How The Hormone Pellet Insertion Process Works
Its easy to imagine what BHRT pills, gels,patches, or injections are like. Youve likely used these forms of treatment atsome point in your life, whether for BHRT or a different type of medication.But chances are that pellet therapy is new territory.
Hormone pellets are tiny packets about thesize of a grain of rice. These pellets are inserted under your skin, where theyrelease a consistent dose of hormones as they dissolve. Typically, this takes3-6 months, although it can vary from person to person. The hormone pelletinsertion process itself is an outpatient procedure that takes place in yourhealth care practitioners officeand its faster and easier than you may think:
The entire procedure takes less than 10 minutes.While you should avoid strenuous physical activity for a few days, you canlargely return to your normal activities immediately. Once implanted, thepellets gradually begin to release hormones and while the results arentimmediate, many people feel a difference within a week of insertion.
For most, the hormone pellet insertion processis painless, although you may experience some slight discomfort, swelling,irritation, bruising, and/or redness afterward. However, these are typicallymild and resolve quickly. As with any subcutaneous treatment, there is a riskof infection, but this risk is small and can be minimized with proper aftercare.
How Did Dr Maupin Become So Involved With Bioidentical Hormone Pellets
Dr. Maupin: I had a hysterectomy when I was 47, and I tried every hormone product available in 2002, including other bioidentical preparations, and nothing worked. So, I did research and prayed. A nurse friend then introduced me to her brother, an OBGYN from California, who treated me and eventually trained me in the science and art of bioidentical hormone pellet therapy. It was as miraculous for me as it is now for my patients. I got my life and health back!
Hormones In The Pellets
Bioidentical Hormone Replacement pellets most commonly contain pure pharmaceutical-grade estradiol and/or testosterone identical to your own hormones in their chemical structure and in exact ratios your body needs. Other hormones that can be used in the pellet form are progesterone, pregnanolone and DHEA.
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Can I Take Birth Control Pills With Testosterone Pellets
We strongly suggest that you do not because it dampens the effects of the testosterone pellets. Instead of oral contraceptives we encourage our patients to get a Mirena IUD or permanent birth control instead of taking the pill. Many women who insist on continuing the pill are disappointed in the resolution of their symptoms, and they decide after they experience the problem to seek out other birth control. Birth control is, of course, not needed after menopause.
Hormones Specific To Men
Like women, men can experience a decline in the reproductive hormone testosterone. While people colloquially refer to this as male menopause, this is not exactly an appropriate description. This condition is called andropause, and it doesnt affect all men only some. This decline can result in depression, anxiety, fatigue, and low libido.
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Are There Any Side Effects Or Complications From The Insertion Of The Pellets
Possible complications from the insertion of pellets include minor bleeding or bruising, discoloration of the skin, infection, and the possible extrusion of the pellet. Other than slight bruising, or discoloration of the skin, these complications are rare.
- Women: Testosterone may cause a slight increase in facial hair in some women. This issue resolves as the dosage is decreased. Women do NOT grow a penis even with a large over dosage of testosterone! Voice lowering occurs only at extremely high levels and returns to normal as the levels decline.
- Men: Testosterone stimulates the bone marrow and increases the production of red blood cells. A low testosterone level in older men is a cause of anemia. Testosterone, delivered by implants or other methods, can cause an elevation in the red blood cells. If the hemoglobin and hematocrit get too high, a unit of blood may be donated.
After the insertion of the implants, vigorous physical activity is avoided for 48 hours in women and up to 5 to 7 days in men. Early physical activity is a cause of extrusion, which is a pellet working its way out. Antibiotics may be prescribed if a patient is diabetic or has had a joint replaced. However, this is a clean procedure and antibiotics are not usually needed.
Drawbacks Of Hormone Pellet Therapy
Fear Of Implant: Many patients avoid pellet therapy because of the minor surgery procedure. Though the operation is risk-free and painless, the chances of infection or bleeding are minimum.
