The TS Wiley Protocol

The TS Wiley Protocol, more commonly referred to as the Wiley Protocol, is a controversial type of hormone therapy developed by T.S. "Susie" Wiley that is endorsed by celebrities, such as Suzanne Somers. The Protocol is meant to treat the symptoms of menopause through the administration of bioidentical hormones. The Protocol has been criticized due to what some have cited as a lack of clinical evidence that it is safe or effective.

Bioidentical Hormone Replacement

• The principle behind the Wiley Protocol is that the effects of menopause can be lessened through the application of hormones on a schedule that mimics a woman's premenopausal menstrual cycle. Adherents to the Wiley Protocol take a variety of hormone-enriched products purchased through pharmacies and doctors. The hormones used in these creams are estrogen, progesterone and estradiol. According to the official Wiley Protocol website, these hormones are produced in a laboratory from wild yams and soybeans.

Treatment

• The hormones come infused in skin cream. Estrogen and progesterone hormones are sold separately. For a period after applying the treatments, women are instructed to wear long sleeves and avoid touching family members or pets. Sex is to be avoided until the cream has been fully absorbed. Treatments are purchased through "Wiley Protocol Providers." Providers can be found in 36 states in the United States, as well as in Australia, Canada, England, Greece, Malaysia, the Netherlands, Saudi Arabia, Spain, Sweden and Thailand. Doctors and pharmacies are charged to become "Wiley-Certified" and are only permitted to dispense Wiley hormones.

Controversy

• A good deal of controversy surrounds the Wiley Protocol. Much of the criticism centers around the lack of rigorous scientific testing done to back up the provocative claims made in Wiley Protocol literature. Much criticism also has been leveled at T.S. Wiley herself, citing her lack of medical credentials and qualifications. The size of the hormone doses have been criticized as well. A 2006 letter to T.S. Wiley and Suzanne Somers from a group of seven doctors calls the Wiley Protocol "scientifically unproven and dangerous."

Alleged Benefits And Side Effects

• Alleged benefits of the Wiley Protocol include weight loss, increased libido and increased energy. One testimonial on the Wiley Protocol website claims that after taking the hormone treatments, the cysts on a woman's breasts and uterus disappeared. Negative claims about the Wiley Protocol have been just as dramatic. According to Wiley Watch, a website critical of the Wiley Protocol, some women have reported side effects including baldness, depression, bleeding, headaches, acne, heart palpitations and immune suppression.