Menopausal Health, Hormone Balance, and BioTe®
ESTROGEN. TESTOSTERONE. THYROID. PROGESTERONE. ADRENAL (DHEA)
Fatigue, weight gain, mood swings, anxiety, brain fog, lack of focus, irritability, sleeplessness, night sweats, headaches, decreased stamina, bladder symptoms, hot flashes, and low sex drive are just a few symptoms of hormone imbalance. It can be very frustrating and we want you to know that. having one or more of these symptoms is common in most women. Symptoms can easily resolve and you can feel relief with the right treatment plan. Center for Pelvic Health and Wellness specializes in diagnosing and treating hormone imbalance and related disorders through comprehensive testing and a personalized treatment plan that may include bio-identical hormone replacement therapy of one or more hormones.
What is Perimenopause and Menopause?
Menopause is time in women’s life when her ovaries stop producing estrogen and progesterone leading to her no longer having a period. The years leading up to menopause are called, “perimenopause.” Perimenopause can go quickly or take years and years to build up to menopause. Every women’s body is different. And, some women start perimenopause as early as their 30s.
Symptoms of perimenopause and menopause include:
- Hot flashes
- Chills
- Night sweats
- Spotting and irregular periods
- Vaginal dryness
- Weight gain
- Issues related to sleep
- Mood shifts and swings
- Thinning hair and dry skin
- Loss of fullness of the breasts
If you are experiencing symptoms of perimenopause or menopause, there is relief through both natural and pharmaceutical treatments including hormone replacement therapy (HRT).
Also, certain cancer therapies and affect a woman’s hormones. We take great care to understand a woman’s cancer diagnosis and treatment plan in order to work with each patient to come up with a personalized treatment plan that works with her body.
Hormone Levels Change as we Age
Hormone therapy can provide huge benefits to perimenopausal women as well as menopausal women, if they are within 10 years of the onset of menopause. Modern hormone therapy supports women living their best life possible meaning supporting women with hormone therapy for long-term longevity, energy, and health.
Hormone therapy consists of supplementing your body’s natural hormones to produce an optimal level of hormones in your body. The main hormones that we balance include estrogen, thyroid, testosterone, progesterone, and adrenal (DHEA) hormone.
What You Need to Know About Hormone Therapy
First, Let’s Start with Estrogen
Both men and women have estrogen circulating in their bodies. Estrogen rises and falls in a women’s body during perimenopause which is generally the trigger for many unpleasant symptoms associated with perimenopause and menopause.
Did you know that after menopause, a women’s estrogen level is often lower than a man’s estrogen level?
Symptoms of changing estrogen levels can include thinning of skin and hair, thinning of vulvar tissues and vaginal dryness, brain fog, poor concentration, irritability, night sweats, hot flashes, low libido (desire for sex), and pain with intimacy. Long term, low estrogen levels can contribute to bone loss, increased cholesterol, increased risk of heart attack, and cognitive/mental decline.
Estrogen therapy can be in the form of a gel, cream, a patch, or pellet. Hormone Therapy (HT) involves treating women with systemic hormones such as estradiol, a type of estrogen, for perimenopausal and menopausal symptoms. Estrogen therapy should not be taken by mouth as it is first metabolized by the liver when taken orally and can increase your risk of blood clots as well as have a negative effect on your testosterone levels (yes, women need testosterone, too!).
Testosterone is for Women and Men!
Testosterone is critical for bone, brain, heart, and sexual health. Testosterone isn’t just for men. As women enter perimenopause and menopause, testosterone supplementation can have wonderful effects such as increased energy, vitality, stamina, enhanced libido (sex drive), improved cognitive clarity, memory, and focus.
Testosterone supplementation is common for women with sexual complaints, specifically low libido and arousal issues, who have low testosterone blood levels. Typically, testosterone is administered via BioTe pellet therapy or via daily drops on the skin (which is then absorbed through the skin). Oral testosterone is rarely prescribed because it is first metabolized through the liver which can have negative side effects.
What about Progesterone?
Progesterone, when taken with estrogen, can reduce the risk of endometrial cancer in women who still have a uterus. Progesterone can help with night sweats, hot flashes, and sleeplessness.
Micronized progesterone is a bio-identical, plant derived progesterone that has not been shown to increase breast cancer risks when taken with estrogen. To be clear, micronized progesterone is NOT progestin. Progestin is a synthetic hormone that has been linked to an increase in breast cancer.
Thyroid Health
Adrenal Hormones
BioTE® , the Hormone Therapy Pellet
BioTE® is a form of hormone therapy that is either estrodial or testosterone and is placed under the skin. The BioTe pellet is about the size of a grain of rice and completely dissolves over time. Once symptoms start to return (usually in about 3-5 months), a new pellet is placed under your skin in order to keep your hormones at optimal levels. The advantages of pellet therapy are that the pellet releases just the right amount of hormone into the bloodstream as needed. There is no need for you to remember to apply a cream or gel, or to remember to take oral medication.
Center for Pelvic Health and Wellness is a Certified BioTE® Provider
This means that our doctors have received advanced training in the BioTe Medical method of bio-identical hormone replacement therapy (BHRT). More than 1.7 million people have received the BioTe Medical method of hormone replacement therapy.
The BioTe pellet is inserted in the doctor’s office. And, if BioTe is the right therapy for you, your doctor will review any potential side effects of hormone therapy with you before inserting the pellet.
The BioTe pellet as well as other topical hormones are typically not covered by insurance. The cost is less than what you would pay for a cup of coffee a day at your local coffee shop. Center for Pelvic Health and Wellness will provide you with a receipt, a letter of medical necessity, as well as the coding necessary for you to submit the treatment to your insurance company. Sometimes, insurance companies will reimburse you for part of the service. However, this is not guaranteed. Please check with your insurance company before receiving this service if you would like to know if you will be reimbursed.
Each Women's Treatment Plan is Unique
Each patient’s treatment plan is personalized to address your specific symptoms. Schedule an appointment with us today for an evaluation of your symptoms and hormone levels, as well as to learn more about how restoring hormones to their optimal levels can address specific health concerns and help you feel better and live your best life.