What is Biest?
Biest is a treatment used in bio-identical hormone replacement therapy (BHRT) for menopausal symptoms and anti-aging treatment. Biest is the combination of estradiol (E2) and estriol (E3). Estradiol is a fairly strong form of estrogen and estriol is a very gentle form of estrogen. Because Estriol is a gentle form of estrogen, it can balance the strong effects of estradiol.
Estradiol treatment by itself can cause breast tenderness, further exacerbate fibrocystic breast disease, weight gain in the stomach, increase risk for uterine cancers by increasing the endometrial proliferation/lining and moodiness.
Estriol treatment alone is too weak for most women’s menopausal symptoms. Which is why by treating with Biest, the estriol can reduce the powerful effects of estradiol but still achieve successful menopausal relief and anti-aging.
Biest treatment comes in many forms such as capsules, gels, creams, sublingual, troche, suppositories. Biest also can come in any ratio of estriol to estradiol that your physician feels is most necessary for your hormone treatment.
The most common form of Biest is an 80:20 ratio; with estriol encompassing 80% of the dose and estradiol 20%. The flexibility of Biest for treatment creates many individual options in treating menopause and anti-aging.
I have been on bi-est 80:20 applying once daily .25 ml – 1 click 7 days a week at bedtime. I have been taking this since 2001 and I am 61. I have no sweats…some weight gain – moodiness – depression. I apply one click to my right thigh all the time. Is there a better way to take this. Will it effect moodiness and depression? How about weight gain. I have been dieting for 18 months… it has been a long journey but lost 200 lbs.
Any help is appreciated.
Hello Susan,
First off, congratulations on losing 200 lbs. That is remarkable. You should be very proud of that accomplishment. As for your hormones, you didn’t mention the dose of your Biest and you made no mention of taking any progesterone. Our patients are usually never on the exact same dose for 16 years. There are always reasons or circumstances that warrant a dose adjustment. The physical symptoms such as hot flashes, night sweats or insomnia are very common reasons for BHRT. However, the mood issues are also just as common, but a bit harder to improve. I would go back to the prescribing Dr and discuss your Biest dose and / or adding in progesterone. Also, thyroid function can play significant impact on mood. Dieting for an extended period of time can also reduce thyroid function as well, so getting some updated thyroid numbers might be a good idea. My wife and I like to see the Free T3 level at 3.0 or higher. Let us know if you have any other questions.
Dr. Maki