Bioidentical hormones – experiences, side effects, costs

This article provides information about the Rimkus Method:

• users’ experiences with Rimkus hormones (human-identical, “bio-identical” hormones in individual dosages)
• what’s special about the Rimkus Method
• what, on the other hand, animal and plant hormones are – and why the term “bioidentical” is ambiguous – WATCH OUT
• how to apply hormones correctly
• why Rimkus hormones DON’T have any side effects
• what “initial worsening” is about
• myths and facts about the measuring of hormone levels and hormone administration
• what bioidentical hormone therapy costs
• the duration of this type of natural hormone therapy and when it is best to begin

What experiences have been made so far with the Rimkus Method? Bioidentical hormone therapy with natural hormones

Practical experiences with bioidentical hormones have been excellent!

Treatment applying bio-identical hormones must be paid for personally; it is not supported by the pharmaceutical industry or universities. All the same, during the past 40 years, it has been getting more and more popular in Germany as well as on an international level!

So there must be something to it… And you yourself have also found out about bio-identical hormones!

What are the individual experiences with bioidentical hormones?

“I have been taking Rimkus capsules for 2 ½ months now and I’m totally thrilled! I feel like reborn and I am doing really well.”

“Every day since October 2020, I have been grateful for your Rimkus treatment. My performance and strength have increased to such a great extent, that it’s hard to remember exactly what way it was before. I’m sure it sounds incredible but I feel like I’m only half as old.”

“I have been taking nature-identical hormones for 4 years and since that time I have been feeling great! Now my daughter is having a hard time with premenstrual syndrome. I hope that your hormones can help her.”

What makes the Rimkus Method special, can be summarized in 3 points:

Only unmodified hormones that are perfectly suitable for humans

1. Our treatment method solely uses physiologically UNMODIFIED hormones, i.e., not the conventional synthetically modified hormone DERIVATES. Because of the fact that the hormones are not modified, there are also no undesired effects and risks, which are caused by the modifications.

We correct the hormone deficiency – by exclusively using original hormones and no hormone-LIKE substances; we therefore don’t use any hormonoids!

Thus, NO UNDESIRED SIDE EFFECTS AND RISKS ARE TO BE EXPECTED – and truly don’t occur (!). It makes an enormous difference: if you don’t modify the natural hormone structure – then you also won’t experience any unnatural (undesired) effects as is the case with the often prescribed synthetically modified products!

Personally adapted, individual doses

2. Our hormones are always prescribed in individual dosages, adapted to each individual’s personal needs!

Therefore, everyone receives the exact amount of hormones that they actually require in their current phase of life – “customized” hormones, for you personally!

By constantly adapting the dosage (blood level checks), the hormones are adjusted step by step, aiming to perfectly meet the individual needs.

That way we can be sure to find the optimal dose for the individual person in their current stage in life (“fine tuning”) – there’s no better way!

Because of the fact that hormone levels are regularly checked, hormones can also be neatly adapted to changes in life.

If there is only one dose available – as is usually the case –, then that’s like having one size of swimsuit to fit everyone – it will always be too tight or too loose somewhere.

Because we are able to avoid over and underdosing, the symptoms you are suffering from will become less and less after a certain amount of time, until all the unwanted effects have disappeared – that’s when the hormone dose is a perfect fit!

No additives

3. As “our” hormones are prepared individually according to your doctor’s prescription, there are no additives whatsoever, such as preservatives, flavoring, coloring, humectants etc…

We exclusively use pure substances that are medically necessary – nothing else! That way we can completely avoid intolerances and allergies.

Our individually dosed bio-identical hormones are perfectly tolerated by every man or woman – even if people have serious intolerances or allergies.

Even if you develop this type of illness over the years, you can simply continue taking our bio-identical hormones.

Even if you have reached a very advanced age, you can still take human-identical hormones.

There are (almost) no contraindications!

Are there other producers of bioidentical hormones? Differentiation

In order to prevent misconceptions and because there are also other producers of bioidentical hormones nowadays, we should quickly have a look at the differences and characteristics.

Bio-identical hormones are hormones whose structure is identical to the structure of human hormones. So, actually the term “human-identical” hormones is more accurate.

But “bio-identical” has become widely used.

And that’s the first point! WATCH OUT!

