HOW DOES HORMONE PELLET THERAPY WORK?—EVERYTHING YOU NEED TO KNOW
“To control your hormones is to control your life.”
—Dr. Barry Sears, biochemist and author of the “The Zone Diet.”
Hormones are a class of signaling molecules in our bodies that help regulate numerous physiological processes and behavioral activities, including:
- Growth and development
- Metabolism
- reproduction
- Movement
- Digestion
- Respiration
- Sensory perception
- Sleep
- Lactation
- Stress response
- Mood management
Thus, Dr. Barry Sears is on point with his quote about hormonal control. To give his sentiment a different slant, you could also say, “Uncontrolled hormones lead to an uncontrolled life. Indeed, when hormones become unbalanced, they can disrupt our body’s normal physiological and behavioral processing, causing unpleasant symptoms that affect our quality of life. Unfortunately, hormonal imbalances tend to emerge as we age due to natural declines in hormone production, and more than a dozen health issues can cause hormonal imbalances in children and younger adults.
Whatever the cause, Dr. Diane Brzezinski, D.O., Dr. Michael Hellman, D.O., and Kelly Fennemore MSN, ARNP, can help restore the hormonal balances of their Southwest Florida patients with hormone replacement pellet therapy in Naples. Correcting hormonal imbalances helps alleviate related symptoms and enhances the patient’s quality of life. Let’s look at how hormone pellets work and how they help you take back control of your life.
DIFFERENT TYPES OF HORMONE REPLACEMENT THERAPY PROCEDURES
Hormone replacement therapy (HRT) refers to any treatment designed to restore hormone levels—primarily estrogen, progestogen, and testosterone—that have declined due to aging, menopause, and medical conditions. When first used by doctors almost 80 years ago, HRT initially relied on natural hormones derived from human placentas and then, in an FDA-approved formulation called “Premarin,” from the urine of pregnant mares. In the 1950s, scientists started developing lab-produced synthetic hormones that mimic our naturally produced hormones. Today, the medical field calls natural and synthetic hormones used in HRT “traditional” forms of the therapy.
More recently, scientists developed “bioidentical hormones, which, like synthetics, are produced in a lab. However, they are derived from natural plant sources and have the exact same chemical and molecular structure as the natural hormones our bodies produce. Researchers believe that bioidentical hormones have better absorption and utilization rates than synthetic ones, allowing our bodies to metabolize them more efficiently. Additionally, unlike the standardized dosing common with traditional HRT, bioidentical HRT can customize hormone dosages to meet each patient’s health profile and needs.
Doctors can administer all these therapeutic hormones in many different forms, including pills, creams, gels, injections, transdermal patches, and pellets. Dr. B and Dr. Hellman believe bioidentical hormone pellets offer their Naples-area patients the most effective form of HRT. Inserted under the skin of the hip area through a small incision, the grain-of-rice-size pellet steadily delivers the prescribed hormone amount into the body for multiple months. Unlike other therapies, bioidentical pellets ensure 24-hour absorption to maintain consistent hormone levels throughout the day. Other hormone delivery methods cause hormone levels to fluctuate, which can reduce the therapy’s effectiveness and cause side effects.
PELLET THERAPY FOR WOMEN
Dr. B’s practice treats menopause and other hormone-related issues affecting women holistically, though hormone pellet therapy often plays a primary treatment role. Whether to treat menopausal or related hormone-caused concerns, Dr. B says hormone pellet therapy effectively eases the following symptoms:
- Hot flashes
- Mood swings
- Depression
- Thinning hair
- Vaginal dryness
- Insomnia
- Energy loss
- Concentration issues
- Urinary incontinence
- Decreased libido
- headaches
PELLET THERAPY FOR MEN
While men typically don’t experience the severe hormonal imbalances caused by menopause, aging, and hypogonadism in younger men can cause testosterone declines.
Dr. Hellman notes that his male patients are typically most concerned about erectile dysfunction issues that can emerge with low testosterone. However, hormone imbalances can also cause diminished sex drive, decreased energy levels, noticeable loss of muscle mass, depression, and general irritability. Dr. Hellman encourages men to get their hormone levels checked if they experience frequent erectile dysfunction issues, a significant drop in sex drive, and/or unexplained severe drop in energy levels. “Hormonal testing through blood work can easily determine whether low testosterone may be causing your symptoms,” says Dr. Hellman. “And if your testosterone levels have plunged, hormone pellet therapy can alleviate the symptoms and restore your sex life.”
TURN TO DR. B’S CLINIC FOR YOUR HORMONE PELLET THERAPY IN NAPLES
With proven success in alleviating hormone imbalance symptoms in their Naples-are patients, Dr. B and Dr. Hellman believe hormone pellet therapy is one of the most effective treatments to address age- and health-related drops in estrogen and testosterone. To learn more about the health benefits of hormone pellet therapy in Naples, schedule an appointment with Dr. B, Dr. Hellman, or Kelly Fennemore by calling (239) 261-9990.