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Your Partner in Optimum Health!
December 02, 2019
Are you feeling abnormally fatigued lately? Are you noticing unusual aches, pains, or other signs of aging? Especially if you’re in or around middle age, it may be that these symptoms are not just the normal aging process but actually a hormonal imbalance. Fortunately, modern medicine has given us a new tool to counteract some of these effects. It’s called “bioidentical hormone replacement”, and it’s one of the many health treatments offered by the friendly medical professionals at Medical Transformation Center in Louisville, KY.
As we age, the maturation in our physiology is usually dictated by the hormonal changes we experience. During our teen years, hormones move us into adulthood. As we get older, the levels of some of the hormones that are usually in our systems can start to decline.
Women often experience this when they go through menopause, and men typically start to lose some of their testosterone when they are in their thirties, forties, and fifties. The effects can be mild or intense and can cause hair loss, insomnia, moodiness, or declining libido, even to the point of losing all interest in sex. In some cases, hormone fluctuations and insufficiencies can even affect cognitive functions like memory or focus.
It can also be the case that hormones are affected by outside influences. Where we live or work, what we eat, what chemicals we are exposed to–all these can affect our health. Sleep habits can also play a role, as chronic lack of healthy sleep can complicated hormone regulation. Whatever the reason may be, it doesn’t mean that you have to continue to suffer.
Bioidentical Hormone Replacement Therapy, or (BHRT for short) is a modern therapy treatment. It reintroduces specific hormones back into your system, when your glands are producing too little of one kind or another. Even if your endocrine system isn’t creating enough of some of its own hormones, you can still use “bioidentical hormones” to make sure you have the proper amounts in your body. By doing this, you get your hormone balance back, along with your mood, your focus, and your libido.
As you may guess from the name, bioidentical hormones are exact replications of the body’s natural hormones. The name “bioidentical” is used to distinguish these hormones from “synthetic” hormones, which are not always molecularly identical to the hormones that are naturally occurring in humans. The most common hormones to be created in this way are estrogen, progesterone, testosterone, thyroid hormones, DHEA, and even melatonin.
Patients have found greater success with these bioidentical hormones than with synthetic. Each patient will need different hormones, depending on their unique requirements. What happens when you start the process of bioidentical hormone replacement therapy?
Many people think about hormones only being important during the teenage years. However, they have a huge impact on our bodies, minds, and overall health throughout our lives. When patients are deficient in a particular hormone, we reintroduce it into their system in a controlled way.
Because human hormones can have such a profound impact on mood, thinking, and basic bodily functions, it’s necessary to add them in very small doses. In order to do this, we use a method called “pellet therapy.” We insert a small pellet that is composed of bioidentical hormones right under the patient’s skin.
Unless there is a reason to avoid it, we usually place this pellet in the upper portion of the buttocks, where it will be most comfortable. It takes the body about four months to absorb these pellets, which means that you won’t get too much all at once. Other methods (such as injections, patches, or pills) can be sometimes be used in cases where pellets are not ideal.
Bioidentical hormone replacement therapy can be used to address:
If you are experiencing these symptoms, you may be a candidate for treatment.
Each patient needs a unique treatment plan. Patients usually notice the symptoms first and then visit us for a thorough lab testing. During this time, we can ascertain what hormones may be out of balance and develop a plan based on our findings.
When a patient comes to us for help, we will start by getting a good idea of their medical history. A questionnaire will help us see if there is anything additional we should know. After this, we will start physical testing for current levels of hormones.
This is usually done through some combination of testing the blood, urine, or saliva. When we have gotten the lab results back, we will have a clear indication of whether there is an imbalance in one or multiple hormones.
We only proceed with treatment once we are sure that there is a hormone imbalance. Hormone balances can sometimes be difficult to detect before testing, as patients can feel the same symptoms but actually have a different condition. However, if a hormone imbalance is indeed the problem, we will schedule an initial consultation and get the process started. After your consultation, you can move to the next step, which is the first pellet treatment.
