Types Of Hormone Therapy For Men
If your doctor recommends testosterone treatment, you have numerous alternatives. These are some examples:
- Intramuscular testosterone injections. These are administered by your doctor every two to three weeks into the tissues of your buttocks.
- Testosterone patches. These are applied daily to your back, arms, buttocks, or abdominal muscles. Make sure that the application sites are rotated.
- Topical testosterone gel. It is applied to your shoulders, arms, or abdominal muscles daily.
Lower Your Chances Of Issues
If you and your doctor decide HRT is right for you, you should use the lowest dose that works for you for the shortest amount of time. Many of the serious problems linked with HRT have been tied to using it for a long time. But using them at a low dose for 3 to 5 years may help protect you from some health issues like bone loss.
How Hormone Replacement Therapy Works
As women become older, their hormone levels gradually decrease as part of the natural aging process. The natural decline in estrogen and progesterone can produce a range of unwanted symptoms that put women at risk of serious medical conditions and that compromise their well-being and quality of life.
HRT supplies women with a boost in these hormones so they can reduce their risk of serious diseases like osteoporosis and cancer, stave off symptoms of menopause, and get back to feeling more comfortable and enjoying their lives.
HRT can be delivered in the form of creams, gels, tablets, vaginal rings, skin patches, and pellets. Some forms of HRT, such as bioidentical hormone replacement therapy, can be personalized for women to ensure they receive the exact doses of estrogen and progesterone that their bodies need. This helps reduce the risk of health conditions associated with having high hormone levels such as chronic fatigue, breast cancer, and endometrial cancer.
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What Are Hormone Pellets
Pellets are made up of either estradiol or testosterone or sometimes a combination of both. The hormones, estradiol or testosterone, are pressed or fused into very small solid cylinders. These pellets are about the size of a Tic Tac and are usually inserted in the lower abdominal wall or hip through a small incision that is taped closed. Complications from the insertion of pellets can include minor bleeding, bruising, discoloration of the skin, infection, and possible extrusion of the pellet. The pellets usually last between 3 and 5 months in women and 5-6 months in men.
Side effects can occur when a dose is first given. Sometimes these dissipate and sometimes they dont. The dose may need to be changed. Some side effects can be linked to a certain hormone in the mixture.
What Is Hormone Pellet Therapy
Hormone pellet therapy is a newer method to supply hormones to the body in both men and women. This method of treatment is an alternative to taking the hormones orally or through a transdermal method. With pellet therapy the hormones are contained in a compact pellet-like solid structure. They are usually less than 1cm in size containing the desired hormone in the specified strength. They are inserted under the skin by a doctor using a minor surgical procedure that takes about 15 minutes to perform. Theincisions requires suture or butterfly for closure.
Once inserted, the active agent inside the pellet is released into the bloodstream slowly. The two most common examples of hormone pellet therapy are testosterone pellets and estradiol pellet. Based on your level of hormones the doctor will determine how many of these pellets to insert. With these pellets in place, the hormones are suppose to release slowly mimicking the endogenous production of hormones. However this is far from a precise method of delivery since the exact amount delivered varies form one person to the next. Under normal conditions the pellets typically last for about 3-6 months. The main advantage of using the pellets is their long acting effect but just how long they last will not be clear until you try it.
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What Precautions To Take After Treatment
During the treatment, a BioTE pellet is placed in the upper buttocks, which should cause little to no discomfort. Most patients can resume normal activity almost immediately after the pellet placement. Dr. Phillips will often recommend avoiding strenuous activity, swimming, and hot tub use for the first week after treatment.
Biote Pellet Hormone Therapy
Pellet Hormone Therapy
Womens Health Center of Southern Oregon offers BioTe hormone pellet therapy! Several of our physicians are trained in this life changing therapy.
BioTE hormone pellet therapy uses hormones derived from natural plant sources to replicate the bodys normal hormone levels. Hormone pellet therapy treats hormone imbalances which occur when one or more of the bodys key hormones is deficient or not functioning at optimal production levels. As we age, hormone levels naturally decline up to 10% yearly. Hormone imbalance can affect your quality of life and overall health.
Pellets smaller than a grain of rice are inserted under the skin and release a small dose of hormones. As each patient has unique symptoms, each treatment is customized for each patient. Pellet therapy is at work 24/7 and lasts several months, absorbing into the body.
Indications and symptoms can include:
- Physical Exhaustion, lack of energy
- Problems thinking or concentrating
- Hair loss, thinning or texture change
- Weight gain despite diet and exercise
- Dry, wrinkled skin
To find out more about BioTE hormone pellet therapy and if its right for you, call us at 541-479-8363 to schedule a consultation!
BioTE Hormone Pellet Frequently Asked Questions
What are bio-identical hormones?
They are derived from a natural plant source and professionally compounded to be biologically identical to human form of estradiol and testosterone.
What can I expect bio-identical hormones to do for me?
