Hormonal drugs: list of drugs, indications and contraindications

Around the mysterious phrase "hormonal background" there are many myths. There is an opinion that with the help of hormonal drugs you can get rid of almost any pathology. Indeed, contraceptive, and antineoplastic, and even antidepressant drugs belong to this class of drugs that can affect the level of neurotransmitters and hormones! But not everything is so simple: often the selection of a suitable product takes a long time. Few people think about the mechanism of action of hormonal contraceptives, and other drugs with hormones in the composition. They have many contraindications, side effects, and the result of therapy may not be at all what it was originally intended.

What are hormones and where are they produced

Hormones are biological substances that the human body produces to carry out many vital processes. Hormone concentrations are minimal compared to other metabolites, but their role in human well-being and the implementation of the simplest vital functions is huge.

Hormones are formed in the endocrine glands. These are the thyroid and thymus glands, adrenal glands, pituitary gland, pineal gland, pancreas, hypothalamus. Depending on the dislocation of the production, hormones play a role in the functioning of the body. The use of hormonal drugs is intended to make up for the lack of endogenous (i.e., independent) hormone production by the endocrine glands. However, with regular and long-term use, tolerance may develop, therefore, an experienced doctor should calculate the dosage of drugs. Everything in the human body depends on the hormonal background. Folk remedies can improve it - albeit not as clearly as with drugs, but it will be useless.

Classification of hormones and their role in human life

Depending on the place of production, all hormones can be classified as follows:

1. Sexual - are synthesized in the gonads, adrenal glands. They provide the proper level of fertility, and also thanks to them, physiological and behavioral differences between men and women become possible. These are estrogens (estrone, folliculin), estriol, estradiol, testosterone, progesterone. These are the main hormones, in violation of the production of which many diseases and pathologies develop - from the lungs (for example, tendrils in women) to severe ones (infertility and problems with the genitals).
2. Growth and regulatory are produced by the pituitary gland and adrenal glands. The most famous of these hormones is somatropin, or growth hormone. If it is produced in insufficient quantities, then the child has a delay in bone growth, atrophy of muscle tissue. In adults, growth hormone is also produced, but in a smaller amount - it is necessary for the regulation of metabolic processes that occur in the body. There are no folk hormonal drugs that could raise its level. The maximum that can be done is to adjust the diet in the direction of increasing protein intake. You can inject somatropin intramuscularly, one of the most effective drugs is Ansomol.
3. Stress hormones are responsible for our mood, will to live, libido, ability to resist life's difficulties. It is with a lack of these hormones or their overabundance (dopamine, cortisol, melatonin, endorphin, etc.) that a person can suffer from depressions of various origins, from apathy, sociophobia, and many other mental disorders.
4. Corticosteroids maintain the mineral balance in the body at such a level that all systems can function properly. For example, corticotropin is produced by the hypothalamic-pituitary region of the brain and is responsible for regulating the activity of the adrenal cortex.
5. Metabolic hormones are produced by the thyroid gland and are responsible for regulating metabolic processes in the body of both men and women. This is thyroid-stimulating hormone, triiodothyronine, etc. It is also the insulin that is produced by the pancreas.

Varieties of hormonal drugs

If you classify hormones as intended, then the following categories can be distinguished:

1. Synthetic substances, which are usually intended in pharmacology for hormone replacement therapy, that is, when the body is unable to produce its own hormone, they "supply" it from the outside (sodium levothyroxine, insulin, estrogens).
2. Means for women, the purpose of taking pills is contraception and treatment of various kinds of cysts and neoplasms (synthetic analogues of estrogen and progesterone).
3. Hormonal drugs that reduce or completely stop the production of hormones (for example, therapy for prostate cancer). Therapy with such medications should occur under the supervision of a physician.
4. Symptomatic medications - for example, hormonal drugs for hair loss in women and men, as well as anti-inflammatory and anti-allergic drugs.

Depending on how the hormone was synthesized in the laboratory, the degree and quality of its action will differ. In short, the effect is that hormones travel through the body through the bloodstream, reach the target cells. Then they penetrate into them and transmit the carrier signal from the body. In the cell at this moment, changes associated with the received signal occur. Each specific hormone has its own specific cells located in the organs and tissues to which they aspire. Some types of hormones attach to receptors that are contained within the cell, in most cases, in the cytoplasm.

What is treated with drugs with hormones in the composition?

