Hormone Treatment
Why are Hormones important?
Hormones in your body are vital messengers that communicate between body tissues. When hormone levels become unbalanced or decrease, they can leave you feeling exhausted, irritable, depressed, and wear on your physical and mental abilities. If they stay unbalanced for to long they can lead to greater heath risks, including cardiovascular disease, osteoperosis, cognitive ailments, and some forms of cancer.
What is Bioidentical Hormone Replacement Therapy (BHRT)?
Bioidentical hormone replacement therapy (BHRT) has been helping women and men relieve symptoms of menopause, andropause and hormonal imbalances for many years now. This form of hormone replacement therapy (HRT) comes from natural compounds and contains a molecular structure that is identical to hormones found in the body. The body uses BHRT the same way it uses hormones naturally produced in the body. Supplementing with BHRT can restore and balance hormone levels to increase quality of life and offer greater protection against various diseases.
Bioidentical hormones having the same molecular structure as the hormones produced naturally in your body, have proven to be a safer option and also have been shown to protect against some diseases, including those whose risk is increased by non-bioidentical hormones. This is an effective relief from symptoms caused by menopause, andropause, PMS, and hormone imbalances. www.foreverhealth.com
How do I know if I need BHRT?
There are different reasons reasons to consider BHRT, most commonly it is used for menopause, andropause and hormone imbalances. The need for HRT can be seen through blood tests used to determine our hormone levels.
What are Hormone Pellets?
Hormone pellets have become increasingly more patients’ choice of hormone delivery for hormone replacement therapy. Hormone pellet therapy is a procedure in which bio-identical hormones, i.e.. Testosterone and Estradiol are compounded into small cylindricles and implanted under the skin. The procedure is done in the office and only takes a few minutes. Hormone pellets have been shown to deliver sustained hormone levels over the course of months. When hormone delivery is consistently maintained the body does not experience the highs and lows often seen in some cases with pills, shots, and/or creams and gels. Proper dosing is determined by Dr. Brust using laboratory blood levels. Bio-identical pellets release a constant dose of hormone which may last up to 3-6 months.
What types of hormones are there, and what should I know about them?
Thyroid & Description
The butterfly-shaped thyroid gland is located in the front of your neck and wraps partially around the windpipe. The gland is responsible for making thyroid hormones that control the metabolism of all cells in your body.
If the thyroid overproduces hormones, you can have a condition called hyperthyroidism. This condition commonly causes symptoms such as a forceful and rapid heart beat, insomnia, sudden weight loss, breathlessness, nervousness, irritability, sweating, and frequent bowel movements.
Many people can also suffer from different degrees of low or under-active thyroid function, called hypothyroidism. Symptoms of a thyroid gland producing too little thyroid hormone can include a slow metabolism, listlessness, lowered body temperature, weight gain, constipation, muscle soreness, feeling cold, fatigue, depression, high cholesterol and homocysteine, painful joints, dry skin, and hair loss.
There are two types of thyroid hormones: Thyroxine (T4) and Triiodothyronine (T3). T4 is inactive and kept in reserve; T3 is the active hormone. Thyroid hormones control the growth, differentiation, and metabolism of each cell in our body. They also control how fast our body uses the fuel that we consume, particularly carbohydrates and fat. This helps to regulate our body temperature and fat percentage. About 80% of thyroid hormone production is T4, the inactive thyroid hormone that is typically held in reserve by the body. T3 makes up only 20% of thyroid hormone production,but it is the active hormone that the body uses to function. T4 is converted into T3 when thyroid hormone is needed.
The release of the thyroid hormones is controlled by the thyroid stimulating hormone (TSH), which is produced in the pituitary gland. Low circulating levels of thyroid hormone are detected by the hypothalamus, which then instructs the pituitary to release TSH. When sufficient amounts are released, the hypothalamus communicates with the pituitary to stop or slow down. Because of this complicated feedback loop, high levels of TSH in the blood often mean the pituitary is trying to stimulate thyroid hormone production, but the thyroid gland is not responding. This condition is known as hypothyroidism.
Benefits of Thyroid
- Regulates temperature, metabolism, and cerebral function
- Increases energy, body temperature, and warmth
- Increases fat breakdown, resulting in decreased weight and lower cholesterol
- Protects against cardiovascular ailments
- Improves cerebral metabolism
- Supports cognitive function
- Relieves symptoms of thin sparse hair, dry skin, and brittle nails
Side Effects
The most common side effects from too high a dose of thyroid hormone are heart palpitations, increased pulse, excessive sweating, heat intolerance, and nervousness.
Administration
The recommended form of thyroid replacement is an Armour Thyroid Compound, which is a combination of T3 and T4. Studies show that a percentage of patients prefer the combination of T4 and T3 over T4 alone. The combination allows the body to receive the active and inactive form to treat those patients who are not able to properly convert. In contrast, traditional physicians continue to prescribe the synthetic thyroid hormone T4 or Synthroid. Synthroid is only T4 and may not convert to T3.
What is Menopause?
Most common in Middle-aged women. Symptoms may include hot flashes, night sweats, sleep disturbances, depression, mood swings, low libido, fatigue, vaginal dryness, poor concentration, and unexplained weight gain.
What is PMS?
The main cause of PMS is to much estrogen and not enough progesterone. PMS symptoms may include mood swings, bloating, heavy bleeding, breast tenderness, acne, migrane headaches, menstral cramps, and fatigue. Women who have PMS are more susceptable to postpartum depression.
What is Andropause?
Andropause is similar to menopause, but it affects men. Mostly it is recognized through low libido, but other symptoms may include fatigue, increased irritability, loss of motivation, abdominal weight gain, decreased strength, and even occasional hot flashes. This can all be associated with low testosterone levels, which can lead men to being more prone to cardiovascular disease and prostate cancer