Dr. Erika's Blog | Balanced Hormones for Life!

Crying Babies and Testosterone - Fox and Friends

I joined Fox and Friends this morning to talk about a new study linking a rise in Testosterone levels in Dads when their baby cries. It shows us new clues to the complex role that Testosterone, and hormones in general, play in our body.  As I say in the below video, it is not all about pumping up in the gym and the fuel for the Male sex drive. 

 

Do you have questions about Testosterone? Please leave a comment or send me an email.

Hello Baby, Goodbye Testosterone?

A new study finds testosterone drops up to 34% after they have children.  Dr. Erika joined Fox & Friends to talk about what it means.  You can watch the video below.

 

GWYNETH PALTROW and a lesson about Osteopenia

Gwyneth Paltrow, the famous and beautiful actress, was diagnosed with early osteopenia at the age of 38 and created a media furor last week.

The media loves a scary story and the Gwyneth Paltrow story appears to be scary at first glance indeed. The outcome of the story is not an improvement in the general knowledge about bone health, but rather more fearful people swept away by another celebrity calamity.

With little knowledge about what osteopenia is, we find ourselves under attack to diagnose it early and treat it promptly. Or so the media would have us do.

Gwyneth is smart however. She enlisted her holistic, integrative doctor to address the true facts about the sun and vitamin D and how to protect ourselves from thinning bones and other dangers caused by avoidance of sunlight right on her blog.

Unfortunately not everybody read the good doctor’s blog and most people are easily intimidated by the mainstream media fear mongering.

Scared people are sitting ducks and easy to take advantage of.  Drugs like Fosamax with serious side effects, that initially were prescribed for osteoporosis with dubious success is now being pushed onto the unsuspecting public as measures to be undertaken when osteopenia is diagnosed. And the earlier the better and not likely for the patient’s benefit.

Before you even consider reacting to the confusion let me give you my take on the situation:

 

What is Osteopenia?

Osteopenia is a label for thinning bones. It’s not thin bones or bones that may become thin and possibly lead to fractures, it’s just a label for stage in bone life that may or may not precede osteoporosis.

Is this just a term created by Big Pharma in order for them to push their drugs? i.e. Fosamax

Most likely yes. While the drug companies are having problems coming up with new blockbuster drugs, the pharmaceutical industry is well renowned for repurposing already existing drugs, marketing them for new uses or just plain developing new diseases or conditions to be treated with said drugs.

What is the difference between Osteopenia and Osteoporosis?

Osteopenia is a label for just plain thinning of the bones which occurs in most of us naturally with aging, vitamin D deficiency caused by avoiding the sun, covering ourselves with suntan lotion while in the sun. Another cause is lack of calcium which occurs when people eat foods low in protein and calcium. Genetics and hormone imbalance are other causes.

Osteoporosis is a condition where the bones are so thin those affected may be at higher risk of fractures. Having said that, there a many diagnosed with osteoporosis that never break a bone. When I was in medical school, osteoporosis was a post mortem diagnosis, meaning it was noted as a finding at autopsy. That was many years before drugs were invented to treat it. At this point in my career I’m not so sure the treatment and diagnosis of osteopenia or osteoporosis is a sign of progress in medicine.

Lack of Vitamin D

Vitamin D is more a hormone than a vitamin. While vitamin D is essential to our wellbeing, it isn’t made in our bodies. It’s made and activated in the skin under the influence of the sun’s rays. When we slather suntan lotion with SPF on our skin, the beneficial effects of the sun disappear. There are many scientists who believe that much of the present increase in certain cancers along with the thinning bones situation are caused by our overzealousness in protecting ourselves from the sun. Vitamin D deficiency is rampant in the US and it has only escalated after we have increased our vigilance against skin cancer. Are we trading one cancer for a few dozen others? Many of us believe so.

While lack of Vitamin D is being presented as the main reason behind Gwyneth's osteopenia, how come nobody mentioned about checking her hormone levels?

Because there aren’t enough doctors trained to look at hormones as a primary source of most problems we encounter. Gwyneth has had two children and may very well need a little progesterone and estradiol, which would surely help her bones as well as her overall wellbeing.

