As we age, our hormone levels decline, which can lead to a variety of troubling symptoms, things that can prevent us from living full, healthy lives. Signs of hormone imbalance include:
- Fatigue
- Insomnia
- Depression
- Anxiety
- Low motivation
- Brain fog
- Brittle nails
- Dry skin
- Dull hair
- Discomfort during sex
- Low libido
- Vaginal dryness
- Weight gain
Too often, patients report these symptoms to their providers, only to be immediately dismissed or handed a prescription for anti-anxiety or depression medications. It can make aging feel like a prison sentence, and it isn’t.
Hormone replacement therapy (HRT) is a safe and effective way to alleviate symptoms associated with low levels of testosterone, progesterone, or estrogen. Although there are many treatment methods for HRT, as a medical center dedicated to pursuing the most natural approach possible, we love to pursue a bioidentical approach. Bioidentical hormone replacement therapy (BHRT) is 100% natural, plant-based, and metabolizes in our body exactly like our own hormones. They’re far more effective than synthetic formats mass produced in a laboratory and tweaked ever-so-slightly, just to ensure they can be patented.
How Does Bioidentical Hormone Replacement Therapy Work?
Bioidentical hormones replacement therapy involves insertion of a small pellet, larger than a grain of rice but smaller than a Tic Tac, into the fatty tissue under the skin. The procedure is simple, with your provider gently numbing the area to prepare your body for a painless insertion.
Research consistently shows pellet implants offer the most effective method to deliver hormones for both men and women, as they release a constant stream of hormones into the body, closely mimicking the way the body naturally releases hormones.
Men typically undergo the procedure two-three times a year. Women receive pellet treatment three to four times a year, although based on each patient’s lifestyle factors and biochemistry, your Big Life provider may opt to perform a free booster between pellets.
How Quickly Does Bioidentical Hormone Replacement Therapy Work?
Most patients will experience substantial benefits after the first round of therapy, but improvements become especially pronounced after the second round of pellet implants. Remember, our hormones don’t become dysregulated overnight, and the path to optimized health can take some time.
How Will My Provider Determine if I’m a Good Candidate for Hormone Replacement Therapy?
Like all things at Big Life, we lean into diagnostics and data to determine when patients are good candidates for hormone replacement therapy. If you’ve had your hormones looked at by other doctors, you might find we do things a little differently at Big Life. We will draw more comprehensive labs and compare your markers against healthy, optimized populations rather than older, sickly groups. We want your results to mimic those who are feeling incredible, not those who are just getting by.
Why Has Big Life Integrative Health Converted From Biote to the Evexipel Method for BHRT?
At Big Life, we’ve elected to convert our patients from BioTE to the EvexiPEL bioidentical hormone replacement therapy. A newer, more advanced method, we love EvexiPEL’s more targeted formulation to each patient’s specific needs and less painful insertion technique. This is especially true for men, who often receive more than one pellet as part of treatment. Rather than “fanning” pellets into the insertion point, the EvexiPEL method injects pellets linearly – minimizing tissue damage and the chance for any extrusion. Even so, we do recommend that women avoid strenuous exercise for a day or two following insertion and a little bit longer for men.
What if My Symptoms Aren’t That That Bad? Why Should I Consider Bioidentical Hormone Replacement Therapy?
The science behind aging well is really advancing. No longer are we just trying to keep people comfortable. We want people to be living full, big lives all the way to the end. To do so, we need to take proactive steps now to ensure our heart health, our neurological health, and our metabolic health. Data suggests maintaining balanced hormone levels throughout our lives, including our thyroid, can prevent disease, including Alzheimer's, heart attack, stroke, tooth loss, impaired vision, and other debilitating impairments. You can ask any Big Life staff member over 35 how they feel about hormone balance, and you’ll hear personal stories of prevention and relief from unwanted symptoms.