Side Effects: Hormone pellet therapy has a few minor side effects. It takes a few weeks to completely recover after the surgery and get back to active life.
Non Removable Pellets: The hormone pellets are non-removable, which increases the risk of over-treatment. Make sure your practitioner is highly trained and knows what he is doing.
Costly: Compared to other hormone therapies, pellet insertion is expensive. But considering the effectiveness and service, the price is quite fair.
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What Exactly Is Pellet Therapy
To put it simply, pellet therapy involves two separate kinds of pellets:
- Testosterone pellets
- Estrogen pellets
That being said, BioTE pellets are the perfect way to balance hormones for women between the ages of 35 and 54. We all know that dealing with hormone imbalance is an extremely frustrating experience.
Some providers use bioidentical hormone replacement therapy to create hormones similar to yours. Since these new hormones are identical to the ones that your body has made, you should have no problem adjusting to estrogen pellet therapy.
In terms of female hormonal imbalance, some of the biggest signs that you need help include:
Estrogen and testosterone pellet therapy helps you balance hormones in a way thats healthy for your lifestyle.
The craziest part is that tons of women experience hormonal imbalance is without even realizing it. Because the symptoms can range from debilitating to subtle, some signs can be covered up by other medications as well.
To find out whether or not you have a hormonal imbalance, its probably a good idea to get your hormones checked by your primary care doctor. This will let you know what hormones are doing well and how to prevent an imbalance in your endocrine system.
On the bright side, estrogen and testosterone pellets are the best way to try hormone replacement therapy!
How Fast Can You Expect Results
Several medical tests will be necessary to determine whether pellets are a good fit for a patient. Once the hormonal imbalance has been confirmed, an appointment can be booked for the initial insertion of the pellet. This session should take around 15 minutes, and you can use numbing agents so the patient wont feel any pain. Since the treatment is minimally invasive, theyll be able to resume many of their daily activities immediately.
After 1-3 days, patients will start feeling the first effects of your pellet. Over the next 2-4 weeks, these will increase, and the patients may start to notice that they lose weight faster, develop a stronger immune system and better memory recall, and that their overall mood increases. The exact results will depend on what types of hormones have been inserted. While the patient will see improvement after a few weeks, it may take 6 months to feel the full effects.
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Hormone Pellets In Men
For men, hormone imbalance is often overlooked. Men, just like women have it. But, the hormones at play are a little different. Testosterone is the dominant male hormone. This is what gives your little boy his hairy armpits and deeper voice. It is also what is behind the teen moodiness you may notice around the house. Way past these teen years as men age testosterone will wane since it is main role to the body is for sperm quality and production. With that, Low T leads to a wide variety of issues. Along with testosterone fluctuations, estrogen and progesterone dip in aging. Hormone pellet therapy with BioTE® is very helpful to men to regain their stamina, stable mood and overall wellness. However, its usually the partner that urges them to seek hormone treatment. Hormone imbalance in men is frequently chalked up to simple aging or misdiagnosed and treated with other medications. Men find, however, that once they start BioTE® pellet therapy the onset of relief of symptoms makes it worth the visit.
Pros And Cons Of Pellets
Like most treatments in medicine, pellet therapy has its advantages and disadvantages. Youll be carefully evaluated by our doctor to make sure there are many pros than cons before offering you the pellet option. Youll be able to make an informed decision at that time but here is what you should know as you consider Bioidentical Hormone Replacement Therapy using pellets.
PROS
- Pellets release hormones in a way that best mimics natural hormone release by the ovaries and testes.
- Pellets are made of all-natural plant-derived material that completely dissolves in your body as a pellet finishes its job.
- Pellets have an outstanding safety record and are not linked to cancer or other side effects.
- Pellets offer the convenience of living your life naturally and not worrying of frequent hormone injections, pills or messy creams.