Bio-identical hormones from horses (e.g. conjugated estrogens) – watch out

Clever hormone manufacturers simply take hormones from a different biological source (instead of human), e.g. hormones from horses.

Which of course do not have the same structure as human hormones, but are declared to be “bio-identical”! Those hormones are indeed “biological” and therefore give the impression of being good for you – because, after all, they are “bio-identical”!

However, they are not HUMAN-identical! But hormones of horses! Those bio-identical hormones from horses have a different structure from human hormones.

Unfortunately, they bring about a number of unwanted and dangerous effects and risks. In the U.S., more than 13,000 people who developed breast cancer have sued Wyeth /now Pfizer, the world’s largest manufacturer of CEEs. So, that’s not a small matter!

In English, you can tell the difference because they are termed conjugated equine estrogens (CEEs), i.e., partially digested hormones from horses. That makes it perfectly clear that they aren’t human-identical hormones.

But even medical specialist associations, for instance the “German College of General Practitioners” are misled and recommend, for example, taking conjugated estrogens from horses!

If you’re not a professional, it’s really not that easy to know what’s what, if you don’t know exactly how the different terms are defined!

WATCH OUT FOR THE TRAP: Those bio-identical hormones, e.g. from horses, are NOT suitable for humans. Although they seem suitable at first glance as they are bioidentical!

Bio-identical hormones from plants (phytohormones) – be careful

Others again recommend PHYTOHORMONES, i.e. hormones or hormone-like substances from plants.

They are bio-identical, because they are indeed from “biological” plants. But here the same principle applies as in the case of bio-identical hormones from animals – we are talking about hormones from plants for regulating processes in plants. And these hormones have a different structure than human hormones.

Thus, they are bio-identical (because of their plant origin) but simply not human-identical! That’s the reason why those bio-identical hormones can also have very serious side effects and involve risks that are not known of at all when taking human-identical hormones according to Rimkus®

WATCH OUT FOR THE TRAP: These bio-identical hormones, i.e. hormones or hormone-like substances from plants are also NOT suitable for people! Although they too seem suitable at first glance as they are bioidentical!

Unsuitable route of administration & dosages – watch out

TRANSDERMAL: In the meantime, the pharmaceutical industry has also discovered what human-identical/bio-identical hormones are capable of and has developed certain products. However, usually “transdermal” – i.e. as a cream/ointment for applying to the skin.

So, the hormones are meant to pass through the skin to spread out into the entire body – that’s what we call “trans-dermal” (through the skin). The treatment’s target is therefore not the skin but your entire system.

BUT all substances that are applied to the skin need to pass the skin’s protective barrier; therefore less is absorbed, if anything passes through at all. Our skin’s protective barrier is very important, precisely, so that as little as possible can enter our body via the skin. That would also be the reason, why no one tries prescribing the hormones, e.g. in birth control pills, as a cream!

WATCH OUT FOR THE TRAP: This type of hormone application in the form of cream/ointment is therefore NOT suitable to raise hormone levels in the entire body because our skin acts as a natural barrier.

ONLY ONE FIXED DOSE: It is, however, also possible to obtain human-identical hormones that are taken orally. But these are only available in one dosage. If this dosage is not the right one, then hard luck for the patient. But – “one size does not fit all”.

Unwelcome additives – be careful

ADDITIVES: There is also another problem. Industrially manufactured pharmaceuticals often contain a number of additives, which are not necessary for the medical effect, but cause unwanted effects themselves.

That can be preservatives, flavoring, coloring, humectants, stabilizers etc.

Many of these additives don’t even need to be listed, as long as they don’t exceed a certain limit. If they are taken over a long period of time (years, perhaps decades), then that could result in intolerances, allergies or other reactions.

There can also be serious interactions that influence effectiveness – also of other drugs or even causing complete changes in the way they act.

For instance, we know that synthetically modified estrogens contained in conventional industrially manufactured drugs can put your liver under strain considerably – even causing impaired detoxification or creating carcinogenic metabolites…

If you want to avoid all of this, then your solution is Rimkus Therapy!

What makes the Rimkus Method better?

As explained above, we exclusively use human-identical hormones in our therapy according to Dr. Rimkus, which is one step further than the conventional and vague concept of “bio-identical” hormones.

