What is a Troche?
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With the rising popularity of Hormone Replacement Therapy in recent years, troches are becoming an important and convenient method of administering many different medications. One of the most popular uses for troches are natural hormone replacement therapies.

But what exactly is a troche and what are the benefits? 


What is a troche?

A troche is a small lozenge designed to dissolve between a person’s cheek and gum over a period of time; typically 30 minutes. As the troche dissolves in the patient’s mouth, the medication is absorbed through the oral mucosa and gradually  absorbs into the blood stream. Troches are commonly used to administer bioidentical hormones in a patient, and can be flavored to mask bitterness, if needed. Some of our most popular flavors are tangerine, vanilla, and peppermint.


What are some reasons a patient would benefit from using troches?

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Better absorption
When used in hormone replacement therapy, the hormones in a slowly dissolving troche are absorbed more gradually into the blood stream, resulting in physiologically natural hormone blood levels.

Problems swallowing pills
For individuals who have difficulty swallowing pills or capsules, compounding medication into a troche is an excellent alternative to receiving your medication orally.

Difficulty with creams
Since skin types can have extreme variations in thickness, water content, and fat content, the absorption of medicated creams and lotions through a person’s skin can be very unpredictable, especially at menopause. Placing medication into a troche is a superb alternate option.

Alternative to suppositories
Vaginal suppositories can be an effective option for medication delivery in hormone replacement, especially when the hormone is meant to be exposed directly to the tissue of the vaginal wall,  but there is little convenience to utilizing these over medicated troches when the goal end result is higher levels of hormones throughout the body. Some downsides to using vaginal suppositories include exposure to a partner during intercourse, lost medication from leaking, and lack of higher dosages.
 

Due to the many advantages in convenience, effectiveness, and consistency, we recommend troches as an alternative delivery system for hormone replacement therapy for both women and men.

For additional information about troches, please give us a call or stop in the pharmacy and talk to one of our highly trained compounding pharmacists!

5 Incredible Health Benefits of Curcumin (aka Turmeric) - and 20% OFF Curcumin Supplements!
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Arguably one of the most powerful herbs in existence at fighting disease, turmeric—with its renowned healing compound, curcumin—is mostly known for being the main spice used in curry. However, you may not have heard about just how incredibly beneficial this substance can be for your body and your brain.

Tumeric is a root herb that has been a huge part of Indian culture and foods for thousands of years. Curcumin is the most active of the four curcuminoids found in turmeric, and has been shown to have powerful anti-inflammatory effects and anticancer activities if consumed on a regular basis. Unfortunately, the curcumin content in turmeric is actually not that high—only around 3% by weight—so one of the best ways to get a higher dosage of this miraculous substance is to take a special curcumin supplement.

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****For the month of May only, Central Compounding Pharmacy is offering a 20% discount on all curcumin supplements!**** Some popular curcumin supplements we carry include Designs for Health’s “C3 Curcumin Complex” and “Curcum-Evail® Chewables”, Integrative Therapeutics’ “Curcumax”, and DaVinci Laboratories “Curcumin C3 Complex”.

 

There are innumerable benefits that come with the consumption of turmeric and curcumin.


Here are 5 amazing health benefits of curcumin:

1. Curcumin improves memory and attention – and can greatly help people with dementia and Alzheimer’s disease

According to a study recently conducted by UCLA researchers, taking curcumin twice daily greatly improved the memory and mood in people with mild, age-related memory loss. In memory tests, people who took curcumin improved by 28 percent, experienced significant improvements in their attention abilities, and also had mild improvements in their overall mood. Curcumin reduces brain inflammation, which has been linked to both Alzheimer’s disease and depression. This is why it has been suggested as a possible reason that senior citizens in India, where curcumin is a dietary staple, have a lower prevalence of Alzheimer's disease and better cognitive performance.

2. Curcumin fights inflammation in the body

Many common diseases today, including cancer, heart disease, arthritis, high cholesterol, ulcerative colitis, Alzheimer’s, and chronic pain are all associated with inflammation in the body. Preventing and fighting chronic inflammation is extremely important in preventing and treating these diseases. Curcumin has incredible anti-inflammatory effects, fighting inflammation at the molecular level. One study evaluated several anti-inflammatory compounds and found that curcumin is among the most effective anti-inflammatory compounds in the world - and can be more effective than aspirin and ibuprofen, but without the side effects!

