Monday, December 4, 2023

How Is Hormone Therapy Administered

Don't Miss

Feel Better And Look Great

How Are Hormone Therapy Medications Administered

Our body produces hormones to regulate everything from our energy level to the health of our organs. But age and lifestyle changes can affect the amount and type of hormones released by your body.

The absence or low levels of any hormone can lead to a variety of physical conditions. At NutriFlo Med Spa, we are a premier med spa & IV lounge with a robust hormone therapy in Coral Springs that can replenish necessary hormones and help you feel better and look great.

Reach out to us today to schedule a consultation.

If Cancer Has Come Back Or Spread

Hormone therapy can be used to treat breast cancer that has come back or that has spread to another part of the body .

Its given either alone or with other treatments, depending on what treatments you had before.

If your breast cancer came back during or after treatment with hormone therapy, you may be offered a different type of hormone therapy.

Growth Hormone Replacement Therapy

Growth hormone is also known as Somatotropin. It can be injected by the patient themselves or by a family member. Normally produced in the pituitary gland, sometimes this hormone is not sufficient for the body. When administered via injections, this hormone stimulates the cell reproduction and growth in the body.

It has to be taken daily or sometimes more than once in a day. Your doctor will monitor your blood cholesterol levels, sugar levels and certain other levels in order to make sure that they are at a healthy level. He has to make sure before starting with growth hormone as these have an impact on how the patients body responds to insulin.

Don’t Miss: Does Tubal Ligation Cause Early Menopause

How Can Hormones Affect The Growth Of Breast Cancer

Hormones like estrogen and progesterone are chemicals produced by glands in the body. Normally, these hormones help regulate body cycles, like menstruation. However, sometimes these same hormones can cause cancer to grow.

The pathologist will perform tests on the breast cancer cells to determine if they have receptors that feed on estrogen or progesterone, stimulating their growth. If the cancer cells have these receptors, your doctor may recommend hormone therapy drugs, such as blockers or inhibitors. Both types of drugs help to destroy cancer cells by cutting off their supply of hormones.

What Have I Learned By Reading This

Type of hormonal therapy administered according to ...

You learned about:

  • Why you may need hormone therapy
  • How hormone therapy works
  • Ways to get hormone therapy
  • What to expect when you have hormone therapy
  • What side effects you may have from hormone therapy

If you have any questions, please talk to your doctor or healthcare team. It is important that you understand what is going on with your treatment. This knowledge will help you take better care of yourself and feel more in control so that you can get the most from your treatment..

Also Check: What Causes Breakthrough Bleeding When On Bioidentical Hormones

What Is Pellet Hormone Replacement Therapy

Your body naturally produces hormones for many bodily functions such as growth, metabolism, and reproduction. Any deficiency or imbalance in hormones can lead to a multitude of consequences for your emotional and physical well-being. Supplements, such as natural bioidentical hormones, can help restore your bodys natural hormone levels. Pellet hormone replacement therapy is regarded as one of the most natural methods to deliver bioidentical hormones in your body.

In people whose hormone levels are low or out of balance, pellet hormone replacement therapy can help restore proper levels. During the therapy, hormone pellet implants are placed under your skin in the hip region to consistently release low, physiologic doses of the hormones to ensure optimal therapy. Hormone pellets are tiny cylindrical subcutaneous implants made of either testosterone or estradiol.

Prior to pellet hormone replacement therapy, hormone levels of the person are evaluated. This includes estradiol, FSH, free testosterone and testosterone hormones in women and testosterone, estradiol, free estradiol, and PSA in men. After pellet insertion, the hormone levels are evaluated throughout the therapy. While some patients start feeling better within 24 to 48 hours of pellet insertion, others might take a week or two to feel the difference.

Who Can Undergo Hormone Therapy

The great thing about hormone therapy is that it can be undergone by anyone, irrespective of race and gender. Our therapists at NutriFlo Med Spa are renowned for their expertise, empathy and professionalism. You can trust us to provide the bespoke treatment you seek.

