Balancing Hormones with Hormone Pellets

Successful hormone replacement therapy involves getting just the right doses for correct balancing. This requires an individualized treatment plan using the right hormones and delivery method.

There are many types of delivery methods. These include:

• Patches
• Creams
• Injections
• Sublingual drops or troches
• Capsules
• Pills

Another form of delivery that has recently gained popularity is hormone pellets.

People are interested in hormone pellets because they last for 3 to 6 months. However, providers prescribe progesterone any time estradiol is prescribed. Given that women still have to take progesterone daily when using pellets, this does not change the fact that you are still administering hormones on a daily basis.

Annamarie Salyer FNP-C is a hormone replacement specialist at Bion Aesthetics and Med Spa in Indianapolis, IN offering bioidentical hormone replacement therapy for patients near Greenwood, IN, Carmel, IN, and Fishers, IN.

Hormone pellets are comprised of either estradiol or testosterone. Sometimes they are a combination of both. The hormones are infused into very small solid cylinders (pellets). Hormone pellets are about the size of a grain of rice. Providers insert them in the lower abdominal wall or hip through a small incision that is taped closed. Complications from the insertion of pellets can include:

• Minor bleeding
• Bruising
• Discoloration of the skin
• Infection
• Possible extrusion of the pellet

The pellets usually last between 3-5 months in women and 5-6 months in men.

Side effects can occur when a dose is first given. These side effects may not resolve, which requires a change in the dosage. Further, some side effects can be linked to a certain hormone in the mixture.

• Weight gain
• Blurred vision
• Tiredness
• Acne
• Increased facial hair (women)
• Headaches
• Breast tenderness
• Spotting
• Cramping
• Bloating
• Mood swings
• Scar tissue at the insertion site

Men and women have reported increases in aggressiveness, acne, irritability, and facial hair during pellet hormone therapy. Women have also reported severe headaches, breast tenderness, spotting, cramping, and bloating. Further, there are also reports of scar tissue at the insertion site that leave a bump or mark on the skin permanently.

Due to too many drawbacks in their use, Bion Aesthetics and Med Spa does not work with hormone pellets, and here’s why.

Hormone levels do not stay the same. To point out, there are many factors that can cause hormone levels to continuously increase and decrease. In addition to the normal aging process, other factors include:

• Micronutrient levels
• Gut health issues
• Prescription medications
• Stress
• Drugs
• Alcohol
• Toxins
• Foods
• Exercise
• Changes in lifestyle

Bion Aesthetics and Med Spa is extremely thorough in testing hormone levels for a wide range of your most vital hormones. This includes the male and female hormones testosterone, estrogen, progesterone, as well as insulin function and a complete thyroid panel. Then we work to increase these to acceptable levels and ensure they are well balanced. If any unwanted symptoms occur, levels can easily be adjusted until you reach optimum levels. With routine monitoring, we can ensure that despite these shifts and changes, you can maintain optimum hormone levels long-term.

Hormone balance is deeply connected to:

• Diet
• Nutrient levels
• Exercise
• Toxins
• Weight
• Stress
• Biological age

How these multiple factors impact the overall hormone picture is crucial. This is especially the case when we reach middle age and hormone production levels are declining. To illustrate, if you are under too much stress, cortisol floods the system and total hormone production lags. As a result, this can also throw other hormone levels out of balance.

With hormone pellets, the dose cannot be changed once it is inserted without surgical removal of the pellet. Therefore, if these levels aren’t exactly right or if hormone levels shift due to stress or changes in lifestyle, travel, trauma, or a host of other factors, your dosages cannot be easily changed once they are inserted.

With thorough testing, monitoring and adjusting, we work to get your hormone levels just right to relieve unwanted symptoms and improve your quality of life. When this is occurring, you can experience relief from the unpleasant symptoms caused by hormone imbalances and regain energy, strength, and stamina, mental alertness, and clarity – now and for many years to come.