Compounded Medication requires a prescription by law.
Female Menopause is the time in a woman's life when the Ovaries cease to produce an egg cell every four weeks and therefore Menstruation ceases and the woman is no longer able to become pregnant.
Menopause is diagnosed after 12 months without a period.
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Research is showing the importance of maintaining a balance between progesterone and oestrogen for overall health and well being.
Hormones can be measured via a blood test or a saliva test.
If there is a lack of either hormone, or an excess of either hormone, the following symptoms may occur:
LACK OF PROGESTERONEHeadacheLow Libido Anxiety Swollen Breasts Moodiness Fuzzy Thinking Depression Food Cravings Irritability Insomnia Cramps Emotional Swings Painful Breasts Weight Gain Bloating Inability to Concentrate Early Menstruation Painful Joints Asthma Acne | LACK OF OESTROGENHot FlashesShortness of Breath Night Sweats Sleep Disorders Vaginal Dryness Dry Skin Anxiety Mood Swings Headache Depression Memory Loss Heart Palpitations Yeast Infections Vaginal Shrinkage Painful Intercourse Unable to Orgasm Lack of Menstruation |
EXCESS PROGESTERONEDepressionSomnolence | EXCESS OESTROGENWater RetentionFatigue Breast Swelling Fibrocystic Breasts Premenstrual Mood Swings Heavy or Irregular Menses Uterine Fibroids Craving for Sweets Weight Gain |
Oestrogen is the name given to a class of hormones. There are three major oestrogens produced by women called oestriol, oestradiol and oestrone. Oestradiol is the most potent. Often spelt as estrogen, estrone, estradiol, estriol
Progesterone is a naturally occurring hormone in both men and women. Progesterone is essential for many vital functions in the human body. The ovaries produce most of the progesterone, but this is only if ovulation occurs. As women approach menopause, less progesterone is produced. The deficiency of progesterone is responsible for many symptoms associated with menopause.
Progesterone also balances the effects of oestrogen. Even after a hysterectomy oestrogen in the body needs to be balanced with progesterone.
Women's ovaries and adrenal glands also produce testosterone. During menopause women can experience a drop in oestrogen and testosterone production. Testosterone is important in maintaining sexual desire, strength and integrity of skin, muscle and bone. Low levels of testosterone will result in a decreased sex drive, fatigue and decreased sense of well being.
Natural hormones are obtained from sterol analogues found in many varieties of plants, primarily soybean and wild yam. These oestrogen and progesterone like compounds are then transformed in the laboratory to the human bio-identical natural hormones.
HRT's goal is to restore and maintain a physiological status. If hormone levels were normal from age 20 to 40, replacing them to restore the same level that was well tolerated for 20 years is unlikely to cause any serious side effects in later life. The risk is further reduced if only natural hormones are used. However, any type of medication can have side effects if not administered properly or taken in excess doses. The scientific studies show that the potential benefits of HRT are great; however, overdosing to excessive level causes most problems reported from HRT. To insure safety, hormone levels should not be raised above a normal youthful range, and side effects can often be relieved with a dosage adjustment.
Natural hormones can be prepared in a dosage form convenient to each individual patient. Women and men are no longer limited by the "one size fits all" medications that pharmaceutical manufacturers sell. Natural hormones can be made as capsules, topical creams, vaginal suppositories, injectables and sublingual liquids or tablets.
Most pharmacies will not compound medications. Compounding requires extensive training, time, and specialised laboratory equipment & staff to meet the special reqirements of the patients and physicians. Our pharmacy has highly trained staff as well as 'state of the art equipment' necessary to provide compounding services.
The length of time will be different for each patient. It will depend on your current health and the chances of developing other serious diseases later in life, such as osteoporosis for example.
Natural hormone replacement therapy also known as bioidentical hormone replacement therapy must be tailored for the individual patient. A thorough review of symptoms and history is an effective and essential procedure by the doctor.
Hormone Replacement Therapy (HRT) can be different for each individual. There are many different types of HRT. However, the way it is administered can make all the difference to the individual.
There are many dosage forms available, especially for those who have difficulty in swallowing medicine.
Some may have allergies or sensitivities to certain preservatives, dyes or fillers. Others cannot tolerate the taste.
