(541) 797-6306
Our Location
Throughout our lives, different hormones in our bodies ebb and flow. These fluctuations are often most noticeable during puberty, pregnancy, and childbirth, but we also experience them as a natural part of aging. Women experience this as menopause while it’s referred to as andropause in men; both are capable of causing unpleasant side effects. That’s because these hormones help regulate a range of body functions, so even a slight imbalance in them can negatively impact your health and lifestyle. Keep reading to learn everything you should know about BioTE Hormonal Replacement Therapy.
If you’ve been struggling with this, Elite Medi Spa can help! We’re proud to offer Central Oregon patients relief in the form of Bioidentical Hormone Replacement Therapy, or BHRT. These pellets can relieve the physical and psychological symptoms caused by hormonal imbalance. They have also been shown to increase energy, reduce the symptoms of depression, improve libido, and reduce hot flashes for women. Keep reading below to learn more about this exciting solution!
But first: what are hormones? What do they do?
Hormones are chemicals produced in your endocrine system. As they travel through your bloodstream, they send messages from your brain to your tissues and organs to keep the bodily functions running smoothly. These functions are many and varied! They include everything from metabolism and heart rate to reproductive development and moods. When you understand how much we rely on our hormones, it’s easy to see how even a minor imbalance can cause problems.
What are the causes and symptoms of hormonal imbalances?
Hormonal imbalances can happen to both men and women at different times throughout their lives. Outside of puberty, pregnancy, and childbirth, women tend to experience these imbalances most acutely during perimenopause and menopause. While this is most often due to lowered estrogen or progesterone levels, other factors can contribute to hormonal imbalances. These include stress, diabetes, an under- or overactive thyroid, and obesity. Medications like chemotherapy can also affect hormone levels.
There are many symptoms associated with hormone imbalances in women, such as:
- heavy or irregular periods
- hot flashes
- vaginal dryness
- weight gain
- thinning hair or hair loss
- dry skin
- hair growth on the face, neck, and chest
- mood changes
- decreased libido
Men can also experience symptoms of hormonal imbalance due to decreased levels of testosterone. These symptoms often include:
- low sperm count
- decreased libido
- erectile dysfunction
- reduced muscle mass
- increased growth of breast tissue
- reduced body hair growth
Bioidentical hormone replacement therapy is a safe and natural treatment that reduces or eliminates the symptoms associated with perimenopause, menopause, or andropause. It’s able to achieve this by mimicking your body’s former hormonal balance.
What are bioidentical hormones?
Some symptoms of hormonal imbalance can be treated with lifestyle changes, but others have a better response to hormone replacement. There are two kinds of hormone replacement therapies: one uses synthetic hormones, while the other works with bioidentical hormones.
Synthetic hormones were very popular for many years, but bioidentical hormones are now the therapy of choice for many people. This is mainly due to the fact that bioidentical hormones are made of plant-based estrogens, while synthetic hormones are created from the urine of pregnant horses. Bioidentical hormones are incredibly similar to the estrogen our own bodies produce naturally, and can be a wonderful option for those who can’t take or prefer not to use synthetic hormones.
How do bioidentical hormones work?
If you’ve been dealing with a hormonal imbalance or low hormone levels, bioidentical hormone therapy can help. Aside from restoring those levels, this treatment may also improve skin quality, reduce wrinkles, and decrease the chance of developing cataracts! Because bioidentical hormones have the same chemical structure of hormones that are naturally produced in the body, they allow those hormones to function at the most optimal level.
Bioidentical hormones can be delivered via patches, pills, creams, gels, and shots. Here at Elite Medi Spa, we use BioTE pellet therapy. BioTE is derived from a natural plant source and is biologically identical to the human hormones your body naturally produces. Research has shown that delivering bioidentical hormones through a pellet placed under the skin is the safest and most effective method of hormone replacement therapy.
What is BioTE pellet therapy?
The pellets we use are composed of estradiol or testosterone that have the exact molecular structure of the body’s natural hormones. Instead of synthetic sources, these pellets are crafted from organic plant materials then pressed into a solid compound about the size of a grain of rice. We’ll insert this small pellet under the skin in the hip area, where it will release small amounts of hormone directly into the bloodstream. This works well because the method is similar to how the ovaries and testes release hormones during our younger years.
Unlike oral and transdermal forms of therapy which can produce “roller coaster” hormone levels, pellets are able to deliver consistent levels into the bloodstream. Delivering the hormones directly into the bloodstream protects the liver, which can be affected by oral hormone therapy and eliminates increased clotting factors. You never have to worry about remembering or missing your doses with pellets!
Over a period of months, the pellet will be completely dissolved and absorbed by your body. This helps balance the testosterone and estrogen necessary for producing serotonin, which regulates how people feel. Low levels of serotonin can cause tiredness, irritability, and difficulty focusing. In women, the pellets last anywhere from 3-5 months; in men, they can last up to 6 months. There are minimal side effects and very little downtime associated with this popular outpatient treatment.
As with any medical treatment, bioidentical hormone therapy will not be suitable for everyone. Women who have had breast, ovarian, or endometrial cancers should avoid any type of hormone replacement therapy. Anyone prone to blood clots won’t be a good candidate for BHRT, either. When you schedule a consultation with our expert team, we’ll assess your compatibility with bioidentical hormone therapy and determine if it’s a good option for you.
Feel like yourself again with BioTE and Elite Medi Spa
If you’ve been suffering from any symptoms of hormonal imbalance, bioidentical hormone therapy could be the perfect solution for you! Your hormonal health has a lot to do with how your body feels and functions, and we’re here to help you feel your best again. Due to the extreme popularity of this treatment, we’re not currently accepting any new BioTE patients. Follow us on social media for information on when we’ll be open to new patients again!