How Do I Know If I Need Hormone Therapy

Am I An Ideal Candidate

For men and women of all ages, hormone therapy can be an excellent way to improve overall health as well as address specific concerns that are caused by a hormone deficiency. Whether youre noticing symptoms in your early 30s and want to address the issue early or want to reverse the side effects of hormone deficiency in your 60s, treatment can be effective for most patients.

The plant-based, bio-identical hormones used in BHRT are designed to be used by the body to balance hormone levels and encourage healing. Theyre also made to be safe and effective as a treatment option for almost all bodies. Most patients are able to pursue treatment, but you should consult your doctor during your initial consultation to ensure that this treatment is right for you.

What Are The Signs Of Hormonal Imbalance In Women And Men

Signs of hormonal imbalance in females differ compared to males. Most often caused by aging, hormone replacement therapy can provide relief for many symptoms experienced by men and women. For women, the underlying reason for hormone instability usually occurs because of menopause, oophorectomy, early menopause, primary ovarian insufficiency, breast cancer, infertility, and endometrial hyperplasia. Men experience hormone fluctuations because of andropause, adrenal fatigue, hypothyroidism, and hyperthyroidism.

In women, signs may include:

Men may experience symptoms like:

• Unexplainable weight loss

What Are The Benefits You Can Expect From Testosterone Therapy

Studies have shown that testosterone replacement therapy provides a wide range of benefits for men and women with testosterone deficiencies. Such benefits include improved libido, mood, cognition, muscle mass, bone density, and red blood cell production. Some of the other benefits of testosterone replacement include:

• Increased energy and vitality
• Healthier skin, hair, and nails

In addition, testosterone replacement therapy may reduce the risk of diabetes and some cancers, as well as lower your risk of stroke or heart attack.

Your first program of testosterone therapy is usually prescribed for a course of six months. Here is a month-by-month breakdown of what benefits you can expect from testosterone replacement therapy.

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How Is Menopause Diagnosed

Menopause is diagnosed starting with an assessment of a woman’s menstrual cycle history and a history of menopausal symptoms. In general, if a woman is over 45 years and presents with menopausal symptoms such as irregular menstrual periods, hot flashes, sleep problems, and mood changes, she would be considered in perimenopause and no diagnostic testing is needed.

Blood tests that may be indicated include:

For women 40 to 45 years who present with menopausal symptoms, blood tests to check for other conditions may include:

• Human chorionic gonadotropin to rule out possible pregnancy
• Prolactin to rule out hyperprolactinemia
• Thyroid stimulating hormone to rule out hyperthyroidism

Signs Of Hormone Deficiency In Women

While hormone deficiency can present itself in the early 30s, many women dont notice its full effects until they reach menopause. This hormone-driven bodily change is different for every woman, but an imbalance in the bodys natural hormone levels can make the symptoms much more overwhelming. The process of menopause can be divided into four different stages:

Premenopause

This first stage, which makes up the bulk of a womans life, encompasses the time when normal reproductive functions are active. For most women, this includes a regular period and the ability to become pregnant. Generally, it lasts from a womans first menstrual cycle to her last menstrual cycle. Hormone levels are usually higher during a womans teens and early 20s. As early as the mid-20s to early 30s, hormone levels plateau and eventually decrease.

Perimenopause

This transitional stage between a normal, regular menstrual cycle and the end of a womans reproductive abilities can last 2-10 years. Most women who experience this stage are between 35-50 years old. Hormone levels fluctuate, often causing the hallmark symptoms of menopause, including hot flashes and a roller coaster of emotions due to the bodys imbalance. When it progresses naturally, this stage of menopause can take a huge toll on the physical and emotional health of women.

Menopause

Postmenopause

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What Are The Side Effects Of Hormone Therapy For Prostate Cancer

Because androgens affect many other organs besides the prostate, ADT can have a wide range of side effects , including:

• loss of interest in sex

Testosterone Therapy Results After Four Months

As you finish your third and enter your fourth month of testosterone therapy, in addition to continued improvements in strength, vitality, and sexual performance, you can expect the following additional before and after benefits of testosterone:

• Reduction of PMS symptoms
• Reduction of menopausal symptoms
• Improved bone health and bone density

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Menopause Symptoms Impact Health And Work

Menopause symptoms arent limited to hot flashes and night sweats. Other symptoms of menopause include difficulty sleeping, difficulty concentrating, mood swings, depression, headaches, racing heart, vaginal dryness, decreased recent memory and decreased energy. For some women, these symptoms begin years before menopause.

Hot flashes are uncomfortable, but they are also related to other issues. Hot flashes can disrupt sleep and may cause mood changes, difficulty concentrating, and impairment of short-term memory. In one study, frequent hot flashes and night sweats were associated with a 50% increased risk of cardiovascular disease. And, if these hot flashes and night sweats persisted over time, then there was a 77% increased risk of later cardiovascular disease.

