Pete Hueseman, R.Ph., P.D.
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Pete Hueseman, R.Ph., P.D. |
2003: The HRT Controversy Series
Power Surge™ Live!
December 11 2005
Host: Dearest
Guest: Pete Hueseman, R.Ph., P.D.
Naturally Compounded Hormones
 About Pete Hueseman |
 Ask The Pharmacist |
(Pete Hueseman, R.Ph, R.D.'s 17th visit to Power Surge) Dearest: My guest tonight is Pete, Hueseman, R.Ph., P.D. Pete has been a Registered Pharmacist for 30 years. Although Pete is a registered pharmacist and dispense all sorts of prescription medications, he's focused his area of expertise on women's healthcare, and to naturally compounded, bioidentical, such as estradiol, estriol, estrone, tri-estrogen, micronized progesterone, DHEA, testosterone, pregnenolone). Pete specializes in counseling patients and physicians on the use of natural hormones. He advises patients and physicians, nationwide, and is an acknowledged expert on the use of *natural* hormones or NHRT (natural hormone replacement therapy). Pete is professionally associated with NAMS, the Academy of Alternative Medicine, Alternative and Complementary Medicine Association, and is registered with more than one professional Pharmacist's Association. Pete also is co-owner of Bellevue Pharmacy Solutions. Pete, it's always a pleasure to welcome you back to Power Surge :) Pete Hueseman, R.Ph., P.D.: Thanks for having me back, Dearest. Dearest: Pete, I was wondering why when you prescribe natural hormones to women, that testosterone isn't part of the initial package - or is it? Pete Hueseman, R.Ph., P.D.: Well, When I suggest natural hormone remedy for someone, I usually do a thorough testing which includes levels of testosterone. Sometimes it isn't low, or the patient is afraid of testosterone because of acne, deepening of the voice and so on. Dearest: On that note, if you do prescribe natural hormones like bi-est and progesterone, might you recommend a woman use DHEA with it for sexual issues? Pete Hueseman, R.Ph., P.D.: Yes. Many times once women are 40 or older, if they're complaining of decreased energy or overweight, we will recommend DHEA. It will help with libido issues, too. Dearest: Why would you recommend DHEA for overweight issues? Pete Hueseman, R.Ph., P.D.: DHEA has 26 different uses that we know of. One is that it can help with the hormone balance and weight loss as long as you're eating properly and exercising. SpiderWoman: I am 52. I haven't had intercourse for a very long time because of vaginal dryness/pain. Vaginal estrogen causes yeast infection. I don't take any hormones. Just Fosamax. I had my hormone levels taken and they are within the "normal" limits for menopause. What can I do? Pete Hueseman, R.Ph., P.D.: Estrogen typically doesn't cause yeast infections. SpiderWoman: That's what happened to me after trying different types. Pete Hueseman, R.Ph., P.D.: Lack of estrogen will make the vaginal tissues thin and you can get more yeast infections, more easily. Dearest: On that note, however, many women who come through Power Surge DO complain of increased yeast infections. What is the connection between perimenopause and yeast infection? Pete Hueseman, R.Ph., P.D.: Yeast is not usually a problem with estriol. Sometimes, we add a little testosterone. too. Yeast infections can increase if they're using too much progesterone and not balancing well with estrogen. That includes over the counter progesterone cream. SpiderWoman: vaginally? Pete Hueseman, R.Ph., P.D.: Yes, vaginally. We would have you insert 1 gram for 10 days in a row, then 2-3 times a week after that. Vaginal use gets very little systemic absorption. Dearest: Pete, is there any truth to the fact that eating too much chocolate can cause yeast infections? I've heard and read this many times. Pete Hueseman, R.Ph., P.D.: I'm not familiar with chocolate causing yeast infections unless it has so much lactose, milk products, that's causing problems. Jimi: Naturally compounded progesterone creme had a depressive effect on me, so went on Zoloft, this led to anxiety and nooo sex drive and relationship problems and a more stressful situation - stopped everything and now after a few good months am in a depressed state again with no sex drive - I am 50 and 18 months post - I have also tried DHEA nothing seems to work - HELP! - Oh! and Welcome back. I am back on Zoloft. Pete Hueseman, R.Ph., P.D.: The natural progesterone creams can cause depression as a side effect. Zoloft can definitely cause trouble with sex drive. You need a test, either blood or saliva, to test everything, including DHEA, estrogen, and then rebalance your hormones. We might have to give a dose of natural estrogen. Balance the estrogen with the progesterone, maybe add testosterone. That would help with the depression. Jimi: Aaaahh! I was wondering about the estrogen - I have none left. Pete Hueseman, R.Ph., P.D.: Do you have no estrogen left in your system no prescribed estrogen left? Jimi: None - estrogen. Remember it was very low. I would have to find the test result. I will email to Dr. Pete. Pete Hueseman, R.Ph., P.D.: You can email me at consultph@bpharmacysolutions.com and I can give you some suggestions. Email me and we can work something out for you. SpiderWoman: I just want to be clear about treating vaginal dryness. You suggest estriol and testosterone vaginally? Pete Hueseman, R.Ph., P.D.: That is correct. That's what I suggest for dryness. After the dryness is gone, the pain will be, too. You can email your history, if you want, to my email address at consultph@bpharmacysolutions.com. I'm at a convention and may not get back to you until Monday or Tuesday. SturdyWoman: How effective has testosterone been for your patients, how much do you start with and how long does it take to work? Pete Hueseman, R.Ph., P.D.: Every woman is different. It usually takes 1 to 3 weeks to work, if it's going to work and have a benefit. If it doesn't work, we need to adjust the form and the amount. It is very effective for men and women for several things such as toning up, strength, sex drive. We sell to many more women today than we used to. Dearest: What are the different delivery systems of the testosterone you prescribe and which is your preference? Pete Hueseman, R.Ph., P.D.: The delivery system are sublingual, topical gels, creams, oil capsules, injectables and then there are vaginal suppositories or creams. Topical gel is very popular, as is the cream. Jimi: I might add that I have had urinary tract infections after sex and this does add a touch of - umm lack of interest. What is causing this? Just out of balance? Bacteria that your body would normally ignore? Pete Hueseman, R.Ph., P.D.: I would say that could be part of it. The tissues can be very thin if you're not on hormones, and can be easily damaged during intercourse. Dearest: Do you see more doctors prescribing natural hormones for women since the halting of the WHI study? Pete Hueseman, R.Ph., P.D.: Yes, absolutely. Most women couldn't stay off the synthetics, so there's a big business for the bio-identical hormones. Dearest: Yet they're still manufacturing and prescribing PremPro, so what's that all about? Pete Hueseman, R.Ph., P.D.: That's a great question. We do see some doctors still prescribe PremPro and I can't figure out why. We tell women who come with a prescription for PremPro that there are other, safer options. Most doctors go along with that, but every once in a while, a doctor has a fit about it. Dearest: I don't understand, if they claim, which we all know isn't true, that Premarin is "natural" - why should any doctor who prescribed Premarin and/or PremPro have problems prescribing naturally compounded hormones? Natural for horses, that is. Pete Hueseman, R.Ph., P.D.: They are still in a closet and haven't found out about what's going on. They are learning from the drug companies. Dearest: And what about all the perks they get for prescribing this and other drugs? Pete Hueseman, R.Ph., P.D.: Some may own stock in the Wyeth Ayerst drug company, or may play golf with the representatives. There can be many reasons why this is still taking place. Actually, 2 years ago Bush signed into law that drug companies couldn't sponsor doctors' conventions, or other perks or kick-backs. They can now take lunch in to the offices now. That includes the secretaries, insurance people, all the staff. That can be a daily occurrence. Dearest: Let me ask you finally - is the FDA a puppet for the pharmaceutical companies? Pete Hueseman, R.Ph., P.D.: A little bit, that's true. But Congress and the House of Representatives are a bigger puppet because they are the people getting the money from the drug companies to promote. Dearest: So, we're talking about a lot of lobbying, yes? Pete Hueseman, R.Ph., P.D.: That's the biggest lobbying group in DC now, the drug companies. OutaSorts: If one has a history of seizures, and HRT has been banned for that patient, is progesterone cream also a bad idea? Pete Hueseman, R.Ph., P.D.: First of all, we have many women who have seizures and they have linked it to certain parts of their cycles. It could be a lack of estrogen. Women who started having seizures close to menopause, once they balance their hormones, can gradually go off the seizure medications, or lower the dose to a minimal amount. I don't know why they banned HRT for you. Part of HRT would include progesterone cream, yes. An endocrinologist of OB-gyn could take some history to see when the seizures are occurring, to see what part of they cycle. If you email me at consultph@bpharmacysolutions.com, I could suggest some good doctors for you. Dearest: Which brings me to an interesting question. Why are SO many women in perimenopause being prescribed anti-seizure medications like Neurontin and Trileptal to treat mood swings and hot flashes? Pete Hueseman, R.Ph., P.D.: I've seen that happen as in increased prescription for peri and menopausal women. Again, I think it is a drug salesperson going into the doctor's office to talk them into off-label use. Then they make more sales and more commissions. I don't agree with it. I think it's a sales gimmick. Dearest: So, it all goes back to the pharmaceutical companies relationship with the doctors and NOT what's really good for women? Pete Hueseman, R.Ph., P.D.: That is pretty much correct. Dearest: Pretty sad, isn't it? Pete Hueseman, R.Ph., P.D.: It's all about selling more of their products and making more money. In most cases, it's very sad. Dearest: What do you recommend a woman in perimenopause do? How does she approach a doctor who's prescribing something she's heard is inappropriate? Pete Hueseman, R.Ph., P.D.: I would say for those women, they need to do research on Power Surge, learn about suggested regimens. I think that they need to say "Doctor, I don't want to take that. I've heard about natural hormones, soy and Revival. I don't want inappropriate medications." Let them know that you've done