In the last few weeks, our office has been deluged with people calling from different states (not consciousness) asking for appointments with me for hormone replacement therapy. Obviously, I am a good choice for this since I am a gynecologist. There are many practitioners out there that charge cash for labs, medicines, and time; occasionally, these visits with labs and medications take cost up to $2000. I charge the insurance company for the visit. I prescribe synthetic hormones, but I would say that 75% of my menopause practice is women that desire bioidentical hormone replacement.
In steps the lovely Suzanne Somers.
Love or hate her, she has begun to make an impression on the menopausal women around the country. She has recently released a new bestseller called, "Breakthrough" and it seems as though I am listed in her book. I did not write a chapter or doing anything of that magnitude,but I am listed in the back of her book, under "resources" and my phone has been ringing off the hook.
Honestly, I have no idea how I was selected, but at times it is nice. As stated, I do not have enough appointments for all of these women that are dealing with the quiet state of menopause, but I will be making time if possible.
Over the next few weeks I am going to be undertaking an explanation of bio-identical hormone replacement in order to describe to the masses a physician's take on the concept; keep in mind that I am on no one's payroll, unlike many of my colleagues that downplay the significance of hormones and HRT.
The first caveat when looking at a study for HRT; is the study being funded by Wyeth-Ayerst or Pfizer. If the studies are being funded by big pharmacy then it is hard to believe that the experiment is without bias. Big pharmacy spends millions on convincing patients and doctors that their drugs are better than other things out there. Just watch Lifetime television for more than ten minutes to see how many pharmaceutical commercials are geared towards women with menopause or depression.
Sit tight, we're in for a bumpy ride.
Next week - Estriol, estradiol, and estrone.
