What Is Bioidentical Hormone Replacement Therapy
BHRT is not drug treatment. It is used to naturally replenish the testosterone and other hormones in your body that have diminished over time. In so doing, BHRT can reverse the unwanted symptoms caused by these hormone deficiencies.
Bioidentical hormones are derived from plants and engineered to be structurally indistinguishable from the natural hormones your body produces. Not only do they effectively correct imbalanced hormone levels, but they also do it without the risks of synthetic hormones. As these are 100% human bioidentical, the body can easily use them to heal itself.
BHRT isnt simply testosterone replacement therapy. Dr. Wood and the staff at Wonderfully Made Functional Medicine will work with you to balance all your hormones, including Testosterone, Thyroid, Cortisol, DHEA, Human Growth Hormone, Insulin, Cortisol, and Pregnenolone. With these hormones naturally in balance, your health and vitality will improve, possibly better than you can ever remember.
What Are The Risks Of Bio
Bio-identical hormones are relatively safe to use, but as it is with any treatment, they can come with an increased risk for other complications or diseases, which include:
- Blood clots
- Acne
- Fatigue
Other potential side effects can vary among men depending on their body type and medical history. You should discuss the possibility of any unexpected side effects with your doctor for them to determine if BHRT is right for you.
For Use In Certain Men
Some men with unnaturally low levels of testosterone can benefit from hormone therapy. For example, the condition hypogonadism can cause unnaturally low levels of testosterone. Its a dysfunction of the testicles that prevents the body from producing the right amount of testosterone.
Whats less certain is whether testosterone therapy can benefit healthy men whose testosterone decline is simply caused by aging. This has been a difficult question for researchers to answer. Not many studies have observed the effects of testosterone therapy in men with healthy levels of the hormone. The studies that have were smaller and had unclear results.
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What Bhrt Can Help Treat
Age, stress, body fat, and common environmental toxins can all negatively impact hormone production. Men can experience a decline in hormone production, specifically testosterone, at any age.
Our medical experts use blood tests to analyze levels of the sex hormones , thyroid hormones, and adrenal hormones before prescribing a naturally-safe, clinically-proven, individualized dosing of BHRT.
Bioidentical Hormone Replacement Therapy can help with some common issue that comes with age:
Benefits Of Pellet Therapy For Men
Bioidentical Pellet Therapy offers many benefits to Men over traditional Hormone Replacement Therapies. Bioidentical Pellet Therapy uses hormones that are bioidentical, this means the hormones are the exact same molecular structure as the naturally occurring human hormones. Bioidentical hormones are found in nature and are derived from plants. This implies that Bioidentical Pellet Therapy uses hormones that are more natural than those often prescribed by conventional physicians. In addition, bioidentical pellet therapy offers a convivence benefit as the pellets remain in the body and release a steady state of hormones that the body requires. In comparison other hormone replacement therapy options can be inconsistent in their delivery resulting in a rollercoaster effect in many men.
Benefits of BHRT in male patients:
- Increased energy
- A healthy sense of well-being
- Better sleep
BHRT also protects your patients from age-related conditions such as:
- Heart disease
- Osteoporosis
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What Are Bioidentical Hormones
Bioidentical hormones are processed hormones designed to mimic the hormones made by your bodys glands. Taking bioidentical hormones can help people who experience symptoms of low or unbalanced hormones. This is often the case for people experiencing symptoms of perimenopause or menopause.
Hormones are chemicals made by your endocrine glands. They are messengers that tell other parts of your body how and when to work. Hormones affect many systems and functions in your body. Even the slightest imbalance can cause symptoms that interfere with your day. Healthcare providers may recommend hormone replacement therapy as a treatment for these symptoms.
Bioidentical hormone therapy uses processed hormones that come from plants. Estrogen, progesterone and testosterone are the most commonly used bioidentical hormones.
Some prescription forms of bioidentical hormones are premade by drug companies. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has approved certain types of bioidentical hormones. Other forms of bioidentical hormones are custom-made by a pharmacist based on a healthcare provider’s prescription. These are compounded bioidentical hormones.