- You will not forget to take your hormones and miss a dose which can happen with other treatment methods.
CONS
The biggest advantage of pellets is that they provide optimal hormonal levels for weeks and months, something that cannot be achieved with other methods.
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Side Effects Of Hormone Pellets In Females And Males
Hormone pellets are bio-identical and hence, considered safe. However, you can not completely ignore the possibility of a few side effects of these grain size supplements. The after pellet effect might vary depending on the gender and physique.
Here are the probable side effects of hormones pellet therapy,
Advantages Of Hormone Pellet Therapy
Easy And Risk-Free Implant: Taking medicines every day is a hassle. If you are in your 40s or 50s, you keep forgetting the dosage. Hormone pellets are far more compatible and effective, considering the situation. One time implant, and you are fit to go for up to 6 months.
Appreciable Consistency: The pills and creams work in the hormonal imbalance but give you a roller coaster effect. When you take the meds, your hormone level will be the highest, which drops as time goes by.
Now compare the effect to the pellets. These cylindrical supplements release a steady and consistent flow of hormones. So, you feel healthy and in control all the time.
Forgetting Is Not An Option: It never happens that I will not miss my course pills or injection at least one day. I am sure the same happens to you too. Sticking with pellets has no risk of forgetting as the supplements are already inside you and serving consistently.
Showering With Success: Have you ever seen the success rate of hormone pellet therapy? It is 95%. On the other hand, the satisfaction rate for creams and gels are 75% and 62%, respectively.
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What Treatment Looks Like
BHRT using pellets is an easy and safe method, both for you as a provider and for your patients. Once youve determined that its a good fit for someone, you can set up their appointment and give them some instructions about what to do in the weeks leading up to treatment. Although theyll have to stop taking certain medications, they wont have to fast before the appointment.
What Makes Pellets A Superior Hormone Delivery System
A hormone pellet is very small usually not much bigger than a grain of rice but it can have a very big impact on a persons overall health and wellbeing. These pellets contain plant-based bioidentical hormones that are molecularly identical to the hormones found naturally in the human body. Depending on how much you need of a particular hormone, the pellets can be customized to suit your exact needs.
What makes pellets superior to some other hormone delivery systems, such as an injection or a patch, is that they are able to deliver a slow but steady dose of hormones directly into the bloodstream. Over the course of about four to five months, the pellet releases a steady flow of hormones that is never too much or not enough.
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How To Know When Hormone Pellets Wear Off
BioTE® bio-identical hormone pellet therapy puts your body back in balance naturally. But, many people wonder how to spot hormone pellet side effects. Whats normal? Whats not? And, how will you know when hormone pellets wear off? Women and men alike are loving their results with BioTE® pellet therapy. If youre gathering information or new to BioTE® take note. Lets cover these important topics so youll know what to expect.
How Is Dosage Calculated
Every treatment plan is unique. We recreate what the normal daily production of testosterone and estradiol by a young ovary should be and deliver enough of that dose to last until the next pellet insertion. This dose is then adjusted according to body mass, exercise frequency, and any medications the patient is on.
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Are There Any Risks For Hormone Pellets
Hormone treatment, often known as hormone replacement therapy, has been found to have risks for women . Increased risk of blood clots, stroke, and gallbladder problems are all possible side effects. Age and prolonged hormone treatment usage in elderly women may further raise the risk of heart disease and breast cancer risk.
However, according to many doctors, BHRT is a lot safer and less risky than other treatments.
Nevertheless, for any kind of therapy, or treatment, the best thing you can do is be prepared and be thorough. Talk to your medical professional first before starting any of them. The hormone experts at YM are here to help. Founder, Larry Siegel, NP, is a SottoPelle certified provider and specializes in hormone therapy will answer all of your needs and concerns to help you reach your health goals in the most optimized way.
