Extend Your Healthspan With Bioidentical Hormones
Everything You’ve Ever Wanted To Know About Bioidentical Hormone Therapy
Imagine having the vitality and energy of your younger years as you age into your 50s, 60s, 70s and beyond.
Does it feel a bit impossible right now? Like you’re in a constant battle with mood swings, weight gain, poor sleep and low energy levels? Or maybe you’ve just noticed a slow decline in your stamina and sex drive over the past few years and can’t put your finger on the problem.
You aren’t alone – these symptoms are normal as part of the aging process BUT it doesn’t have to stay your new normal.
See, as we approach the age of 50, many men and women begin to experience symptoms such as mental sluggishness, low energy and stamina, a fading sex drive, and a general blah feeling.
But what’s the cause of these frustrating changes?
All these symptoms – and others – often reflect a decline in your body’s hormones. It’s a natural process of aging, but as hormone levels decline with age, your body gets out of balance.
This hormone imbalance in your body can cause challenging and sometimes unbearable effects. These symptoms can affect not only your day-to-day-routine but also your overall well-being and your relationships.
For instance, lower hormone levels may make you feel irritable or anxious for no apparent reason, which makes it difficult to focus and complete even the simplest of daily tasks. Or cause you to have a low sex drive even though you love your partner dearly. Or simply have NO ENERGY and just feel BLAH.
The essential hormones that contribute to these changes include estrogen, progesterone, and testosterone (by the way – yes, women need testosterone, too!).
But you don’t just have grin and bear these changes as an acceptable part of aging. There’s a game-changing modern medical treatment to restore the natural hormones in your body to their more youthful levels.
How?
By replacing your declining hormones with ones that are identical to the hormones your body produces naturally. Bioidentical hormone replacement therapy, commonly referred to as BHRT, is an innovative treatment that safely optimizes your hormones and makes you feel like yourself again.
In fact, a recent New York Times article says hormone therapy (or HRT) has health benefits far beyond alleviating the symptoms of menopause.
“Taking HRT is not just about menopause symptoms but preservation of bones, hair, preventing vaginal atrophy, bladder problems and lots more. Of course yearly check ups and mammograms should not be forgotten.”
What are bioidentical hormones?
In modern medicine, two common types of treatments address hormonal imbalances: bioidentical hormones and synthetic hormones.
Bioidentical hormones are hormones that have the same chemical structure as the hormones found naturally in the body, and they’re sourced and made from plants.
Synthetic hormones are artificially produced in lab with man-made chemical compounds. The end result is a slightly different molecular structure than the structure that’s found organically in your hormones.
Now you might be thinking, what exactly makes bioidentical hormones more beneficial than synthetic hormones?
It’s the identical structure of bioidentical hormones that make them hormones superior and eliminate known risks of other hormone alternatives. And study after study shows when hormones are replaced in a methodical balanced way, they are not only safe, they protect and prolong your health.
Synthetic hormones are similar to what’s naturally produced in your body – but not exactly the same. That’s why our expert healthcare providers at RegenCen use bioidentical hormones. They replace your declining hormones and help you reach an optimized hormonal balance.
Some of the common hormones restored with BHRT include estrogen, progesterone, and testosterone – to name a few.
Bioidentical hormones are sourced from plants (such as yam or soy). Their molecular structure and function is exactly the same as the hormones produced by your body.
Here’s a diagram that shows the difference between the composition of a synthetic progestin and bioidentical progesterone. Notice the bioidentical progesterone is an exact molecular match to the progesterone naturally occurring in the body.
Who is a good candidate for bioidentical hormone therapy?
How do you know if you need hormone replacement therapy?
What age should you start bioidentical hormones?
Who isn’t a good candidate for bioidentical hormones?
There are lots of questions and confusion about hormone replacement therapy. When you’re considering a treatment that can ease all of your symptoms such as mood swings, weight gain, and decreased sexual function – it almost sounds too good to be true. At our regenerative medical practice RegenCen, we get it.
But the truth is, bioidentical hormone therapy really is the solution to these symptoms (and it works!). The symptoms triggered by low hormone levels are real health problems, and you don’t have to keep putting up with them.
If you’re experiencing symptoms of hormone imbalance or deficiency, bioidentical hormone therapy can help.
Symptoms of hormonal imbalance or deficiency vary from person to person. Some patients may need a boost in progesterone and nothing else, while others need rebalancing of multiple hormones. Your symptoms can vary depending on the type of hormone imbalance that is occurring and your biological sex.
For most women, bioidentical hormone therapy is commonly used to treat symptoms of perimenopause and menopause, such as the rollercoaster of hot flashes, mood swings, vaginal dryness, and dry, thinning skin.
For most men, bioidentical hormone therapy is used to alleviate symptoms of andropause (sometimes referred to as the male menopause) or low testosterone. Men lose vitality with shrinking muscle mass, decreased sexual function, disrupted sleep, and very commonly lower motivation and tiredness.
An experienced healthcare provider will consider multiple factors when determining if you’re a good candidate for BHRT.