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You Should Know About These Hormone Replacement Therapy Side Effects
Because the human body is both intricately connected and extremely complicated, changing one thing can often change something else.
This ripple is referred to as side effects.
Every type of medical procedure or intervention has the possibility of side effects, including hormone therapy.
Learn more about hormone replacement therapy side effects in this article.
There Are Side Effects Of Hrt But They Often Come From The Delivery Method
Overall, HRT has very low side effects. Some of the side effects come from improper dosing or inconsistent use. However, most of the side effects, the most life-threatening ones, begin with the delivery method.
Oral medications are processed through the digestive system and then the liver before reaching their appropriate source of activity. Oral medicines, similar to birth control pills and other hormone replacement therapy common to women, delivered in this manner are associated with increased risks of heart disease and liver problems.
Application sites for gels, patches, and creams tend to become photosensitive and may increase the risk of skin cancer. Topical applications also run the risk of passing the active ingredients to partners and children by casual touch, which can cause side effects of them: particularly children, this exposure to estrogen or testosterone before puberty can cause health problems.
Injections show a significant risk of skin problems near the injection site, particularly with repeated doses, which can cause muscular damage, skin degradation, and the increased risk of cysts and growths.
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Find Peace And Balance With Bhrt Treatments
Do you feel like your hormones cause havoc on your overall health? If so, you may benefit from bioidentical hormone therapy. Its amazing how a slight adjustment in hormones can make a huge difference in how you feel. Please schedule an appointment at Dallas Cosmetic Center in Dallas, TX with Dr. Otto Huertas to learn more about this advanced treatment option.
Bioidentical Hormone Replacement Therapy
Overview
Your bodys hormones control most of your basic bodily functions. They serve as an internal communication system between cells throughout the body. They coordinate everything from digestion and growth to your appetite, immune function, mood, and libido. So, when your hormones are out of balance, even slightly, it can have a big impact on your health and well-being.
Often, when peoples hormones drop or become unbalanced, they turn to hormone replacement therapies to ease symptoms. One such therapy, bioidentical hormone replacement therapy , has gotten a lot of attention in recent years. It promises a natural solution to hormone issues. But what exactly is BHRT, and hows it different from other hormone replacement therapies?
Read on to learn all you need to know about BHRT, its benefits and risks, and whether it may be right for you.
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What To Know Before Stopping Bhrt
If you choose to stop your treatment with BHRT, it is best to do so gradually. Practitioners recommend tapering down the doses so the body can slowly adjust to the changes in hormone levels that will startle your system. Tapering down doses, however, should not be done without expert guidance from Kellie Lewis in Lehi, UT.
For most patients who stop BHRT, unpleasant symptoms associated with menopause for women and andropause for men may recur. These symptoms commonly include:
How Is My Hormone Pellet Therapy Treatment Determined
Hormone pellet therapy treatment is based upon your symptoms and your hormone levels. Baseline hormone levels are required by blood or saliva to determine your starting dose. Dosage may be increased or decreased based upon your symptoms and your bodys response to the hormones. Once the proper dosage has been determined, additional testing may not be necessary.
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Are Bioidentical Hormones Safe
The bioidentical hormones that are approved by the FDA have been tested for safety. They have passed the FDA’s strict standards and are safe for people to use. Like all hormone treatments, there are risks involved. You should weigh the pros and cons of even the FDA-approved bioidentical hormones with your healthcare provider.
How Should This Medicine Be Used
Hormone replacement therapy comes as a tablet to take by mouth. It is usually taken once a day. To help you remember to take hormone replacement therapy, take it around the same time every day. Follow the directions on your prescription label carefully, and ask your doctor or pharmacist to explain any part you do not understand. Take this medication exactly as directed. Do not take more or less of it or take it more often than prescribed by your doctor. Do not stop taking this medication without talking to your doctor.
Activella, FemHrt, and Prempro come as tablets containing estrogen and progestin. Take one tablet every day.
Ortho-Prefest comes in a blister card containing 30 tablets. Take one pink tablet once daily for 3 days, then take one white tablet once daily for 3 days. Repeat this process until you finish all the tablets on the card. Begin a new blister card the day after you finish the last one.
Premphase comes in a dispenser containing 28 tablets. Take one maroon tablet once daily on days 1 to 14, and take one light-blue tablet once daily on days 15 to 28. Begin a new dispenser the day after you finish the last one.
Before taking hormone replacement therapy, ask your pharmacist or doctor for a copy of the manufacturers information for the patient and read it carefully.
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What Are The Side Effects Of Hormone Pellets
In treating hormone deficiency in women, it is important to keep in mind that there are a few instances in which synthetic hormone replacement therapy is objectively better.
For instance, estrogen replacement therapy needs to be balanced by progesterone replacement therapy to mitigate a small increase in the risk of uterine cancer when estrogen replacement is used as monotherapy.
So, why not just get the compounding pharmacy to make pellets that contain both bioidentical estrogen and bioidentical progesterone?
The problem is that hormone pellets release hormones continuously.
