April 26, 2025 • 41 mins
Karen welcomes Donna White, a leading expert in bioidentical hormone replacement therapy (BHRT) with over 30 years of experience. They discuss the myths and truths about hormone therapy, the critical role of proper testing and individualized treatment plans, and how BHRT can drastically improve quality of life for women in menopause and beyond. Donna shares her personal journey with hormonal imbalance, her mission to train providers across the country, and practical advice for finding a knowledgeable, well-trained BHRT provider.
Visit our website itchyandbitchy.com to read blog posts on the many topics we have covered on the show.
Visit our website itchyandbitchy.com to read blog posts on the many topics we have covered on the show.
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Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:00):
The content of this podcast is provided for general informational
purposes only and is not intended as nor should it
be considered a substitute for professional medical advice. Hello everyone,
(00:22):
This is Karen Nicol, family nurse practitioner, and this is
Itchy and Bitchy, a podcast that provides answers to your
many unanswered health questions. I am thrilled to have Donna
White here today as my guest. Donna White is an
expert in bioidentical hormone replacement therapy with over thirty years
(00:43):
of experience. She is the founder of the BHRT Training
Academy that trains providers how to evaluate and treat those
who have hormone imbalances, an incredibly, incredibly important role because
there are not enough of us out there. Her mission
is to train one hundred thousand medical providers in BHRT,
(01:06):
equipping each of them to improve the lives of a
thousand women. That's a hundred million women spared from the
debilitating effects of hormone imbalance. She is also the author
of Hormone Makeover, The Hormone Makeover, and as a pioneer
in establishing BHRT programs, she has played a pivotal role
(01:29):
in advancing the movement for hormonal health. Her expertise is
made even more powerful by the personal journey with hormonal imbalance,
so she is a compassionate hormone authority. Donna White, Welcome
to Itchy and Bitchy. Our listeners are going to love
to hear your story and hear how you are helping
(01:50):
those of us with hormone imbalances. Welcome.
Speaker 2 (01:53):
Thank you, Karen. Thank you so much for having me.
I'm excited to share things with your audience. I'm excited
to be here with you. I've admired your work for
a while now, so it's an honor.
Speaker 1 (02:05):
Thank you is my honor entirely. So I want to
start by finding out what lit the fire under you
to make this your life's work. Well.
Speaker 2 (02:15):
Two thanks Karen. First of all, way well over thirty
years ago, in my mid twenties, early twenties, I had
an awful case of PMS. I mean awful once a month.
I was mean as a rattlesnake. I wanted to fight
everybody's head off. I had awful periods from hell. I
had cramps, I had the hormonal headaches, acne. You know,
(02:40):
I had all of the all of the PMS stuff.
You know, PMS is pretty mean, sister, and that was
me so mean. So, you know, thank god I figured out,
wait a minute, this is happening the same time every month.
This is hormonal. And for me, I did not want
to take this with the pill. I didn't want to
(03:01):
take an adepressant or an anti anxiety medication. I wanted
to get rid of what was wrong. And so as
I began to learn about hormones and hormone balancing protocols,
I got out of that awful mess. I've literally been
on bioidentical hormones for over thirty years. I think I
should be the poster child or the antique or something.
Speaker 1 (03:24):
Make a beautiful poster child.
Speaker 2 (03:25):
By the way, thank you, darling. So you know, I
know what it feels like to have PMS. I know
what it feels like to have pir you know, to
go through perimenopause, menopause. I'm sixty two, I've been postmenopausal
for ten years. I know what all of that feels like.
And I don't want any woman to suffer from that
because her practitioner doesn't know how to help her. Women
(03:49):
deserve better. So that was my original impetus for getting
involved in this WARLD. I've never had another job. I've
been in the field of biodentical hormals forty years and then, yes,
it was my own personal mess, but it the more
that I learned about hormones, and my hormones are amazing.
(04:12):
What estrogen does, It has four hundred functions in the body.
What progesterone does for women, protecting our breasts, and so
many other things to sto strong. All these hormones are
absolutely amazing. But if they're low or out of balance,
women suffer. And I don't like that at all.
Speaker 1 (04:32):
I appreciate that. And while you're talking about estrogen and
what it does for you, so many women have concerns
about starting HRT. And in the preface to your book,
The Hormone Makeover, you share seldom heard information of a
study that and I'm quoting from your book taking quote,
(04:53):
taking estrogen actually helps reduce the risk of getting breast
cancer by thirty three percent quote. So here we are
in a new We have a new review study published
in the Journal of American Medical Association that suggests that women,
especially for women in early menopause, the benefits of hormone
(05:15):
replacement therapy outweigh the risks. Isn't it about time for
women to reconsider hormone therapy as a treatment for menopause?
And I have a theory, but why do you think
this type of information isn't shared with women?
Speaker 2 (05:31):
Well, what you're referring to is that study that came
out in two thousand and two, the Women's Health Initiative,
and it was stopped early because the women were getting
breast cancer and increased risk of stroke and heart disease,
and so they stopped it five years early, and the
media played it up overnight for HRT use dropped like
(05:53):
forty six percent, and their docs were like, oh, sorry,
no more hormones. You're on your own. That was right,
So that was back in two thousand and two, and
yes it scared everybody. However, what the media didn't tell
everybody is what kind of hormones were used in the study.
It was estrogen from pregnant mayors. You're in primen orse,
(06:14):
you're in estrogen and synthetic progestines. And so what with
the stopping of HRT used and doctors not, you know,
obviously concerned for their patients, we lost a whole generation
of medical education because of that one study done on
(06:38):
hormones that aren't what we would recommend using at all.
But what is so interesting, Karen is, and I know
you're well aware of this, the original authors of that
same study came out eighteen years later, a couple of
years ago, and said, wait, hold on here, Actually those
women on estrogen only how to three percent less risk
(07:02):
of breast cancer, and if they were on estrogen and
then got breast cancer, a forty four percent less risk
of dying from it. Did we hear that on Good
Morning America? No? Nobody came up and cleaned out that,
you know, cleaned up the mess that that made, and
it has caused a what I call a hormone crisis
(07:22):
in this country, a lack of education. But I'm not
basing these comments, Karen, and neither would you or any
other provider that's well worth their salt on one study.
There's other studies. Everything that I purport, you know, say
to you, and what we're talking about, just so you
know your audience is aware, is based on studies and research.
(07:43):
I got into marketing. I don't make any money off
of hormones. It's what does the research say, and we
have other studies that corroborate this same thing. Estrogen doesn't
cause breast cancer. Oral estrogen cause issues. Non bioidentical hormones
can cause issues, but we don't have to use those.
(08:06):
We can use bioidentical hormones. So it's very important to me.
And well, I'm so grateful for you and people like
you and I that are really trying to get the
truth out for women so they don't have to struggle
with menopause and just suffer with the symptoms. Let's talk
about the truth and get rid of these ridiculous myths
(08:29):
so that women can live longer, healthier lives without suffering
the throes of menopause.
Speaker 1 (08:36):
Right, I'm I'm in your camps, sister, for sure, one
hundred percent. And I think our media tends to be
fear based, and so it's much more it draws much
more attention if it's a negative report versus a positive report,
(08:57):
and we tend to in the in the media word
things in a way that is I think true but
not truthful. In that say, they have ten thousand people
in a study like WHI which had tens of thousands
of women in it. You know, women off HRT might
(09:20):
have one in ten thousand cases of breast cancer, and
women on HRT might have had two out of ten
thousand with breast cancer. But we don't hear one in
ten thousand and two. In ten thousand, we hear double
the risk. We went from one to two. So that's
another real problem. So what are the myths that you've
(09:45):
heard over and over again about HRT that have kept
women from getting the help they need, especially since the
WHI study.
