Bioidentical Hormone Side Effects and Benefits

Benefits and side effects of hormone therapy tend to arrive in separate sentences, often on separate pages. This page puts the two sources next to each other so the trade is visible. For a plain definition of the term first, see the WebMD explainer on bioidentical hormone replacement therapy.

The benefit line

MedlinePlus says lower hormone levels during menopause can cause symptoms such as hot flashes, night sweats, mood changes, vaginal dryness and pain during sex. It adds that hormone therapy may help relieve these symptoms.

Note the word may. In that line, MedlinePlus gives no rate of relief and no timeline. It states a possibility and leaves the size of the benefit open.

If a preparation is compounded, the FDA publishes questions and answers on compounding that are worth reading alongside any benefit claim.

The risk line

Cleveland Clinic says research studies have shown there are risks to taking hormones. It says hormones can increase the risk of blood clots, stroke and gallbladder disease.

Cleveland Clinic also says the risk of heart disease and breast cancer may increase if you are older or use hormonal therapy for an extended period. This sentence ties risk to age and duration, which the benefit line never mentions.

MedlinePlus has a general-reader overview of hormone therapy for menopause that sits comfortably beside this comparison.

Questions that weigh benefit against risk

Ask which symptom you want relief from, how long you would use the therapy, and how your age changes the risk. Then read the full Cleveland Clinic page on bioidentical hormones before the appointment, so the benefit and the risk are weighed in the same sitting.