Women’s Hormone Replacement Therapy The Woodlands | Premier Health & Wellness Center in TX
Are you experiencing any of these symptoms?
- Tiredness/Fatigue/Lack of Motivation
- Tension, anxiety
- Sleep disturbances (insomnia)
- Decreased mental clarity (fog)
- Vaginal Dryness
- Weight gain (Increased belly fat)
- Memory loss
- Migraine/Menstrual headaches
- Mood swings
- Depression
- Decreased libid
- Memory loss
- Decreased muscle mass
- Joint pain
- Hot Flashes / Night Sweats
HORMONE REPLACEMENT THERAPY AT THE WOODLANDS
What is Hormone Replacement Therapy?
During menopause, the body's hormones change, with estrogen experiencing the most dramatic reduction of all hormones. This can lead to uncomfortable menopause symptoms such as vaginal dryness and hot flashes. Hormone replacement therapy is a way to provide relief from these health symptoms.
Also referred to as estrogen replacement therapy and menopausal hormone therapy, hormone replacement therapy, or HRT, is using a supplemental treatment in the form of female hormones to combat the symptoms of menopause.
The Woodlands Wellness Center Solution
Also referred to as estrogen replacement therapy and menopausal hormone therapy, hormone replacement therapy, also referred to as HRT, is using a supplemental form of female hormones to combat menopausal symptoms.
At Hormone Replacement Therapy The Woodlands can help. We offer Bioidentical hormone replacement therapy (BHRT) as a personalized solution for women dealing with low hormones due to menopause.
The Woodlands center in TX offers Bioidentical hormone replacement therapy (BHRT) is a, pioneering hormone therapy that is being used to help both men and women balance their hormones when there is a deficiency. Most of the time, BHRT is a preferred hormone replacement treatment for women in perimenopause and menopause that wish to ease their symptoms. However, BHRT is even an option that offers significant health benefits for cases of osteoporosis, thyroid and adrenal disorders, insulin resistance, and fibromyalgia.
What are bioidentical hormones?
Bioidentical hormones are plant-estrogen-derived man-made hormones that are identical to those produced by the human body. They can come in the form of injections, gels, creams, patches, or pills, with testosterone, progesterone, and estrogen being the most commonly replicated hormones. BHRT hormones can either be custom-made by a pharmacy per doctors’ orders or manufactured by drug companies.
Bioidentical estriol and bioidentical progesterone are two FDA-approved bioidentical hormones used for the treatment of perimenopause and menopause symptoms, among others. Note that custom-made bioidentical hormones have not yet received FDA approval.
What is BHRT?
Bioidentical hormone replacement therapy is effective health treatment using hormones that are identical to the hormones naturally made by your body. Bioidentical hormone replacement therapy (BHRT) is transforming the lives of women at as they enter menopause in the later stages of life. It provides an alternative to hormones that are synthetic. Bioidentical Hormone Replacement Therapy is made by compounding pharmacists in customized dosages based on individual health and wellness needs of the patient as opposed to the narrow hormone replacement choices available with mass-produced, or “one size fits all” hormone therapies.
Bioidentical Hormone Replacement Therapy & menopause
BHRT can help boost hormone levels that have dropped due to age-related or other health factors. In women going through their menopausal years, the specific hormone replacement therapy can reduce and ease severe menopause symptoms that include:
- Loss of sex drive
- Pain during intercourse
- Weight gain
- Sleep problems
- Memory loss
- Mood swings
- Night sweats
- Hot flashes
That aside, hormone replacement therapy can also help lower the risk of cataracts, tooth loss, and diabetes while it may even have cosmetic benefits such as reducing wrinkles, improving skin elasticity, boosting skin moisture, and enhancing skin thickness. At the same time, BHRT has been found to improve the quality of life of people undergoing chemotherapy by enabling them to find relief from symptoms related to their treatment (insomnia, incontinence, migraines, etc). Overall, bioidentical hormone replacement therapy plays a pivotal role in one’s well-being, health, and wellness.
