Randee Wyoski
170 Maple Ave.
White Plains, NY 10605
(914) 949-8338

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In case of radiation exposure, 1 capsule daily of  Potassium Iodide protects the Thyroid.

Contact us at:

The Healthy Choice Compounding Pharmacy

6 South Greeley Ave.,

Chappaqua, NY  10514

Phone: (914) 238-1700/Fax:(914)238-1834

email:Phil@TheHealthyChoice.net

]]> http://www.simplybhrt.com/2011/03/16/the-healthy-choice-has-potassium-iodide/feed/ 0 http://www.simplybhrt.com/2010/10/02/the-healthy-choice-pharmacy-first-to-get-solar-panels-installed-in-new-castle/ http://www.simplybhrt.com/2010/10/02/the-healthy-choice-pharmacy-first-to-get-solar-panels-installed-in-new-castle/#comments Sat, 02 Oct 2010 21:20:06 +0000 admin http://www.simplybhrt.com/?p=1358 The Healthy Choice Compounding Pharmacy and The  Chappaqua Restaurant & Cafe  has installed a new solar electric system that will provide energy to both businesses that is not only renewable, but will substantially offset their electric bill.  Building owners Phil Altman, of Healthy Choice, and Abe Abdalla, of Chappaqua Restaurant & Café, signed off on the project on Earth Day.   Click on this LINK  to read the full article from Westchester.com

How The Love Hormone Oxytocin Works:                                                                                                                                Oxytocin is a love hormone because it helps people bond in relationships, set up appropriate psychological boundaries, and maintain intimate relationships.

What is Oxytocin?
Oxytocin is the body’s natural wonder drug. It’s produced by the hypothalamus in the brain, and released into the bloodstream by the pituitary gland. Oxytocin was the first hormone to be discovered in the early 1900s, when veterinarians noticed that an extract of pituitary gland helped farm animals give birth. The name means “quick birth.” Scientists continue to discover more of its effects on our bodies and our emotions.

What does it do to the body?
Oxytocin does play an important role in childbirth and lactation. It causes the muscle contractions that push the baby down the birth canal, and the pulses that push breast milk toward the nipples. For this reason many people think that only women produce oxytocin. In fact, men produce as much as women — and we all need it to stay physically healthy. Oxytocin helps us relax and cover from stress, lowering blood pressure. It makes us feel calmer and helps reduce sensitivity to pain, while improving the body’s ability to heal. Oxytocin also plays a critical role in our emotions. Released into the brain in social situations of all kinds, it’s responsible for trust, generosity, and all kinds of love and personal connection.

How does it affect men vs. women?
While men and women produce oxytocin in relatively equal amounts, when it comes to the emotional effects, there are strong differences. Testosterone seems to mute oxytocin’s bonding effects, while estrogen enhances them. This explains why it seems so much easier for women to bond with others — and why sex, which releases tons of oxytocin into the body and brain, seems more likely to make women fall in love.

Are any foods that help produce Oxytocin?
When your small intestine digests fat, it releases a chemical called CCK. CCK signals the brain to release oxytocin, which causes the smooth muscles of your gut to contract. This helps create the feeling of satiety after eating. Interestingly, the signal from the gut to the brain travels via the vagus nerve, which also carries sexual sensations to the brain. And, there’s evidence that the CCK signal also causes a release of oxytocin into the brain’s social centers.

Actions of Oxytocin within the brain
Oxytocin secreted from the pituitary gland cannot re-enter the brain because of the blood-brain barrier. Instead, the behavioral effects of oxytocin are thought to reflect release from centrally projecting oxytocin neurons, different from those that project to the pituitary gland. Oxytocin receptors are expressed by neurons in many parts of the brain and spinal cord, including the amygdala, ventromedial hypothalamus, septum and brainstem.

The ‘wonder pill’ could generate sex drive in both men and women who struggle with their libido, going one better than Viagra. Scientists claim to have discovered the secret of sexual desire in a breakthrough that could change millions of lives around the world. They are developing a “wonder pill” to generate sex drive in both women and men who struggle with their libido. The pill would use a hormone that releases Type 2 gonadotropin, which drives the reproductive system in animals and humans. Tests on animals have proved successful and researchers at the Medical Research Council’s Human Reproductive Sciences Unit in Edinburgh are working on an equivalent for humans.

Basics regarding oxytocin: (for both men and women)
-oxytocin is the hormone that promotes “bonding” and “attachment” (the same hormone that gets released in huge amounts during child-birth and is partially responsible for mother-child bonding)
–of course such repeated frustration may breed reluctance to engage in the SAME behavior with the SAME partner (= low libido)
-this may contribute to the risk of female infidelity (infidelity = search for a partner with whom they can achieve a higher level of intimacy, subconsciously a search for more satisfying sexual bonding)
-possible evidence that supports this idea:
*women report fantasizing about sex with strangers (men who are not their partner) far more frequently than men; It has been reported as the #2 fantasy for females (#6 fantasy for men)
*men more often fantasize their current or past partners and sexual situation that have actually happened (generally reported as #1 or #2 fantasy for men)

Biological Psychiatryincludes a paper by “We are just beginning to understand the powerful effects of hormones and chemicals released by the body in the context of important social interactions,” commented John Krystal, M.D., the editor of Biological Psychiatry. “As this knowledge grows, the question of how to best use our developing capacities to pharmacologically alter social processes will become an important question to explore.”(Science Daily)

Author Beate Ditzen, Ph.D., noted that this was the first study of its kind and important because it evaluated real-time natural couple behavior in the laboratory. “[Oxytocin] might help us to pronounce the effects of a standard treatment, such as cognitive behavioral therapy, by possibly making the benefits of social interaction more accessible to the individual. (Science Daily)

To find out more about Oxytocin or try a new Oxytocin Lozenge contact:

Phil Altman, R.Ph., Compounding Pharmacist

The Healthy Choice Compounding Pharmacy

6 South Greeley Ave.,

Chappaqua NY  10514

Phone (914) 238-1700/Fax (914)238-1834

Talk Your Belly Off! Women need to talk, talk, talk to get their oxytocin up, which raises levels of serotonin and decreases levels of cortisol, which is the “belly fat storing” chemical.  And men have three times more seratonin than women. That is why your husband tunes you out when you talk too much.

From the T.V. Show “The View from the Bay”, (San Francisco) Jan. 26, 2010, Six tips to change your life and decrease stress.  A no-nonsense approach to solving relationship and health issues.  Hear from the Authors; Sheila Steward & Sandra Shepard of the book “A Guide to Unleashing your Inner Bond Girl”

If you would like to try the new Oxytocin Lozenge, contact:

The Healthy Choice

Compounding Pharmacy

6 South Greeley Avenue

Chappaqua, NY  10514

Tel: (914) 238-1700

Fax: (914) 238-1834