I began my Bioidentical Hormone Replacement Therapy (BHRT) journey when I was 29 years old when I started having a host of hormonal problems: anxiety, panic attacks, abdominal weight gain, sarcopenia (muscle loss), depression, sleep issues…just to name a few. At the time, I didn’t realize the path I chose would change my life forever. It is similar to the movie ‘The Matrix.’ Take the ‘blue pill,’ and the story ends. You wake up in your bed sedated, and you believe whatever you are told to believe. Or you can take the ‘red pill.’ From here, you can stay in wonderland and live your life as it was intended. Fully awakened.

The Choice

The “Blue Pill”: aka Traditional Medicine. I would be diagnosed with ‘anxiety disorder’ or ‘mild depression.’ Probably both. I would be prescribed an anti-depressant, coupled with a sleep-aid like Ambien. I might feel some immediate relief with these drugs, but then the side effects would start. I would gain an additional 20-30lbs - maybe more. I would lose mental clarity/sharpness and would have minimal “drive for life.” Something would always feel like it was missing. For someone like myself with a healthy amount of vanity, I would spiral deeper into depression since I no longer look and feel like myself. I would return to my doctor for help. At this point, I can further speculate on what would happen next. My meds would be increased to offset this deeper bout of depression. I may be prescribed an anti-depressant ‘booster.’ Then, they would address my mental clarity/drive issues by prescribing me a drug like Adderall. This would go on for years. New symptoms would be treated with new drugs. My real issues would never be addressed. The good news is that I would never be made aware there was another way. I would believe that this is just the process of aging.

The “Red Pill”: aka BHRT (Bioidentical Hormone Replacement Therapy). This is my real story. I was given a comprehensive hormone lab panel. My results showed that I had: