At the Roby Institute, we hear from a large number of people interested in information about Bioidentical Hormones and Hormone Therapy due to what they have read in books authored by Suzanne Somers.  Ms. Somers has worked hard to spread information about hormones and bioidentical hormones and in doing so has received both praise and criticism.

Our view is that much of what Ms. Somers has to say carries a great deal of validity and credence not often acknowledged by many physicians.  If you have any questions about bioidentical hormones or hormone therapy, please Here.

Neutralization of Multiple Symptoms Full Article 

Since l995, I have found many patients, particularly women, respond favorably to dilutions of the hormone Progesterone. Progesterone dilutions have been administered sublingually (under the tongue) to thousands of my patients as a routine screening methodology during their initial evaluation.

Over that past 2 years, we made digital video recordings of 350 patients recording their initial evaluation using different dilutions of Progesterone. The symptoms that have been addressed include neck pain, nasal congestion, eye irritation, throat pain, shortness of breath, headache, sinus pressure, ear pain, skin irritation, back pain, hip pain, upper and lower extremity pain. The patients were asked to evaluate their symptoms and place a numerical value on each symptom. They were asked to assess each symptom at the moment of testing on a scale of 0 to 10, with 10 being the worst discomfort of that type they have experienced and 0 being complete absence of symptoms.

Using this methodology, the patients have been given intradermal or sublingual dilutions of Progesterone as set out above. Within a few seconds after the application of the antigens the patients report that they can tell a difference in their symptoms. They report these changes anywhere from 10 to 30 seconds after the antigen is applied. There have been no side effects in any of the tests, nor in any of the patients previously treated with these antigens.

While the digital video recordings are dramatic illustrations of the patients’ perceived response to the antigens, they do not constitute scientific evidence of the effectiveness of the antigen in reducing symptoms nor do they provide scientific evidence of the speed with which the antigens seem to work. In order to demonstrate the effect of the antigen it is necessary to elicit objective scientific evidence of quantifiable changes in the subjects. We began with blood studies. Since 2003, we have been collecting data on Progesterone and Estrogen Antibodies (IgE, IgG and IgM) and have found that over 60% of the patients had out-of-range high levels of these antibodies. Our research paper Hormone Allergy was published in the American Journal of Reproductive Immunology March, 2006; 55:307-313.

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At the Roby Institute, we see numerous patients who suffer from migraine headaches at the same point in their premenstrual cycle almost every month. While the science of the endochrine system may not be intimately familiar to these patients, it takes very little effort to help “connect the dots” so they fully understand what is happening: their hormones, at specific levels during specific points in their cycle, are giving them insufferable migraine headaches.

Fortunately, the treatments available here at the Roby Institute using sublingual drops lead to near-immediate results for even the most severe incidence of a migraine headache.
Below is an excerpt from an article giving some detail about premenstrual migraine. However, this particular source suggests medicine such as Advil to treat the headache. We feel that using such a medicine is simply covering up the headache, not treating it’s cause and certainly not helping the body stave off premenstrual migraines in the future. If you suffer from premenstrual or menstrual migraine headaches, please Contact Us for a free consultation.

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Full article located Here

“Migraines occur far more frequently in women than in men. In fact, in adult women the rate of frequency is roughly fifteen to seventeen percent, whereas in men it is only about five percent.

Studies have concluded that estrogen withdrawal is a key factor in migraines related to menstrual cycles.

Twenty-five to thirty percent of all women in their 30s experience at least an occasional migraine.

Menstrual migraines generally last longer than non-menstrual migraines and often are much more difficult to treat effectively.

Sixty to seventy percent of women who suffer from migraines have menstrual-related migraine.

Ten to fourteen percent of women with migraines have them only during menstruation. These types of headaches are known as ‘true menstrual migraine’.

Premenstrual migraine may in fact be part premenstrual syndrome (PMS), the menstrual related mood disorder. Symptoms of PMS include fatigue, irritability or depression, bloating and, yes, headache.

Migraines occur far more frequently in women than in men. In fact, in adult women the rate of frequency is roughly fifteen to seventeen percent, whereas in men it is only about five percent.