While women are still menstruating, their estrogen levels peak just before periods and their progesterone levels peak just before ovulation. They don’t have the same estrogen and progesterone levels all the time.
TheWomen’s Health Initiative ran a clinical trial involving 16,608 women who received either synthetic estrogen plus synthetic progestin or a placebo for five years. They stopped the study when they observed that continuous progestin therapy increased the risk of breast cancer, heart attacks, and strokes.
Women who have passed menopause can still benefit from progesterone replacement, but it needs to be cyclical not continuous. The best way to give cyclical progesterone replacement is with a skin cream, not with a pellet or an injection or a pill. And it turns out that synthetic progestin is better absorbed through the skin than bioidentical progesterone.
What Side Effects Should I Know About For Biote Hormone Replacement
Unfortunately, a steady decline in the hormones estrogen, testosterone, and progesterone is part of the aging process. As hormones decline, a vast number of side effects can negatively impact your health and your overall well-being. Dr. Lily Phillips of Ageless Grace offers BioTE hormone replacement therapy to individuals in the located Murrieta area, as well as the surrounding areas of Temecula, Menifee, Lake Elsinore, and beyond. BioTE® hormone replacement therapy is used to treat symptoms of hormone deficiency to improve your health and your quality of life.
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Isnt Testosterone For Men Only
Testosterone helps protect the health of your brain, heart, breasts and bones in both men and women.
Many people think testosterone replacement is just for men, however testosterone is essential for women, too. Its naturally present in womens bodies but as we age, it becomes depleted. And women typically begin losing their testosterone at an earlier age then men!
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What Side Effects Can Occur With Bioidentical Hormone Therapy
For many men and women suffering from the unwanted symptoms of hormone imbalance, menopause, or andropause, bioidentical hormone replacement therapy can be life-changing. Like all medications, bioidentical hormone therapy has some possible side effects to be aware of, though they are typically mild and temporary. Use this helpful information from the award-winning team at Body Bar MD in Carmel and Terre Haute, IN, under the direction of board-certified physician and wellness expert Dr. Christine Kirkendol Watson , to better understand the potential side effects and benefits of BHRT.
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Hormone Therapy Works For Men
A growing number of men realize their low sex drive and apathy towards life is a result of lower testosterone levels. A lower sex drive is the primary reason why men seek out BHRT. Fortunately, BHRT works exceptionally well for men.
The primary method of HRT in men is injection. However, many doctors find that men tend to skip sessions and experience highs and lows after the doses that cause mood swings and irritation. One of the fastest-growing aspects of bioidentical pellet therapy is for men because it provides consistency and reliability. Doctors find much higher compliance in this form of treatment for men then they do any other delivery method. And the men find their lives are easier only going to the doctor once every couple of months, avoiding the stigma of visiting a doctor every week.
Hormone Pellets For Menopause Symptoms
Bioidentical hormone replacement therapy offers an alternative to conventional synthetic hormone therapy. These hormones are chemically engineered from yams by compounding pharmacies to match the endogenous hormones and your precise dosage needs. Today, more than 30% of women in the United States opt for BHRT over standardized medications, and they are often prescribed by practitioners who offer supportive, comprehensive care.
Though BHRT is available in multiple formats, implantable pellets offer an attractive alternative to daily hormone dosing that many women prefer. Subcutaneous hormone pellets are solid pellets just larger than a grain of rice. These are inserted through a tiny incision on the lower abdomen or the hip in a doctors office on an outpatient basis. The procedure is performed under a local anesthetic that numbs the area, and no stitches are required.
Your symptoms and baseline hormone levels will determine the number of pellets implanted. As the pellets break down, they release a small, steady amount of hormone which is absorbed into the bloodstream. From there, it travels to hormone receptors throughout the body, just as your own hormones do. This helps to restore hormone levels and calm the troublesome symptoms of menopause. Usually, you notice effects within a few days to a few weeks.
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What Is Unique About Receiving Hormone Therapy At Rocky Mountain Cancer Centers
At Rocky Mountain Cancer Centers, your cancer care team will design a personalized cancer treatment plan that provides the ideal combination of therapies for the best possible outcome. Under our care, you will be monitored closely to determine if your hormone therapy is working. This involves regular PSA tests for prostate cancer treatment and regular checkups for breast cancer treatment.
Rest assured, you are in good hands with Rocky Mountain Cancer Centers. We believe in treating the whole person, not just the disease, which is why we will work hard to create the best cancer treatment plan for you.
What Are The Risks Of Taking Hormone Therapy
While hormone therapy helps many women get through menopause, the treatment is not risk-free. Known health risks include:
- An increased risk of endometrial cancer .
- Increased risk of blood clots and stroke.
- Increased chance of gallbladder/gallstone problems.
- Increased risk of dementia if hormone therapy is started after midlife. HT started during midlife is associated with a reduced risk of Alzheimers disease and dementia.
- Increased risk of breast cancer with long-term use.
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