Often medication is prescibed in an alternate dosage form such as troche, lozenge, suppository, pessary or cream, to allow the medication to enter the bloodstream directly. Avoiding the first pass stomach entry can mean that the drug does not get destroyed by stomach juices.
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Absolute contraindications to oestrogen therapy include:
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Dee Why Health Care Pharmacy is an experienced and comprehensive compounding facility. Our specialised training, high tech equipment & state of the art technology allow us to provide "Quality" tailor made medications to suit individual needs.
We only invest in the highest quality ingredients which must meet the highest quality standards USP and BP grades.
Professional Quality Care advice is what to expect from our team.
Quality Care Customer Service is our mission & our passion.
Andropause is the result of low testosterone and a natural part of male ageing, due to a decline in testicular function. Andropause (or the "male menopause") is the counterpart to the female menopause.
Testosterone levels in men remain relatively constant until about the age 50, at which time they begin to fall slowly. However, the decline in malehormone production is much more gradual than the decline in female hormone production.
Symptoms of andropause include a decrease in libido & erectile dysfunction, decreased energy and strength, increase in body fat, loss of muscle mass, enlargement of prostate, osteoporosis, depression, inability to concentrate, loss of enthusiasm and reduced mental agility.
Men with low testosterone (hypogonadism) are given testosterone replacement therapy for a variety of reasons; It may enhance libido, decrease heart disease risk, increase in lean body mass and prevent osteoporosis. Testosterone may also lower total cholesterol and LDL, and decrease insulin resistance.
As men age, the balance between testosterone and oestradiol changes , tilting towards more oestradiol production. The pituitary hormone responsible for stimulating testosterone is LH (luteinizing hormone ). Excess oestradiol may decrease the level of LH and, therefore, the level of testosterone.
It is surprising to learn that the average 60-year-old male has more circulating oestrogen in his bloodstream than the average 60-year-old female.
The conversion of testosterone to oestradiol takes place under the influence of the enzyme aromatase. Testosterone and Androstenedione are both "aromatizable " to oestradiol.
In many cases, levels of oestrogen are found to be elevated. If this happens, it is possible to block aromatase activity, so the chances that the testosterone given will be converted to even more oestrogen may be reduced.
Currently there are several aromatase inhibitors on the market for prescription use as treatments for breast cancer. These aromatase inhibitors might block the conversion of testosterone to oestrogen in men as well. There is also a natural aromatase inhibitor called chrysin.
We can assist pets with their requirements for administering medication.
Flavouring medication can assist especially when " difficult to administer" medication is required.
The advantage of compounding for animals is the ability to change strength of the medication and the mode of administration. This includes chewable products, transdermal products, solutions etc. Commercially discontinued medication can often be compounded.
Sometimes it can be a challenge to give medication to children. Convincing a child to take his or her medicine can be a difficult task.
Many children have difficulty swallowing capsules or tablets.
Standard commercial medications are often only available in dosages too high for a child. Children vary in size and weight and so the dose required to treat them also varies.
Compounding can help solve these problems. By working closely with your child's paediatrician, we can assist in formulating the medicine that will meet the unique needs of your child.
Many children cannot tolerate commercially available medications because they often contain preservatives, dyes, alcohol and sugar. We can formulate a medication that is free from all these allergens to suit your child's needs.
Some of the most commonly prescribed ingredients are: Omeprazole as a suspension, melatonin suspension, propranolol suspension etc.
Pain is the most common reason why patients seek medical help.
Pain can be classified as neuropathic pain (pressure or injury to nerve cells) or nociceptive pain (activation of normal pain fibres), acute or chronic pain, incident (upon activity such as movement, coughing) or breakthrough pain (pain occurring between regular doses of pain medication).
Compounding for pain management is a whole new approach to treatment. Compounding can offer solutions to the limitations of commercial pain medications such as unique dosage forms, unavailable medications, allergies, bad tasting or intolerable medication.
Often commercial pain medication presents with many side effects as it enters the body via the gastric area causing irritation and other serious side effects.
Topical creams/lotions/gels offer the advantage of delivering the 'active ingredient' to the site of application. Transdermal preparations when applied to the site of action actually go through the skin and directly enter the bloodstream. This avoids the "first pass effect" which is the liver metabolism. This in itself eliminates or drastically reduces the potential for drug interactions. We can apply a lower level of 'active ingredient' as we do not need to survive gastric juice metabolism, rate of gastric emptying or motility and also we can use known classic effective ingredients transdermally without the risk of serious side effects.
