As men and women age, the levels of some key hormones in the body go down. These include estrogen, progesterone, and testosterone. This can lead to certain symptoms that impact the quality of life. Some symptoms are very common to women who are near or past the age of menopause, but these symptoms can occur in women who are in their mid to late 20s and above. These symptoms can also begin to appear in men as early as mid 30s.
Common Symptoms of Hormone Imbalance
- Difficulty sleeping at night
- Lack of energy and fatigue during the day
- Reduced mental focus, memory and poor concentration
- Moodiness, anxiety or depression
- Weight gain, including increased fat around the midsection
- Inability to lose weight regardless of healthy diet and exercise
- Decreased muscle strength/Difficulty building muscle with exercise
- Slower recovery after exercise
- Muscle and/or joint pain
- Reduced sexual desire and performance
Bioidentical hormones are plant based hormones that are similar to the hormones produced by the human body. They are used as treatment for people whose own hormones are low or unbalanced.
Bioidentical hormones are from plants and they are processed to allow for insertion into the body. Testosterone is our favorite bioidentical hormone to replace. It has been around for over 80 years and has not been associated with the increased risks seen with other forms of hormone replacement. It can be given to both men and women and it helps to relieve symptoms of hormone imbalance. Our doctor will check your hormone levels to see which ones are deficient. She will also check levels of other hormones in your body to rule out other causes of your symptoms.
Hormones are chemicals made by your endocrine glands. They are messengers that tell other parts of your body how and when to work. Hormones affect many systems and functions in your body. Even the slightest imbalance can cause symptoms that interfere with your day.
Bioidentical hormone therapy (BHRT) uses processed hormones that come from plants. Estrogen, and testosterone are the most commonly used bioidentical hormones. These hormones are solidified into pellets; these pellets are then injected into the fat of the hip, from where they slowly dissolve into the body. This way, they can last women between 3-4 months and men between 6-9 months. Pellets avoid the digestive system so they do not interact with any of the medications you are regularly taking. Pellet slowly dissolve into the body so there are no major side effects.
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved certain types of bioidentical hormones. Other forms of bioidentical hormones are custom-made by a pharmacist based on a healthcare provider's prescription. These are compounded (or mixed) bioidentical hormones.
Bioidentical hormones are derived from natural sources, to replace the body’s missing hormones. Bioidentical hormones are virtually identical in structure to the human hormones that they are replacing.
Our bioidentical hormone replacement pellets are chemically identical to human hormones. Bioidentical hormone replacement pellets are derived from 100% natural plant or animal sources and are NOT artificially lab-created like many other pharmaceutical hormone treatments. Pellets have been used for the treatment of hormonal imbalance since the 1930s and have many unique advantages over other methods of hormone administration. Pellets are tiny cylinders about the size of a grain of rice that is inserted in the fatty area of the upper buttock. This is a very quick, simple, and painless in-office procedure. The incision is so small that there is no need for stitches. There is virtually no downtime and you can return to your daily routine.
Bioidentical hormone replacement pellets are inserted in a quick in-office procedure. First, a mild local anesthetic is used to numb the insertion area, typically in the hip. Then the pellet – smaller than a grain of rice – is inserted under the skin, into the fat. The time-released pellets continue to release hormones into the body consistently over time. Eventually, the pellets dissolve and do not have to be removed.