Given the health and career impact of menopause symptoms, its a problem that many clinicians are not well-informed on the current thinking regarding hormone therapy. Bluming explains that part of the problem stems from the fact that menopause education is currently offered to less than 25% of residents studying obstetrics/gynecology. This may also explain why some practitioners still refuse to prescribe hormones. Given that over 50 million women in the United States are over the average age of menopause , one would think menopause care would be a higher priority.

Common Signs For Men And Women That You May Need Hormone Replacement Therapy

Are you having difficulty sleeping at night? Do you have reduced muscle strength? Or are you dealing with the fatigue and a lack of energy during the day?

These could all be signs that you could be a candidate for bioidentical hormone replacement therapy.

Bioidentical hormone replacement therapy helps clients regain energy, improve muscle strength, increase mental clarity and lose weight more easily. The hormone pellets release all natural, bioidentical estrogen and/or testosterone and are metabolized consistently into the body as needed. If you think you may be a candidate for hormone replacement therapy, talk to a BioTE provider today.

Signs You May Benefit From Hormone Replacement Therapy

Men and women are often taught as they grow older that the issues theyre dealing with are simply part of aging decreased sex drive, menopause symptoms, weight gain, fatigue, loss of mental clarity. But many of these issues can be directly treated with bioidentical hormone replacement therapy.

For women, the advent of hormonal imbalance often accompanies menopause, and the loss of estrogen can put them at risk of premature ovary failure, heart disease, colon cancer, osteoporosis, diabetes, and other serious health consequences. Some signs for women that you could be a candidate for hormone replacement therapy include:

• Fatigue, exhaustion or low energy
• Difficulty achieving or sustaining an erection
• Lack of mental clarity and difficulty concentrating

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Bioidentical Hormone Therapy Options

There are many delivery methods available for bioidentical hormone replacement therapy . Your doctor will make recommendations for you based on availability, medical needs, lifestyle and personal preferences. Bioidentical hormone delivery options include pills, patches, creams, injections, and pellets.

Diagnosis & Tests For Hormone Replacement Therapy

If you are age 45 and above, your doctor may not test you for signs and symptoms of menopause. Once symptoms occur, your doctor may examine you, take a personal and medical history, and work out lifestyle factors that improve your symptoms.

If you are under age 45, your doctor may perform blood tests to determine your hormone levels. They may also perform ultrasounds and physical exams to find the cause of your hormone deficiency.

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Signs You Need Hormone Replacement Therapy

The functions of the body are controlled by hormones, which are secreted by the endocrine glands. The endocrine system therefore sends messages to the organs and tissues by dispersing hormones through the bloodstream. When something in the body is awry and the problem is not due to illness, infection, or injury, it may be due to an imbalance in the hormone levels.

Healthcare providers today often use integrative holistic medicine to treat hormone imbalance. A hormonal imbalance happens when there is either an excess amount of hormones or an insufficient amount of hormones secreted into the bloodstream, so hormone replacement therapy is likely an ideal solution.

What Are The Risks Of Hormone Therapy

Although the benefits of hormone replacement therapy can be incredibly helpful for patients, you should also know the potential risks. The potential risks of hormone replacement therapy include blood clots, heart disease, stroke, and breast cancer.

Risks often depend heavily on age, the type of hormone therapy used, and health history. You should discuss these risks with your doctor, in order to help determine if hormone replacement therapy is a good fit for you based on your individual needs and health history.

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When To Start Hormone Replacement Therapy

Women most commonly begin hormone replacement therapy around the time they first start experiencing menopause, while men commonly begin when they start experiencing symptoms related to decreasing testosterone. For most, this is often in their 50s, although some older adults, as well as younger adults in their 30s and 40s, may benefit as well.

There are a variety of hormone replacement medications and applications on the market. When considering hormone replacement therapy, a compounding pharmacy can help you identify a hormone replacement medication thats right for you. With convenient locations in Utah, Arizona, and Colorado a pharmacist at Strive Pharmacy can discuss your needs with you and find the right medication.

See how Strive Pharmacy can help you with hormone replacement therapy and contact us today.

How Do I Know If I Need Hormone Therapy

• Post author:RenewFX
• Post published:February 15, 2022

Have you asked yourself, How do I know if I need hormone therapy? You google it and you get more confused by the plethora of information, opinions and misinformation. What to do?

Often, the first challenge for people when it comes to determining why they dont feel so great is that so many primary care physicians will often tell you, Your labs look good, youre in range for your age. Youre just getting older. This assumes that theyve run the comprehensive panels to reach that conclusionand thats a big assumption. And when it comes to your age range vs. lab results, do you really want to be in range for your age or be optimized and balanced to the levels that you enjoyed in your prime years? See the difference?

Theres a reason why hormone replacement therapy has become a major focus for so many people who seek to optimize their health as they get older. Its truly a game changerif done correctly by a specialist. Correcting hormonal balance and optimizing hormonal levels which will bring you back to your prime levels can bring dramatic improvements in many aspects of your life. Chronic Fatigue? Low Sex Drive? Loss of Muscle Mass? Increasing Body Fat? Poor Sleep Quality? These are some of the most common symptoms of hormonal deficiencies and imbalance. This is why hormone therapy has become so popular for those individuals intent on proactively managing their health to optimize their quality of life long term.