Potential side effects of BHRT
As the body adjusts to the hormones, you may experience some side effects in the early stages of your BHRT. Some of the most common side effects related to bioidentical hormone replacement therapy include:
- Increased facial hair
- Mood changes
- Fatigue
- Weight gain
- Bloating
- Acne
Other Hormone replacement therapies
There are several other approaches to HRT, including Estrogen Therapy and Combination Therapy.
Hormone replacement therapy – Estrogen therapy
When your doctor recommends estrogen therapy, they will usually suggest a low dose of estrogen, especially if you have surgical removal of your uterus (aka hysterectomy) or your uterus and ovaries (bilateral oophorectomy). In these cases, you may be requested to take estrogen in the form of a vaginal ring, patch, spray, daily pill, or gel.
Estrogen pills come in varying forms (i.e., estrogens-bazedoxifene or conjugates estrogens) and are usually taken once a day on an empty stomach. However, your doctor will instruct the proper dosing as some estrogen pills have more complicated dosing schedules. If you choose to go with the estrogen patch, you will need to wear it on your abdomen or skin and replace it every few days or a week or so, depending on the dose. You may even be recommended to combine estrogen and progestin patches.
As for estrogen gels, sprays, and creams, they are also absorbed directly into the bloodstream through the skin. Most of the time, these are applied once a day on the legs or the arm.
Vaginal estrogen, be it in the form of vaginal estrogen tablets, vaginal ring, or cream, is specifically recommended for women with pain or burning during intercourse, itchiness, or vaginal dryness.
The dosing schedules vary. For example, you will need to replace a vaginal ring every three months, while tablets are usually used daily for around two weeks. After that, you will be required to use them two times a week. Lastly, creams are generally applied daily or several times a week.
Hormone replacement therapy – Combination therapy
Combination therapy combines progestin, progesterone, and estrogen and is suggested to women that have their uterus still. This particular therapy helps lower the risk of endometrial cancer and may even be used as a birth control form. Progesterone alone can help treat hot flashes and other menopausal symptoms.
Again, you can take oral or intrauterine progestins. Over the years, many experts agree that treating menopausal symptoms with natural progesterone has better results than synthetic progestin as it does not affect lipids. This makes it a good option for women with high cholesterol levels.
It should be noted that intrauterine progestin is not approved for use in the USA. Instead, you can find low-dose intrauterine devices, which you can use from perimenopause until after menopause is complete.
Note: The majority of hormones used in traditional hormone replacement therapy are made from synthetic hormones.
When not to take hormone replacement therapy
Women with the following conditions should best avoid hormone replacement therapy:
- Stroke
- Suspected or confirmed pregnancy
- Heart attack
- Liver or heart disease
- Endometrial, uterine, or breast cancer
- Blood clots
Side effects of hormone replacement therapy
Do call your doctor if you experience any of these:
- Vaginal bleeding
- Nausea
- Mood changes
- Headaches
- Breast tenderness or swelling
- Bloating
The Woodlands wellness options For Women in Need
Your doctor will evaluate your case, consider your health/medical history and information, and discuss the pros and cons of both BHRT and HRT before making a recommendation. If you want to learn more about the health and wellness benefits of HRT, Please do not hesitate to contact The Woodlands TX to schedule an appointment or to discuss your options with our fertility and hormone specialists.
FAQ Section
The majority of insurance companies cover the cost of most FDA-approved hormones, but the exact amount of coverage is dependent on the plan you have in place. Remember that if you are taking compounded bioidentical hormones, the insurance company will most likely not cover the cost.
Given that hormone levels in hormone replacement therapy are not high enough to suppress ovulation, pregnancy is still possible in women going through their perimenopausal years. You may even consider hormone therapy to find hormonal balance if you have irregular cycles and bleeding. This can consequently enable pregnancy to occur. Can I get pregnant on hormone replacement therapy - full article.
Fatigue is a common symptom that is also associated with the production of too much progesterone. Hormone replacement therapy at the Woodlands can help combat fatigue, among other hormone-related symptoms.
The cost of an average BHRT is between $120-$500 per month. However, this is just an illustrative cost as each case is usually different.
In the weeks following your hormone replacement therapy, you will feel improvement in your symptoms. Nevertheless, it may take up to 90 days for the hormones to balance and for you to feel the full extent of the benefits related to hormone replacement therapy.
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