Other Factors To Remember:
Hormone replacement therapy works very well and has multiple different options you can choose from. Based on the cost of just the prescription, you may want to say the pills are your best bet. However, we want you to remember that there are other factors involved.
The cost of the doctors visit is not in the price of the prescription. If you have a co-pay for a doctors appointment, this can quickly add up to hundreds of extra charges for your therapy.
The same is true with bloodwork to monitor your levels. You have to pay for these tests, as many insurance companies have caps on how many blood tests they will pay for in a given year.
Hrt Does Not Cause Weight Gain
Weight gain at the menopause is related to age and lifestyle factors. An increase in body fat, especially around the abdomen, can occur during menopause because of hormonal changes, although exactly why this happens is not clear. Normal age-related decrease in muscle tissue, and a decrease in exercise levels, can also contribute to weight gain.
Most studies do not show a link between weight gain and HRT use. If a woman is prone to weight gain during her middle years, she will put on weight whether or not she uses HRT.
Some women may experience symptoms at the start of treatment, including bloating, fluid retention and breast fullness, which may be misinterpreted as weight gain. These symptoms usually disappear once the therapy doses are changed to suit the individual.
What Is Bioidentical Hormone Replacement Therapy
Bioidentical hormone replacement therapy, or BHRT for short, is a leading scientific method for re-balancing hormones in a person who is experiencing an imbalance. Often these imbalances are temporary, and BHRT only needs to be used for a limited amount of time. In other instances, they may be a long-term treatment, but this will vary depending on the patient. The treatment works by figuring out which hormones are under-represented in a patient and then reintroducing certain hormones as a way of stabilizing the situation.
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Bioidentical Hormone Therapy For Men
Hormone replacement therapy for men uses testosterone to correct hormonal imbalances. At our office, we use testosterone pellets as a means of delivering the hormone to your body. Hormone therapy for men has many bodily process and physical benefits. Typically, hormone therapy for men is done to address the changes brought about by andropause. The main benefits of hormone therapy for men include:
- Improved libido
For men, the hormonal changes caused by andropause are sometimes less obvious and they are certainly less talked about. The most common and obvious sign of hormonal imbalances caused by andropause is a significantly reduced libido, including the ability to sustain arousal. Andropause is also a heavy contributor to hair loss, negative mood swings, and difficulty sleeping. Hormone therapy for men using testosterone pellets can vastly improve these symptoms.
Types Of Hormone Replacement Therapy And How Long Before They Take Effect
Estrogen is an important hormone in the body that affects female development and the menstrual cycle. Its production in the female body naturally declines over time, but around 1% of women experience premature menopause and decreased estrogen levels earlier than normal. This puts them at risk of different health conditions including neurological diseases, cardiovascular diseases, several cancer types, osteoporosis, and more.
To prevent these risks and restore the normal level of estrogen in the body, women are often recommended to undergo hormone replacement therapy. This treatment comes in different types which take different times to take effect.
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Putting The Pieces Together
The obvious answer to weight loss is reducing calorie intake and exercising more. But if you have maxed out your capacity to diet and exercise without seeing the desired results or have hormone-related symptoms that interfere with your ability to make healthy lifestyle changes, its time to do more. For many, the answer could be hormone replacement therapy .
For women experiencing menopause or perimenopause, HRT under the guidance of a hormone health specialist can be life-changing. Researchers have found strong evidence that estrogen or combined estrogen-progesterone replacement therapy may help to prevent menopause-related changes in body composition and the associated metabolic consequences. Additionally, many women find that HRT alleviates symptoms that interfere with weight losssuch as fatigue, sleep disturbances, and mood symptomsand allows them to make the choices necessary to shed unwanted pounds.
If a thyroid condition is thwarting your efforts for weight loss over 40, getting a specific and accurate diagnosis is critical. If your lab results and symptoms point to hypothyroidism, hormone therapy is the gold standard in treatment and can help you restore balance and take control of your health. A hormone specialist can devise a treatment plan tailored to your unique needs and provide nutrition and lifestyle recommendations to support greater ongoing health.
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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Balance Your Hormones With Whole Health Jc
If you are experiencing any of the signs above from a hormone imbalance, look no further than Whole Health JC for help. Our clinic offers Bio-identical Hormone Replacement Therapy treatment options for both men and women. Through a simple lab test, we can assess your hormone levels and create a BHRT treatment that fits your individual needs!