Speaker 2 (09:53):
Well that is the main one, the first one. I mean,
breast cancer scary. I haven't personally been through it, and
probably many in your audience have, but it is a
scary thing. But that is probably the biggest myth. I
hear it all the time. Yeah, I've been hearing about hormones,
but I don't want to get breast cancer. So that
(10:14):
is a myth. That is not what the research says
about estrogen. Estrogen doesn't increase the risk of breast cancer.
We have the data to support that, so let's let's
you know, I won't harp on that one any longer.
And in fact, other studies show that estrogen also reduces
(10:35):
the risk of breast cancer, so that one you know,
it'll probably take us a long time to really get
that word out there, but that is what the research says.
And the other common myths or that you know HRT
causes heart disease, well, actually no, HRT helps prevent heart disease.
(10:57):
I mean, it's not contra in dedicated hormone replacements, not
contra indicated in women with cardiovascular disease. In fact, it
can help them recover better from coronary procedures and hormone replacement.
Here's another myth is that HRT increases the risk of
(11:18):
blood clots. So if you are at risk of blood
clot then oh no, you should never use hormones. No,
that's not what research says. It says oral estrogen can
increase the risk of blood clots, and so can synthetic
progest tense. But research tells us transdermal through the skin
(11:40):
delivery of estrogen and biodentical progesterl it don't cause blood clots.
So that's a myth as well. And then here's another
one that's gotten more popular, that HRT is contra indicated
in women over sixty five. They call this the timing hypothesis. Keyword,
that hypothesis that if you didn't get on hormones within
(12:05):
ten years of menopause, or you're older. You know, I'm
sixty two. I guess I'm older and out too. But anyways,
it's too late. You missed the boat. That is a mint.
That is not true. We have studies showing multiple benefits
for women using hormones older than sixty five or beyond
sixty five, including reduced risk of breast cancer, reduce risk
(12:27):
of lung cancer, reduce risk of colorectal cancer, cancer, reduce
risk of dementia, and heart failure. Says no, it isn't.
Speaker 1 (12:36):
And bone disease and bone disease exactly.
Speaker 2 (12:39):
And that is what is so concerning to people like
you and me. If we let our hormones fall to
the ground. Now, obviously you test your hormones and you
use what's indicated, but if we leave hormones at very
deficient level, women are at risk for bone loss, like
you said, cardiovascular disease because hormones are cardio protected, diabetes, dementia,
(13:05):
bone density out, and skin laxity, I mean, less quality
of life, metabolic issues. We're at risk for the diseases
associated with aging. If we have certain hormone deficiencies. So
I don't want to see women live like that. I mean,
we live seven years longer than men, but in their
(13:27):
last decade of life, we're at higher risk for diseases, dementia,
and disability. I don't to live longer if fuck, you know. Okay,
So facing the fact you're Karen Hungay at sixty two
not too distant future, I am going to be a
little old lady. Well I'm trying to come to terms
(13:48):
with that. I want to be a cute, little old
lady that remembers what my kid's names are. And then
I can get around and I don't have to take
care of them. I can, you know, I mean that
they don't have to take care of me. I can still,
you know, enjoy my life. So, yes, I want the
benefits of hormones, and you know, we can talk about that,
but I don't want to see you know, women any
(14:09):
more suffer the debilitating symptoms. I mean, yes, the symptoms
are bad enough of hormone imbalance, the hot lights and
night sweats and can't sleep and weepy in all those things,
but it's more than just the symptoms. It's the diseases
that hormones protect us from absolutely.
Speaker 1 (14:29):
You know, it's interesting. One thing that I heard from
my patients pretty frequently when we talked about hormones. They said, well,
if my hormones go away at age fifty or fifty one,
that's the natural state of things, and I should just
live with the natural state of things. And I say, yeah,
but see, one hundred years ago, we died at fifty.
(14:52):
You know, we when we were done procreating, we kicked
the bucket. And now we're living thirty and more years
beyond the time we go into menopause. So do we
want to have quality of life during that time.
Speaker 2 (15:09):
Our eyes ideas? Are you going to not wear readers
because it's natural?
Speaker 1 (15:14):
Yeah, exactly. I know it's interesting that it's confusing to
rush now we come up with, but yeah, I hear you,
and I agree. So tell us a little bit about
the testing methods that you use to train your providers
and how to view the test results. You don't have
(15:39):
to give all super detail, but how you view the
test results in terms of the process of decision making
when it comes to prescribing the BHRT. And this is,
by the way, people, this is this information on a
Layman's term is found in chapter six of The Hormone Makeover.
You can find all these things in that book, which
is awesome.
Speaker 2 (16:00):
Thank you Karen for reading it. I appreciate that. I
hope you found it helpful.
Speaker 1 (16:04):
Oh look, well check it out. Check it all my notes.
Speaker 2 (16:09):
I'm sure you know most of everything that's in so
testing is important. I mean, as you start to look
at all of the things that hormones do, Like, you know,
estrogen helps keep us from gaming. You know, on average,
most women gain twenty pounds. That menopause doesn't have to
be that way, you know, and we know from research
on estrogen that it helps reduce the you know, reduce
(16:31):
wrinkles and prevent you know, prevent wrinkles and even reverse
wrinkles or so many you know according you know, including
heart disease protection and bone protection and cognitive protection, all
those things. These hormones are so amazing and all that
they do. But we don't just it thybroids an amazing hormone,
but we just don't. We don't run out and take
hormones just because of all the amazing things that they
(16:52):
do in the body. We need to be worked, you know,
to work with somebody who tests us for hours specific
hormone deficiencies. Not every woman's actually low in estrogen. Some
women are, Some women have low testosterone, some women have
low progesterones, some have way too much stress hormone cortisol.
You know, some women don't have optimal levels of all
(17:15):
of the thyroid hormones. So testing is critical, it's very important.
And so there are four ways to test hormones and
one is through you know common you know blood venus bloods,
you know, draw from your arm. What everybody's familiar with.
That salivary testing, which is saliva collecting saliva and a
(17:36):
little vial. There's dried urine testing is popularly known as
Dutch testing. That's dried urine where you urinate on a
pH strip and it checks your hormone metabolize. And then
there's also a fingerprick like it's called capillary blood spot.
So there's four ways to test your hormones and there's
(17:56):
limitations and benefits to each. Generally speaking, at the bhr
T Training Academy, we recommend that our providers draw as
much hormone levels as possible through you know, venus vena puncture.
You're you're a standard serum test. You can get estrady al,
the primary estrogen, progesterone, testosterone d H E a S
(18:20):
one of the adrenal hormones, and all those thyroid panels
which are important, not just a T s H but
the free T three, free T four t PO, all
the you know, reverse T three, all of the key
thyroid hormones. It's important to look at fasting insulin, hemoglobin
A one C because all these hormones kind of work together.
(18:40):
To look at as much as you can from from
you know, blood testing if possible, and then it's very
important to check cortisol levels and cortisol levels we call
it the stress hormone, and it's so important to hormone
balance that it needs to be check because it can
(19:01):
block all of our other hormones. It can block thyroid,
it can block estrogen to ssterol, all of the other
hormones and interfere so and pretty much everybody knows high
cortisol causes abdominal weight game. That is true, it does.
There's four times the number of receptors in the abdomen
for cortisol, and if your cortisol is chronically elevated, that's
(19:23):
where the weight game goes right there, we don't want
it to go. So it's important to test that four
times during the day, morning, noon, evening, and night because
it follows that pattern, and you really have to do
that through saliva or a dry urine test. If when
it comes to taking hormones, sometimes we're going to vary
(19:47):
the type of test that you need to use to
monitor them, whether it's any one of those. But I
guess the important point that I think the audience really
needs to hear is that you want to go to
a provider that understands which tests to run when, but
(20:07):
also be fluent in every type of testing. If you
go if you call a doctor you think about going,
I might want to go to this nurse practitioner PA
or doctor over here there and they only do saliva testing.
