Have you been considering hormone replacement therapy to address the unwanted symptoms you’ve been experiencing since you entered menopause? Well, you’ve taken one step in the right direction by taking the time to know more about it first.
It’s not exactly without risks, after all. To make the most out of its benefits, you have to ensure that you’re undergoing the therapy that’s best suited to your needs. So, before you say, “My compound pharmacy in Florida is the best and guarantees my safety,” read up on these facts first.
Is HRT or BHRT the Proper Course For You?
Just because you’re experiencing menopausal symptoms doesn’t immediately mean that you should undergo hormone replacement therapy. Chances are, your doctor will advise you whether it’s the appropriate route or not. This applies to both men and women, even though hormone therapy is usually associated with the latter.
However, if you’re obviously suffering from severe symptoms of menopause like:
- Extreme hot flashes
- Mood changes
- Increase in weight
- Loss of libido
One or more of these symptoms can severely interrupt vital aspects of your daily life, not least of which is sleep. If you count yourself among those who find these symptoms unbearable, then you may want to consult your doctor about undergoing hormone replacement therapy.
Even the best compounding pharmacy will take extra care in evaluating you first before recommending hormone replacement therapy for you.
What Are the Possible Risks?
The risks are part of what’s keeping everyone from enjoying most of the benefits of HRT. If you think that bioidentical hormone replacement therapy is safer, that’s actually not been scientifically proven yet. Always be mindful of these risks and make your decisions accordingly.
- Keep in mind that this kind of therapy has already been confirmed to subject you to a higher risk of suffering blood clots and stroke.
- It can even make you more prone to breast or prostate cancer or heart ailments.
- Common side effects also include fatigue, weight gain, bloating, acne, among others.
Do take note that these serious risks are applicable to both hormone replacement therapies done on women and men. For men, testosterone therapy usually has the same relatively mild symptoms as its counterpart for women, but they’re no less risky. There’s still a chance for men to suffer from infertility and blood clots.
The Different Types of Hormone Replacement Therapies
You’ll get a variety of options to choose from, which is, in and of itself, an advantage. After all, some therapies may be more suitable for your specific requirements, for example. At best, expect the variations to be limited to the forms through which you can take a specific hormone or a combination of them.
What Are the Options for Men?
Men can also enjoy the purported benefits of bioidentical hormones. However, there’s still a plethora of doctors out there that recommend these conventional options to them.
- Testosterone Patches
These transdermal patches sometimes prove to be adequate in relieving symptoms of low testosterone. You have to be willing to regularly apply this patch to your skin and let it stay there for an entire day.
Much like most other options available to you, you need to inform your doctor immediately should you experience any extreme symptoms.
- Testosterone Gels
One of the common treatments for hypogonadism, these gels are safer in that they don’t take as much toll on the liver as other testosterone treatments. However, you’ll have to be mindful of who you come into contact with because they may unintentionally be subject to the gel’s effects, too.
Most gels are applied in appropriate portions of your body, with morning being the most ideal time of day for application.
- Testosterone Injections
These are often called intramuscular injections because they’re injected into the buttock’s gluteal muscles in two- to three-week intervals. Despite being injected, don’t expect this to deliver results any faster than the other treatments available.
Usually, it takes three to six months before you start seeing results from testosterone therapies.
What Are the Options for Women?
For women, a pharmacy that makes compounds may be able to offer you a host of treatments. Simply type “best compounding pharmacy near me”, and you’ll know your options in no time. To save you time, we’ve outlined them here as well.
- Estrogen Therapy
This serves as an umbrella term for the different ways in which women can intake estrogen. You can choose between pills, patches, topical applications, or vaginal creams, rings, and tablets. Healthcare providers typically recommend estrogen patches for women with milder symptoms.
From this fact alone, it becomes obvious that women have slightly more variety in their options. There’s also convenience involved when, for example, opting for vaginal rings, which usually only have to be applied every three months.
- Combination Therapy
If you require or are suitable for progestin as well, then your doctor may advise you to choose a combination therapy. You may take progestins orally.
Take note that many healthcare providers tend to favor natural progestins nowadays. In fact, this is one type of therapy, which has been confirmed to be safer if you opt for natural alternatives. Natural progesterone doesn’t impact your cholesterol levels, after all.
What Are the Proven Benefits of HRT?
For most people regardless of sex, HRT can bring about profound symptom relief. Many men that undergo testosterone therapy have reported to experience:
- A higher sex drive
- More energy and vitality (though not yet scientifically proven)
- Better concentration
For women, besides the alleviation of postmenopausal symptoms like severe hot flashes, there are other equally powerful benefits like:
- Reduction of osteoporosis risk
- Decrease in heart disease and colorectal cancer risk
- Improved mood
- Mitigation of urogenital symptoms
- Better overall quality of life
Bay Life Compounding Pharmacy:
We hope that this comprehensive post has, more or less, added to your stock of knowledge regarding hormone replacement therapy. Keeping these in mind should help you decide how long you intend to undergo this kind of therapy and whether it’s applicable to you. When in doubt, don’t hesitate to ask more questions to your primary physician or compound pharmacy.
