As an aging woman or man, you may be excited by the idea of jumpstarting your libido and improving cognition by restoring your hormones with hormone replacement therapy (HRT). You have a lot of options, including creams and injections. Creams seem messy and potentially dangerous to others, especially kids (topical testosterone can be transmitted by touch), and injections seem like a (literal) pain.
You’re curious about HRT pellets. But how do they work? And for how long?
At Enrich Family Practice, our expert nurse practitioners recommend HRT to normalize your hormones again. We administer custom-compounded HRT pellets to alleviate symptoms of hormonal imbalances in women and men, such as:
But how do the pellets work? Are they safe and long-lasting? Here’s what to expect.
Pellets are a time-saving way to restore your hormones. Instead of applying daily creams, which could accidentally affect the health of other family members if you forget to wash your hands thoroughly, you simply come to us for an HRT pellet.
If we determine you’re a candidate for HRT pellets, we first administer blood tests to determine your dose. The compounding lab then creates customized pellets with just the right amount of estrogen or testosterone for you.
On the insertion day, we swab the treatment area — usually the fatty area of a hip or arm — with antiseptic and inject you with a local anesthetic to numb the area.
Next, we make a small incision and insert the HRT pellets. Each one is about the size of a grain of rice. We then cover the site with a bandage and give you aftercare instructions. Avoid vigorous exercise for a few days, as you may be sore.
Today’s HRT is bioidentical, which means it matches the structure of human hormones. Pellets also mimic how the human body produces and releases hormones in a slow and steady stream. Pellets for women release estrogen; pellets for men release testosterone.
Your body takes a while to adjust to the new hormones. Most women start to feel the benefits of their HRT pellets within 4-6 weeks. Men notice improvements within 2-4 weeks. Many women and men report the full benefits of their HRT upon their second insertion.
As your hormones normalize over time, you notice the symptoms of aging start to disappear. Your memory is sharper, your thinking is clearer, and you have more energy.
Women get relief from uncomfortable symptoms of menopause, such as hot flashes, night sweats, and insomnia. Both women and men notice a revival in their libido. In fact, soon, you feel like the “old you,” and you wonder why you resisted HRT for so long.
In most individuals, pellets last anywhere from 3-6 months as they slowly dissolve. At that time, we insert new pellets. In other words, with just 2-4 visits a year, your pellets normalize your hormones for life.
In addition to alleviating the symptoms of menopause and low testosterone levels, HRT has other benefits. Keeping your hormones at youthful levels may protect your bones from osteoporosis and your brain from dementia. HRT also has metabolic effects that may help regulate blood sugar and stabilize weight.
Getting older doesn’t have to mean making do with less; normalize your hormones with HRT pellets today by calling us for an appointment at 432-200-9052. Or simply use our online form.