3. Curcumin helps in the treatment of stomach ulcers, inflammatory bowel disease, and ulcerative colitis

Patients with inflammatory bowel diseases will often seek pain relief from corticosteroids, but over time these medications can damage the intestinal lining, actually making the condition worse! Instead, curcumin can be used to help to heal the gut and support the growth of probiotics (good bacteria), greatly improving and relieving painful symptoms. Patients who suffer from stomach ulcers may find relief with bioavailable curcumin, as it inhibits stomach acid secretion and the activity of pepsin. Finally, curcumin has also been effective in maintaining remission in patients with inactive ulcerative colitis.

4. Curcumin fights cancer and may prevent certain cancers

It has been shown that curcumin has incredible anticancer effects, helping the body naturally treat cancers including breast cancer, colon cancer, stomach cancer, and skin cancer. Curcumin has been shown to prevent the synthesis of a protein believed to play a role in the formation of tumors, reduce the growth of new blood vessels in tumors, destroy mutated cancer cells to prevent them from spreading, and induce programmed cell death in glioblastoma (malignant brain cancer), oral, T-cell lymphoma, bone, brain, and melanoma cancer cells.

5. Cucurmin can reduce depression symptoms

Curcumin may help promote emotional and psychological wellbeing and lower depression symptoms. Many common brain disorders have been linked to decreased levels of Brain-Derived Neurotrophic Factor (BDNF), but studies have shown that curcumin can actually increase these levels! In addition, research has shows that curcumin can promote the development of new cells in the hippocampus in chronically stressed rats, reduce depressive symptoms in patients with major depression, and enhance the effects of SSRIs and SNRI antidepressants in mice.

In conclusion, there are MANY incredible health benefits associated with curcumin. If you want to buy a turmeric/curcumin supplement, we recommend Designs for Health’s “C3 Curcumin Complex” and “Curcum-Evail® Chewables”, Integrative Therapeutics’ “Curcumax” and DaVinci Laboratories “Curcumin C3 Complex”.

For the entire month of May ONLY, Central Compounding Pharmacy is offering a 20% discount on all curcumin supplements! Give us a call or stop by for more information or to purchase some of these amazing supplements!

7 Reasons Why a Patient May Need a Compounded Medication
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A compounded medication is a drug that is currently not being made by a pharmaceutical company and therefore doesn’t have a brand name like other prescriptions you would normally fill at a pharmacy. They are not commercially available, hence the need for a compounding pharmacy to combine ingredients to create a medication that is customized for your specific needs.

Compounding offers numerous advantages in medication compliance. For instance, the dosage can be more carefully controlled and can even be adjusted during the course of treatment. We can eliminate any unwanted components that may cause side effects or are unnecessary fillers and additives.

There are many reasons a patient may need a compounded medication. Here are seven examples:

  1. When an individual is allergic or sensitive to commercial products that contain dye, sugar, alcohol or lactose, we can solve the problem by compounding a customized dosage form which contains the needed medication but not the problem-causing additive.
     
  2. If a child or adult has trouble swallowing pills, the medication may be put into a liquid that can be taken by mouth, or could even be placed into a transdermal gel that can be rubbed into and absorbed by the skin.
     
  3. If a patient needs a reduced strength of medication or a special dosage that is currently unavailable commercially, we may be able to compound a custom medication for their individual requirements.
     
  4. For patients who must take a large number of medications every day, we sometimes are able to prepare special compounds containing more than one medication to simplify a confusing dosage schedule and reduce the potential for medication errors.
     
  5. For children who have difficulty taking prescriptions that have an unpleasant taste, we have a variety of flavors we could add to the medication and/or put the medication into a liquid that can be easily administered.
     
  6. If you have problems giving medicine to your pets, we can help by compounding the drug into a form and flavor that the animal will devour! Cats LOVE our “triple-fish” flavor!
     
