Kaiser Health News released an article about a California doctor treating menopause patients with Bio-Identical therapy. However, the Medical Board of California recently announced that the doctor has been placed on probation, claiming that she was unaware of potential risks of plant-based hormones. The Board cited two instances that contributed to the doctor’s probation: one of her patients developed cancer and another was treated based on an incorrect diagnosis. While these two instances are unfortunate, the article fails to mention the countless patients successfully treated for menopause by this same doctor.

Optimal Bio Process

I have been a practicing board-certified OB-GYN for over 25 years, specializing in diagnosing and treating abnormal uterine bleeding. A little over seven years ago, I began utilizing bioidentical therapy to treat patients at Optimal Bio. We follow a process to determine the appropriate treatment options:

• Mandate pre-labs and a consultation prior to treatment.
• We then monitor conditions through quarterly labs.
• We request that you provide us with your medications in order to understand the whole picture.

Unfortunately, medicine is not an exact science and based upon one estimation, taking prescribed medications is the fourth leading cause of death among Americans. Additionally, if a condition presents itself that we at Optimal Bio are unable to treat, we will refer patients to other doctors who may be of greater assistance. Our patients come first at Optimal Bio, and we use the best bioidentical treatments available. Our goal is to make patients healthier, allowing them to enjoy a better quality of life. Whether it’s FDA approved medication or safe, all-natural bioidenticals, all patients need to be treated by competent professionals.

Bioidentical vs. Synthetic Hormone Treatment

Some of my patients will ask me if we use FDA approved synthetic hormone treatment. I tell them we use all-natural bioidenticals. The scientific literature shows that there are significantly fewer side effects than FDA- approved synthetic hormone treatment. The distinction between Bioidentical and synthetic is crucial. There is a 2001 WHI Study which stated that post-menopausal hormone therapy causes breast cancer. This study consisted of 5000 women. The estrogen used in the study was synthetic premarine estrogen, which is derived from pregnant horses. The progesterone used in the study was also a synthetic, called Provera, increased breast cancer 28%. Dr. Fourner conducted two studies in France with 134,000 women. Breast cancer in the bioidentical arm using bioidentical estrogen and bioidentical progesterone (the same exact structure that these women’s ovaries use to make) showed no increase. In the arm that consisted of Provera, a synthetic progesterone, it increased breast cancer by 69%. The conclusion: synthetic progesterone causes breast cancer.

We at Optimal Bio follow the highest standards of medical care. We keep your health our top priority at Optimal Bio. All of our treatments are backed up by science and proven to be effective and safe. Bio-identical hormone treatments have proven to benefit the patient in more ways than synthetic and have better overall end results. We strive to provide all natural, healthy solutions to your health issues.