Bioidentical Hormones

What are they used for?

  • perimenopause: to help with sleep issues, hot flashes, moodiness, brain fog.
  • postmenopause: to help with bone health, longevity and feeling young
  • younger women: to help with premenstrual symptoms, uterine fibromas, PCOS
  • men: for low testosterone

What is ‘bioIdentical’?

Bioidentical means that the hormone has exactly the same chemical structure as your own hormone.
The female hormones used in bioidentical hormone therapy – estradiol, estriol and progesterone – are plant-derived hormones (from Wild Yam or Soybeans). Testosterone is usually made from soybeans.

In contrast, non-bioidentical hormones, are chemically different from the ones in your body.

BHRT CONSULTATIONS – what to expect

  • Initial Consultation (60 minutes; book here; only clients in Portugal; international not possible)
    • Medical History: past illnesses, symptoms, current medications, supplements, and allergies.
    • Symptom Assessment: We will discuss your peri-menopausal symptoms in detail, their severity, and how they impact your daily life.
      Before the first appointment I will ask you to:
      1. fill in a general health & lifestyle intake
      2. fill in a hormone symptom questionnaire
      3. do blood testing (can also be done after the first consultation)
    • Hormone prescription: if appropriate, we will start with the initial hormone cream. Usually Bi-est 80:20 cream and with progesterone, sometimes progesterone only in early menopause). This is made by a compounding pharmacy.
      Titration: You will receive instructions how much to take and titrate up you dose according to symptom relief.
    • Supplements: advice on which supplements to take, as to support healthy metabolism.
  • Second consultation (after 1 month, 30 minutes; book here)
    • review of the follow up symptoms questionnaire
    • Evaluate need for testosterone
    • Dose adjustment and new prescription
    • Ordering of the hormone level test for review in the 3rd appointment
  • Third consultation (after another month)
    • If you have reached a stable dose, this is usually the last consultation until the follow up 1 year later.
    • Hormone dosing adjustments according to the hormone test results
    • Once stable, we meet every 12 months for hormone level testing and adjustments
    • PS. sometimes an extra consultation is needed 1 month after the 35d, if dosing is not optimal yet.
  • Yearly consultations
    • hormone level test before the consultation
    • Hormone dosing adjustments according to the hormone test results

COSTS

  • Consultation
    • first: 120eur
    • follow up consultation at 1 and 2 months: 60eur each
    • follow up consultation at 1 year: 120eur
  • initial blood testing 250-350eur (or less if ordered by the doctor from the Centro de Saude or with insurance)
  • hormone creams/capsules:
    • progesterone: ~15eur/month,
    • estrogen (bi-est) cream: ~50eur/month
    • testosterone cream ~15eur/month.
  • hormone level Urine test
    • between after 2-4 months of hormone use: ~350eur
    • yearly: ~300eur