You will be prescribed unmodified hormones, which are exactly right for humans – and not only similar to them. (It’s important to have them prepared in a certified pharmacy, see our list of pharmacies in Germany!)

Due to individual doses (incl. exact blood checks) and the fact that no additives are used, side effects can be avoided, but the positive effects of hormones start showing up again!

It’s like being “rejuvenated from inside”.

Why do we sometimes initially encounter unwanted or unexpected effects from applying the Rimkus Method (what we refer to as “initial worsening”)?

Here’ the explanation and what to do:

What “side effects” can bioidentical hormones have and how do you best respond?

You can find references to side effects and risks of hormones almost everywhere. For that reason, a lot of people want to know about side effects of human-identical (bio-identical) hormones.

The answer is unexpectedly simple: As we are only balancing out the age-related drop in hormones (refilling hormone levels) – applying unmodified hormones that show their natural structure – and are even constantly adapting the dosage to the needs of the individual person, there are no side effects.

Only if too many or too few hormones are prescribed, there can be overreactions (such as breast tenderness) or the effect could be too weak. But that will automatically be determined at your next individual blood level checkup and will then be corrected by changing your dosage.

Therapy with bio-identical hormones thus refills your body with hormones in the case of a hormone deficiency, which quite often has already existed for many years. The organism didn’t have any other option but to reduce hormone-consuming activities more and more and finally stop them completely, which led to the well-known signs and symptoms of a hormone deficiency.

Bioidentical hormones – initial worsening

If you start taking hormones, you should not right away attempt to achieve prior levels, because that would be too much for your body’s regulating abilities, not to mention providing necessary enzymes, e.g. by the liver – which also takes some time.

So, if too high a dose of hormones is prescribed, it can lead to a type of “INITIAL WORSENING”: the organism which is no longer used to hormones is not yet capable of using the sudden flood of hormones correctly.

The body lacks proteins required for transporting the hormones (SHBG), resulting in typical signs of an overdose, such as breast tenderness or an unexpected reoccurring of menstrual bleeding after many years!

That is often perceived as though everything was getting worse and can lead to unwelcome surprises – even resulting in the therapy being stopped immediately.

Because of the fact that most gynecologists have not had a lot of experience with bioidentical hormones, the symptoms are often misinterpreted as signs of a serious disease.

Although they are usually only signs that the initial dosage might have been too high. By slightly reducing the dose, the undesired symptoms will disappear like magic…

Your body needs time to adapt – suitable target ranges

We aim to achieve hormone levels that are as low and fitting as possible, at which there are no more symptoms of a hormone deficiency. That way we can secure a physiological, i.e. natural basic supply, which is much lower as, for example, in a young woman around the time of ovulation.

To make it quite clear, we look for the lowest possible dose for an individual person with which there are no more signs of a deficiency. After four decades of experience, those target ranges have been well defined.

Indeed, they very accurately correspond to the 85th percentile, which is the area in which hormone levels of 85% of all healthy women in their fertile years can be found – more exactly, in the middle of the second half of their menstrual cycle.

So we literally carry out a hormonal refill, adding hormones until the physiological natural levels have been reached.

At the start, hormone levels are checked every 3 months and the dosage of every single hormone is adapted, if necessary. That “automatically” reduces signs of an overdosing or underdosing.

The positive effects of the Rimkus Method

As the hormone deficiency is now being corrected step by step, more and more positive hormonal effects reappear:

From shiny hair to less wrinkles and firmer connective tissue, from refreshing sleep to noticeably better regeneration, decrease of inflammation, pain and frequency of infections, from a good mood and better resilience all the way to a reappearance of your libido and vitality!

Surprisingly enough, the first effects often already show a few days after taking the first hormone capsules.

But in most cases, it will take two years or more to find the “right” dosage. After an initial up and down, hormone levels can be adapted more and more accurately to your personal needs by adjusting your dose every three months.

Fluctuations will recede, unwelcome effects will be more seldom and finally the result will be well-balanced stable hormone levels.

Immediate relief in the case of initial worsening through bioidentical hormones

Unwanted effects from refilling hormone levels with the Rimkus Method can stem from an over or underdosage.

So, actually, it’s quite logical what we do if undesired symptoms appear: we CHECK the actual hormone levels and if they are too low or too high, then we adjust the dosage – that’s all it takes!

