Advantages of BHRT For Women

Hormonal imbalance is a very common issue for women as we get older. Health conditions including thyroid disorders, menopause, and low sex drive are all linked to out-of-balance hormone levels.

 

The symptoms of hormonal imbalance can be life-altering. These symptoms can include mood swings, insomnia, weight gain, and hair loss. Thanks to bioidentical hormone replacement therapy (BHRT) treatments, women who are suffering from symptoms of hormone imbalance can now find relief – including better health and a higher quality of life. The treatments can safely and effectively restore a woman’s hormone balance with a comprehensive treatment plan.

 

Symptoms of Hormone Imbalance in Women

 

Hormones have an important role in many bodily processes. Your hormones affect your heart rate, metabolism, appetite, sleep patterns, sexual function, body temperature, and more. Therefore, it only takes one hormone to be off-balance to affect your entire well-being.

 

If you have been experiencing symptoms like those listed below, your hormone levels may be out of balance:

 

  • Weight Gain
  • Hot Flashes
  • Night Sweats
  • Mood Swings
  • Memory Loss
  • Depression
  • Low Libido
  • Insomnia
  • Fatigue
  • Recurrent Urinary Tract Infection (Uti)
  • Urinary Incontinence
  • Vaginal Dryness

 

What is Bioidentical Hormone Pellet Therapy?

 

Once the decision is made to use hormone therapy, there comes another decision: Which method is the best fit for you? For some women, hormone pellet therapy will be considered a superior method of hormone delivery. With this unique system, 2-3 small pellets consisting of testosterone or estradiol, each about the size of a grain of rice, are inserted beneath the skin, into the fatty tissue of the hip, and the pure hormone is delivered gradually, directly into the bloodstream. The simple in-office procedure takes only a few minutes, first with numbing of the skin, and one tiny incision that only requires a small steri strip, no stitches.

 

The subcutaneous pellets act as a reservoir of hormone, allowing the body to receive a consistent dose throughout the day and night. The pellets gradually absorb until they are completely dissolved, leaving no residue. Typically, a woman will find that pellets will control symptoms for 3-5 months. Because of the efficient and gradual delivery system of the hormone pellets, side effects are less likely than with oral or injectable hormones, and there is less incidence of issues related to poor absorption, sometimes problematic with hormone creams, gels, or patches.

 

Bioidentical hormone pellets are FDA monitored, but not approved in the United States. Hormone pellet therapy has been used in both men and women for decades in Europe and Australia, and this has allowed for the generation of ample scientific data regarding the benefits and safety of this method. Hormone pellet therapy is being used more and more in the US, as women seek a more convenient and natural way to receive their hormone therapy.

 

 

 

What Hormones Can Be Administered With Female Hormone Pellet Technology?

 

Testosterone Pellet Therapy

 

Testosterone is a vital hormone in women, eliciting physiologic effects through androgen receptors in almost all female body tissues, including breast, heart, blood vessels, intestines, lungs, brain, spinal cord, nerves, bladder, uterus, ovaries, endocrine glands, vaginal tissue, skin, bone, joints, and fatty tissue. Men produce higher circulating levels of testosterone than women; however, testosterone is the most abundant active sex hormone in a woman throughout her lifespan. 

 

Testosterone has been considered a “male hormone”, thus largely ignored as an essential hormone in female physiology. This has been unfortunate, since attention has not been given to diminished quality of life and potential health consequences when women begin to experience symptoms related to testosterone decline in mid life. In a woman’s body, production of testosterone peaks in her mid 20’s and begins to steadily decline, down to about 50% by age 40. 

 

This is when a woman will often present with complaints such as increased abdominal fat, hair loss, fatigue, brain fog, loss of sex drive, reduced orgasm, anxiety, irritability, depression, headaches, and general lack of well-being. Most women attribute these symptoms to a natural diminishment of vitality with aging. 

 

But, recognizing these symptoms are signaling something about our bodies, and giving attention to hormone health can improve our health and quality of life as we age.

 

Testosterone replacement therapy for symptomatic women has the potential to improve mood, libido, orgasm, energy level, and feeling of well-being. In addition, documented health benefits include reduced cardiac risk, reduced breast cancer risk, and improved bone density. Testosterone therapy can be beneficial for symptomatic individuals as early as a decade or more before onset of the menopause transition.