In which case is it advisable to use hormonal drugs? The list of uses of these drugs is very wide. In some cases, they can be replaced with decoctions and infusions, not always therapy should be purely hormonal. Treatment with folk remedies also shows a good effect, but, as a rule, at the initial stage of the disease. If the disease has gone far, it is better not to experiment, but to adhere to the prescription of the attending physician. List of pathologies for which hormones are needed:

• hypothyroidism - thyroid insufficiency, its inability to produce a sufficient amount of thyroid stimulating hormone;
• hyperthyroidism, i.e., excessive production of thyroid-stimulating hormone;
• diabetes mellitus 1, sometimes of type 2 - it is necessary to consider the feasibility of regular injections of insulin;
• oncological processes in the body - with caution, since it is possible to achieve the opposite effect;
• endometriosis - uterine pathology in women;
• hormonal disruptions of various etiologies;
• menopause;
• runny nose, the cause of which is hormonal imbalance;
• sleep disorders, depressive and anxiety disorders, as well as a number of other psychiatric diagnoses;
• other diseases associated with hypofunction of the glands.

Folk hormonal drugs: myth or reality?

Folk recipes that can partially replace the effect of pharmacological drugs:

1. Black cumin oil with regular use can really help to level the sex hormones. It has long been known for normalizing hormones in women. The tool is cheap, you can buy it in the shops of spices and spices. A 200 ml bottle costs about 400 rubles (the cost varies depending on the place of purchase). Black cumin oil also has a positive effect on the speed and quality of lipid metabolism, so it can be eaten by people who have gained excess weight due to a malfunction in the production of sex hormones. True, this can only be done by women - in men, black cumin oil can aggravate the situation. For therapeutic purposes, take a teaspoon on an empty stomach. This is a very famous folk remedy. The treatment of hormonal malfunctions should be carried out under the strict guidance of a gynecologist, since if the process has gone far, then the oil can be powerless.

2. Flax - a leader in the content of phytoestrogens of plant origin. Flaxseed oil is often prescribed to girls if the pathology is still at an early stage of development. Regular use of the product on a teaspoon on an empty stomach is the most often practiced option for using the considered folk remedy. Treatment of hormonal disruptions with oil will help if pharmacy drugs are prohibited for some reason. Flaxseed oil has no contraindications and can be used to treat relatively young girls.

3. Sage infusion contains many phytohormones with estrogen-like action. It can be used as part of complex therapy for uterine endometriosis, infertility, various hormonal failures. Treatment with folk remedies using sage is as follows: pour two tablespoons of a dry plant with a glass of boiling water, let it brew. Take on an empty stomach half a glass twice a day.

4. You can take wormwood only in the first days of the cycle (1-5) during menstruation. This plant is an effective way to correct the hormonal background with folk remedies, but be careful: taking infusion or wormwood juice can stimulate bleeding. If menstruation goes well - not meager, not plentiful, starts on time - then there is no point in taking infusion of wormwood.

5. Fenugreek seeds - a popular remedy in the East for hormonal hair loss. The infusion of seeds acts due to the fact that phytohormones gently but effectively lower the concentration of testosterone, while stimulating the production of female sex hormones (estrogens). As you know, many women suffer after hormonal hair loss after pregnancy. The tool should be taken as follows: boil a handful of seeds in a glass of boiling water for about five minutes, then take the resulting broth in a cooled form of 30-40 ml on an empty stomach.

Hormone replacement therapy and its purpose

Chronic pathologies provoked by the removal of endocrine glands or their dysfunction require the appointment of replacement therapy. Reception of hormonal drugs in this case should be carried out throughout the rest of life.

There are several types of hormone replacement therapy:

• treatment with synthetic thyroid hormones;
• insulin therapy;
• reception of analogues of sex hormones.

If the patient refuses therapy or does not fully comply with all the conditions for its implementation, then serious complications can occur, including death.

Thyroid hormone replacement therapy

As a rule, with hypothyroidism, one of the following drugs is prescribed:

1. "L-Thyroxine" contains levothyroxine sodium in a dosage of 25 to 200 mcg as the main active ingredient. The dosage and frequency of administration are prescribed by the attending endocrinologist, usually one tablet on an empty stomach in the morning. Contraindications for admission are hypocorticism, thyrotoxicosis, myocardial infarction, damage to the heart muscle. Before starting the reception, it is necessary to notify the attending physician about the presence of all chronic diseases.
2. Eutirox also contains sodium levothyroxine. This is an analogue of 2L-Thyroxine ", but it costs 80-100 rubles more. There is an opinion that the main active ingredient in Eutirox is better, since it is being cleaned at a pharmacological factory. The contraindications to taking this drug are the same as for taking "L-thyroxine."

Hormonal drugs for hyperthyroidism, as a rule, are prescribed different: to suppress the production of excessive amounts of thyroid-stimulating hormone, thyreostatics are used. If drug treatment does not give a result, then part of the gland or all of it is removed. After that, the indicators of triiodotrionin and thyroid stimulating hormone are restored using the above drugs.