Three remedies have proved successful as immediate relief, e.g., for breast tenderness:

• Mastodynon drops externally, 30-50 drops in 30-50 ml water, soak a linen cloth (e.g. dish towel) with it and place it onto the tense overheated breast, until the cloth has dried
• AntiMas ointment (Selz) – afterwards, apply this cream to the breast
• The third tip is to support your liver, e.g. with milk thistle and warm and wet liver packs.

The liver produces the “transport bus” (SHBG), a special protein, which makes it possible to deliver the hormones to the right organs. But as long as the liver has not yet produced enough SHBG, the new supply of estrogen can result in a chaotic stimulation of receptors.

The highest receptor density can be found in the breasts, so that quite often women experience unpleasant breast tenderness when they start hormonal treatment – sometimes even breast pain. In this case, it is best to reduce the dosage for a couple of days (e.g. 5 days), by not taking the morning capsule. You can additionally apply liver packs and milk thistle drops (e.g. Ceres 3x8gtt).

Applying bioidentical hormones correctly and measuring levels according to Dr. Rimkus

When we refill hormone levels, then we should think up ahead what approximate levels we are aiming for.

Dr. Volker Rimkus simply tried it out by prescribing higher and lower dosages and minutely recording how his patients were doing. That resulted in a TARGET CORRIDOR, into which he gradually led his patients.

Dr. Dr. Thomas Beck looked into it and was fortunately able to confirm these target ranges with studies he came upon, verifying the exact same range.

The TARGET CORRIDORS or target ranges partly differ considerably from the common standard levels, as these common standard levels are STATISTICAL average hormone levels. But we have long since known that hormone levels drop while we get older, causing the well-known symptoms of a deficiency.

If we define these statistically normal low hormone levels as standard, then that would tell us that hormone levels decrease as we get older. But that’s nothing new. So, the question must be: How high do our hormone levels need to be at least so that NO MORE SYMPTOMS OF A DEFICIENCY show up.

And that would then exactly be the Rimkus target range or Rimkus target corridor (which of course is considerably higher than the statistical average levels for a hormone deficiency).

Myths and facts about the measuring of hormone levels and hormone administration

Myth 1: Salivary testing of hormones is better – no, it’s not

That is not the case: it is possible to measure sex hormone levels in saliva, but your oral cavity has “its own needs”, which differ from the needs of the rest of your body.

Just think of the flow of saliva that we all know so well when thinking about our favorite meal… So, it’s really not a good idea to transfer the situation in the oral cavity to the entire body system; that leads to massive distortions.

Furthermore, the salivary glands only secrete (release) the “free” portion of our hormones, because they are small enough to fit through the salivary glands. Bound hormones, however, are not capable of passing through, as the complex made up of hormone and transport protein is too large.

But 95% of our sex hormones are bound to transport proteins (either to SHBG or albumin). And this portion of hormones does not show up in salivary testing – another major source of error.

Practical experience of determining hormone levels in saliva vs. in blood shows that hormone levels resulting from salivary testing very seldom match the actual symptoms; blood levels, however, can give a very good account of the actual situation.

THUS: salivary hormone testing has not proved successful and is not convincing, even in theory. Blood levels need to be checked.

Myth 2: Hormones as a cream have less side effects – also not correct

First of all, our skin is not constructed to be an intake organ, but serves as a PROTECTIVE BARRIER: Thus, only a small portion of a substance that is applied to the skin is able to pass through the skin.

That makes perfect sense because otherwise we near enough would be at the mercy of attacks from our environment. (By the way, that’s a huge problem for the cosmetics industry, as the vast majority of substances only reach the insulating layers at the very surface of our skin – and that only contains dead cells, on which the substances cannot have any effect.)

Do hormones have any effect at all via the skin?

When hormones are applied to the skin, then at best they have a local effect, i.e. they act exactly where they are applied. That’s nice, but we require hormones all over our body: “systemic”!

And that can only be achieved to an extremely small extent via the skin. You would therefore continuously need to cover your skin with enormous amounts, and still, very little would reach your body’s system.

Secondly, it is very hard for synthetic hormone derivates (hormonoids) to pass through the skin due to their structural modifications, so that in most studies, bio-identical hormones were applied to the skin – and they are better in going through the skin.

