May 22 2008
Bioidentical Hormones – Women are Rebelling
You’ve probably heard about Wyeth Pharmaceuticals, (the makers of the chemical hormones Premarin and Prempro), petition in the United States to request that the FDA prohibit compounding pharmacies from making bioidentical hormones for their patients. If not, a brief summary is to follow. You should be aware that the big pharmaceuticals – because they cannot profit by patenting bioidentical mixtures – are trying to deny your access to bioidentical hormones.
The history to all this is that the pharmaceutical companies saw a great cash cow in being able to provide pregnant mares’ urine (Premarin) and Prempro (chemical hormones) to treat the menopause symptoms of women. Think of all the female customers they would have because every woman eventually reaches menopause. The dollar signs were flashing in the great pharmaceutical companies’ eyes: Ca-ching! Ca-ching!
Lo and behold though. The Women’s Health Initiative came out with a study in 2002 which illustrated that chemical hormone replacement therapy caused heart attacks, strokes, an increase in breast cancer and blood clots in the lungs. Further research has again and again supported these findings.
Women stopped taking chemical HRT (hormone replacement therapy) and profits declined for the big pharmaceutical companies. For example, Wyeth’s profits from Premarin and related products fell a full 68% between 2002 and 2004 – from $2,072,000,000 in 2002 to $880,000,000 in 2004. Ouch!
So Wyeth filed a “citizen’s complaint” to end the competition from compounding pharmacies to stop the loss of profits by eliminating the competition from the compounding pharmacies. The problem for the pharmaceutical companies is that the mixtures of the natural plant based hormones cannot be patented; therefore, it is not financially rewarding to produce bioidenticals in various strengths to suit the needs of individual women.
Additionally, the FDA profits from drug user fees paid by the pharmaceutical companies, so it is in the interests of the FDA that they eliminate the competition from the compounding pharmacies. Compounding pharmacies are regulated by the individual States and not the federal government so the FDA is also losing drug user fee profits. They are all in bed together and never forget that.
Women in the US who use bioidentical mixtures have fought back by voicing their complaints against the Wyeth action.
Likewise in Canada, something strange is happening…. The government is trying to make natural supplements available only by prescription. What gives? It’s definitely all about profit and not about the rights and health of the patient. Want to take Vitamin C? – go to your doctor and get a prescription. Puleeeeze!
I find it even stranger that women in Europe have been using bioidentical hormones for over 50 years and governments and pharmaceutical companies are trying to outlaw them here in North America. One of the greatest arguments against bioidentical hormones over here on this continent is that there hasn’t been any research. Well, how about starting the research right now because the women are rebelling and using them because they WORK!
I contacted a doctor on his website after reading one of his articles which was vehemently opposed to bioidentical hormones. His article basically said, “they don’t work”. When I wrote back to this doctor stating they did work, they fixed all my symptoms – he never answered! Well, speak to the millions and millions of women who are using them and ask them if bioidenticals work. You are going to get a positively resounding answer “they work” and “don’t you dare take them away from me!”
So women are rebelling and will fight to use bioidentical hormones because – ask any woman who uses them – they work! The story with Wyeth trying to outlaw the compounding pharmacies rights to provide their patients with natural solutions continues. Stay tuned…
Become active. Ask yourself, if so many women (and men) are using bioidentical hormones why hasn’t the government funded research by now? If bioidentical hormones have been used in Europe and (estriol) is used in China with great success – why is the government trying to make them illegal here?
Think about it… if the cure for AIDs or Diabetes was found – do you really think the pharmaceutical companies would make it publicly available – of course not! They only profit when a disease is unsolved and continues on for a very lengthy period of time – more drugs – more time EQUAL MORE PROFIT.
As I said, the women are rebelling. More and more women are now using bioidentical hormones.