Gwyneth is 38 yrs old, how come she has bone disease at a very young age?

Osteopenia is not a bone disease. It’s just that her bones may be too thin for her age. But in Gwyneth’s case it may not be surprising.

From reading about her lifestyle we all know she rarely sports a tan so her sun exposure is minimal. She also is known to follow macrobiotic or other special cleansing and often extreme diets that may not provide enough calcium and other nutrients necessary to keep her bones strong. Finally, she is known to love yoga but I don’t know if she does any weight bearing exercises that would be very helpful to increase her bone density. Of course, she is quite young so she can correct the problem with just a little sun 15-20 minutes, three four times a week without sun-screen, balance her diet and add supplements with calcium, magnesium and zinc as well as a little strontium and add some strength building exercises. Her genetics may be another variable to take into consideration. She is very fair and thin and her mother is as well. Her genetics make her possibly prone to thinning bones.

Aside from Vitamin D supplementation, can progesterone, estradiol, testosterone hormones help as well?

Of course. The balance between estrogen, progesterone and testosterone is key in a well functioning and balanced body. Both estradiol and testosterone increase bone density while progesterone also supports their beneficial effects. Calcium and magnesium are crucial as well when trying to find the proper balance to maintain healthy strong bones.  Of course do not forget that the only type of hormones to use are bioidenticals since they are safe and effective.

 

Recommendations:

Bioidentical Hormones

- Balance your hormones with bioidentical hormones under the care of a hormone expert doctor.

Vitamin D supplementation

- 3000 u vitamin D 3 a day during the winter and when you are not in the sun. When you are in the sun, 15-20 minutes, three four times a week without sunscreen less supplemental vitamin D 1000U will do. Some people cannot absorb tablet form of vitamin D so use either prescription from your doctor or liquid form.

Calcium, Magnesium and Zinc

- As we get older we become intolerant of dairy and milk and are best advised to avoid them (China Study) so adding supplemental calcium is helpful. The preparation of calcium is important, calcium citrate maleate is best absorbed and varying formulations is always best but 1000 mg a day is more than enough if your diet is balanced and your overall lifestyle cooperative. Magnesium helps the calcium to get absorbed into the bones and so does strontium. Use them under the supervision of a knowledgeable practitioner, it’s best to have good advice and not make decisions about supplements based on marketing and health food store sales people recommendations alone.

Diet

- Medium protein, fats (non-animal) complex carbohydrates. While detoxifying diets are very important and my patients are encouraged to follow them, they are only part of the picture and life is about moderation and a good balanced diet is the Hormone Friendly Diet.

Exercise

- Weight bearing exercises, strength building and flexibility no sedentary lifestyles, cardio and aerobics- interval training and running.

 

Genetics

- Finally, don’t forget your genetics. They should not be used as a source of fear or reason to give up, but rather as a valuable resource. If you have a family history of thinning bones, the earlier you start following the recommendations above, the more likely you are to protect yourself and keep healthy. Don’t wait to balance your life until there is a problem. Start today!

 

 

 

 

 

Guest Author Dr. Randolph: Explains why bioidentical hormone replacement therapy is catching on among male patients

Dr. Randolph Explains Why BHRT Is Catching On Among Male Patients

Traditionally, awareness for bioidentical replacement therapy has focused on helping women go through "The Change." However there are a growing number of men choosing bioidentical hormone replacement therapy (BHRT) as a life-time preferred option, rather than pharmaceutical options like Viagra or Cialis, to maintain a healthy and vigorous sex life as they age.

For close to twenty years, my medical practice has been recognized for excellence in hormone health and long-term sexual vitality for both men and women. Though I am board certified as a gynecologist, one third of my practice's active patient-base is male. Men come to see me because age-related declining testosterone levels result in issues with sexual performance, energy, body mass composition and enthusiasm.