The compounded forms have not been tested and approved by the FDA. Though it is often advertised that products that are made from plants are “natural” choices, they are altered in a lab so are no longer natural when done with processing.
Conventional hormone therapy vs. bioidentical hormone therapy
Testosterone And Death Risk
Low testosterone levels are associated with an increased risk of death, according to Robin Haring, a researcher from the Institute for Community Medicine at Ernst-Moritz-Arndt University in Griefswald, Germany, who presented the finding at the meeting.
He evaluated data on nearly 2,000 men, aged 20 to 79, who participated in the Study of Health in Pomerania, following them for seven years until August 2007. He noted testosterone levels, age, weight, smoking habits, and physical activity. The drugmaker Novo Nordisk partly funded the study.
During the follow-up, 226 men died. “Men with low testosterone have a more than twofold higher risk of death during the follow-up period,” he says.
They were more likely to die of cardiovascular disease and cancer, but not of other causes.
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Testosterone Replacement Therapy: Long
Another researcher, Jane F. Reckelhoff, PhD, professor of physiology and biophysics at the University of Mississippi Medical Center in Jackson, offers a caveat about supplemental testosterone: “We don’t know what the long-terms effects are. The safety studies have not been done and they need to be done.”
She reviewed the studies for WebMD and has published on a review about testosterone supplements for the American Journal of Physiology Renal Physiology.
Her chief concerns: “Testosterone can increase blood pressure and compromise kidney function.”
But an advocate of testosterone replacement therapy, Martin Miner, MD, co-director of the Men’s Health Center at the Miriam Hospital of Brown University in Providence, R.I., says the studies show that restoring testosterone when it is low improves metabolic syndrome factors and could help prevent type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular risks.
He agrees close monitoring of men on testosterone is needed. “Checking hematocrit, PSA , and lower urinary tract symptoms in men is vital to the management of testosterone replacement therapy,” he says.
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Restoring Energy Levels Muscle Tone And Strength And Re
Just about all men will notice a slow drop in their energy levels, strength and libido as they go through their 40s, a process that accelerates through their 50s and 60s.
It can be depressing to experience this inexorable march of the ageing process, and until recently health care has paid little attention to treating it.
Hormone replacement therapy is of course well known and standard for menopausal women, but for men and their rather slower and less symptomatic decline – often called the andropause – there has been no help.
Until now. The advent of bio-identical hormone replacement therapy , has created a treatment for men that should slow the ageing process, helping men to hold onto their physical strength, energy levels, confidence, libido and overall balance for many more years.
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Do Bioidentical Hormones Cause Weight Gain
Yes, weight gain is a side effect of bioidentical hormones.
A note from Cleveland Clinic
Bioidentical hormones are used to help people manage symptoms of menopause or other hormonal imbalances. The FDA does not approve some bioidentical hormones. All hormone replacement therapy comes with risks. Compounded bioidentical hormones may come with more risk because their effects are not well studied. Talk to your healthcare provider about the pros and cons of hormone replacement. Most importantly, know that you do not need to live with unpleasant symptoms of low hormones. Your provider can help safely manage your symptoms.
Last reviewed by a Cleveland Clinic medical professional on 04/15/2022.
References
Why Dr Randolph Prescribes Bhrt
For two decades, Dr. Randolph has prescribed bioidentical hormone replacement therapy to thousands of men suffering from symptoms of hormone imbalance, such as night sweats, weight gain, brain fog, moodiness, bloating, headaches, depression, fatigue, low libido and but he did not always prescribe BHRT.
Like most physicians in the United States, Dr. Randolph was trained in medical school to prescribe synthetic non-bioidentical hormones. He stopped prescribing synthetic hormones because of the high percentage of patients who came back complaining of side effects, some very troublesome, like low libido and weight gain, others of greater health significance, like tender or fibrocystic breasts and low thyroid disorders.