Dr.Su
What Does Bioidentical Hormone Mean
Doctors have often used hormone therapies in order to help patients overcome certain conditions, including an imbalance. To do this, they previously used synthetic, lab-created hormones that are typically derived from plant material and then given to a patient in the form of a pill, a cream, or a tablet.
Do bioidentical hormones work? And how does it differ from other synthetic hormones because of their molecular shapebioidentical hormones are designed to be exact copies of the hormones that naturally occur in the human body, and because of this, they are believed to be a more effective form of treatment. Many bioidentical hormones have been replicated and used to treat patients, including estrogen, testosterone, progesterone, melatonin, and others.
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Which Hormones Do I Need
All forms of HRT should supply you with some form of oestrogen, as this is the hormone which will help ease your menopause symptoms Your doctor will usually recommend trying a lower dose to begin with, although this can be increased if needed at follow-up appointments.
However, if you still have your womb, you need to take progesterone too. This is because oestrogen alone can cause abnormal thickening of the womb lining and even endometrial cancer. The progesterone has a protective effect which removes this risk.
You may also read about testosterone, which is sometimes prescribed as a gel and absorbed through the skin. This is used less frequently than standard HRT, but is sometimes recommended where loss of libido is an issue.
Why Should I Consider Stopping Hrt
When it comes to HRT, you have to take the good with the bad despite the array of associated benefits, including effective relief from hot flushes and depression, it also comes with a several risks.
Much of the research conducted over the last couple of decades suggests that HRT doubles the risk of developing ovarian cancer and increases the risk of breast cancer, even when taken for a relatively short period of 5 years or less This is especially true for women aged 60 or above. While it has also been proven that this risk can reduce over time, it is still higher in women after 10 years of taking the treatment, as compared to those who have never taken HRT. It is important to note that these risks have only been identified in the combined HRT treatment , not the estrogen-only type.
Evidence indicates that HRT reduces the risk of cardiovascular issues, such as heart disease and stroke, in women under 60 who begin treatment within 10 years of starting menopause. Conversely, the risk is likely to increase in women aged 60 or over.
For the above reasons, it is important that you take the medication at the lowest possible dose for the shortest period of time, especially if you fall within the higher end of the age spectrum. Talk with your doctor if you have any questions or concerns they will go through all of the benefits and risks with you to choose the best course of treatment and put your mind at ease.
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What Are The Benefits Of Bioidentical Hormone Therapy
Since bio-identical hormones are not animal-derived or synthetic, they are generally well-tolerated. This treatment is a more natural type of hormone treatment because the hormones used are molecularly identical to the ones naturally occurring in the body. There are numerous benefits to this type of treatment.
Two of the most important benefits, however, are that research shows there may be fewer side effects with BHRT and more flexibility in adapting and changing doses than with traditional HRT. This allows for a quicker reduction in symptoms and a smoother return to improved quality of life.
Who Can Get A Hormone Imbalance
There is nothing uncommon or strange about having a hormone imbalance, especially at certain chapters of ones life. As a result of the perfectly natural aging process, our bodies go through various hormonal changes. Just as many of these can happen in the teen years, there are still more that happen during middle age or in connection with menopause.
However, just because these are common conditions doesnt mean that they are pleasant, or that you have to live with the disruptions that they can cause. Thats why Your Family Medical offers bioidentical hormone replacement therapy for patients who are suffering from an imbalance.
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Contraception Pregnancy And Hrt
Oestrogen used in HRT is different from oestrogen used in the contraceptive pill, and is not as powerful.
This means its possible to become pregnant if you are taking HRT to control menopausal symptoms. In some cases, a woman can be fertile for up to 2 years after her last period if she is under 50, or for a year if she is over 50.
If you dont want to get pregnant, you can use a non-hormonal method of contraception, such as a condom or diaphragm.
An alternative is the IUS , which is also licensed for heavy periods and as the progestogen part of HRT. You will need to add oestrogen as either a tablet, gel or patch.