Testosterone replacement therapy is a groundbreaking field of medicine. Recent medical studies released by Harvard Medical School turned the traditional medical community on its ear when the clinical evidence indicated that low testosterone levels - not high levels as previously thought - are linked to an increased risk of prostate cancer. Growing research also suggests that low testosterone levels may be intimately linked with insulin resistance and its related conditions of metabolic syndrome and diabetes. Metabolic syndrome is a group of risk factors - high blood pressure, high blood sugar, unhealthy cholesterol levels and abdominal fat - that make heart disease and diabetes more likely.

I work with male patients by testing their hormone levels to determine individual hormone level deficiencies. For a man suffering from testosterone deficiencies, an optimal hormone balance is restored via a personalized prescription of bioidentical testosterone typically administered in a shot or pellet.

A regimen of bioidentical testosterone is more effective than Viagra or Cialis, without the side effects. Even better, a man doesn't have to allow a 30 to 45 minute window before he's springing into action. Once lagging testosterone levels are replenished, a man can be as sexually spontaneous in his 40s, 50s, 60s and beyond as he was in his rambunctious 20s.

If you are having difficulty finding a physician near you trained in bioidentical testosterone replacement therapy, or if you are concerned about the out-of-pocket costs associated if your doctor does not accept insurance for testosterone replacement therapy, you may want to try an herbal or neutraceutical approach to boosting lagging testosterone levels. L-arginine and maca tuber, for instance, have been used by men in certain cultures with erectile and libido problems for centuries. These natural approaches can work well but may take several months of consistent usage for levels to build sufficiently in your system to foster the desired response.

Natural Hormone Institute co-founders Dr. Randolph and Genie James are a husband-wife team, both nationally recognized for their expertise in natural options for hormone replacement, age-management medicine and consumer-driven healthcare.

Balancing hormones takes to the airwaves!

There are various methods for testing your hormone levels...

Methods of Testing Your Hormone Levels Explained

 

Blood Tests

Your gynecologist will either tell you that blood tests to determine your hormone levels in health are useless, which would be truthful, or he/she will tell you blood FSH is the key blood test to identify how close you are to menopause.

After over 10 years of work with bioidentical hormones and over 30 years of being a doctor, I beg to differ with the whole idea of testing FSH.

 

FSH-Follicle Stimulating Hormone is a useless test. Depending on what time of the month the test is done, the result may classify you as menopausal or not, literally in a vacuum.

I can’t tell you how many devastated 30 something year olds have come to me with the diagnosis of ovarian failure based on absent periods and elevated FSH levels. The same women who months later even got pregnant while under my care on the proper bioidentical hormones and thyroid regimen.

Other hormone levels tested in the blood tests include : LH, Prolactin, DHEA, Estrogen (Total/ Estradiol (E2), Estriol (E1), Estrone (E3), Progesterone (Total/Free), Testosterone (Total/Free), T3, T4, TSH and the new RT3 (reverse T3 not FDA approved). Depending on what time of the month, week or time of day the blood is drawn, the results may ether fit your symptoms or not.

If the results fit your symptoms, your doctor can use the blood tests as guideline in your hormonal treatment. If the results are not in concert with the symptoms, what happens next depends on you and your doctor. If you are working with a doctor who pays attention to you, the blood tests stay in your chart for future reference. If your doctor doesn’t listen to you, my advice is to change doctors and ignore his/her comments.

 

A more useful, expensive and excessive way to use blood tests, is to have samples drawn at days 1, 15, 25 of your cycle and see how the hormone fluctuations compare to your symptoms.

With my patients, I only do baseline blood tests in women with history of cancer, serious medical problems: women whose symptoms are confusing and may also reflect other underlying problems. In these cases I use blood tests to help us navigate the distance between health and discomfort and accordingly adjust the treatment plans.

I repeat bloods once a year for many patients I work with on a regular basis. Call it the conventional medicine backbone of my training. I do temper my urge to order blood tests especially when my patients remind me of the exorbitant cost of “maybe” information.

 

Urine Tests

 

24 hour urine tests to measure excretion of the metabolized waste products of the hormones we use are often a method of testing employed by endocrinologists in search of serious illnesses. So far, this method has not caught on in the treatment of hormonally challenged women. The method is cumbersome, expensive and again, of doubtful usefulness.