Get SAFE, EFFECTIVE, and CUTTING-EDGE therapies for health optimization at YM. Contact us to schedule your FREE consultation at our four offices in Florida, Ocala, Fruitland Park, and Daytona. 2020 is DONE. Lets SLAY 2021!
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How Do You Know If Your A Candidate For Pellet Hormone Replacement Therapy
Symptoms such as depression, low libido, brain fog, sleeplessness, muscle loss and low energy. Furthermore, conditions of aging like menopause and perimenopause in women can cause hot flashes, mood swings, and weight gain while even post-menopausal women experience symptoms including but not limited to hair loss, acne and low libido and irregular menstrual cycles.
Aging also has an effect on men known as andropause, which is caused by fluctuation of testosterone levels and causes many of the same symptoms. Testosterone replacement can restore your vitality, sex drive and have profound effects on your ability to retain muscle mass, cognition and energy levels.
Testosterone levels in men begin to decline in their 30s. When they begin to show signs of testosterone deficiency men should get tested. Men in their 30s can be testosterone deficient and show signs of bone loss, and most men need to be tested by around 50 years of age.
The first step in determining if your symptoms are the result of a hormonal imbalance and that you are a candidate for bio-identical pellet hormone replacement therapy is comprehensive lab testing.
Lab testing at KOI Wellbeing measures the current status of your natural hormones and your overall health and wellbeing. Our physicians will use the results of this lab testing along with your medical history and current symptoms to develop a treatment plan and determine if hormone replacement therapy is right for you.
Read Also: How Do You Know If You Have Estrogen Dominance
Changes In Hair Growth
Hair growth is controlled by hormones. Estrogen and progesterone are responsible for controlling the hairs growth phase, helping your hair grow faster and remain on your head longer. As these hormones decline, your hair may start to fall out or become thin.
Although hormone pellet therapy can help regulate estrogen and progesterone levels in the body, the implant may not increase hormone levels enough. It may need to be adjusted by your doctor.
How Pellets Are Inserted
Pellet insertion procedure is performed at the office. It is quick and virtually painless taking about 15 minutes. The doctor will thoroughly clean the skin in the upper portion of your buttocks with an antiseptic solution to make sure everything stays sterile and no bacteria that cause infection can get inside. She will then inject local anesthetic with a tiny needle to numb the area of pellet insertion. Thats the only tiny pinprick you will feel. Then your doctor will make a small, less than ¼ inch hole in your skin and place a pellet under your skin through that hole using a special device. The device looks like a syringe with a needle, just bigger than regular syringes. Doctor will just hold pressure in the area for about 5 minutes to make sure the pellet settles in place and there is no bleeding. Finally shell cover that small hole in your skin with a sticky strip that will keep it closed while your skin heals. Your skin will heal quickly, and in a couple of weeks you may not even see the spot where the pellet was inserted. You will receive detailed care instructions what to do and not to do while you skin at the pellet insertion site is healing.
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Choosing The Right Practitioner
The benefits of pellet therapy and ease of administration make it an increasingly popular choice for those looking for a long-term solution for hormonal health conditions. However, choosing the right hormone replacement therapy practitioner is essential to ensuring the best possible treatment experience.
The best BHRT practitioners will conduct a comprehensive assessment of your hormone levels, symptoms, and overall health. They will also help you understand all your treatment options and determine which administration method will work best for your health concerns, your preferences, and your lifestyle. They will then create a treatment plan that is tailored to your needs, including carefully calibrating your BHRT dosage. While correct dosages are critical for all forms of BHRT, it is particularly crucial for those using pellet therapy because pellets dissolve naturally over time and cannot be removed. As such, your practitioner must stay conservative enough to prevent excessive treatment yet still provide an effective dosea balance that requires a high level of expertise. They will then continue to track your progress and fine-tune your care to help you achieve your health goals.
Hormonal changes and imbalances can make youfeel like someone else. With the right practitioner and the right treatment,you can recapture your sense of self and live life to its fullest.