Don't do that. Go to a well trained provider that
knows all of the different types of testing when and
(20:29):
how to do it, and how to interpret each of
these types of testing and use them to your advantage
as a patient. And along those same lines, hope you
don't mind me interjecting this here too, Karen, is that
I think women need to and men need to work
with a medical provider that knows all of the different
(20:51):
ways to dose hormones. Don't go to somebody that only
knows how to put in a pellet. You might not
want a pelt. You might not need a pellet. I
have pellet. I love pellets. But you need to go
with a provider that knows how to prescribe a cream
if you want a cream, how to prescribe patches, how
to prescribe certain forms of oral hormones are okay, like
(21:13):
progestral vaginal source. You want a provider that knows all
of the different approaches so they can really tailor their treatment,
your treatment to what you need and what you want
as the patient. Is that experience like what you have Karen.
Speaker 1 (21:32):
Yeah, that's that's I have had a patient and this
happens once in a while. You have a patient where
it seems like nothing works. You know, you tried every
form it seems possible. And I had one patient where
we went through several forms and the only way and
once we got we hit the mark. She was did fabulously,
(21:53):
but we finally ended up just doing all hormones interravaginally.
And you know, because the mucosa absorbs differently, than the epidermis.
So so that worked tremendously for her and she was
happy to do it. Some people were like, oh, I
don't want to do that, but she was thrilled because
(22:13):
it really solved all her problems. That's for sure.
Speaker 2 (22:16):
I have seen that, Karen, that shift. We've been in
this a long time. I see more and more providers
leaning towards intravaginal or labial application because they're absorbed so well.
And you know, we women were used to shoving stuff
up there are doing different things and most women are
okay with it.
Speaker 1 (22:37):
Yeah. Yeah, Well we're going to take a quick little
break and we're going to have more with Donna White
after the break, so please stay with us. So my
(23:03):
guest today is Donna White, author of The Hormone Makeover
and creator of the bhr PHRT Training Academy for providers.
So we were just talking about the different forms of
HRT or BHRT is. So do you train your providers
(23:24):
in all of those different forms of how to dispense
the hormones?
Speaker 2 (23:31):
Yes, And I think that is so important. I'm glad
we got to talk about this because I think it'll
help some patients because some you know, women will say, well,
what should I do? A cream? Should I do a path?
Should I do it papella or injection? Which ever one
works the best for you and your needs. Like you
were describing your other patient earlier, you know, she what
(23:53):
she preferred and what worked best for was her was
the vaginal or labial application. Some women, you know, they
really love testosterone pellets or you know, estradieal pellet because
they last three months, or you know, some women don't
want that at all. If someone would rather have an injection,
(24:14):
I think and correct me if you if you have
a different I think the patient needs to have some say,
you know, I think that I think that we should
you know, if you don't want to do it, and
then you know, inject once or twice a week or great, vine,
let's try a cream. Okay, you don't like the cream,
all right, let's do a patch and well, you know,
(24:34):
let's do some oral progesterone to help you sleep, or
vaginal progesterone if you're having bleeding. So I think that
the patient having a choice, Maybe she got a budget,
you know, maybe she wants to use an estradial patch
or an oral progesterone from her local pharmacy because maybe
she gets some insurance coverage. Maybe she you know, So
(24:54):
I like women having a choice and providers that that
are willing to meet them where they are.
Speaker 1 (25:03):
I absolutely agree. And the fact is, if you don't
do that for your patients, they won't do it. I mean,
you've got to find a method that works for them
and then they'll do or it's the whole thing's pointless.
You have to find something that works with their lifestyle,
(25:24):
their budget. You know how they feel about creams and
vaginal stuff. I mean, you know, it's so specific, it's
and that's the beauty of compounded hormones. It is so
customizable it is. And another thing that's so important, Karen,
if you don't mind me saying so, it's not just
(25:45):
the you know, looking at the estrogen, progesteron and testosterone,
the you know, we call.
Speaker 2 (25:50):
Them reproductive hormones, but that's not a good word that
they affect so many other aspects of our body and system.
But I think it's so important to work with a
provider that looks set all of the hormones, you know,
the adrenal stress hormones, all of the thyroid hormones that
should be checked the insulin because these hormones they interfere,
(26:12):
they work together, they interact, and you can't balance hormones
by just giving a woman estrogen. There's more to it.
So that's why it's so critical that providers are trained
in all dosing FORRMS, all testing all types of hormones
that need to be testing tested to help these patients out.
(26:32):
You know, it really frustrates me to hear a woman say, oh,
I tried hormones and they didn't work for me. Well,
you weren't dostright. Hormones always do what hormones are supposed
to do, So either you weren't dostry, or there was
something else going on, like a slight you know, like
a stress hormone thing, or maybe nutritional deficiencies or food sensitivities.
(26:54):
There's We just need providers to be very, very well
trained to help women. So I'm so glad that you
get the word out and you're pushing this movement forward
to help women especially.
Speaker 1 (27:10):
Well, you're doing far more than that area than I
ever did. But I could just help people here, Well
I was gonna say I could help people here in Knoxville, Tennessee,
but you would be amazed at how many people came
from far and wide, all over the country. Was incredible.
But yeah, that was my next question for you, was
the other things that you look at, because I remember
(27:31):
when I first started doing compounded hormones for women, it
was two thousand and three, because everybody got yanked off
their hormones and everybody's miserable, and I thought, there's got
to be a better way. So I got trained in
prescribing compounded hormones, and I quickly, very quickly found out
that plugging in the hormones definitely help with certain symptoms
(27:52):
hot flashes and night sweats and brain fog and sleep.
But I realize, oh, we're not looking at the whole
picture here, So I got more training to find out
about thyroid and adrenaline, how they are so interconnected and
if you ignore one area, you're not going to get
(28:13):
the results that you want or your patient wants. That's
just the bottom line. Sore. Yeah, if you can share
what you tell women about how to find a provider
who prescribes compounded BHRT and is doing a good job
(28:33):
of it, how do you how do you make that happen?
Speaker 2 (28:37):
And I'm glad that you asked that because it's a struggle,
because you know, I heard from my neighbor across the
street the other day she asked her gynecologists about hormones. Zana,
you don't need that, and you know then her sister says, Oh,
I want to take hormones, but I'm so scared of
breast cancer. You know that they're just getting too many conflicting,
conflicting answers, so that to find a provider that is
(29:01):
well versed and well trained. You know, we have a
listing on our website bhr T Training Academy dot com
of some of our certified providers. But if you're you know,
if you don't see anybody on there that's local or
that works out for you, if you're trying to find
a provider, I would pick up the phone. Well, I
would search Google, because Google knows all things, right, I
(29:22):
would do I would do the Google search, but I
would call and ask. And we've been kind of talking
all around this. I would I would find out, you know,
do they do all types of hormone dosing options? You know,
how long have they been prescribing biodentical hormones and do
(29:43):
they look at the other hormones as well, like thyroid
and adrenal hormones. So those are some key questions. How
long have they been doing it, do they do all
types of dosing forms and all types of testing, and
how long have they been doing it? And just how
the consult with them and see if you feel comfortable.
If so, here's another trick, call your local compounding pharmacy.
(30:09):
They know who's prescribing hormones in your area, and they
also know who's doing them pretty well because they hear
the pharmacists will hear the complaints. They will they will
hear the complaints and the you know, the praises of
the of the providers in your area that are you know,
they have very good reputation. So it takes a little
(30:31):
extra homework, but it's it really is worth it. And
the other thing maybe we should say, Karen, is that
most providers that are well trained in functional medicine, integrative
medicine or bioidentical hormones, which possibly we should define that
because I don't think they've done that. People that are
(30:52):
very well trained in that, they're not insurance based practices.
