Hormones decline in women and men as they get older, but that doesn’t mean you have to put up with the symptoms. Hormone deficiencies take a toll on your overall health and lead to chronic health problems. At HealthCare Partners Family Medicine, Nelson Kraucak, MD, FAAP, offer bioidentical hormone replacement therapy using natural hormones to safely restore natural hormone levels. To schedule an appointment, call the office in The Villages, Florida, or use the online booking feature.
Bioidentical Hormone Replacement Therapy Q & A
When do women need bioidentical hormone replacement therapy?
Although levels of many hormones gradually decline as women get older, the most significant changes occur during menopause.
In the years before menopause, hormone levels fluctuate, typically causing changes in your menstrual periods. You reach menopause when your ovaries stop producing estrogen and progesterone. This dramatic drop in hormones can cause several symptoms, such as:
- Hot flashes and night sweats
- Difficulty sleeping
- Mood changes
- Weight gain
- Vaginal dryness
- Painful intercourse
- Low sex drive
- Memory problems
- Fatigue
Bioidentical hormone replacement therapy (HRT) relieves all the symptoms associated with menopause and also prevents chronic health conditions that develop at menopause, such as osteoporosis. Women can receive HRT via creams or pellets.
When do men need bioidentical hormone replacement therapy?
Men don’t go through an intense hormonal shift, but they still lose hormones as they get older. Around the age of 30, testosterone levels drop by up to 2% every year. As your testosterone declines, you’ll experience symptoms that include:
- Erectile dysfunction
- Low sex drive
- Weight gain
- Osteoporosis
- Loss of muscle mass
- Decline in muscle strength
- Thinning beard and body hair
- Fatigue
- Difficulty concentrating
In addition to the age-related loss of testosterone, men may also develop hypogonadism, or low testosterone caused by a problem with hormone production, known as andropause.
The only treatment for low testosterone, andropause is bioidentical HRT. Restoring your hormone levels back to normal eliminates your symptoms.
What is bioidentical hormone replacement therapy?
Bioidentical hormones have the same molecular structure as your body’s natural hormones. As a result, your body responds normally to these hormones, reducing the risk of side effects.
The bioidentical hormones prescribed by the team at HealthCare Partners Family Medicine are also made from natural plant-based ingredients rather than synthetic chemicals.
Whether you need estrogen, progesterone, or testosterone, your provider orders blood work to precisely determine your current hormone levels. Then your bioidentical HRT prescription is individualized to ensure you receive the level you need to restore hormonal balance.
You’ll also have occasional blood tests for as long as you’re on bioidentical HRT to be sure that your hormone levels stay just slightly above menopause or andropause. This requires periodic adjustments in dose to optimize your well being.
Bioidentical HRT is available in several different forms, such as injectables (men only), creams, and pellets (both men & women). Each pellet is about the size of a grain of rice.
Pellets are placed under the skin where it slowly releases a continuous steady amount of hormones for several months.
If you experience symptoms of low hormones, call HealthCare Partners Family Medicine or schedule an appointment online.