Years before the landmark 2002 National Institutes of Health Womens Health Initiative study revealed synthetic hormones were a serious health risk, Dr. Randolph had already researched and developed a safer alternative. His early training as a compounding pharmacist with a specialization in plant-based medicine helped him recognize that bioidentical hormones can literally restore hormone balance at a cellular level.
In the mid-1990s, Dr. Randolph began prescribing compounded bioidentical hormone treatments for his patients, finally opening his own on-site pharmacy in 1998.
Although BHRT has been available for many years, not everyone is aware of how safe and effective this type of treatment is!
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Goals Of Testosterone Replacement Therapy In Adult Hypogonadal Men
- Improvement in psychological well-being and mood
- Improvement in erectile dysfunction
- Improvement in libido Increased muscle mass Increased strength and stature
- Preservation of bone mass
- Possible decrease in cardiovascular risk
Testosterone therapy and dosages for men are based on hormone test results. No two individuals are the same and hormonal needs differ from person to person. There are many commercial products available promising to help overcome the negative effects of a testosterone decline . However, bioidentical testosterone replacement addresses the underlying cause of the problem and not just the side-effects, while offering added long-term health benefits.
Do I Need To Take These Hormones Forever
Not necessarily. It depends on how well your body responds to the hormones. Whats also equally important is how well you manage your diet, sleep patterns, and exercise, and stress levels.
Some patients can wean off various hormones once they become balanced and have fewer symptoms of andropause. There are also patients who can wean off adrenal and thyroid support once their adrenals or thyroid glands have healed. There is no single answer for everyone it depends on your individual hormone stability and how well your diet and lifestyle will support everything else.
In the worst-case scenario, if you decided to stop Bioidentical Hormone therapy, your body would likely return to the state it was in before initiating your program.
There are several different ways to formulate bioidentical hormones including:
All delivery systems come in various combinations to accommodate even our most sensitive patients.
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Why Does Testosterone Matter
A male body without testosterone is like a car without gas. As an essential male hormone, testosterone plays a critical role in a mans sexual health, reproductive development, and overall well being. This explains why testosterone is often labeled the most necessary male hormone.
Testosterone directly controls many elements of a mans physiological functions:
- Libido
- Fat distribution
- Sperm production
Yet testosterones role isnt strictly physical. The adult masculine brain is designed to think, function, and execute when testosterone levels are optimized. Any testosterone imbalance quickly blunts a mans quality of life.
Believe it or not, I used to be skeptical on this topic. I doubted that testosterone therapy had any value because I was focused on the perils of obesity.
At the beginning of my career, I investigated nutritional biochemistry with an intense passion. I wanted to understand how to create environments in the body that facilitate fat elimination.
The majority of my patients benefited from what I learned. I was able to help them control their biochemistry to lose weight and build muscle. Yet a few patients remained stuck without any signs of progress.
They were doing everything right but couldnt gain any momentum. There had to be another hormone responsible for their issues. As it turns out, that hormone was testosterone- or a lack thereof.
What Is Testosterone Replacement Therapy
Bioidentical Hormone Replacement Therapy, or BHRT, helps men regain and then maintain their natural, optimal testosterone level. The testosterone that we give you contains the same chemical structure as the hormones that are already in your body. Now, we are able to re-introduce them into your body, where they will immediately begin to improve your health and energy. Since these testosterone supplements are identical to the hormones you already have, they have almost no side effects.
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What Are The Symptoms Of A Testosterone Deficiency
Hot flashes, mood swings, and night sweats dont just happen to women. As testosterone levels decline, men can also experience hot flashes, mood swings, and night sweats- as well as a decrease in sex drive, stamina, energy, and motivation.
When your testosterone levels drop, you may also experience depression, anxiety, sleep problems, hair loss, memory loss, erectile dysfunction, weight gain, and muscle mass loss.
Once you hit middle age, you can expect these symptoms to occur with greater frequency and intensity.
Restore Your Strength And Vitality With Bioidentical Hormone Replacement Therapy For Men
How is your energy level these days? Are you feeling as strong, vital, and healthy as you want to? How about your sex drive? If youre not experiencing full vitality, it may not be just a normal part of life it could very well be a hormonal imbalance.