some reading on your own. Most doctors will then ask what it is that you want. We can help you do that by getting your history, and giving you some ideas. Your doctor will hopefully agree and write the prescription. Very rarely will a doctor say that h/she won't do it. Dearest: Let me point out that there's also an excellent article in the Educate Your Body area of the Power Surge Web site called "Selecting a Health Care Practitioner" - with questions you can ask when you go to a new doctor. MrsUnderstood: What do you suggest we take to keep our immune systems strong this winter? The flu seems to be on everyone's mind this year. Pete Hueseman, R.Ph., P.D.: I'm a big advocate of high doses of Vitamin C, the flu shot or nasal mist. Also eat properly, exercise, keep your body as strong as possible. If you're in a crowd, put a handkerchief over your nose and mouth, wash your hands frequently. Grace: Is it ok to cut the Active woman's vitamins? I have not been able to swallow the whole pill the past couple of months. Pete Hueseman, R.Ph., P.D.: That's perfectly fine. If you have a pill cutter, you can use that, or a steak knife and cutting board. There's no problem with that at all. SpiderWoman: Do you ever suggest herbal remedies for libido and/or vaginal dryness? If so, which ones? Are you familiar with Avlimil? Dearest: By the way, there's an excellent article on vaginal dryness in "Educate Your Body" on the Power Surge Web site. Pete Hueseman, R.Ph., P.D.: We do recommend Avlimil and Alura, which have no drugs. There is also Response Cream with 2 to 3 herbs in it. SpiderWoman: Where do I get it? Dearest: You can write to Pete at consultph@bpharmacysolutions.com for more information about Alura for sexual responsiveness. Pete Hueseman, R.Ph., P.D.: I can probably order the Avlimil for you, and check on the price. We also have another product called Andro-Complexx on our website which could be of help to you. Dearest: I was looking at the ingredients of a pharmaceutical company's main estrogen supplement and it contained mostly ESTRONE. My understanding is that estrone is the one estrogen peri and postmenopausal women want to avoid. Yes? No? Pete Hueseman, R.Ph., P.D.: That's correct. You don't want the levels to be too high. The estrone naturally converts to carcinogenic levels. If you have high estrone levels, we sell cervaplexx 400 mg capsules that will help prevent that conversion. Dearest: Also, many of the pharmaceutical companies use medroxyprogesterone - please explain what this is and is this a form of progesterone we want to avoid? Pete Hueseman, R.Ph., P.D.: It's definitely the form to avoid - that's known as Provera, the main culprit in the WHI studies that caused cancer increases. Jimi: What do you think of SAMe for depression? Dose? and also Zoloft, would appreciate your opinion on both. Here are my Hormone levels - progesterone <1.0 FSH 82.9 Oestradiol <80 DHEAS 1.8 Testosterone 1.2 - (I am in Australia) High cholesterol and trigycerides. Pete Hueseman, R.Ph., P.D.: SAMe is pretty good for most people. Try that first. Zoloft is very good for depression, but it can knock out your libido or make you drowsy. On those levels, please email me those numbers and the ranges for the lab that you used. Is depression your only complaint? Add that to the email, too. Jimi: Should I be alarmed? Pete Hueseman, R.Ph., P.D.: By those numbers? Jimi: Yes. No, definitely not only complaint. LOL Pete Hueseman, R.Ph., P.D.: Don't be alarmed. Just email them to me, along with the reference ranges from the lab so I can analyze them better. Dearest: Pete, thank you once again for educating women about our hormones and menopause. If anyone has further questions about naturally compounded hormones, you can ask Pete by typing into your browser, www.power-surge.com/asktheexperts.htm and Pete will get back to you on any questions regarding natural hormones and menopause, or you can call him at 1-800-728-0288 or E.mail him at consultph@bpharmacysolutions.com Pete Hueseman, R.Ph., P.D.: Thank you. It's always a pleasure to be here in Power Surge :) Thanks, everyone. Have a great holiday season! Read Pete Hueseman's first transcript Read Pete Hueseman's second transcript Read Pete Hueseman's third transcript Read Pete Hueseman's fourth transcript Read Pete Hueseman's fifth transcript Read Pete Hueseman's sixth transcript Read Pete Hueseman's seventh transcript Read Pete Hueseman's eighth transcript Read Pete Hueseman's ninth transcript Read Pete Hueseman's tenth transcript Read Pete Hueseman's eleventh transcript Read Pete Hueseman's twelfth transcript Read Pete Hueseman's thirteenth transcript Read Pete Hueseman's fourteenth transcript Read Pete Hueseman's fifteenth transcript Read Pete Hueseman's sixteenth transcript Read Pete Hueseman's eighteenth transcript Read Pete Hueseman's nineteenth transcript Read Pete Hueseman's twentieth transcript Read Pete Hueseman's twenty first transcript Read Pete Hueseman's twenty second transcript Disclaimer: Every guest in Power Surge is a highly respected professional whose opinions are his/her own. An appearance in Power Surge does not constitute an endorsement of a guest's views. None of these transcripts may be reprinted or reproduced without the express permission of Power Surge™ and the respective guest. Read other transcripts by returning to the Library. Dearest aka Alice Stamm Power Surge Founder, Facilitator, Host Copyright©1994-2009 by Power Surge. All Rights Reserved.