BIO-IDENTICAL HORMONE REPLACEMENT Hormone Replacement Therapy is most often used for menopause. Typical symptom of menopause may include hot flashes, vaginal dryness, low libido, weight gain, irritability, moodiness and sleep disturbances. Yet any woman who has experienced endometriosis, PMS, weight gain, low libido or fibrocystic breasts may also need to contact their pharmacist or physician.   Women have traditionally used synthetic estrogen supplements to protect against osteoporosis and heart disease. These synthetic hormones are appealing to patients because they treat menopausal symptoms and offer some protection against osteoporosis and heart disease. Yet they often have side effects - breast tenderness, breakthrough bleeding and fluid retention - for those who use them.   A better solution for women needing hormone therapy may be the use of more natural hormones rather than synthetic ones. Compounding pharmacists are meeting the needs of peri-menopausal and menopausal women through the use off plant derived hormones that are biologically identical to those naturally occurring in women. No two women are alike, of course, and the value of bio-identical hormone replacement therapy is that it can be adapted to fit your individual body and hormone levels. In fact, hormones can be made it a variety of strengths and dosage forms including capsules, topical creams and gels, suppositories and sublingual troches or lozenges. With the help of your doctor and a compounding pharmacist, a woman can start and maintain a bio-identical hormone replacement regimen that closely mimics what her body has been doing naturally for years.   Ask your physician or Lima's Professional Pharmacy about bio-identical hormone replacement therapy.