When you come in for the consultation, please disclose any medical issues you have or any pharmaceuticals you may be taking at the moment. If you are pregnant, breastfeeding or considering starting a family, please keep our specialists informed. We will let you know if you are eligible for our hormone restoration in Coral Springs.

Also Check: Does Kaiser Cover Hormone Replacement Therapy

How Can I Lower My Testosterone With Surgery

The majority of the testosterone in your body is made by your testicles. You can lower your testosterone with an operation called an orchiectomy. An orchiectomy is a simple and effective way to lower the amount of testosterone in your body. However, it is a permanent form of hormone therapy.

Your surgery

Before your orchiectomy, you will be given anesthesia. Anesthesia is a medicine given to you by an anesthesiologist so that you do not feel pain during your operation. An anesthesiologist is the doctor who gives you medicine to make you sleep during the surgery and who carefully watches you during the operation. Your doctor will make a small cut in your scrotum and remove your testicles. Most men who have an orchiectomy go home the same day of their surgery. Your penis and scrotum, the pouch of skin that holds your testicles, will not be damaged during this operation. It will take you about two weeks to heal from the surgery.

Some men are concerned about how their body will look after their testicles are removed. There are testicular prostheses , or artificial testicles, that can be placed in your scrotum to replace the testicles removed during your surgery. The prostheses make your scrotum look like it did before surgery. If youare concerned about how your body will look, speak with your doctor or health care team about artificial testicles.

After surgery

Follow-up tests

Possible side effects

More hormone treatment

Why Is This Medication Prescribed

What is Hormone Replacement Therapy? – Dr. Deepthi RK Shashidhar

Combinations of estrogen and progestin are used to treat certain symptoms of menopause. Estrogen and progestin are two female sex hormones. Hormone replacement therapy works by replacing estrogen hormone that is no longer being made by the body. Estrogen reduces feelings of warmth in the upper body and periods of sweating and heat , vaginal symptoms and difficulty with urination, but it does not relieve other symptoms of menopause such as nervousness or depression. Estrogen also prevents thinning of the bones in menopausal women. Progestin is added to estrogen in hormone replacement therapy to reduce the risk of uterine cancer in women who still have their uterus.

Recommended Reading: Does Insurance Cover Testosterone Injections

Drugs That Stop Androgens From Working

Anti-androgens

For most prostate cancer cells to grow, androgens have to attach to a protein in the prostate cancer cell called an androgen receptor. Anti-androgens are drugs that also connect to these receptors, keeping the androgens from causing tumor growth. Anti-androgens are also sometimes called androgen receptor antagonists.

Drugs of this type include:

  • Flutamide

They are taken daily as pills.

In the United States, anti-androgens are not often used by themselves:

  • An anti-androgen may be added to treatment if orchiectomy or an LHRH agonist or antagonist is no longer working by itself.
  • An anti-androgen is also sometimes given for a few weeks when an LHRH agonist is first started to prevent a tumor flare.
  • An anti-androgen can also be combined with orchiectomy or an LHRH agonist as first-line hormone therapy. This is called combined androgen blockade . There is still some debate as to whether CAB is more effective in this setting than using orchiectomy or an LHRH agonist alone. If there is a benefit, it appears to be small.
  • In some men, if an anti-androgen is no longer working, simply stopping the anti-androgen can cause the cancer to stop growing for a short time. This is called the anti-androgen withdrawal effect, although they are not sure why it happens.

Newer anti-androgens

Enzalutamide , apalutamide and darolutamide are newer types of anti-androgens.

These drugs are taken as pills each day.

Types Of Hormone Therapy For Prostate Cancer

Hormone therapy may be part of prostate cancer treatment if the cancer has spread and cant be cured by surgery or radiation therapyor if the patient isnt a candidate for these other types of treatment. It may also be recommended if cancer remains or returns after surgery or radiation therapy, or to shrink the cancer before radiation therapy.