The treatment of hyperthyroidism has a slightly more complicated scheme: thyreostatics are used to reduce the synthesis of their own iodine-containing hormones, and in especially complex cases, the removal of part of the gland or radioiodine therapy is justified. Then, the normal levels of triiodothyronine and thyroxine are restored using their synthetic analogues.

Hormone replacement drugs for female genital disorders

What hormones are prescribed if, for some reason, the production of your own hormones is disrupted or completely stopped?

1. The main active ingredient of the drug "Divina" is estradiol in an amount of 2 mg. The instruction for use reports that the drug is prescribed, if necessary, to artificially compensate for the production of estrogen and progesterone in menopausal women. The drug is contraindicated in cases of suspected breast cancer, with thromboembolism, severe liver pathologies, endometriosis, pituitary tumors. Before taking the drug, you should undergo a full examination, since regular intake can provide stimulation of the growth of tumors.
2. "Ovestin" as the main active ingredient contains estriol. As auxiliary components - potato starch, amylopectin, etc. The release form of the drug is suppositories, tablets, cream. Instructions for use report that the indications for use are changes in the vaginal mucosa, infertility, urinary incontinence, age-related changes in estrogen deficiency, atrophic colpitis. Contraindications to admission - the presence or suspicion of such estrogen-dependent tumors, breast cancer, pregnancy, venous or arterial thromboembolism.
3. "Femoston" is produced in the form of tablets, as the main active agent is estradiol and dydrogesterone. Indications for use - hormone replacement therapy for estrogen deficiency. Contraindications for use are the presence of malignant estradiol-dependent or dydrogesterone-dependent tumors, proliferation of the endometrium, vaginal bleeding, thrombophlebic disorders, severe liver pathology, pregnancy or suspicion of it. the drug is very serious and has an impressive list of contraindications and side effects, so before taking it, you should discuss the advisability of therapy with your doctor as much as possible.

Combined oral hormonal contraceptives

To date, such drugs are the most reliable and affordable method of contraception. However, pills should be selected wisely, otherwise they can be harmful.

Hormonal products for women that allow you to avoid unwanted conception are of the following types:

1. Microdosage - indicated for admission to girls under 24 years of age who have not given birth, the most famous of this class are Jess, Klayra, Zoely. As a rule, they are well tolerated and do not have many contraindications, however, sometimes bleeding may develop during administration.

2. Low-dose are prescribed to women over 24 years of age and giving birth, as well as to those who have a history of abortion. Gynecologists also prescribe this type of medication to those women who develop bleeding when taking microdosed oral contraceptives. These include: "Diane", "Yarina", "Chloe".

3. High-dosage are used not only as contraceptives, but also for the treatment of diseases of the female reproductive system. You should regularly visit a doctor and undergo an ultrasound examination, since the drugs of this group have many contraindications and their administration is fraught with serious complications. One of them is the growth of tumors. Representatives of the group are: Trikvilar, Ovidon, Triziston.

4. One-component ones contain only one type of hormone - progesterone, it prevents the sperm from accessing the egg, therefore single-component contraceptives are used solely to prevent unwanted pregnancy. Examples of drugs are Exluton, Charozetta.

The consequences of the use of hormonal drugs

Modern pharmacology offers a huge variety of drugs (these are tablets, and drops, and creams, and ampoules for injection), which act on the body precisely due to hormones in the composition. Alas, the almost always prolonged use of this kind of medication entails unpleasant consequences. Therefore, therapy should only be started if the patient has well weighed the pros and cons.

For example, the banal use of hormonal drugs for the common cold causes patients to be delighted - long-term treatment did not give a result, and the very next day after using hormonal drops, there were no symptoms! But do not flatter yourself: just stop taking it, as the symptoms return again. This is the insidious hormonal drugs: almost always after their cancellation, the disease returns. The same applies to the famous cream "Advantan" with corticosteroids in the composition: it is worth a couple of times to smear their skin with manifestations of atopic dermatitis, as the symptoms literally disappear before our eyes! But after stopping the use of corticosteroid cream, rashes and sores reappear.

With therapy with drugs that contain sex hormones, the health risk increases. Most estrogen-containing drugs in one way or another worsen the condition of the veins and arteries, contribute to the growth of tumors (if there is a tendency along the hereditary line). Therefore, it is extremely undesirable to start hormone therapy on a whim, without consulting an experienced doctor. This can lead to sad consequences. It is much better to use alternative methods of restoring the hormonal background: they are safe and act gently, without causing addiction. Of course, if we are talking about serious pathologies, you should not experiment with folk remedies - you should consult a doctor as soon as possible.