For the results to mean anything at all, you have to insure collection of every drop of urine you generated for 24 hours. Most women have better things to do with their lives. Use this test only if you have addressed everything else; from diet, to exercise, to stress management, to working with a caring, knowledgeable MD with the right supplements, vitamins and bioidentical hormones and your symptoms still persist.

 

Saliva Testing

 

I am not a fan of this method of testing either. And I must tell you, many have tried to convince me to jump on board of this co-called “best method to monitor bioidentical hormone therapy”.

I am not really clear what saliva testing brings to the table. I know it makes the people who promote and perform it rich, but I am not sure it helps you understand your symptoms any better, or me treat you more effectively.

It’s easy to perform and it isn’t expensive. You don’t need a doctor t order it so the marketing expert has the upper hand with you. It measures the amount of hormones present in your saliva, supposedly a direct reflection of how much of the particular hormone is freely circulating in your blood stream. Only it isn’t measuring anything in your blood stream, it is your saliva. Confusing, ha? Yep.

Many patients I see bring the tests to me and tell me their compounding pharmacists have encouraged them to take them. I am not moved.

My verdict on the tests is the following:

Depends on who you work with when balancing your hormones and your life.

Ask questions and make sure the answers make sense to you. Nothing is too complex or above your head. This is your life and you need to be in control of it to be successful and enjoy it! 

 

Finally, when it comes to testing there is an over the counter Do It Yourself kit to measure your FSH levels to determine if you are menopausal or not. Don’t waste your money on it. Go buy yourself a present and have fun!

 

 

Age Specific Vitamins and Minerals In Depth (Conclusion of a 7 Part Series)

Part 6: Calcium, Boron

Conclusion... In developing my exclusive line of supplements I had one goal in mind. Make it easy for the average woman to get the supplemental support she needs at each stage of life.

Each supplement pack is designed for increased energy production, immune system support, decreasing inflammation and general over all hormone balance support.

Yes you could go to your corner drug store and pick up any multi-vitamin but won't get the years of experience that go into the line I created for my patients. There is Science behind each component and in this short series I explain how each supplement works to support your over all health.

Part 7: Wrap up

What are Bioidentical Hormones?

Even with over 30 years experience I still get the same question over and over. What are bioidentical hormones? The confusion comes from misleading information from a wide variety of sources. Your best bet is to find a Doctor you trust and results that you experience yourself.

But first understand the fundamentals of hormones and then start your journey first by taking my hormone quiz. It's a great way to get you thinking about your symptoms and how integral they are to your over all hormone balance.

Balancing your hormones means you have to stop the coffee madness!

Okay I know for many of you that stopping coffee altogether is not realistic. When you stop drinking coffee the headaches come on full swing, your mood changes, you are irritable, you become fidgety and the list of reasons why you should continue drinking coffee goes on and on.

Now let the reasonable rational side of you wake up and make a real change.

Caffeine stresses your adrenals and affects hormone balance. After all your adrenals make hormones and damaging them leads to fatigue and host of other maladies like the ones listed above.

So what if you can't give up coffee? I've had patients tell me they simply can't do it. So I say to them there is nothing I can do for them either. There is no magic pill no magic potion. Health begins with you. If you are demonstrating a lifestyle out of balance with nature then it will manifest in everything you do or feel.

I have a suggestion though. Why not cut down on caffeine? Try decaff every other day. See how you feel. Then cut back just one cup a week. Slow and steady wins the race but you have to begin somewhere.

I also have patients that swear by starting their day with a green drink. Go ahead search around you'll find may recipes for them but essentially they are green smoothies made with spinach, kale and any other leafy green, filtered water, a ripe banana and soak and pitted dates for added sweetness. Starting your day this way will take away your craving for caffeine and also gives you a boost of vitamins and minerals your coffee is lacking.

What is Hormone Imbalance?

If you understand that your hormones are the reason you either feel great or feel lousy you can take steps to balance your hormones. Either through exercise, eating natural whole foods, eliminating coffee and getting enough quality sleep. Visit my website and take my free hormone quiz to see if you are experiencing hormone imbalance.