Additionally, hormone therapy may be combined with radiation therapy initially if theres a high risk of cancer recurrence. It can also be given before radiation therapy to shrink the cancer and make other treatments more effective. Other types of hormone therapy for prostate cancer include:

Read Also: Nugenix Estrogen Blocker

Growth Hormone Therapy Anti

The body experiences a natural decline in the growth hormone as one ages and one may not need growth hormone at that time. Loss of muscle mass can be directly related to decreased physical activity and health in elder people. Growth hormone directly targets muscle mass and hence it is considered a boon for ageing. If older people are into routine and vigorous physical exercises, then they too can manage to slow down the process of ageing.

It has also become the latest fad for anti-ageing to enable one to look young. After taking growth hormone injections, skin feels tighter and sex drive increases. It is said to reverse the process of ageing or slow it down effectively. It increases the thickness of the skin. It is also said to reduce the appearance of wrinkles and reduces sagging of facial muscles. An external source of growth hormone make sure that all the endocrine hormones are in perfect balance in the body.

A person can become devoid of growth hormone at any age. Some are born with its deficiency. It is better to treat the deficiency else dire circumstances crop up.

Growth Hormone Therapy Risks

10 changes to expect from masculinizing hormone therapy ...

Although the injections of growth hormone are considered safe, some people do face some side effects. The risks or side effects of growth hormone are:

  • Numbness
  • Carpel tunnel syndrome
  • Blood sugar regulations
  • Most of these symptoms are temporary and resolve on their own. Growth hormone should not be taken by those people who have cancer or tumor. Those who have multiple injuries from trauma should also refrain from using growth hormones. People suffering from severe breathing problems should also avoid using growth hormones.

    But if left untreated, a deficiency of growth hormone could lead to increase in risk of heart disease, increase in diabetes, osteoporosis, strokes and high blood pressure.

    These injections might lead to cancer and hence research is still on whether they are safe or not. Athletes use them a lot because it enhances their performance and cannot be detected in urine tests.

    It causes serious side-effects in some people such as water retention, liver damage, painful joints, etc. another major problem of using this injection is that the bodys pituitary gland stops producing their own hormones and then one has to take these injections lifelong.

    Recommended Reading: Does Blue Cross Blue Shield Cover Testosterone Therapy

    Questions To Ask Your Doctor

    These questions may be useful to you when you talk to your doctor about your hormone therapy:

    About hormone therapy

    • Why are you suggesting hormone therapy for me?
    • What type of hormone therapy will be used?

    About your treatment

    • How often will I need this medicine?
    • How long will I be on hormone therapy?
    • Are there other choices of treatment in my case?
    • Will I need regular blood tests while I am on hormone therapy?
    • What will these tests tell us?
    • Do I need to eat a special diet?
    • Should I exercise?

    About Side Effects

    • Will I lose my sex drive and become impotent? Will this be temporary or will it last forever?
    • What other side effects might I have?
    • How long will these side effects last?
    • When will these side effects happen?
    • Are there any side effects I should tell you about right away?
    • What can I do to manage my side effects?

    About Contacting Your Doctor

    • How do I get in touch with you or my health care team after your office is closed?

    What Is Hormone Therapy

    Sometimes, due to various diseases or circumstances, the production of hormones can be altered. This can result in a hormonal imbalance that can present clinically with troubling signs and symptoms. In order to correct the deficiency of certain hormones, that has brought about worrying complaints, hormonal formulations can be given to the patient externally. Additionally, in cases of sex reassignment surgeries, hormonal therapy is needed to bring about a secondary puberty to help the patient transition to their new chosen sex. Sex hormones associated with the gender the transgender patient identifies with are administered. Sometimes hormone therapy aims to deprive an individual of a certain hormone, which may be in excess, to restore balance or prevent cell growth .

    Read Also: Does Nugenix Have An Estrogen Blocker

    When During Cancer Treatment Is Hormonal Therapy Given

    Hormonal therapy is often given in conjunction with other treatments. The timing varies depending on the tumor, its stage and its location, among other factors:

    • Neoadjuvant hormonal therapy is when hormones are given before surgery or radiotherapy. The goal is to make a tumor shrink, so its smaller, which can make it easier to treat.
    • Adjuvant hormonal therapy is given after the patient has received surgery, radiation therapy or chemotherapy. Given after treatment, hormones decrease the risk of cancer recurring or spreading.

