Basic Restorative Medicine Approach
Physicians who use the restorative medicine approach prescribe multiple bioidentical hormones in a customized manner to simulate the optimal natural human hormone production cycle upon which all organ systems such as the brain, skin, heart, immune system, bones and joints depend! Let’s break this definition down into its parts.
Why are multiple hormones necessary?
Because many hormones work together, and when you change the level of one you impact others. The goal is to achieve a balance of hormones, and this requires that you look at all the levels and make adjustments as needed.
Bioidentical vs Synthetic Hormones
The DZugan Restorative Medicine program is a natural approach, which means its uses hormones that are biochemically identical to those produced by the human body. Much controversy has revolved around the use of synthetic hormones, such as those derived from horse urine, for example (Premarin). Unfortunately many women still take this prescribed hormone therapy. (We discuss the problems with conventional hormone replacement therapy in chapter 2.) The vitamins and other nutritional supplements that are part of the DZugan program are also natural.
More than 10 years ago we employed the term hormonorestorative therapy into our practice for the regimen that was used for our patients. Hormonorestorative therapy was defined as multi-hormonal therapy with the use of a chemically identical formula to human hormones (so-called anthropo-identical) and is administered in physiologic ratios with dose schedules intended to simulate the
natural human production cycle and allows for the restoration of an optimal level of hormones.
The “optimal” was defined as a level of 20 hormones in one third of the highest normal range from the testing laboratory for healthy 20-30 year old individuals for all steroid hormones (except estradiol/total estrogen for men). This level will result in youthful physiologic (not just “normal”) serum levels and a
patient without symptoms.
All of the hormones and nutritional supplements are prescribed to match the body’s natural manufacturing and secretion cycles. Typically this means patients take a larger dose in the morning of their recommended therapy, and physicians recommend modifications according to a patient’s needs and progress.
What Does the Restorative Medicine Program Include?
The basic restorative medicine program typically involves taking basic hormones: pregnenolone, DHEA, triestrogen (women), progesterone, testosterone, hydrocortisone, Armour thyroid (a natural preparation containing T3 and T4 in the proper ratio), and melatonin. (Hormones are discussed in detail in chapter 3.)
This is just a general starting point: one of the beauties of the Restorative Medicine Program is that we customize a treatment plan for each individual based on his or her medical condition, test results, and needs.
In addition to the basic hormones, the program also includes various nutritional and/or herbal supplements that help to restore important nutrients to optimal levels, to enhance the performance and
efficiency of the hormones, and to resolve signs and symptoms the individual is experiencing. These also are explored in chapter 3.
In some cases, we recommend that individuals make adjustments to their diet and/or add exercise to their lifestyle, but only after they have been participating in the program for several months and hormonal balance has been restored. For many patients, losing weight is a goal, but the fact that they have been feeling depressed or 21 unwell for so long has prevented them from effectively losing pounds
through exercise and a healthful eating plan.
Now that you have a general idea of what the DZugan Restorative Medicine program is about, we will turn to look at conventional medicine and why it does not effectively treat or manage many of the most common medical conditions that affect humans.
