Bioidentical Hormone Therapy (BHRT)

Perimenopause and Menopause

BHRT may help relieve symptoms associated with hormonal changes, including hot flashes, night sweats, mood changes, and vaginal dryness.

Polycystic Ovary Syndrome / Polyendocrine Metabolic Ovarian Syndrome (PCOS/PMOS)

For some individuals, BHRT may help address hormone imbalances contributing to irregular menstrual cycles, acne, excess hair growth, and fertility challenges.

Endometriosis

In appropriate cases, BHRT may be incorporated into a treatment plan to help manage hormone-related symptoms and pelvic pain associated with endometriosis.

Recurrent Pregnancy Loss

When hormonal imbalances are identified as a contributing factor, BHRT may be used to support hormone levels as part of a comprehensive fertility care plan.

Bioidentical Hormone Therapy replaces or supplements the natural estrogen and progesterone that decline through perimenopause and menopause. Bioidentical hormones are derived from plant-based sources, such as yams and soy, and are chemically identical to the hormones your body naturally produces. Treatment is personalized to your symptoms, health history, and goals, with regular follow-up to ensure your therapy continues to meet your needs over time. Current evidence supports it as the most effective treatment for hot flashes and night sweats, with additional benefits for sleep, mood, vaginal comfort and bone protection for appropriate candidates.

Our goal is to identify whether hormonal changes are contributing to your symptoms and develop a treatment plan that is personalized to your health history, symptoms, and goals. If BHRT is appropriate, we use regular follow-up and laboratory monitoring when indicated to assess your response to treatment and make thoughtful adjustments over time. Rather than taking a one-size-fits-all approach, your therapy is tailored to your individual needs and evolves as your body changes.

It's also a personal decision with real nuance: your age, symptoms, health history and preferences all shape whether BHRT makes sense, which form fits best and what monitoring it deserves. Good support means understanding the full picture.

You may benefit from a consultation if you:

• Are weighing whether BHRT is right for you
• Started BHRT and aren't sure it's working as it should
• Experience side effects you'd like addressed
• Want to support your health alongside BHRT
• Prefer to explore non-hormonal options first
• Experiencing any hormonal symptoms above
• Have been told you're not a candidate and want to understand your alternatives
• Are approaching perimenopause and want to plan ahead

What shapes the BHRT decision?

Your Symptom Picture

Hot flashes, infertility, PCOS, acne, hair loss or hair growth, painful periods sleep disruption, mood changes and vaginal symptoms respond differently to different forms of therapy. Clarifying your dominant symptoms sharpens the choice considerably.

Timing

Evidence suggests the benefit-to-risk balance is most favourable when hormone therapy starts within about ten years of menopause. Where you are in the transition genuinely matters.

Your Health History

Personal and family history, including cardiovascular health, clotting risk and hormone-sensitive conditions, shapes candidacy and the safest route of delivery. This is where individualized medical assessment is essential.

The Rest of Your Physiology

Thyroid function, iron status, blood sugar and stress physiology all influence how you feel through menopause. BHRT addresses hormone decline; it doesn't replace attention to everything else.

What testing informs BHRT?

We start by helping you understand your options. We'll walk you through what the current evidence says about the benefits and risks of hormone therapy based on your symptoms, medical history, and personal goals—without the fear or the hype. Together, we'll determine whether hormone therapy is appropriate and, if so, which option is the best fit for you.

Your assessment, education, and treatment plan all happen as part of one personalized approach, so every piece of your care works together to support your health.

How do we support women around BHRT?

Alongside BHRT or instead of it, depending on your choice and candidacy, care may include evidence-informed non-hormonal strategies for hot flashes and sleep, nutrition for bone and cardiovascular health, support for the thyroid and stress physiology that often shift in midlife, and follow-up that tracks whether your plan is improving your life.

For women who can't or prefer not to use hormones, we're straightforward about which alternatives have evidence and which don't.

Care starts with the bigger picture rather than a single test. If you've already been diagnosed, we build on what you know. If you suspect something deeper but have never had a full workup, we can order the testing that gets you clear answers.

Your first visit is 75 minutes with a licensed naturopathic doctor who has reviewed your full intake. Together you'll create a plan that may include nutrition and lifestyle changes, targeted supplementation, and functional testing where appropriate. Bloodwork happens at any LifeLabs or Dynacare, and specialty panels like the DUTCH test ship to your door.

Appointments are completely virtual, so you can access care from anywhere in Ontario, and visits are covered by most extended health benefits plans.

Our Approach

• Nutrition and dietary guidance
• Lifestyle recommendations
• Stress and sleep support
• Targeted supplementation
• Functional or laboratory testing when appropriate
• Ongoing monitoring and treatment adjustments
• Collaborative care with your broader healthcare team when needed