  7. For our vegetarian customers, we also offer non-gelatin capsules… just ask for “Veggie Caps”!

Only a few select pharmacies have the equipment and highly trained staff needed to compound medications. Compounding requires specialized equipment, filtered ventilation,  bulk chemicals, and specially trained compounding pharmacists and technicians that most traditional pharmacies do not have. Our pharmacists here at Central Compounding Pharmacy in Santa Monica have received extensive training in modern compounding techniques and regularly attend continuing education seminars.

If you are looking to fill your compounded medication, please give us a call at 310-395-3294 or stop in at our compounding pharmacy in Santa Monica!

Central Pharmacy Grand Opening at Our New 2008 Wilshire Blvd Location!
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We have officially moved Central Pharmacy & Compounding Lab to a beautiful new space at 20th Street and Wilshire Blvd in Santa Monica, California.

This new retail space allowed us to build out a fully compliant compounding pharmacy lab to meet new pharmacy regulations for safety and ventilation.

We are SUPER excited to be here and can't wait for our beloved customers to stop by and check it out.

We also have free parking behind our building!

OUR GRAND OPENING IS TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 20TH!  Stop by and say "hi" at our awesome new location!

Join us by RSVP'ing on our facebook invite HERE!

 

8 Ways To Reduce Your Risk Of Colorectal Cancer

Approximately 140,000 new cases of colorectal cancer are expected to be diagnosed in 2017 in the U.S. alone.

By Peyton Berookim MD Gastro (Patch Poster) 

Colon cancer is the third most prevalent type of cancer in the U.S., affecting both men and women at an alarming rate. Approximately 140,000 new cases of colorectal cancer are expected to be diagnosed in 2017 in the U.S. alone.

Fortunately, colorectal cancer is treatable and beatable. There are several methods that can reduce one’s chances of developing colorectal cancer. As such, we have compiled a list of 8 ways to prevent against colon cancer.

1. Know Your Family History

There is a genetic component to developing colorectal cancer. Thus, knowing your family history of colorectal cancer can help inform your decisions to get tested. Factors such as age of onset, closeness in familial relation and other such factors should inform your decision.


2. Don’t Smoke!

We all are aware of the negative effects smoking can have on the lungs. However, many people may not realize the harmful effects smoking can have on the colorectal organs. Smokers are approximately 20% more likely to develop colorectal cancer that nonsmokers. And that number can increase depending on the length of time which you smoked.

3. Don’t Binge Drink

Binge or heavy drinking drastically increases your risk of developing colorectal cancer. Studies indicate that on average, people who have 2-3 drinks a day are at an approximately 20% higher risk for developing colorectal cancer thank nondrinkers. People that have more than 4 drinks a day are at a 50% higher risk of developing colorectal cancer. And all alcohols are equally bad.


4. Keep A Thin Waste Line

There are strong correlations between obesity and colorectal cancer. The relationship is especially true for men. It has been found that men under the age of 50 with excess fat in their stomachs are just as likely as men over the age of 50 to have precancerous cells in their colorectal organs.
 

5. Eat Superfoods

There is an emerging list of superfoods that are supposed to help protect against colorectal cancer. Although the data supporting this is not as robust as the evidence against smoking and drinking, there is still strong evidence that suggests eating foods such as blackberries and walnuts and drinking green teas can protect against developing colorectal cancer.


6. Cut Back On Red Meat

Several research studies have found a strong correlation between the amount of red meat one consumes and the risk of developing colorectal cancer. Worse still is the consumption of salted, smoked, cured and processed meats.

If you simply must eat red meat, it is recommended that you should at least limit your intake to two four-ounce portions a week, eat lean cuts and avoid charring it on the grill.


7. Exercise Exercise Exercise

There is strong evidence that living a sedentary lifestyle increases the chances of developing colorectal cancer, while exercise and staying active reduces it. Doctors suggest at least 30 minutes of moderate to vigorous exercise 5 times a week can greatly affect your chances of developing colorectal cancer.


8. Get Screened Regularly

Colorectal cancer screening is one of the few cancer screenings that can actually help prevent the disease. Follow the recommended protocol for colorectal cancer screening. The recommended age for screening is 50, however, there is evidence that that number should be lowered to mid forties.

This article was originally posted at patch.com. See original article here.