Studies have concluded that estrogen withdrawal is a key factor in migraines related to menstrual cycles.
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The following article should provide a solid background if you are interested in learning about fibromyalgia. Of particular interest is the following:

“Diagnosing fibromyalgia usually comes after the patient has seen several doctors and other potential causes of symptoms are ruled out. Symptoms such as pain and fatigue often overlap with many other conditions, making it difficult to determine the ailment.

Sometimes, doctors conclude the patient’s pain is not real, therefore telling the patient there’s nothing they can do.

Many physicians prescribe anti-depressants because these drugs elevate the levels of certain chemicals in the brain that help with depression, pain and fatigue.”

At the Roby Institute, we understand that the pain associated with fibromyalgia is indeed real, and is linked to hormone imbalance and hormone allergy.

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The original article may be found Here

Signs and symptoms of fibromyalgia, a rheumatic condition, can vary depending on the weather, stress levels and levels of physical activity.

Fibromyalgia is a chronic condition characterized by fatigue and widespread pain in the muscles, ligaments and tendons.

Sufferers may experience sleep disturbances, restless legs syndrome, cognitive and memory problems, among other physical ailments, according to the National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases in a brochure distributed by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. (more…)

Recently, I stumbled across a very informative blog post that offered a fair amount of insight in to Premenstrual Migraines. However, I was disappointed to find that the author pointed to the following in helping/treating Premenstrual Migraines:

As we at the Roby Institute work with individuals with hormone imbalance and hormone allergies, we find ourselves helping people understand how their hormone levels relate to their overall well-being and health. It is amazing that so many conditions that are directly and undeniably linked to hormone levels are often treated without consideration of those levels.

In the case of the article referenced above, the author deftly lays out a discussion of the menstrual cycle and the migraine headaches that some women experience in relation to the menstrual cycle……and then completely ignores the fact that hormone levels are both the cause, and cure, for the symptoms she describes.If you suffer from Premenstural Migraines, or suspect that your hormones may be adversely affecting your overall well-being, please take the time to contact us.

In 1989, I was diagnosed with cancer. Went through chemotherapy, multiple surgeries, including many reconstructions. My condition went from already bad, to much worse. By 1991, I was being diagnosed with all types of auto immune disorders: lupus, interstitial cystitis, Sjogren’s Syndrome, every month it was a different diagnosis. Every week brought a new disease and new drugs with terrible side effects that the physician group wanted me to take. Every medication that they suggested, had side effects worse than the diseases themselves.

I was living with horrendous migraines, swollen and inflamed joints, so many ulcers in my mouth that I could rarely eat properly and constant depression. Life was not good.

Eventually, their definitive diagnosis became Behcets disease/syndrome…and the future became really dark and scary. I was told that with Behcets, patients lived for another three years after diagnosis, and that no one with Behcets lived to see his or her 60th birthday.

A friend of mine, who was one of Dr. Roby’s nurses, had been urging me to see him because of the wonderful success that he has with autoimmune disorders and mysterious maladies. I had told her that I was through with doctors, and wanted to be left alone in my misery. When she called me one day, and found that I couldn’t get out of bed because of another migraine, Dr. Roby sent her to drive me to his office.

He told me about his studies of autoimmune disorders, and the astounding results that he had had with treating them as a hormone allergy, and asked if I would let him put a small quantity of a couple of substances under my skin to see if we could figure out what I was reacting to. That was easy, by that time the migraine was so bad, that I would have allowed him to cut me into little pieces if it wouold make the pain go away. I was also asked to quantify the pain level on a 1 to 10 scale. It was definitely a ten. He injected the first substance, nothing happened. He injected the second and within 15 seconds, the pain which had been a raging 10, was completely gone!

I had reacted to a tiny little bit of the hormone, progesterone. It got my attention in a big way. I was so amazed that it had happened, that it was hours before I realized that, not only was my headache gone, but so were the ulcers in my mouth, and there was NO PAIN anywhere in my body for the first time in years. I was ecstatic. And, I was ready to follow the protocol that Dr. Roby had set up.

I started to watch my diet, walk slowly for an hour everyday, and to pay attention to what my body was trying to tell me about the importance of taking my allergies seriously. We balanced my hormones, and supplemented those that were too low (all of them). I use biodentical hormones, estrogen, testosterone, and human growth hormone.

