With age, our hormone levels naturally begin to decrease, a significant factor in the aging process. The human body does not function at an optimal level without adequate hormone balance. At some point, in the lives of both men and women, the endocrine glands fail to maintain adequate hormone levels, and the older we get, the more depleted our hormones become. It is at this point that replacing those hormones becomes desirable and leads to a happier, healthier life. The key to safe and effective hormone replacement therapy is to use bio-identical hormones and to administer them in as physiologic a manner as possible. The body cannot metabolize non bioidentical hormones in a normal manner; therefore, they persist in the body and exert an abnormal effect which can lead to medical problems.
Traditional Oral Therapy
The most common type of HRT is oral medication. Should you choose this option, Dr. Pate will determine which type of medication you need—whether estrogen alone, or combined with progesterone—as well as the amount and schedule of dosage.
Transdermal Patches And Creams
Skin patches and creams deliver hormones through the skin directly into the bloodstream. They may be prescribed for specific symptoms related to menopause.
Sub-Dermal Treatment (Pellet Therapy)
The relatively new choice of sub-dermal pellet therapy is proving to be extremely effective, with about 98% of patients responding favorably and enjoying benefits that may include:
- Increased Sex Drive and Sexual Sensation
- Relief from Vaginal Dryness
- Control over Hot Flashes/Night Sweats
- Increased Energy Level
- Relief from Joint Pain
- Bone Density and Cardiac Protection
Bio-identical simply means that the hormone is exactly the same molecule as that which is naturally made by your body. This is important because your body recognizes it as such and can metabolize it normally. The term “bio-identical” does not indicate the source of the hormone, but rather indicates that the molecular structure of the replacement hormone is identical to that of the hormone naturally found in the human body. Bio-identical hormones are made by processing of hormone precursors found in plant sources, usually soy and yams.
When one becomes deficient in any hormone, it is optimal to replace it. Generally women will become deficient in progesterone and/or testosterone in their late 30′s to early 40′s. A lack of estrogen usually doesn’t occur until shortly before or at the menopause (average age of 51). Replacing all three hormones after the menopause is usually necessary for optimal hormone balance.
- Relief of vasomotor symptoms (hot flashes)
- Reduced risk of osteoporosis
- Reduced risk of coronary artery disease
- Reduced risk of Alzheimer’s disease
- Reduced risk of colon cancer
- Relief of vaginal dryness and thinning
- Reduced risk of arthritis
- Life expectancy an average of 3 years longer
- Counteracts estrogen dominance
- Minimizes risk of endometrial cancer in women who are receiving estrogen
- May reduce risk of breast cancer
- Enhanced libido
- Cardiovascular protection
- Increased energy and vitality
- Enhanced feeling of well-being
- Reduced body fat
- Stronger muscles and bones
- Relief of depression
- Cognitive clarity
Take a look at these HRT studies and articles that may help identify the benefits of bioidentical hormone therapy and disprove various false claims made concerning potential health risks.
There are hundreds of studies available to practitioners with regards to pellet hormone therapy, unfortunately most do not know where to find them or do not take the time to research the studies. The following are a few we have compiled.
Articles:
Natural Hormone Pellet Therapy — An Alternative to Bad Medicine
Studies:
- Testosterone therapy in women: Myths and misconceptions
- No increase in the incidence of breast carcinoma with subcutaneous administration of estradiol
- Testosterone and the Cardiovascular System: A Comprehensive Review of the Clinical Literature
- Testosterone and the aging male: To treat or not to treat?
- Beneficial effects of testosterone therapy in women measured by the validated Menopause Rating Scale (MRS)
- Metabolic and hormonal effects of 25-mg and 50-mg 17 beta-estradiol implants in surgically menopausal women
- Effects of estradiol with and without testosterone on body composition and relationships with lipids in postmenopausal women
- Effectiveness of Compounded Bioidentical Hormone Replacement Therapy: An Observational Cohort Study
- Pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics of 25-mg estradiol implants in postmenopausal Mexican women
- Increase in bone mass after one year of percutaneous oestradiol and testosterone implants in post‐menopausal women who have previously received long-term oral oestrogens
- Skeletal effects of oral oestrogen compared with subcutaneous oestrogen and testosterone in postmenopausal women
- Subdermal estradiol pellets following hysterectomy and oophorectomy. Effect upon serum estrone, estradiol, luteinizing hormone, follicle-stimulating hormone, corticosteroid binding globulin-binding capacity, testosteroneestradiol binding globulin-binding capacity, lipids, and hot flushes
- The Bioidentical Hormone Debate: Are Bioidentical Hormones (Estradiol, Estriol, and Progesterone) Safer or More Efficacious than Commonly Used Synthetic Versions in Hormone Replacement Therapy?
- Treatment of menstrual migraine by oestradiol implants