So this it don't be disillusioned or you know, offput that.
These are providers that don't accept insurance. They can't because
how many times do you go to the doctor in
the in and out ten minutes, minutes, fifteen minutes. They
(31:13):
have to hurry, they have to flip the room. They
don't have time to talk to you. That's not how
functional medicine or biodentical hormone therapy is done. These providers
need time with you. They need thirty minutes an hour
to help you get your hormones back into balance, to
help you understand, you know, what foods you need to
(31:33):
be eating, what lifestyle changes, what supplements also need to
go along with whatever your type of hormone imbalance is.
So it's not an insurance covered modality. I'm sorry but
it's not. But think about the results. You know, women,
we don't invest in ourselves like we should. You are
worth the investment. Yes, it's going to cost you money
(31:55):
to get your hormones balanced, but it's going to change
your life. It's going to help prevent so many diseases
associated with ages, and my goodness, aren't you worth it? So?
Speaker 1 (32:07):
Yeah, we tend to put ourselves last, for sure.
Speaker 2 (32:10):
Yeah, but it's time to take you know, women take
care of their cells.
Speaker 1 (32:14):
Yeah, And as my bad about not defining biodentical hormone
replacement there because I've talked about it for so many
years on this podcast.
Speaker 2 (32:22):
But maybe your audience is no, no, no.
Speaker 1 (32:24):
But no, But it's somebody just tuning in. He does
need to know. So I'm happy for you to define
that for us.
Speaker 2 (32:31):
And it's important because there's different types of hormones, and
that's where some of the confusion comes in about breast cancer,
blood clots, or heart disease. So I put them into
two categories, bioidentical hormones and non biodentical hormones. So let's
start with non biodentical hormones. That's animal derived hormones like
(32:52):
estrogen from pregnant mayors. You're in premarin or synthetic hormones
like ethinyl, estradiop privera, madroxy progestine acetate, nor ethodrone any
of those, or non bioidentical birth control pills are non
bioidentical forms of hormones. Bioidentical forms of hormones are exactly
(33:18):
the same in molecular structure as our human hormones. There
is no difference. They're exactly the same. Okay, So why
is that important? Using a bioidentical hormone that's exactly the
same as our endogenously produced hormones is critical because that's
where the benefits come in. They fit perfectly into the
(33:41):
hormone receptors. They get broken down properly and in an
on time manner, just like our human hormones. They're the
hormones we're supposed to have at certain levels, at normal
or maybe optimal levels in our bodies that help protect
us from diseases associated with aging. So, simply said, they're
(34:04):
human identical. They're in exactly the same. So let's say
you know your patient that is using the hormone creams vasually.
Her body cannot tell if she made those hormones or
she applied them, because they're exactly the same. When you
start using a molecular structural hormone that's different than what
our bodies are supposed to have those hormones, your body
(34:28):
doesn't know what to do with the synthetic progestin. Some
of these hormones stay in the body for a long time,
like primin can stay in the body for four to
six weeks. They don't. They just aren't the same, hence
side effects, adverse risks. So it's so critical to use
(34:50):
the bio identical forms of hormones. That's where they're safety,
that's where there's research. You know, it's another out there
that you know, there's no research on biodentical hormones Old Condrere.
We have research on biodentical hormones going way back as
early as nineteen seventy six, and they've been used in
(35:11):
Europe since, you know, for eighty years. You can't patent them.
Speaker 1 (35:17):
Yes, so we don't have any pharmaceutical companies doing any studies,
but there are studies, as you said, on biodentical hormones.
It is out there. So before we go, I want
to make sure we talk a little bit about your book,
The Hormone Makeover. I mentioned it throughout our conversation and
(35:38):
the kinds of things that are in it. But I
think it is a really perfect book for the lay
person to really understand what the goal of a provider
who knows what they're doing, what their goal is in
trying to help you resolve your symptoms. So and I
(36:02):
know that you also have some tools, tools and trackers
on your Hormone Makeover dot com website and resource guides
that our listeners can look at, but this book would
be super helpful for them to read. Is I'd love
for you to speak to whatever you want to speak
to on the book.
Speaker 2 (36:22):
Thank you. I appreciate that I wrote that book for
women to understand. I wanted to get through some of
those myths and misconceptions because I didn't want them to
be afraid of hormones. I want them to really understand them.
But I wanted it more than just in about oh hormones,
do this great, there, you know, great, whatever, but what
(36:43):
do you do? I wanted a resource for women to
know what to do, you know, how to use things,
how to test which tests this test? You know. I
wanted more of a how to and the understanding. And
one of the things I really like, you know, because
I'm a skimmer and I like to get through material quick.
(37:03):
I put a summary of what's in the chapter each chapter,
at the end of every chapter, so you can go back,
oh yeah, yeah.
Speaker 1 (37:11):
So smart, so smart.
Speaker 2 (37:16):
But I just wrote it to answer the most common
questions and for women to maybe maybe see oh wait
a minute, maybe you know I'm I'm forty two or
whatever their age and oh, I think my progesteral might
be low and understand more about it. So I tried
to go into enough detail for it to be a
resource for women.
Speaker 1 (37:36):
Yeah, and to know what to ask for. Yes, talk
about self advocacy all the time, and you know, if
you don't know what to ask for, it's hard to
be your own advocate, you know. So I think that
the book can really help with that what you're looking
for in a provider or from a provider.
Speaker 2 (37:58):
Yeah, I hope.
Speaker 1 (37:59):
So. Yeah, Well, Donna, is there anything else you'd like
to share with us before we go?
Speaker 2 (38:07):
Well, I appreciate you having me, and I guess I
just want to encourage women to do a little bit
of reading, do some research. Don't go by just what
one friend or practitioner says, Oh, don't take hormones, there's
no research. Actually do your own research, read material, listen
to podcasts like Karen's and listen and learn for yourself.
(38:31):
And don't feel like you have to suffer through perimenopause
or menopause. Be empowered, you know, be empowered with information.
Get past this confusion, because there's I call it the
hormone confusion. There's so much confusion out there, let's sort
through it, and you know it's you're worth it, and
(38:54):
the risk of not looking at your hormones or having
them tested, it's not worth it. You know, you don't
want to be eighty years old. And then you know
the world's finally on board with hormones and think, gosh,
now I've lost phone, and you know I've got terrible dementia.
Why didn't I do this? Oh, let's learn it now.
The information is here, the science is clear, the evidence
(39:16):
is there. It's time to have a look.
Speaker 1 (39:20):
Thank you so so very much. I love hearing someone
preaching the same things that I preach. I think is fantastic.
And you're very so, so well versed and so helpful
to our listeners. So thank you for sharing your knowledge
with my listeners. And again, you can find out more
(39:42):
about Donna White by going to Hormone Makeover dot com
and you can do the find a Provider feature on
the website her website b HRT Training Academy dot com.
Thank you so much, Donna, and thank all of you
for listening. We're If you listen to this podcast, please
leave a review and rate the podcast. Your reviews and
(40:04):
ratings really do matter. Also, make sure you follow the
shows that it will be automatically downloaded. That matters too.
I encourage you to visit our Facebook page IMB Podcast,
where you can give us a like and leave comments
or questions for me. Our website is Itchy and Bitchy,
where there are blogs with some of our subjects available
for you to read. We meaning Forrest will post the
(40:28):
video of my conversation with Donald White on the website
and the Facebook page. Also on the Facebook page and
website we have the information about how to schedule an
appointment with me so we can chat about how my
perimed a Pause course can help you if you're going
through this phase in life. As always, thanks to Forrest Winzle,
our producer and composer of our theme music and the
(40:48):
person who does all the behind the scenes work to
make this podcast possible. Thank you Forrest, and always always
remember your health is in your hands.