The factors considered include your:
- Age
- Overall health
- Medical history
- Severity of symptoms
Bioidentical hormone therapy may not be suitable for everyone, so it’s important that you consult with a healthcare provider experienced in optimizing hormonal imbalances.
How is bioidentical hormone therapy administered?
There are several methods to administer bioidentical hormone therapy, including pellets, creams, gels, or injections. At RegenCen in Naples, our providers use Biote pellets.
We optimize hormones with pellets at RegenCen because they give patients a consistent and steady release of hormones over a period of months, which reduces the risk of side effects and decreases how often we need to adjust the dose. Also we don’t have to worry about creams transferring to your partner or rubbing off on your clothes.
As small as the size of a grain of rice, these pellets are placed just under your skin in the fatty part of your buttock or side.
Over a period of several months, the pellets slowly release hormones into your body. Testosterone pellets last 5-6 months for men and estrogen and testosterone pellets last 3-4 months for women.
Our experienced healthcare providers work with each patient to determine the appropriate dosage and monitoring schedule for your individual needs. It’s a fast and very simple treatment to improve your quality of life and your general health.
See below how bioidentical hormone therapy is administered with pellets.
Why it’s important to work with an experienced healthcare provider to monitor hormone levels and dosage
If you’re considering bioidentical hormone therapy, it’s vital to work with an experienced healthcare provider who understands that BHRT is not a one-size-fits-all treatment.
Since every patient’s treatment and dosing is individualized, monitoring your hormone levels is crucial. Bioidentical hormones are customized based on your specific needs and your hormone levels, which can change over time and with treatment.
That’s why at RegenCen, we monitor your hormones with an ongoing combination of bloodwork and symptom assessments over time.
Experienced healthcare providers will not only customize your treatments and monitor them, but they’ll provide you with education, answer your questions, and provide you with guidance and support throughout your journey.
How can bioidentical hormone therapy improve quality of life?
Imagine waking up feeling refreshed and energized, ready to tackle your day. Your mood is stable and balanced – no more mood swings and irritability. And the blahs are replaced by a renewed sense of energy and motivation.
As the day progresses, you feel a sense of mental clarity and focus that allows you to easily manage your tasks and responsibilities.
Your physical health has also improved, with reduced joint pain and stiffness, better sleep, and a renewed sense of vitality. With the help of hormone replacement therapy, you can experience this new level of well-being and quite frankly feel like yourself again.
Bioidentical hormones can improve your quality of life with these medically proven effects:
- Increased energy and stamina
- Deeper and longer sleep
- Reduced menopause / andropause symptoms
- Mental clarity and less brain fog
- Overall sense of wellbeing
Increased energy
Hormones play a crucial role in regulating energy levels in the body. Hormone replacement therapy can be used to restore your testosterone levels, which improves your muscle mass, strength, and metabolism, leading to an increased energy and physical performance.
Better and longer sleep
Low levels of certain hormones such as estrogen and progesterone can make it difficult to fall and stay asleep. These hormones help regulate your sleep, and once restored most people report more restful and uninterrupted sleep.
Reduce menopause / andropause symptoms
And of course, hormone replacement therapy significantly reduces the symptoms of menopause or andropause, such as hot flashes, mood swings, fatigue, sexual dysfunction, and more.
Menopause symptoms are caused by the decline in the production of estrogen, progesterone, and testosterone. While andropause, or the male menopause, is marked by a gradual decrease in testosterone levels.
Mental clarity and less brain fog
Hormonal imbalances can affect your mental clarity and cause cloudy thinking or brain fog. Bioidentical hormone replacement has been shown to boost cognitive function, memory, and focus in both men and women.
Overall feeling of wellbeing
When your hormones are in harmony and balanced, you can experience an overall sense of wellbeing. Patients report feeling at peace with their new and improved selves. Bioidentical hormones allow us to achieve a new level of wellness that has felt out of reach until now.
Replacing your natural hormones to youthful levels can reverse all of these symptoms, and it’s backed by clinical studies and extensive research.
Your quality of life can greatly improve with bioidentical hormones.
Making healthy lifestyle choices, such as regular exercise and proper nutrition, can have a significant impact on your hormones and overall health. It’s important to recognize that a healthy lifestyle needs to be maintained in addition to hormone replacement therapy.
Exercise helps your body improve circulation, reduce stress, and boost your energy levels. While a balanced diet rich in nutrients can support hormone production and help manage your weight.
Prioritizing healthy habits works in conjunction with bioidentical hormone therapy, and your overall health and wellness will become optimized. When our patients start feeling better on BHRT, we find they’re motivated to improve everything else in their lives too!
In fact, 85% of our patients feel that their health has overall improved because of bioidentical hormones. Not only does BHRT increase memory and cognitive function, but also reduces risk of Alzheimer’s disease, cardiovascular disease and osteoporosis.
At RegenCen, we’re experts in bioidentical hormone replacement and other treatments to help you be your best through every stage of life. We offer hormone replacement with pellets in Southwest Florida and Northern Michigan.
If you’re ready to feel more energy, experience improved sleep and finally feel like yourself again, schedule a free consultation to see if bioidentical hormone therapy is right for you. We will get started with hormone testing and results will be back in just a few days.
