Though menopause is perhaps the most recognized condition brought about by declining hormone production, both women and men experience changes in their primary sex hormones as they age. These fluctuating levels create new health issues for both genders.
Hormone therapy often proves beneficial for relief from these symptoms, but conventional therapy came under fire from a now largely debunked study in the early 2000s. It spurred the move toward bioidentical hormone supplements and today, hormone therapy reigns as the best way to treat many of the symptoms of a large number of these age-related changes.
BioTE® bioidentical hormone therapy (BHRT) uses an implanted pellet delivery system for consistent and safe delivery of supplemental hormones, and Alpha Internal Medicine is your BioTE specialist in the Fayetteville, Georgia area. Contact the office now if you’re experiencing the effects of declining hormone production.
Women experience menopause as a normal part of their lives. After their reproductive years end, ovaries stop the manufacture of estrogen, the primary female sex hormone. This leads to the classic symptoms many menopausal women experience, such as the end of their menstrual periods, hot flashes, sleep disruptions, weight gain, and more.
Changes for men aren’t usually as dramatic as those women experience, and they tend to occur more gradually. There’s no “right’ level of testosterone, the male sex hormone, and levels can vary widely between men with or without producing symptoms.
In men, the most common effects of low testosterone include changes in sexual function including desire and erectile function. Men may also experience sleep disruptions and they may see body changes such as reduced muscle bulk, increased body fat, and body hair loss.
Conventional synthetic hormones don’t precisely match the chemical structure of hormones made in the body, though they do replace their functions. Bioidentical hormones use plant estrogens and the molecular structure of these is, as the name implies, chemically identical to those made in your body. The theory behind bioidentical hormone use centers around less risk for long-term side effects, since the supplements match the molecules your body usually uses.
Hormone therapy can take several forms, commonly in pill or topical ointment form. BioTE, instead, delivers bioidentical hormones using an implanted pellet. There’s no need to remember pills or apply creams. Hormone supplements deliver to your blood stream in a consistent and steady manner, bypassing your digestive system. There’s no boost and crash of changing hormone levels.
Some patients see symptom resolution in as little as one month, while others may see changes over about six months. Like the symptoms of hormone deficiency, the effects of BioTE pellet treatment are highly individual. Your BioTE therapy adjusts to match the hormone replacement needs of your body.
Hormone replacement therapy continues to be the best way to treat moderate to severe symptoms of estrogen or testosterone loss, and BioTE pellet therapy represents a refined and efficient way to incorporate BHRT into your life. Contact the team at Alpha Internal Medicine to learn more about BHRT with BioTE. It’s time to get your life back to normal. Call or click today.