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Supporting A Healthy Hormone Balance
Our surroundings are constantly waging chemical warfare on our bodies, and it is imperative that we give our bodys functional systems the best chance they have at winning the battle. Chemicals known as endocrine disruptors are found in everyday objects such as toys and plastics, so they are difficult to avoid. Nonetheless, there are many ways we can support our hormones both before and after replacement therapy.
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A Personalized Treatment Plan
Your treatment plan will differ from anyone elses. Many people come to us for BHRT for very different reasons. A personalized plan that fits your needs is the only way to effectively treat and correct the issues that you were dealing with related to your hormones. Once we develop your treatment plan, we will act accordingly and you will begin your BHRT treatments.
What Are The Risks Of Hormone Therapy
Although 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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What Are The Symptoms Of Menopause
Menopausal symptoms can range from emotional conditions such as mood swings and a reduced sex drive to physical symptoms such as hot flushes, night sweats, and vaginal discomfort or dryness. Once women reach a certain age, their bodies begin to produce fewer female hormones, which causes these symptoms. Hormonal Replacement Therapy aims to top up this lack of female hormones to help relieve the symptoms.
Menopause symptoms generally pass on their own within a couple of years, but thats a pretty long time to be suffering. Hormone Replacement Therapy essentially balances out your hormones, causing the symptoms to diminish much quicker. It varies from case to case, but this usually takes between a couple of weeks and a few months.
so how long before Hormone Replacement Therapy starts to work? Well look at this question below.
How Long You Take Hrt
If you have HRT to help with menopausal symptoms, you should take it for 2 to 3 years.
To get the best benefit in reducing the risk of osteoporosis, you need to take HRT for at least 5 years.
If you had an early menopause or surgery to remove your ovaries, the time is not counted until you reach the age of 50. This is the average age of the menopause.
You can talk about stopping or lowering the amount of HRT that you take with your doctor. Each year, you and your doctor review the benefits and risks of continuing to take HRT.
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Incorporate Pellets In Your Practice Now
Pellet therapy is a safe, easy, and effective way to restore the bodys hormonal balance and relieve symptoms. In most cases, your patients can expect to feel a difference after 1-3 days, but the full results will be achieved in 2-4 weeks. Once people have started receiving treatment, we recommend that they go back to vist you for a replacement three or four times every year, as the pellets are absorbed by the body over time.
To find out more about our innovative product, contact Pellecome in Randolph, NJ. We will be more than happy to answer any questions, give you details on how our products could assist your patients, and help you get started with us. Our hormone replacement therapy method is popular all over the country, and we are certain that you will find it beneficial, as well.
How Long Does This Treatment Take To Work
You can expect to start seeing the benefits of this treatment within 24 to 72 hours of receiving your treatment. However, some people dont see the benefits of hormone replacement therapy until one or two weeks following their treatment.
Your lifestyle choices, the dosage administered, and your bodys unique response to the treatment will determine how quickly the results become apparent. Be advised, you will receive better results if you incorporate healthy habits and nutritious meals into your lifestyle.
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When To Stop Taking Hrt
Most women are able to stop taking HRT after their menopausal symptoms finish, which is usually two to five years after they start .
Gradually decreasing your HRT dose is usually recommended, rather than stopping suddenly. You may find that your menopausal symptoms come back after you stop HRT, but these should pass within a few months.
How Long Does It Take For Bioidentical Hormones To Absorb
Everyone experiences treatment differently, with some patients reporting an improvement in symptoms within days, and others reporting relief after two to three weeks. On average, however, the full effect of treatment is expected by the eighth week. At this point, patients report significantly less fatigue, depression, anxiety, and other uncomfortable symptoms of hormone imbalance.
Research suggests that with this reduction of symptoms, many people also find more energy and motivation to return to hobbies or work they may have abandoned when their hormone imbalance began. Within days, many are inspired to introduce healthier habits and more physical activity to their lifestyle. Sleep improves, as does mental health, leading many patients to improved quality of life in a matter of weeks.
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Insomnia Or Lack Of Sleep
On the other hand, it can be a challenge when a patient has too little progesterone, too. This will cause the patient not to feel tired, even when they have a significant need for sleep. Lack of adequate sleep can cause other hormone production to become disrupted too, leading to a vicious cycle. In both this case and in the case of chronic fatigue, BHRT can make a real difference in peoples day-to-day lives.