Bioidentical Hormone Replacement Therapy Questions:
BHRT is a safe, proven clinical therapy that rebalances hormone levels that are often responsible for symptoms associated with aging. Bioidentical hormones are designed to precisely match the molecular structures of the natural hormones in your body.
Absolutely. Suboptimal hormone levels (deficiencies) are responsible for many of the symptoms attributed to “getting older.” Correcting these deficiencies with biologically-identical, natural hormones are safe and simple and can dramatically improve your health, quality of life and youthful vitality.
We offer BHRT Treatment at our University Place clinic. Schedule a consultation today to learn more about how BHRT may benefit you. Please, contact us at 253-267-0341 or click here (place link) to schedule an appointment today!
The first step in the process is to fill out a gender-specific health history questionnaire and have pertinent labs drawn either in our office or elsewhere so that those results can be ready when you meet for a consultation with your provider. From that exchange, we will customize a treatment plan to restore your optimal hormone levels if needed.
Following that consultation, we can perform an individualized hormone pellet insertion procedure in our office and, if indicated, prescribe oral therapy based on your customized plan.
Follow up testing, and a check-in occurs approximately 3-6 weeks after the initial pellet insertion or oral dosage to determine if optimal hormone levels of hormone balance have been achieved.
Progesterone and thyroid are typically taken orally.
Estrogen and testosterone are typically delivered via pellets, which are inserted into the fatty tissue just beneath the skin of the buttock.
A pellet is a small cylinder slightly bigger than a grain of rice. Manufactured with pharmaceutical grade quality controls, each pellet contains, as an active ingredient, a specific dosage of an FDA-approved bioidentical hormone.
Pellets are placed in the fatty tissue underneath the skin of the buttock through relatively painless procedures performed in our office under local anesthesia. By using this approach, the hormones in the pellets are spared from “first pass” metabolism into byproducts in the liver, as occurs with oral (pill) therapy. Each pellet treatment delivers hormones at a consistent level through the day and lasts for up to 3-4 months in women and 5-6 months in men.
It may take time to find the optimal balance, and your dosages may require adjustment. Although rare, during this adjustment phase, you may experience side effects such as headaches, irritability, mood swings, increased acne, difficulty sleeping or breast tenderness.
Once your hormones are balanced properly, you’re eating properly, and you’re active and managing your stress, you may begin to experience any or all of the following:
- Improved energy levels, motivation, and mood
- Enhanced sexual drive and gratification
- Reduction in body fat and weight
- Improved memory, mental clarity, and quickness
- Improved strength, muscle tone, and exercise capacity
- Diminished hot flashes
The effect of the hormones usually begins within 24 – 72 hours after insertion and reaches its peak efficacy after about 3-5 weeks. The benefits typically start to decline after 3-4 months in women or 5-6 months in men. More muscular, active/athletic people tend to see reduced efficacy sooner.
Potential complications from bioidentical hormone therapy are rare but could include fluid retention, swelling of hands and feet, breast tenderness or nipple sensitivity, spotting or bleeding, or mood swings and irritability.
Testosterone therapy may rarely cause a slight increase in facial hair in some women. This is typically treated easily if needed. While very rare, hair thinning on the scalp may occur in people that convert testosterone dihydrotestosterone (DHT). This is also treatable and may furthermore be mitigated by proactive preventative techniques for anyone with those concerns.
Bioidentical hormones are chemically identical to those hormones found in our own bodies. Studies show that properly delivered, BHRT does not cause cancer. Some studies suggest that bioidentical hormones may exert a protective effect against some cancers.
Bioidentical hormones match the precise chemical makeup of the hormones your body produces naturally and, as a result, are indistinguishable to your body from the hormones that provide it an abundance of beneficial effects. Bioidentical hormones efficacy in promoting quality of life and health is dependent on their presence at optimal levels.
Synthetic hormones were well received for years, as they helped to control symptoms associated with menopause. Yet synthetic hormones are distinct from bioidentical hormones because they are not identical chemical replicas of our natural hormones, and thus not a perfect match in our body. As a result, they have metabolic footprints distinct from natural bioidentical hormones, and we have seen the downstream consequences.
Studies have shown synthetic hormones to be associated with a host of adverse consequences ranging from non-life-threatening adverse side effects such as bleeding, breast pain, bloating, and mood swings to more dangerous afflictions such as cancer, blood clots, heart disease, and more. This is why we only advocate for replacing your hormones with an exact replica of your natural human hormones, particularly when the evidence suggests that bioidentical