Women arent the only ones who can have hormone imbalances. As men age, they experience whats known as Andropause . Andropause can bring about lower testosterone levels, leading to a decrease in vitality, sexual satisfaction, and well-being.
You may think that these changes are unavoidable as you age, but thats not the case. The exact cause of your low vitality can be discovered and corrected with Bioidentical Hormone Replacement Therapy at Wonderfully Made Functional Medicine.
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Do I Need A Prescription For Bioidentical Hormone Therapy
Yes. Bioidentical hormones are compounded prescription medications that are produced in a specialized pharmacy. Each prescription is hand made from the highest quality ingredients and made by pharmacists that specialize in formulating drugs. Since every patient is unique, the strength or the dosage form needs to be specially made to fit the individual.
Bioidentical Hormone Replacement Therapy For Men In Kansas City
Men of all ages can experience decreased levels of testosterone. And, as men get older, they often hear that they should start expecting the symptoms of these lower levels, which include losing strength, gaining body fat, decreased energy and a diminished libido, to name just a few. BHRT Can help.
If you find this is true, KC Wellness Center can help you regain your appetite for life! Our hormone replacement therapy program will help you regain the optimal level of testosterone, which will reverse many of the symptoms that men experience relating to low testosterone, especially in their 40s and 50s.
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Bioidentical Hormone Therapy For Men
Guys, hormone balance is not just a problem among women, which also means hormone therapy can help you. Men who pursue bio-identical hormone therapy to treat hormonal imbalance may experience significant benefits, including more energy, increased muscle mass and strength, weight loss and improved sexual function.
Consultation And Evaluation For Hormone Pellet Therapy
Completion of the Hormone Pellet Therapy Consultation will involve full symptom discussion and evaluation, and a panel of laboratories will be ordered for baseline hormone levels plus other indicated labs. Hormone Pellets may be inserted during the second office visit where lab results will be discussed.
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How Bioidentical Hormone Therapy Can Help Men
Testosterone in men is the hormone needed for male sexual development and reproductive function. In addition to building muscle mass and maintaining healthy bone density levels. When men hit their 40s, their testosterone levels begin to decrease, and it usually drops a little bit each year after that.
Benefits Of Bhrt For Men
When a mans hormone levels are low, hormone replacement therapy may help relieve a wide array of different symptoms, both physical and emotional. BHRT may alleviate symptoms by treating the cause, not just the symptoms themselves. It has been shown to:
- Increase energy and motivation
- Stabilize your mood, improve depression and anxiety
- Enhance memory and concentration
- Strengthen your bones to prevent fractures in later years
- Relieve hot flashes
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Are Bioidentical Hormones Approved/regulated By The Fda
The ingredients in bioidentical hormones such as testosterone are approved by the FDA. However, state and local pharmacy boards have jurisdiction over them, not the FDA. It is important to use a high quality compounding pharmacy that follows stringent guidelines and have excellent quality assurance.
The Difference In Bioidentical And Synthetic Hormones
Traditionally, hormone replacement therapy used synthetic testosterone to treat men with low testosterone levels. Synthetic testosterone is made in a lab from plant sources, such as soybeans and yams. Although these are natural substances, they are put through chemical processes to produce the desired product.
The bioidentical testosterone used in BHRT is also produced in a lab. The difference is that bioidentical testosterone matches natural testosterone on the molecular level. It has no chemical variations from the testosterone produced by the body. Even one variation would result in the product being classified as synthetic.
Bioidentical hormones dont show up any differently on laboratory tests than those produced by your body. They are as close to natural hormones as you can get. Taking a testosterone level test after hormone therapy with bioidentical hormone therapy will show a higher level of natural testosterone with no indication of the ones obtained through the therapy.
Drug companies that make synthetic testosterone alter the molecular structure to increase its functionality. These modifications help the body use it more successfully. Many people prefer bioidentical hormones because the body metabolizes them the way it was intended. People also like the claims that bioidentical hormones are safer.
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