Speaker 2 (41:04):
Jug Chug,
The content of this podcast is provided for general informational
purposes only and is not intended as nor should it
be considered a substitute for professional medical advice. Hello everyone,
(00:22):
This is Karen Nicol, family nurse practitioner, and this is
Itchy and Bitchy, a podcast that provides answers to your
many unanswered health questions. I am thrilled to have Donna
White here today as my guest. Donna White is an
expert in bioidentical hormone replacement therapy with over thirty years
(00:43):
of experience. She is the founder of the BHRT Training
Academy that trains providers how to evaluate and treat those
who have hormone imbalances, an incredibly, incredibly important role because
there are not enough of us out there. Her mission
is to train one hundred thousand medical providers in BHRT,
(01:06):
equipping each of them to improve the lives of a
thousand women. That's a hundred million women spared from the
debilitating effects of hormone imbalance. She is also the author
of Hormone Makeover, The Hormone Makeover, and as a pioneer
in establishing BHRT programs, she has played a pivotal role
(01:29):
in advancing the movement for hormonal health. Her expertise is
made even more powerful by the personal journey with hormonal imbalance,
so she is a compassionate hormone authority. Donna White, Welcome
to Itchy and Bitchy. Our listeners are going to love
to hear your story and hear how you are helping
(01:50):
those of us with hormone imbalances. Welcome.
Speaker 2 (01:53):
Thank you, Karen. Thank you so much for having me.
I'm excited to share things with your audience. I'm excited
to be here with you. I've admired your work for
a while now, so it's an honor.
Speaker 1 (02:05):
Thank you is my honor entirely. So I want to
start by finding out what lit the fire under you
to make this your life's work. Well.
Speaker 2 (02:15):
Two thanks Karen. First of all, way well over thirty
years ago, in my mid twenties, early twenties, I had
an awful case of PMS. I mean awful once a month.
I was mean as a rattlesnake. I wanted to fight
everybody's head off. I had awful periods from hell. I
had cramps, I had the hormonal headaches, acne. You know,
(02:40):
I had all of the all of the PMS stuff.
You know, PMS is pretty mean, sister, and that was
me so mean. So, you know, thank god I figured out,
wait a minute, this is happening the same time every month.
This is hormonal. And for me, I did not want
to take this with the pill. I didn't want to
(03:01):
take an adepressant or an anti anxiety medication. I wanted
to get rid of what was wrong. And so as
I began to learn about hormones and hormone balancing protocols,
I got out of that awful mess. I've literally been
on bioidentical hormones for over thirty years. I think I
should be the poster child or the antique or something.
Speaker 1 (03:24):
Make a beautiful poster child.
Speaker 2 (03:25):
By the way, thank you, darling. So you know, I
know what it feels like to have PMS. I know
what it feels like to have pir you know, to
go through perimenopause, menopause. I'm sixty two, I've been postmenopausal
for ten years. I know what all of that feels like.
And I don't want any woman to suffer from that
because her practitioner doesn't know how to help her. Women
(03:49):
deserve better. So that was my original impetus for getting
involved in this WARLD. I've never had another job. I've
been in the field of biodentical hormals forty years and then, yes,
it was my own personal mess, but it the more
that I learned about hormones, and my hormones are amazing.
(04:12):
What estrogen does, It has four hundred functions in the body.
What progesterone does for women, protecting our breasts, and so
many other things to sto strong. All these hormones are
absolutely amazing. But if they're low or out of balance,
women suffer. And I don't like that at all.
Speaker 1 (04:32):
I appreciate that. And while you're talking about estrogen and
what it does for you, so many women have concerns
about starting HRT. And in the preface to your book,
The Hormone Makeover, you share seldom heard information of a
study that and I'm quoting from your book taking quote,
(04:53):
taking estrogen actually helps reduce the risk of getting breast
cancer by thirty three percent quote. So here we are
in a new We have a new review study published
in the Journal of American Medical Association that suggests that women,
especially for women in early menopause, the benefits of hormone
(05:15):
replacement therapy outweigh the risks. Isn't it about time for
women to reconsider hormone therapy as a treatment for menopause?
And I have a theory, but why do you think
this type of information isn't shared with women?
Speaker 2 (05:31):
Well, what you're referring to is that study that came
out in two thousand and two, the Women's Health Initiative,
and it was stopped early because the women were getting
breast cancer and increased risk of stroke and heart disease,
and so they stopped it five years early, and the
media played it up overnight for HRT use dropped like
(05:53):
forty six percent, and their docs were like, oh, sorry,
no more hormones. You're on your own. That was right,
So that was back in two thousand and two, and
yes it scared everybody. However, what the media didn't tell
everybody is what kind of hormones were used in the study.
It was estrogen from pregnant mayors. You're in primen orse,
(06:14):
you're in estrogen and synthetic progestines. And so what with
the stopping of HRT used and doctors not, you know,
obviously concerned for their patients, we lost a whole generation
of medical education because of that one study done on
(06:38):
hormones that aren't what we would recommend using at all.
But what is so interesting, Karen is, and I know
you're well aware of this, the original authors of that
same study came out eighteen years later, a couple of
years ago, and said, wait, hold on here, Actually those
women on estrogen only how to three percent less risk
(07:02):
of breast cancer, and if they were on estrogen and
then got breast cancer, a forty four percent less risk
of dying from it. Did we hear that on Good
Morning America? No? Nobody came up and cleaned out that,
you know, cleaned up the mess that that made, and
it has caused a what I call a hormone crisis
(07:22):
in this country, a lack of education. But I'm not
basing these comments, Karen, and neither would you or any
other provider that's well worth their salt on one study.
There's other studies. Everything that I purport, you know, say
to you, and what we're talking about, just so you
know your audience is aware, is based on studies and research.
(07:43):
I got into marketing. I don't make any money off
of hormones. It's what does the research say, and we
have other studies that corroborate this same thing. Estrogen doesn't
cause breast cancer. Oral estrogen cause issues. Non bioidentical hormones
can cause issues, but we don't have to use those.
(08:06):
We can use bioidentical hormones. So it's very important to me.
And well, I'm so grateful for you and people like
you and I that are really trying to get the
truth out for women so they don't have to struggle
with menopause and just suffer with the symptoms. Let's talk
about the truth and get rid of these ridiculous myths
(08:29):
so that women can live longer, healthier lives without suffering
the throes of menopause.
Speaker 1 (08:36):
Right, I'm I'm in your camps, sister, for sure, one
hundred percent. And I think our media tends to be
fear based, and so it's much more it draws much
more attention if it's a negative report versus a positive report,
(08:57):
and we tend to in the in the media word
things in a way that is I think true but
not truthful. In that say, they have ten thousand people
in a study like WHI which had tens of thousands
of women in it. You know, women off HRT might
(09:20):
have one in ten thousand cases of breast cancer, and
women on HRT might have had two out of ten
thousand with breast cancer. But we don't hear one in
ten thousand and two. In ten thousand, we hear double
the risk. We went from one to two. So that's
another real problem. So what are the myths that you've
(09:45):
heard over and over again about HRT that have kept
women from getting the help they need, especially since the
WHI study.
Speaker 2 (09:53):
Well that is the main one, the first one. I mean,
breast cancer scary. I haven't personally been through it, and
probably many in your audience have, but it is a
scary thing. But that is probably the biggest myth. I
hear it all the time. Yeah, I've been hearing about hormones,
but I don't want to get breast cancer. So that
(10:14):
is a myth. That is not what the research says
about estrogen. Estrogen doesn't increase the risk of breast cancer.
