What Is Hormone Replacement Therapy?
Our approach is hormone optimization, not simply replacement. Hormone therapy is a medical treatment that helps balance hormone levels when your body isn’t producing enough on its own. Hormones regulate metabolism, mood, sex drive, bone health, and overall energy levels. By restoring these hormone levels, we can address the underlying issues that may be affecting how you feel and function daily. This treatment supports your body’s natural processes and improves your overall health, physically and cognitively.
Medical Conditions That Can Benefit From HRT
Menopause
As you approach menopause, your estrogen and progesterone levels naturally decrease, leading to symptoms like hot flashes, mood swings, and sleep disturbances. These symptoms, which are often accepted as a normal part of menopause, don’t have to be as prevalent or as severe. With hormone replacement therapy for menopause, we replenish hormones to bring them back into balance.
Women who have had a hysterectomy are usually prescribed estrogen-only treatments while those with a uterus often need a combination of estrogen and progesterone. If your symptoms are widespread, the best method will likely be one that affects your whole system, while more localized symptoms like vaginal dryness may be treated with a local method.
Andropause
As men age, testosterone levels begin to decrease at a rate of 1% every year after the age of 30. The result of this shift is different for everyone but can include a lack of energy, difficulty losing weight or gaining muscle, cognitive changes, insomnia, and more. Hormone treatments for men struggling with andropause symptoms usually involve testosterone replacement to boost levels of this important hormone. Administration methods can include injections, pellets, oral administration, patches, creams, and more.
Hypothyroidism
With hypothyroidism, your thyroid gland isn’t producing enough hormones to regulate metabolism and other bodily functions, leading to fatigue, weight gain, and depression. Hormone optimization for this condition replaces thyroid hormones with synthetic hormones to help your body to function normally. Often with hypothyroidism, synthetic thyroxine is used in an oral pill form. We start the process by testing your levels of thyroid hormones and the levels of thyroid-stimulating hormones in your body and then we prescribe the medication. We will check these levels periodically to make sure the dosage continues to be appropriate for your situation.
Osteoporosis
Aging often comes with an increased risk of osteoporosis and bone fractures, especially in women. Reduced levels of sex hormones such as estrogen can cause the bones to become weaker and break more often. By prescribing even low-dose estrogen during menopause, we can help to prevent osteoporosis and promote bone health. Testosterone can also help to improve bone health, improving bone mineral density in men.
Heart Health
Cardiovascular disease is one of the leading causes of death in women. HRT can help reduce cardiovascular disease and other heart problems in women who are under 60 or who are at or near menopause. The timing is important for this preventative treatment, so it is important to get your doctor’s advice about when to start HRT to help prevent cardiovascular disease.
Our Medical Approach to HRT
We take a comprehensive medical approach to hormone replacement therapy by thoroughly evaluating your hormone levels and overall health before starting treatment. Often overlooked are the hormones which are generated and managed by the gastrointestinal system. This involves collecting the correct, detailed lab work and a comprehensive medical history to make sure we’re addressing the specific imbalances in your body and not missing any underlying conditions.HRT Treatment Options
- Creams: Hormone creams are applied directly to the skin and absorbed into the bloodstream. This option is convenient for those who prefer a non-invasive method and allows for gradual hormone absorption, but it does require daily application.
- Pills: Oral hormone replacement pills are a common option for those who prefer an easy daily routine. While easy to take, it’s important to monitor for any potential gastrointestinal effects, as hormones taken in pill form pass through the digestive system before entering the bloodstream.
- Patches: Hormone patches are applied to the skin and release a steady dose of hormones throughout the day. They are a great option for individuals who want consistent hormone levels without having to remember daily pills or creams. Patches need to be changed regularly, but they are a reliable and non-invasive option.
- Pellets: Hormone pellets are small implants placed under the skin that slowly release hormones over several months. This option provides long-lasting relief with fewer treatments but requires a minor in-office procedure to insert the pellets.
- Injections: Hormone injections deliver hormones directly into the bloodstream and offer a faster onset of symptom relief. This method typically requires periodic visits for administration and injections can either be given intramuscularly or subcutaneously.
Hormone Therapy With EVEXIAS™ Health Solutions
We use The EvexiPEL® Method through EVEXIAS Health Solutions for many of our hormone replacement treatments. This method focuses on estradiol and testosterone pellet therapy for patients with concerns such as fatigue, weight gain, and low libido. Using bioidentical estradiol and testosterone pellets, this method offers a steady, long-term release of hormones that keeps your levels balanced for several months. The pellets are inserted just beneath the skin. We can combine this treatment with other hormone therapies that balance thyroid and progesterone as needed for a more comprehensive approach to your overall health and wellness.Benefits of Pellet Therapy
- Consistent Hormone Levels: Pellets release hormones steadily over time, preventing fluctuations that can be seen with other methods.
- Long-Lasting Relief: Patients only need to come in once every three to six months to have additional pellets inserted, rather than worrying about daily or weekly application.
- Minimally-Invasive: The insertion of hormone pellets is a simple, in-office procedure that requires no stitches and minimal recovery time.
- Customized to Your Needs: The dosage of hormones in each pellet is personalized based on your unique hormonal profile so your body gets exactly what it needs.
- Bioidentical Hormones: The hormones used in EvexiPEL pellets are bioidentical, meaning they are chemically identical to those naturally produced by the body, leading to better absorption and fewer side effects.