I made it past the critical age of 60, and while I am definitely out of warranty, I am alive, usually pain free, generally doing well, and having a great time.

A recent article on the Arizona Republic’s website recounted the story of a young lady experiencing infertility issues. After much effort, she was thankfully able to find a facility willing to dig a little deeper in to her hormone levels. Not surprisingly, she was suffering from low levels of Cortisol and a general hormone imbalance.
Read the full article, excerpted below, Here

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From the time she was a teenager, Jamie Feigner knew that she wanted to be a mother.

“Ever since I was very young in high school, I knew that was one thing that was for sure in my life,” the Gilbert resident said.

About six months after their October 2000 wedding, Jamie, 30, and her husband, Matthew, 34, began trying to have a baby.

After a year with no results, Jamie went to her physician for advice.

“I went into the doctor and I said, ‘Hey, we’ve been trying,’ and they have standard tests they run on everyone to see where the most common complications would be.”

Jamie and Matthew’s tests came back normal. After seeing two OB/GYNs in two years, the couple were referred to a fertility specialist. This led to more invasive and expensive procedures, including ultrasounds, intrauterine inseminations and hormone injections.

The various procedures and medications left Jamie feeling frustrated, sad and not pregnant. After eight months, the Feigners decided that they had had enough. They wanted to try a different approach. Jamie’s mother had read an article on hormone imbalance and its symptoms, one of which is infertility.

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As more and more research in to hormone imbalance and hormone allergy is conducted, it should come as no surprise that more and more serious conditions and symptoms are being found affected by hormone levels. Earlier this month a Swiss study was published showing that there may well be a link between hormone imbalance and bulimia, the eating disorder that affects millions of individuals around the world.
Original Story found HERE at Medical News Today.

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A Swedish study has concluded that as many as 30 per cent of women with the binge-eating disorder bulimia nervosa could be suffering from an imbalance of sex hormones.

The PhD thesis is the work of Dr. Sabine Naessén of the Department of Woman and Child Health at the Karolinska Institutet, Sweden’s largest medical training and research centre.

Dr. Naessén suggests that some women with the compulsive over-eating disorder may have too much testosterone, the male sex hormone. “We have shown that one third of female bulimics have metabolic disorders that may explain the occurrence of the eating disorder. These disorders may in certain cases express the hormonal constitution of the patient, rather than any mental illness”, she says.

The study shows that bulimia has hormonal and genetic components, as well as the psychological element. The hormone imbalance is due to an over-abundance of testosterone and an insufficiency of the female sex hormone, oestrogen, an active ingredient in oral contraceptives.

It is thought that too much testosterone causes a person to feel very hungry and crave high-calorie foods rich in sugar and fat.

21 bulimic women were treated with oestrogen-dominated oral contraceptives. Within 3 months half of them reported feeling less hungry, and having decreased craving for fatty and sugary foods. And 3 of the women were said to be completely cured with this treatment.

Dr. Naessén suggests “this is a very strong effect. Hormone treatment may very well be an alternative to cognitive behavioural treatment.”

Bulimia is usually defined as a psychological disorder normally treated with psychotherapy, with cognitive behavioural therapy being the one most commonly recommended.

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This morning, a very interesting news report ran on Channel 14 News in North Carolina detailing how hormone imbalance and hormone allergy can be the cause of chronic fatigue. The full transcription of the story is published below, and the original source/content can be found here

Life can be exhausting, but for some women it can be overwhelming.

“I was tired all the time, I couldn’t think. I couldn’t make decisions,” LeAnne Maready said. “I was stressed out.”

As a new mom, Maready knew being tired wasn’t unusual, but her chronic fatigue grew worse.

“It was just more than I could handle,” she said. “I thought, ‘I can’t keep going like this. I’ve got to find help.’”

John Pittman, M.D., founder of the Carolina Center for Integrative Medicine in Raleigh, believes for many women it’s not lack of sleep that’s to blame.

“You have to look at the underlying reasons for the sleep disturbances which can still be related to the chronic infections, nutrient deficiencies, neurotransmitter disturbances, hormone disturbances,” he said. (more…)

From the Women’s Health Matters General Discussion Forum. Link to the original source