Hormone Therapy
Hormones are essential to good health for both men and women. As we age, certain hormones naturally decrease, causing uncomfortable symptoms like dry skin or decreased sex drive. There are also a range of conditions and diseases that can cause hormones to become imbalanced, which you’ll want to address to protect your health or prevent future complications.
Dr. Brandon Lingenfelter is a SottoPelle Physician, certified to administer bioidentical hormone replacement pellets. Additionally, all of our providers at Summit Women’s Health diagnose and provide treatment for hormone deficiencies.
What are some signs of hormone deficiency?
The symptoms of a certain hormone deficiency depend a lot on which hormone is dipping. However, the following may be signs that you’d benefit from a hormone supplement:
Inability to lose weight
Decreased sex drive
Difficulty focusing
Mood swings
Depression or anxiety
High blood pressure
High cholesterol
Memory loss
Calcium loss
Brittle bones
Unexplained weight loss
Fatigue
Dry skin
Skin tags
Coarse hair
How do hormone replacement pellets work?
The hormone replacement pellets that we commonly use look like a tiny seed, about the size of a grain of rice. They are inserted under the skin in a quick and painless process that can be done right in our office. To be extra safe about pain, we can give a small amount of anesthesia to the area of insertion.
Once placed, the pellets release a low dose of the hormone over a long period of time. This allows your body to get just the amount of hormone it needs. Each pellet can last up to 6 months before it is completely absorbed.
When will I feel the effects of hormone therapy?
The bioidentical hormone replacement pellets are specifically designed to work gradually. When the body is introduced to higher doses of hormones quickly, there can be other bad health outcomes. For that reason, your provider at Summit Women’s health will likely start with the smallest dose possible to safely find what works best for you.
Most patients report changes in symptoms about two or three weeks after the pellet is placed under the skin. Those effects usually become even more noticeable over time.
Are hormone replacement pellets a new treatment?
Bioidentical pellet therapy is not a new concept. It was developed during the 1930s in Europe. Renowned Canadian endocrinologist Dr. Robert B. Greenblatt brought it to the United States in 1939. Decades later, doctors still use it as an effective way to restore hormonal imbalances.
Our hormone replacement therapy service overlaps with our medical aesthetics practice, Adorn Aesthetics. Some people seek hormone therapy for more aesthetic purposes. If that’s the case for you, you may want to check out Adorn’s other services.
To learn more about bioidentical hormone therapy or to book an appointment at Summit Women’s Health in Princeton, West Virginia with Brandon M. Lingenfelter, DO, PhD; Megan Lingenfelter, PA; Sam Snyder, DO; or Valeah Bradshaw, NP, call us at (681) 282-5591 or use our scheduling portal.