We have the data to support that, so let's let's
you know, I won't harp on that one any longer.
And in fact, other studies show that estrogen also reduces
(10:35):
the risk of breast cancer, so that one you know,
it'll probably take us a long time to really get
that word out there, but that is what the research says.
And the other common myths or that you know HRT
causes heart disease, well, actually no, HRT helps prevent heart disease.
(10:57):
I mean, it's not contra in dedicated hormone replacements, not
contra indicated in women with cardiovascular disease. In fact, it
can help them recover better from coronary procedures and hormone replacement.
Here's another myth is that HRT increases the risk of
(11:18):
blood clots. So if you are at risk of blood
clot then oh no, you should never use hormones. No,
that's not what research says. It says oral estrogen can
increase the risk of blood clots, and so can synthetic
progest tense. But research tells us transdermal through the skin
(11:40):
delivery of estrogen and biodentical progesterl it don't cause blood clots.
So that's a myth as well. And then here's another
one that's gotten more popular, that HRT is contra indicated
in women over sixty five. They call this the timing hypothesis. Keyword,
that hypothesis that if you didn't get on hormones within
(12:05):
ten years of menopause, or you're older. You know, I'm
sixty two. I guess I'm older and out too. But anyways,
it's too late. You missed the boat. That is a mint.
That is not true. We have studies showing multiple benefits
for women using hormones older than sixty five or beyond
sixty five, including reduced risk of breast cancer, reduce risk
(12:27):
of lung cancer, reduce risk of colorectal cancer, cancer, reduce
risk of dementia, and heart failure. Says no, it isn't.
Speaker 1 (12:36):
And bone disease and bone disease exactly.
Speaker 2 (12:39):
And that is what is so concerning to people like
you and me. If we let our hormones fall to
the ground. Now, obviously you test your hormones and you
use what's indicated, but if we leave hormones at very
deficient level, women are at risk for bone loss, like
you said, cardiovascular disease because hormones are cardio protected, diabetes, dementia,
(13:05):
bone density out, and skin laxity, I mean, less quality
of life, metabolic issues. We're at risk for the diseases
associated with aging. If we have certain hormone deficiencies. So
I don't want to see women live like that. I mean,
we live seven years longer than men, but in their
(13:27):
last decade of life, we're at higher risk for diseases, dementia,
and disability. I don't to live longer if fuck, you know. Okay,
So facing the fact you're Karen Hungay at sixty two
not too distant future, I am going to be a
little old lady. Well I'm trying to come to terms
(13:48):
with that. I want to be a cute, little old
lady that remembers what my kid's names are. And then
I can get around and I don't have to take
care of them. I can, you know, I mean that
they don't have to take care of me. I can still,
you know, enjoy my life. So, yes, I want the
benefits of hormones, and you know, we can talk about that,
but I don't want to see you know, women any
(14:09):
more suffer the debilitating symptoms. I mean, yes, the symptoms
are bad enough of hormone imbalance, the hot lights and
night sweats and can't sleep and weepy in all those things,
but it's more than just the symptoms. It's the diseases
that hormones protect us from absolutely.
Speaker 1 (14:29):
You know, it's interesting. One thing that I heard from
my patients pretty frequently when we talked about hormones. They said, well,
if my hormones go away at age fifty or fifty one,
that's the natural state of things, and I should just
live with the natural state of things. And I say, yeah,
but see, one hundred years ago, we died at fifty.
(14:52):
You know, we when we were done procreating, we kicked
the bucket. And now we're living thirty and more years
beyond the time we go into menopause. So do we
want to have quality of life during that time.
Speaker 2 (15:09):
Our eyes ideas? Are you going to not wear readers
because it's natural?
Speaker 1 (15:14):
Yeah, exactly. I know it's interesting that it's confusing to
rush now we come up with, but yeah, I hear you,
and I agree. So tell us a little bit about
the testing methods that you use to train your providers
and how to view the test results. You don't have
(15:39):
to give all super detail, but how you view the
test results in terms of the process of decision making
when it comes to prescribing the BHRT. And this is,
by the way, people, this is this information on a
Layman's term is found in chapter six of The Hormone Makeover.
You can find all these things in that book, which
is awesome.
Speaker 2 (16:00):
Thank you Karen for reading it. I appreciate that. I
hope you found it helpful.
Speaker 1 (16:04):
Oh look, well check it out. Check it all my notes.
Speaker 2 (16:09):
I'm sure you know most of everything that's in so
testing is important. I mean, as you start to look
at all of the things that hormones do, Like, you know,
estrogen helps keep us from gaming. You know, on average,
most women gain twenty pounds. That menopause doesn't have to
be that way, you know, and we know from research
on estrogen that it helps reduce the you know, reduce
(16:31):
wrinkles and prevent you know, prevent wrinkles and even reverse
wrinkles or so many you know according you know, including
heart disease protection and bone protection and cognitive protection, all
those things. These hormones are so amazing and all that
they do. But we don't just it thybroids an amazing hormone,
but we just don't. We don't run out and take
hormones just because of all the amazing things that they
(16:52):
do in the body. We need to be worked, you know,
to work with somebody who tests us for hours specific
hormone deficiencies. Not every woman's actually low in estrogen. Some
women are, Some women have low testosterone, some women have
low progesterones, some have way too much stress hormone cortisol.
You know, some women don't have optimal levels of all
(17:15):
of the thyroid hormones. So testing is critical, it's very important.
And so there are four ways to test hormones and
one is through you know common you know blood venus bloods,
you know, draw from your arm. What everybody's familiar with.
That salivary testing, which is saliva collecting saliva and a
(17:36):
little vial. There's dried urine testing is popularly known as
Dutch testing. That's dried urine where you urinate on a
pH strip and it checks your hormone metabolize. And then
there's also a fingerprick like it's called capillary blood spot.
So there's four ways to test your hormones and there's
(17:56):
limitations and benefits to each. Generally speaking, at the bhr
T Training Academy, we recommend that our providers draw as
much hormone levels as possible through you know, venus vena puncture.
You're you're a standard serum test. You can get estrady al,
the primary estrogen, progesterone, testosterone d H E a S
(18:20):
one of the adrenal hormones, and all those thyroid panels
which are important, not just a T s H but
the free T three, free T four t PO, all
the you know, reverse T three, all of the key
thyroid hormones. It's important to look at fasting insulin, hemoglobin
A one C because all these hormones kind of work together.
(18:40):
To look at as much as you can from from
you know, blood testing if possible, and then it's very
important to check cortisol levels and cortisol levels we call
it the stress hormone, and it's so important to hormone
balance that it needs to be check because it can
(19:01):
block all of our other hormones. It can block thyroid,
it can block estrogen to ssterol, all of the other
hormones and interfere so and pretty much everybody knows high
cortisol causes abdominal weight game. That is true, it does.
There's four times the number of receptors in the abdomen
for cortisol, and if your cortisol is chronically elevated, that's
(19:23):
where the weight game goes right there, we don't want
it to go. So it's important to test that four
times during the day, morning, noon, evening, and night because
it follows that pattern, and you really have to do
that through saliva or a dry urine test. If when
it comes to taking hormones, sometimes we're going to vary
(19:47):
the type of test that you need to use to
monitor them, whether it's any one of those. But I
guess the important point that I think the audience really
needs to hear is that you want to go to
a provider that understands which tests to run when, but
(20:07):
also be fluent in every type of testing. If you
go if you call a doctor you think about going,
I might want to go to this nurse practitioner PA
or doctor over here there and they only do saliva testing.
