QUESTION:
On 14/02/12, XXX wrote:
Good afternoon, Dr. Ícaro, I requested the quote for the batch of vitamins you asked for and I would like to know if it will also be necessary to include bioidentical hormones, as I have the objective of carrying out hormonal modulation. My question is whether it is advisable to buy all the items together to make payment easier or whether I should wait until my body is balanced in terms of vitamins and minerals before starting hormonal modulation. Thank you in advance. XXX
ANSWER:
I assume you're asking me about what I think is ideal, since it's ultimately your decision... So let's get to it:
In my opinion, in general terms:
1 - I believe that every patient should first improve their lifestyle habits as much as possible, making them as healthy as possible. This is because this simple measure, even adopted progressively, cures or improves signs, symptoms, disorders and diseases, thus avoiding specific treatments, such as drugs, and unnecessary or even harmful tests in some cases. In other words, once habits have improved, many symptoms and illnesses tend to disappear or no longer have much relevance in the context of care and therapeutic planning. In other words, good habits provide conditions for the body to rebalance itself and treat its own imbalances, for example, by optimizing the absorption and distribution of nutrients where they are needed, detoxification, combating excessive oxidative stress, among others.
*Of course, in an urgent or emergency situation, it is often not possible to wait for an improvement in lifestyle habits, but this is always desirable, as it has a positive impact on the body's recovery potential.
** In this first stage, for someone who already has good lifestyle habits or is committed to quickly improving the main ones, targeted nutrient supplementation can be very useful, beneficial and even necessary.
2 - Once you've improved your habits, it's time for complementary tests. They will now show more precisely the body's needs for a complete recovery and better functioning. Before this stage, carrying out these tests could lead to unnecessary and even mistaken conduct, as mentioned above.
3 - Bioidentical hormone and neurotransmitter modulation helps a lot when well indicated, but I have five important observations to make:
- I don't recommend it until the patient improves their habits, otherwise it could be based on an unreliable clinical picture.
- I advise that it be carried out on the basis of adequate and complete hormone dosage, always remembering that one affects the other; therefore, the more hormones that are dosed, the better.
- For those hormones/neurotransmitters that cannot be dosed, such as melatonin and GABA, it is essential to look for a really credible clinical picture, since their indication must be based primarily on signs and symptoms reported by the patient.
- On the rare occasions when well-indicated tests are not consistent with the patient's clinical picture, it is crucial to remember that the focus should be on treating the patient's complaints and illnesses, and not just the test results - according to the old axiom of medicine, “the clinic is sovereign”.
- Hormones and neurotransmitters, as well as any type of medication or remedy, are not in themselves “the salvation” of anyone: health is always dependent on the degree of commitment of the individual to their own quality of life and well-being.
I hope I've helped you with your decision!
Cheers!
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