Verbatim response from Claude
BHRT vs Traditional HRT: A Practical Guide
Quick Distinction
- Traditional HRT - FDA-approved synthetic or animal-derived hormones (standard pharmacy)
- BHRT - Bioidentical hormones, either FDA-approved or custom-compounded
Honest Recommendation: Start with FDA-Approved Bioidentical Options
This gives you the best of both worlds - bioidentical hormones with quality regulation.
Specific Products to Ask Your Doctor About:
- Estradiol patches - Vivelle-Dot, Climara (widely available, well-studied)
- Estradiol gel - EstroGel, Divigel
- Progesterone - Prometrium (oral, bioidentical and FDA-approved)
- Testosterone - AndroGel (men), off-label options for women
Where to Get It:
- Primary care doctor or OB-GYN for standard prescriptions
- Menopause Society certified providers - find one at menopause.org
- Midi Health or Alloy (telehealth, menopause-specialized, highly rated)
- Gennev - another solid telehealth option
Be Cautious About:
- Compounding pharmacies offering custom BHRT without FDA oversight
- Saliva testing as the basis for dosing (not reliable)
Bottom line: Ask specifically for bioidentical, FDA-approved hormones from a menopause-specialist provider.