Don't do that. Go to a well trained provider that
knows all of the different types of testing when and
(20:29):
how to do it, and how to interpret each of
these types of testing and use them to your advantage
as a patient. And along those same lines, hope you
don't mind me interjecting this here too, Karen, is that
I think women need to and men need to work
with a medical provider that knows all of the different
(20:51):
ways to dose hormones. Don't go to somebody that only
knows how to put in a pellet. You might not
want a pelt. You might not need a pellet. I
have pellet. I love pellets. But you need to go
with a provider that knows how to prescribe a cream
if you want a cream, how to prescribe patches, how
to prescribe certain forms of oral hormones are okay, like
(21:13):
progestral vaginal source. You want a provider that knows all
of the different approaches so they can really tailor their treatment,
your treatment to what you need and what you want
as the patient. Is that experience like what you have Karen.
Speaker 1 (21:32):
Yeah, that's that's I have had a patient and this
happens once in a while. You have a patient where
it seems like nothing works. You know, you tried every
form it seems possible. And I had one patient where
we went through several forms and the only way and
once we got we hit the mark. She was did fabulously,
(21:53):
but we finally ended up just doing all hormones interravaginally.
And you know, because the mucosa absorbs differently, than the epidermis.
So so that worked tremendously for her and she was
happy to do it. Some people were like, oh, I
don't want to do that, but she was thrilled because
(22:13):
it really solved all her problems. That's for sure.
Speaker 2 (22:16):
I have seen that, Karen, that shift. We've been in
this a long time. I see more and more providers
leaning towards intravaginal or labial application because they're absorbed so well.
And you know, we women were used to shoving stuff
up there are doing different things and most women are
okay with it.
Speaker 1 (22:37):
Yeah. Yeah, Well we're going to take a quick little
break and we're going to have more with Donna White
after the break, so please stay with us. So my
(23:03):
guest today is Donna White, author of The Hormone Makeover
and creator of the bhr PHRT Training Academy for providers.
So we were just talking about the different forms of
HRT or BHRT is. So do you train your providers
(23:24):
in all of those different forms of how to dispense
the hormones?
Speaker 2 (23:31):
Yes, And I think that is so important. I'm glad
we got to talk about this because I think it'll
help some patients because some you know, women will say, well,
what should I do? A cream? Should I do a path?
Should I do it papella or injection? Which ever one
works the best for you and your needs. Like you
were describing your other patient earlier, you know, she what
(23:53):
she preferred and what worked best for was her was
the vaginal or labial application. Some women, you know, they
really love testosterone pellets or you know, estradieal pellet because
they last three months, or you know, some women don't
want that at all. If someone would rather have an injection,
(24:14):
I think and correct me if you if you have
a different I think the patient needs to have some say,
you know, I think that I think that we should
you know, if you don't want to do it, and
then you know, inject once or twice a week or great, vine,
let's try a cream. Okay, you don't like the cream,
all right, let's do a patch and well, you know,
(24:34):
let's do some oral progesterone to help you sleep, or
vaginal progesterone if you're having bleeding. So I think that
the patient having a choice, Maybe she got a budget,
you know, maybe she wants to use an estradial patch
or an oral progesterone from her local pharmacy because maybe
she gets some insurance coverage. Maybe she you know, So
(24:54):
I like women having a choice and providers that that
are willing to meet them where they are.
Speaker 1 (25:03):
I absolutely agree. And the fact is, if you don't
do that for your patients, they won't do it. I mean,
you've got to find a method that works for them
and then they'll do or it's the whole thing's pointless.
You have to find something that works with their lifestyle,
(25:24):
their budget. You know how they feel about creams and
vaginal stuff. I mean, you know, it's so specific, it's
and that's the beauty of compounded hormones. It is so
customizable it is. And another thing that's so important, Karen,
if you don't mind me saying so, it's not just
(25:45):
the you know, looking at the estrogen, progesteron and testosterone,
the you know, we call.
Speaker 2 (25:50):
Them reproductive hormones, but that's not a good word that
they affect so many other aspects of our body and system.
But I think it's so important to work with a
provider that looks set all of the hormones, you know,
the adrenal stress hormones, all of the thyroid hormones that
should be checked the insulin because these hormones they interfere,
(26:12):
they work together, they interact, and you can't balance hormones
by just giving a woman estrogen. There's more to it.
So that's why it's so critical that providers are trained
in all dosing FORRMS, all testing all types of hormones
that need to be testing tested to help these patients out.
(26:32):
You know, it really frustrates me to hear a woman say, oh,
I tried hormones and they didn't work for me. Well,
you weren't dostright. Hormones always do what hormones are supposed
to do, So either you weren't dostry, or there was
something else going on, like a slight you know, like
a stress hormone thing, or maybe nutritional deficiencies or food sensitivities.
(26:54):
There's We just need providers to be very, very well
trained to help women. So I'm so glad that you
get the word out and you're pushing this movement forward
to help women especially.
Speaker 1 (27:10):
Well, you're doing far more than that area than I
ever did. But I could just help people here, Well
I was gonna say I could help people here in Knoxville, Tennessee,
but you would be amazed at how many people came
from far and wide, all over the country. Was incredible.
But yeah, that was my next question for you, was
the other things that you look at, because I remember
(27:31):
when I first started doing compounded hormones for women, it
was two thousand and three, because everybody got yanked off
their hormones and everybody's miserable, and I thought, there's got
to be a better way. So I got trained in
prescribing compounded hormones, and I quickly, very quickly found out
that plugging in the hormones definitely help with certain symptoms
(27:52):
hot flashes and night sweats and brain fog and sleep.
But I realize, oh, we're not looking at the whole
picture here, So I got more training to find out
about thyroid and adrenaline, how they are so interconnected and
if you ignore one area, you're not going to get
(28:13):
the results that you want or your patient wants. That's
just the bottom line. Sore. Yeah, if you can share
what you tell women about how to find a provider
who prescribes compounded BHRT and is doing a good job
(28:33):
of it, how do you how do you make that happen?
Speaker 2 (28:37):
And I'm glad that you asked that because it's a struggle,
because you know, I heard from my neighbor across the
street the other day she asked her gynecologists about hormones. Zana,
you don't need that, and you know then her sister says, Oh,
I want to take hormones, but I'm so scared of
breast cancer. You know that they're just getting too many conflicting,
conflicting answers, so that to find a provider that is
(29:01):
well versed and well trained. You know, we have a
listing on our website bhr T Training Academy dot com
of some of our certified providers. But if you're you know,
if you don't see anybody on there that's local or
that works out for you, if you're trying to find
a provider, I would pick up the phone. Well, I
would search Google, because Google knows all things, right, I
(29:22):
would do I would do the Google search, but I
would call and ask. And we've been kind of talking
all around this. I would I would find out, you know,
do they do all types of hormone dosing options? You know,
how long have they been prescribing biodentical hormones and do
(29:43):
they look at the other hormones as well, like thyroid
and adrenal hormones. So those are some key questions. How
long have they been doing it, do they do all
types of dosing forms and all types of testing, and
how long have they been doing it? And just how
the consult with them and see if you feel comfortable.
If so, here's another trick, call your local compounding pharmacy.
(30:09):
They know who's prescribing hormones in your area, and they
also know who's doing them pretty well because they hear
the pharmacists will hear the complaints. They will they will
hear the complaints and the you know, the praises of
the of the providers in your area that are you know,
they have very good reputation. So it takes a little
(30:31):
extra homework, but it's it really is worth it. And
the other thing maybe we should say, Karen, is that
most providers that are well trained in functional medicine, integrative
medicine or bioidentical hormones, which possibly we should define that
because I don't think they've done that. People that are
(30:52):
very well trained in that, they're not insurance based practices.
So this it don't be disillusioned or you know, offput that.
These are providers that don't accept insurance. They can't because
how many times do you go to the doctor in
the in and out ten minutes, minutes, fifteen minutes. They
(31:13):
have to hurry, they have to flip the room. They
don't have time to talk to you. That's not how
functional medicine or biodentical hormone therapy is done. These providers
need time with you. They need thirty minutes an hour
to help you get your hormones back into balance, to
help you understand, you know, what foods you need to
(31:33):
be eating, what lifestyle changes, what supplements also need to
go along with whatever your type of hormone imbalance is.
So it's not an insurance covered modality. I'm sorry but
it's not. But think about the results. You know, women,
we don't invest in ourselves like we should. You are
worth the investment. Yes, it's going to cost you money
(31:55):
to get your hormones balanced, but it's going to change
your life. It's going to help prevent so many diseases
associated with ages, and my goodness, aren't you worth it? So?
Speaker 1 (32:07):
Yeah, we tend to put ourselves last, for sure.
Speaker 2 (32:10):
Yeah, but it's time to take you know, women take
care of their cells.
Speaker 1 (32:14):
Yeah, And as my bad about not defining biodentical hormone
replacement there because I've talked about it for so many
years on this podcast.
Speaker 2 (32:22):
But maybe your audience is no, no, no.
Speaker 1 (32:24):
But no, But it's somebody just tuning in. He does
need to know. So I'm happy for you to define
that for us.
Speaker 2 (32:31):
And it's important because there's different types of hormones, and
that's where some of the confusion comes in about breast cancer,
blood clots, or heart disease. So I put them into
two categories, bioidentical hormones and non biodentical hormones. So let's
start with non biodentical hormones. That's animal derived hormones like
(32:52):
estrogen from pregnant mayors. You're in premarin or synthetic hormones
like ethinyl, estradiop privera, madroxy progestine acetate, nor ethodrone any
of those, or non bioidentical birth control pills are non
bioidentical forms of hormones. Bioidentical forms of hormones are exactly
(33:18):
the same in molecular structure as our human hormones. There
is no difference. They're exactly the same. Okay, So why
is that important? Using a bioidentical hormone that's exactly the
same as our endogenously produced hormones is critical because that's
where the benefits come in. They fit perfectly into the
(33:41):
hormone receptors. They get broken down properly and in an
on time manner, just like our human hormones. They're the
hormones we're supposed to have at certain levels, at normal
or maybe optimal levels in our bodies that help protect
us from diseases associated with aging. So, simply said, they're
(34:04):
human identical. They're in exactly the same. So let's say
you know your patient that is using the hormone creams vasually.
Her body cannot tell if she made those hormones or
she applied them, because they're exactly the same. When you
start using a molecular structural hormone that's different than what
our bodies are supposed to have those hormones, your body
(34:28):
doesn't know what to do with the synthetic progestin. Some
of these hormones stay in the body for a long time,
like primin can stay in the body for four to
six weeks. They don't. They just aren't the same, hence
side effects, adverse risks. So it's so critical to use
(34:50):
the bio identical forms of hormones. That's where they're safety,
that's where there's research. You know, it's another out there
that you know, there's no research on biodentical hormones Old Condrere.
We have research on biodentical hormones going way back as
early as nineteen seventy six, and they've been used in
(35:11):
Europe since, you know, for eighty years. You can't patent them.
Speaker 1 (35:17):
Yes, so we don't have any pharmaceutical companies doing any studies,
but there are studies, as you said, on biodentical hormones.
It is out there. So before we go, I want
to make sure we talk a little bit about your book,
The Hormone Makeover. I mentioned it throughout our conversation and
(35:38):
the kinds of things that are in it. But I
think it is a really perfect book for the lay
person to really understand what the goal of a provider
who knows what they're doing, what their goal is in
trying to help you resolve your symptoms. So and I
(36:02):
know that you also have some tools, tools and trackers
on your Hormone Makeover dot com website and resource guides
that our listeners can look at, but this book would
be super helpful for them to read. Is I'd love
for you to speak to whatever you want to speak
to on the book.
Speaker 2 (36:22):
Thank you. I appreciate that I wrote that book for
women to understand. I wanted to get through some of
those myths and misconceptions because I didn't want them to
be afraid of hormones. I want them to really understand them.
But I wanted it more than just in about oh hormones,
do this great, there, you know, great, whatever, but what
(36:43):
do you do? I wanted a resource for women to
know what to do, you know, how to use things,
how to test which tests this test? You know. I
wanted more of a how to and the understanding. And
one of the things I really like, you know, because
I'm a skimmer and I like to get through material quick.
(37:03):
I put a summary of what's in the chapter each chapter,
at the end of every chapter, so you can go back,
oh yeah, yeah.
Speaker 1 (37:11):
So smart, so smart.
Speaker 2 (37:16):
But I just wrote it to answer the most common
questions and for women to maybe maybe see oh wait
a minute, maybe you know I'm I'm forty two or
whatever their age and oh, I think my progesteral might
be low and understand more about it. So I tried
to go into enough detail for it to be a
resource for women.
Speaker 1 (37:36):
Yeah, and to know what to ask for. Yes, talk
about self advocacy all the time, and you know, if
you don't know what to ask for, it's hard to
be your own advocate, you know. So I think that
the book can really help with that what you're looking
for in a provider or from a provider.
Speaker 2 (37:58):
Yeah, I hope.
Speaker 1 (37:59):
So. Yeah, Well, Donna, is there anything else you'd like
to share with us before we go?
Speaker 2 (38:07):
Well, I appreciate you having me, and I guess I
just want to encourage women to do a little bit
of reading, do some research. Don't go by just what
one friend or practitioner says, Oh, don't take hormones, there's
no research. Actually do your own research, read material, listen
to podcasts like Karen's and listen and learn for yourself.
(38:31):
And don't feel like you have to suffer through perimenopause
or menopause. Be empowered, you know, be empowered with information.
Get past this confusion, because there's I call it the
hormone confusion. There's so much confusion out there, let's sort
through it, and you know it's you're worth it, and
(38:54):
the risk of not looking at your hormones or having
them tested, it's not worth it. You know, you don't
want to be eighty years old. And then you know
the world's finally on board with hormones and think, gosh,
now I've lost phone, and you know I've got terrible dementia.
Why didn't I do this? Oh, let's learn it now.
The information is here, the science is clear, the evidence
(39:16):
is there. It's time to have a look.
Speaker 1 (39:20):
Thank you so so very much. I love hearing someone
preaching the same things that I preach. I think is fantastic.
And you're very so, so well versed and so helpful
to our listeners. So thank you for sharing your knowledge
with my listeners. And again, you can find out more
(39:42):
about Donna White by going to Hormone Makeover dot com
and you can do the find a Provider feature on
the website her website b HRT Training Academy dot com.
Thank you so much, Donna, and thank all of you
for listening. We're If you listen to this podcast, please
leave a review and rate the podcast. Your reviews and
(40:04):
ratings really do matter. Also, make sure you follow the
shows that it will be automatically downloaded. That matters too.
I encourage you to visit our Facebook page IMB Podcast,
where you can give us a like and leave comments
or questions for me. Our website is Itchy and Bitchy,
where there are blogs with some of our subjects available
for you to read. We meaning Forrest will post the
(40:28):
video of my conversation with Donald White on the website
and the Facebook page. Also on the Facebook page and
website we have the information about how to schedule an
appointment with me so we can chat about how my
perimed a Pause course can help you if you're going
through this phase in life. As always, thanks to Forrest Winzle,
our producer and composer of our theme music and the
(40:48):
person who does all the behind the scenes work to
make this podcast possible. Thank you Forrest, and always always
remember your health is in your hands.
Speaker 2 (41:04):
Jug Chug,
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