 

It is important to note that in both men and women, testosterone can be converted within the body’s tissues to estradiol, some of which is not measurable, as conversion takes place within cells where it immediately binds with its receptor. Interestingly, it has been demonstrated that breast cancer survivors using testosterone pellet therapy, combined with medication that blocks conversion of testosterone to estradiol, reported relief of menopausal symptoms with testosterone therapy alone. 

 

For some women, testosterone pellet therapy will be all that is required to control symptoms. For others, the addition of estradiol and progesterone will be of benefit. Each woman will be individually evaluated, and appropriate options considered.

 

Estradiol Pellet Therapy

 

Estradiol is the estrogen hormone that makes a woman look female and governs much of reproductive function. This hormone also plays a role in countless bodily functions, as evidenced by estradiol receptors found in the heart, brain, bones, joints, skin, eyes, teeth, gums, nerves, blood vessels, urinary tract, reproductive organs, and more. 

 

So, with estradiol depletion, a woman suffers the loss in countless ways, with deterioration of physical, mental, and emotional health that accompanies hormonal decline. Typically, a woman’s estradiol level starts to decline in her 40’s, and is almost undetectable by her early 50’s.

 

Estradiol replacement therapy relieves symptoms such as hot flashes, night sweats, insomnia, brain fog, moodiness, depression, vaginal dryness, painful intercourse, low libido, dry skin, and headaches. Health benefits from non-oral estradiol supplementation include reduced risk of cardiac disease and stroke, dementia, diabetes, and loss of bone density leading to osteoporosis.

 

How Can Bioidentical Hormone Replacement Therapy Help?

 

Hormonal imbalance is often dismissed by both men and women as stress from daily living. Premenstrual syndrome (PMS), premenstrual dysphoric disorder (PMDD), perimenopause, and menopause are all influenced by hormonal fluctuations. None of these conditions should cause extreme discomfort or anxiety, therefore if your symptoms are distressing, this is a sign that you need to speak to a physician about your hormone health.

 

Female hormone replacement therapy has been shown to greatly improve the symptoms of:

 

  • Alzheimer’s Disease
  • Diabetes
  • Heart Disease
  • Metabolic Syndrome
  • Osteoporosis
  • Perimenopause And Menopause
  • Ptsd (Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder)
  • Thyroid Health
  • Urinary System Issues

 

Benefits of Bioidentical Hormone Therapy for Women

 

The benefits of BHRT treatments are numerous. Overall, they will assist in restoring your hormone balance and return you to better health.

 

One of the benefits of getting hormone treatment is that the replacement hormones delivered by these BHRT pellets are bioidentical to your body. In other words, they match your own normal hormones.

 

In particular, a benefit of hormone therapy via pellets is that the pellets remain within your body, so they constantly provide the proper dose of the hormones you need. Your doctor will continue to monitor how your body responds to the hormone treatments, and the physician may increase or decrease the hormone levels you receive as needed.

 

Although other methods of receiving hormone replacement therapy – such as pills and creams – may seem easier, they release the hormones in spurts rather than consistently. This results in a roller coaster effect and can cause discomfort and a feeling of imbalance to the patient.

 

What the Individualized Treatment Program Includes

 

Receiving bioidentical hormone therapy is only one part of the overall treatment plan in optimizing your health and well-being. Your comprehensive and individualized treatment plan will also utilize pharmaceutical-grade supplements, a nutrition guide, and fitness recommendations to support achieving your wellness goals.

 

After you begin hormone therapy, your medical practitioner will continue to re-evaluate your hormone levels with follow-up consultations and routine lab testing. This follow-up schedule is important for successfully achieving and maintaining your results. Depending on the severity of your symptoms, it can take some time to reach the optimal levels of balance and function for your body.

 

Bioidentical Hormone Therapy is one of the regenerative medicine treatments offered at Integrative Telemedicine. Our physicians will perform a comprehensive evaluation of your condition in order to determine which treatment might be best for you. They will explain your options so that you can make a decision you’re most comfortable with.

If you have any questions or would like to schedule a consultation, call our friendly staff today at (520) 396-4866 or fill out our online request form. We look forward to being your healthcare partner.

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