    What Is Intermittent Adt

    Hormone Therapy for Prostate Cancer

    Researchers have investigated whether a technique called intermittent androgen deprivation can delay the development of hormone resistance. With intermittent androgen deprivation, hormone therapy is given in cycles with breaks between drug administrations, rather than continuously. An additional potential benefit of this approach is that the temporary break from the side effects of hormone therapy may improve a mans quality of life.

    Randomized clinical trials have shown similar overall survival with continuous ADT or intermittent ADT among men with metastatic or recurrent prostate cancer, with a reduction in some side effects for intermittent ADT .

    Read Also: Can Having Your Tubes Tied Cause Hormonal Imbalance

    How Much Hormone Therapy Costs

    The cost of hormone therapy depends on:

    • the types of hormone therapy you receive
    • how long and how often you receive hormone therapy
    • the part of the country where you live

    Talk with your health insurance company about what services it will pay for. Most insurance plans pay for hormone therapy for their members. To learn more, talk with the business office where you go for treatment. You can also go to the National Cancer Institute database, Organizations that Offer Support Services and search “financial assistance.” Or call toll-free 1-800-4-CANCER to ask for help.

    Hormone Imbalances Due To Stress

    Many hormone imbalances are caused by aging, but these conditions can often be worsened by stress. Hormone imbalances that are caused by stress bear special mention because the factors that cause them can be ongoing and create a cycle of symptoms that supplementation alone does not solve. Many of these imbalances start with the adrenal glands, which are the main organs responsible for responding to stress.

    The adrenal glands secrete numerous important hormones. Excess stress can overburden your adrenal glands, decreasing the secretion of crucial hormones, including cortisol. This leads to deficiency or imbalance of hormones in your body. Hormone imbalance can lead to various health issues including thyroid problems, hair loss, mood swings, memory degradation, infertility, and adrenal fatigue. Stress is a major contributing factor to hormone imbalance in your body. Therefore, managing stress can significantly help in preventing adrenal exhaustion and maintaining healthy levels of hormones in your body.

    The Hormone circuit of the NEM includes the ovaries/testis, thyroid, and adrenal glands. It is responsible for regulating stress hormones , body temperature, and thyroid hormones. Any imbalance in this circuit can lead to weight gain, thyroid problems, fatigue, hair loss, reduced libido, miscarriage, and infertility. Imbalances in cortisol cause hormone imbalances leading to a dysfunctional Hormone circuit. This affects your bodys NEM stress response system.

    Don’t Miss: Does Blue Cross Blue Shield Cover Testosterone Therapy

    How Might I Feel During Hormone Therapy

    Nearly all men being treated for prostate cancer say that they feel emotionally upset at different times during their hormone therapy. It’s not unusual to feel anxious, depressed, afraid, angry, frustrated, alone, or helpless. Hormone therapy may affect your emotions because it lowers the amount of testosterone in your body.

    Some men find it helps to learn about their disease and treatment because it makes them less afraid of their treatment. Find out as much as you want to know. Do not be afraid to ask questions. Your emotional health is as important as your physical health.

    Talking with an understanding friend, relative, minister or another patient may be helpful. Your doctors office may be able to give you a list of local prostate cancer support groups. There will be men in the support groups who have had hormone therapy. You may also contact the American Cancer Society at 1-800-227-2345 or the National Cancer Institutes Cancer Information Line at 1-800-422-6237 to find out about cancer resources in your local community.

    Many people don’t understand prostate cancer or its treatment. They may stay away from you because they’re not sure what to say or how to help. Try to be open when you talk to other people about your illness, treatment, needs, and feelings. People will often be willing to lend their support. If you get tired easily, limit your activities and do only the things that mean the most to you.

    More articles

    Popular Articles