And what about side effects of hormones via the skin?

Thirdly, it is claimed that hormones in a cream have less side effects than hormones taken orally. This statement ignores the two points that we just mentioned. And they are:

1. the skin, acting as a protective barrier, only allows few hormones to pass, i.e. only little reaches its destination, so there can only be little side effects. However, you will also not get the desired effect! So the effect is neither bad – nor good!

And why do none of the scientists notice that? Because, actual blood levels are hardly every checked! What a scandal!

2. hormones that are applied to the skin are usually bio-identical hormones, that have less side effects to start with (or none at all). But if that’s the case, then one cannot stress that there are few side effects, which can mainly be ascribed to the OTHER TYPE OF HORMONE and not to the fact that they are administered via the skin!

In the end, a hormone “does not care one bit” whether it originally entered via the skin or via the mouth. That is being very naïve, like comparing apples and oranges. Once a hormone enters the body, its effect will depend on its levels, no matter where it came from… just that hardly enough arrives via the skin.

THUS:

• The recommendation to apply hormones as a cream, does not stand the test, neither in practice nor in theory. It’s better to administer hormones via the mouth, whose main job it is to act as our intake organ.
• The recommendation to measure hormone levels in saliva cannot be maintained. Checking blood levels makes sense.

What do bioidentical hormones or bioidentical hormone therapy cost?

The cost for bioidentical hormone therapy is made up of

• your doctor’s fee for anamnesis and consultation (from 120-180 euros),
• plus, laboratory costs (approx. 100 euros),
• and finally, the individual preparation of the capsules in your pharmacy (from 50 euros a month).

How long does this type of natural hormone therapy go on for and when is it best to begin?

Along with puberty, a major rise in hormones begins and the female cycle starts its monthly rhythm.

That continues until the age of 35 to 42, when ovulation gradually occurs less and less often.

But when ovulation does not occur, then also no corpus luteum is formed and thus, in that cycle, the typical monthly increase in progesterone in the second half of the cycle does not occur (the corpus luteum hormone is produced in the corpus luteum).

That phase (in which ovulation does not occur increasingly more often and progesterone levels decrease) is called PRE-MENOPAUSE. That’s the first phase of the (age-related) decline in hormone production.

The best possible timing

For that reason, it would be best to start taking hormones (i.e. progesterone) between 35 and 42 years of age.

However, hardly anyone links those initial symptoms, such as irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) or increased PMS (premenstrual syndrome, when women feel especially unwell before the onset of their period), to the drop in progesterone levels.

And so, usually, hormone levels are not checked (in order to verify the beginning hormonal decline) and the cause of the symptoms is not treated (prescribing progesterone).

Symptoms of a progesterone deficiency

Progesterone thus continues to drop until it can no longer be detected at all. All the other positive effects of progesterone gradually disappear as well and diverse symptoms of a deficiency start showing:

• at the beginning, often increasing PMS;

then additionally:

• irregular menstrual cycle, changes in menstruation
• irritable bowel syndrome (IBS)
• loss of inner stability and resolve, less energy
• increased occurrence of ANXIETY
• increased sensitivity to PAIN
• increase in INFLAMMATION
• loss of libido
• METABILISM slows down, build-up of fluid, tissue slackens
• higher risk of CELLULAR CHANGES (e.g. carcinomas)

We would therefore recommend to have your hormonal status checked once a year from your mid-thirties onwards (or, should you be experiencing certain symptoms, such as increased PMS, IBS).

And then, if necessary, to refill the decrease in progesterone; at a later stage, estradiol is automatically added. The hormones are taken on a permanent basis.

And so, women can very elegantly pass through the change in their life.

Severe symptoms of a hormone deficiency cannot show, as the deficiency is levelled out as soon as it arises!

Read on:

Bioidentical hormones applying the Rimkus Method – suitable preparations, sources, pharmacies and buying online (KLICK)

The complete article series:

Menopausal signs and symptoms

Recognizing premature menopause – and what you can do about it

Hormones during menopause

Why choose hormone replacement therapy (HRT) during menopause – pros and cons?

What are bioidentical hormones and their advantages? Rimkus

Bioidentical hormones according to Rimkus – experiences, side effects, application, costs

Bioidentical hormones – preparations, source, physicians