Inserting the pellet into the skin is a very simple and quick task. By design, the treatment works slowly, so it will be necessary to schedule a number of follow-up appointments so we can monitor your progress. Over this time, you may start to see a change in some of your symptoms. We will do further testing and consultations once every three or four months. This also allows us to make any adjustments if there is anything that needs to be changed.
In some cases, pellet therapy may be a short-term solution to a problem. Once balance has been restored, not every patient needs to continue. Others, however, may need the treatment indefinitely, depending on how their body responds.
It is important to note that hormone therapy is part of a much larger process. Achieving a natural balance in your system can be achieved through the use of hormone pellets, but often there are other factors that play a role. Our doctors may recommend certain dietary strategies or supplements in order to help increase the treatment’s effectiveness.
No, the hormone pellets do not come from animals or from other people. These bioidentical hormones are manufactured in a lab, and they are derived entirely from plant material.
Hormone pellets are made from plants. Depending on the individual pellet, there may be soy.
Sometimes hormone therapy is best approached as a long-term treatment. In some cases, such as the time around menopause, it can be used to help restore a more familiar balance to a patient while the body goes through a transitional period. In these cases, pellet therapy may not be required indefinitely.
In many cases, lost libido is directly tied to a change in a person’s hormones. As we age, the glands in the endocrine system can simply slow production of testosterone, estrogen, progesterone, and even cortisol. Cases of excess cortisol occur in patients who are suffering high levels of stress, which can certainly impact sex drive.
For men, the most common culprit is testosterone deficiency. This is extremely common in men in their fifties and sixties and sometimes even before this. Boosting the level of testosterone can often help correct this.
Although it’s typically thought of as a “male hormone”, testosterone is also extremely important for women, especially when it comes to sex drive. In women, an overabundance of estrogen may be causing testosterone to be less represented in their systems, and this will decrease libido. Too little estrogen, on the other hand, may affect sleep and sexual desire.
Once the problem has been identified, the “lacking” hormone can be reintroduced to a patient by using the pellet method. Over a period of several months, we can gradually restore the drive that was there before. In order to get optimal results, it can sometimes be helpful to combine pellet therapy with other techniques, such as managing sleep habits, nutrition, and diet strategies, and dealing with stress in patients who are overworked.
When patients rebalance their hormones, they are often amazed at how much better they feel. They regain strength, focus, and stamina they didn’t know they had. The brain can become better at concentrating or managing stress, and overall quality of life is vastly improved.
If you’ve been suffering from a hormone imbalance, you may not even have realized it. You could have been experiencing a deficiency for years without noting the changes that were occurring bit by bit, as hormones don’t just “disappear overnight” but gradually get lower as we age. Taking the time to get tested and then starting a treatment plan can improve your physical performance and your mental clarity.
The ideal candidate for bioidentical hormone therapy will be experiencing at least one of the symptoms previously mentioned, although it is very common for patients to be experiencing more than one. Although most patients are middle-aged or older, it is also not uncommon for men to benefit from testosterone therapy at an earlier age, as testosterone begins to decline in their thirties and will affect each individual differently.
For women who are having a difficult time before, during, or immediately after menopause, the treatment can be particularly helpful.
If you feel that you are experiencing any of these symptoms, the best thing to do is to get a test, just to be sure. When you meet with a member of our staff, we’ll go over your medical history and get a sense of what your particular challenges might be. We’ll check your medications, to make sure they won’t conflict with treatment. It’s also important to note that you can ask any questions during your consultation and voice any concerns. We will happily answer whatever questions you might have.
Are you ready to reclaim your life and vitality? Whatever you’re experiencing, whether it’s mental fogginess, an unusual drop in your sex drive, or strange moodiness or sleeplessness that can’t be explained by other means, bioidentical hormone therapy can change your life in profound and wonderful ways. Contact the caring staff at Medical Transformation Center in Louisville, KY and schedule your consultation today!
