I recently went on bioidentical hormones. gyn says life will get better. whats up with the acne, though? 50 looking like 16. any advice?

Testosterone & dht: When a patient is placed on bhrt, repeat bloodwork needs to be performed in case of side effects. This minimizes toxicity. If your testosterone has risen too fast then a dosage adjustment needs to be made. Dhea-s needs to be tested due to its androgenic properties. But in females receiving female hormones then elevated Progesterone can cause acne. I would be intrigued to know your regimen.

Hormone Testing: For me, serum testing is how i manage bioidentical hormones. The numbers plus talking to women tell me what's going on. We see everyone every four months and adjust accordingly. My guess is that free testosterone and/or dhea may be too high for women with this symptom.

Tweak the components: When i manage bioidentical hormones, i get baseline labs, and then treat based on symptoms. Acne can mean too much testosterone or possibly not enough estrogen. I repeat labs when i get "opposite" symptoms like low libido and acne at the same time. Your acne might just need some topical treatment and an effective skin care regimen. Avoiding sugar seems to help acne.

Not advisable: The endocrine society and the american association of clinical endocrinologists are against the use of bio identical hormones. They are not regulated. There is no clearly defined safe or effective dose. Different practitioners use different compounding pharmacies. Acne means you are getting excess amounts of male hormones.

Blood test: I agree with dr. Sinclair. If you are feeling much better however, you may need to make a choice regarding testosterone. I check labs every four months & adjust accordingly after speaking with each woman. For those with acne, I have an esthetician for chemical peels which eradicate this problem for most women.