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How Do I Find Out If I Have Low Testosterone

If you have any of these symptoms, its best to see your doctor before doing anything else. Although these symptoms are often due to low testosterone, there may be other medical conditions at play.

To determine if you have low testosterone, your doctor will request a blood sample. That sample will then be tested to show your current testosterone levels. If its low, you can then choose to move forward with testosterone replacement therapy to reduce your symptoms.

Heres The Current Thinking On Hormone Therapy

Many doctors don’t discuss the option of hormone therapy with menopausal patients.

getty

Menopause symptoms arent only uncomfortable, but they can also impact a womans health, relationships and career. Although hormone therapy can reduce or eliminate menopause symptoms, most menopausal women dont take advantage of hormones because of a decades-old study that warned of serious health risks. Although the thinking on hormones has changed, some women remain confused and afraid, and some medical doctors refuse to prescribe hormones. Now, the CEO of a telehealth startup, celebrities, medical doctors and others are trying to raise awareness about how the thinking on hormone therapy has evolved over the last twenty years.

Oncologist Avrum Bluming and social psychologist Carol Tavris are among those trying to raise awareness. They wrote Estrogen Matters to clarify some of the misunderstandings surrounding hormone therapy. Our goal in writing the book and subsequently answering the dozens of emails we receive from women around the world is to educate women and the medical profession about the symptoms and medical ramifications of the menopauseand, in particular, the role of estrogen in ameliorating symptoms and prolonging womens lives, Bluming says.

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Made Specifically For You

Hormone replacement therapy involves taking an oral supplement that is a synthetic form of the hormones your body makes. For men and women, this may include estrogen, testosterone, and/or progesterone.

Christopher J Riegel, MD, goes a step beyond just prescribing you a bioidentical hormone replacement. As a renowned hormone specialist and doctor, Dr. Riegel makes his own custom hormone replacements that are specifically tailored for you. By analyzing your blood chemistry and taking your symptoms into account, Dr. Riegel replenishes your hormones to peak levels as if you were in your 20s.

Bioidentical hormones can help improve symptoms like:

What Is Known About Hormone Therapy And The Risk Of Heart Disease

Scientists continue to learn about the effects of HT on the heart and blood vessels. Many large clinical trials have attempted to answer questions about HT and heart disease. Some have shown positive effects in women who started HT within 10 years of menopause some have shown negative effects when started greater than 10 years of menopause. Some studies have raised more questions about the potential benefits of HT.

Based on the data, the American Heart Association issued a statement for use of HT. They say:

• Hormone therapy for the sole purpose of preventing heart disease is not recommended.

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Menopause And Andropause Treatments

It is natural for women to eventually experience menopause and for men to experience andropause. During menopause, a womans estrogen and progesterone hormone levels decrease significantly. During andropause, men begin to have lower levels of testosterone than before.

Both men and women who are going through these hormonal changes can lose muscle mass and bone density, experience unexplained fatigue, and go through mood swings and problems sleeping. Hormonal therapy can ease these symptoms and help you enjoy life much more.

What Are Some Commonly Used Postmenopausal Hormones

The following list provides the names of some, but not all, postmenopausal hormones.

Estrogen

• Pills, Brand names: Cenestin®, Estinyl®, Estrace®, Menest®, Ogen®, Premarin®, Femtrace®.
• Creams, Brand names: Estrace®, Ogen®, Premarin®.
• Vaginal ring, Brand names: Estring®, Femring® .
• Vaginal tablet, Brand names: Vagifem®. Imvexxy®
• Patch, Brand names: Alora®, Climara®, Minivelle®, Estraderm®, Vivelle®, Vivelle-Dot®, Menostar®.
• Spray, Brand name: Evamist®.

• Modest improvement in joint pains.
• Lower death rate for women who take hormone therapy in their 50s.

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What Are The Signs That You Need Hormone Replacement Therapy

For men and women over the age of 35, recurring symptoms of hormone deficiency can disrupt everyday life and are difficult to treat with conventional methods. While hormone levels naturally decrease as we age, the side effects can drain your energy, leaving you feeling frustrated as your life seems to pass you by. Thanks to an innovative hormone replacement therapy treatment proudly offered by Pellecome LLC in Randolph, NJ, you can take back control of your health and vitality.

Hrt Benefits To Women

With women, its believed hormone replacement therapy provides several benefits, such as helping to ease menopause symptoms like vaginal discomfort and dryness, night sweats, hot flashes that a loss of estrogen causes. Hormone replacement therapy is believed to help prevent osteoporosis in women.

While this therapy does come with some risks, both doctors and their patients believe the possible benefits outweigh any potential risks when a female patient is healthy, but is going through menopausal symptoms , has a bone mass loss, cant tolerate other treatment options or underwent a hysterectomy or is experiencing menopause before they turn 40 years old.

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