Question from a visitor: I was told by my doctor that the cortisone acetate prescribed for me and filled in a compounding pharmacy was bioidentical? Is this true? Why am I not finding much info on \"bioidentical cortisol\"?
Answer from Larry Frieders: You also wouldn't find much information about "bioidentical insulin". The reason is that cortisol is what it is, a naturally occurring glucocorticoid. It is also sometimes referred to as cortisol or hydrocortisone. The acetate means that it is a salt of the base material, cortisone. It's activity is that of the naturally occurring hormone.
Bioidentical means that the chemical structure of a substance is the same as that of one that occurs naturally, regardless of its source or how it was manipulated in a laboratory. It is the final product that matters. I must point out here that the word, "bioidentical", has no official status in medicine. In fact, some people in positions of authority refuse to use the term at all. That's their prerogative.
In the real world, cortisone, cortisone acetate, cortisol, and hydrocortisone mean practically the same thing. The truly synthetic substances are drugs such as prednisone, prednisolone, medroxyprogesterone, fludrocortisone, etc.
Being classified as bioidentical does not automatically mean that it is better, just that it is chemically identical to the substance made in nature. It also does not mean safer or non-toxic. There are many naturally occurring substances that are far from safe, and are so toxic that a tiny amount can kill.
In the realm of hormones I find that the bioidentical versions make more sense to use - just because they are identical what we have always had and they readily available. I also think using a human hormone is superior to using one from a horse. But, that's a topic for another post.
No comments:
Post a Comment