Some of the most commonly prescribed ingredients include: Ketamine, Ketoprofen, Lignocaine, amitryptyline, baclofen, capsaicin, tetracaine, benzocaine, and gabapentin.
Melatonin secretion increases soon after the onset of darkness. Melatonin peaks in the middle of the night (between 2am and 4am) and gradually falls during the second half of the night. Serum levels of melatonin are known to decrease with age which may contribute to the increased frequency of sleep disorders in the elderly and the ageing process itself.
Melatonin can be compounded as capsules, slow release capsules, suspensions and drops in various strengths.
More than half of all Australians affected by thyroid disease are unaware of their condition. Thyroid disease may not be picked up or diagnosed for many years. Women are more affected than men, probably due to women requiring higher levels of thyroid hormone than men.
Thyroid Hormone (TH) is produced by the thyroid gland in response to the release of Thyroid Stimulating Hormone (TSH) from the pituitary gland. TH helps the body convert food into energy and heat, regulates body temperature, and impacts many other hormone systems in the body.
During periods of stress, an inactive form of T3 can be formed, called Reverse T3 (Rt3).
Under normal conditions T4 converts to both T3 and rT3 continually and the body eliminates rT3 quickly. However, sometimes under certain conditions, more rT3 is produced and the desired conversion of T4 to T3 decreases. This occurs during periods of fasting, starvation, illness (eg liver disease) and particularly during times of increased stress.
T3 is the most potent of the thyroid hormones. Approximately 85% of circulating T3 is produced by monodeiodination of thyroxine (T4) in tissues such as the liver, muscles and kidneys. Selenium and zinc are required for this monodeiodination.
An increased production of rT3 is often seen in patients with metabolic disorders. Measurement of rT3 is therefore valuable in identifying thyroid disorders.
Thyroid production, as with other hormones tends to decrease with age.
Reverse T3 dominance, functional hypothyroidism also known as Wilson's Syndrome is a condition that reflects most hypothyroid symptoms even though blood levels of T3 and T4 are within normal test limits. This is a condition when T4 metabolism produces an excess of reverse T3 in relation to T3, therefore this is a problem with T4 activation rather than a lack of thyroid production.
Reverse T3 has the same molecular structure as T3 however; this means that it can bind to the receptor preventing T3 from binding to the receptor and activating the appropriate response.
Other factors that adversely affect conversion of T4 into T3 include: nutritional deficiencies such as selenium, zinc, iodine, VitB6, B12 and E, antibody reactions, insulin resistance, toxicities such as heavy metals and environmental toxins.
Thyroid function can also be estimated by measuring your underarm body temperature each morning before getting out of bed. If your underarm temperature is consistently subnormal (below 36.5 C) for 3 days or more your thyroid function may be low.
However, do not forget that adrenal function also influences your metabolic rate and therefore body temperature. This means adrenal function must also be considered if you have low body temperature.
An integrated approach should be taken when diagnosing hypothyroidism making use of all the diagnostic tools as well as using signs and symptoms of low thyroid function.
If doctors rely totally on the TSH test without considering signs and symptoms , which has become common practice, then many patients with a sluggish thyroid go undetected and are therefore not treated appropriately.
If you tend to be jittery on thyroid medication or if you are generally more alert at night, have rapid mood swings, have sugar or salt cravings, feel tired all the time, have dark circles under your eyes and are easily stressed then your adrenal glands may also need help.
Your adrenal function can be determined by measuring DHEA and cortisol levels. If it is too under active it may also require treatment.
We also strongly recommend adrenal support, if tests indicate the need, along with nutritional support. Many thyroid patients we see also have adrenal problems and both need to be addressed for a full recovery.
If the autoimmune system is involved then certain steps should be taken in attempt to control it. Conditions such as Hasimoto's disease and Graves disease may benefit f rom removing any foods that cause food allergies or intolerance reactions such as gluten, dairy and yeasts, heavy metals must be removed, any digestive or leaky gut issues need to be treated, adrenal, thyroid and sex hormones need to be appropriately balanced along with the use of certain supplements.
