There are many different ways to administer hormones including pills, creams, injections, patches and pellet therapy. We at Hermann Aesthetics & Wellness believe pellet therapy is a great and more stable way to deliver bioidentical hormones. The pellets are tiny, about the size of a grain of rice, and after numbing a small area with local anesthetic, are inserted them under the skin of the lateral buttocks. The procedure is a quick in-office treatment that is less painful than having your blood drawn. For women, we usually use pellets that have either estradiol and/or testosterone. Women are sometimes surprised that they might need testosterone in addition to estradiol but most perimenopausal and post-menopausal women indeed need both testosterone and estrogen to regulate their hormonal imbalance and symptoms. In men, we use testosterone only.
Many studies have shown that pellet therapy is a superior method of delivering bioidentical hormones. Pellets secrete a small amount of hormones throughout the day, providing a more consistent level of hormones in the body. No other delivery method is as effective or can maintain the consistent blood levels of estrogen and testosterone. This distinguishes pellet therapy from other forms of hormone delivery such as pills, patches, creams, gels, sublingual tablets and injections, that have peaks and valleys. This can cause unwanted side effects and/or be less effective in managing symptoms. The other added benefit of bioidentical hormone pellets is when the body requires more hormones due to mental or physical stress. They are hassle- free and convenient form of bioidentical hormone replacement that eliminates concerns and risks of forgetting to take your pills or applying your patch or rubbing on your cream.
Bioidentical hormone pellets are synthesized from natural source soybeans. The pellets are either pure estradiol or pure testosterone and dissolve completely over a 3-6 month period.
Pellet therapy is used to combat the symptoms of menopause and perimenopause such as mood swings, memory loss, foggy thinking, irregular periods, menstrual headaches, fatigue, psychological complaints, vaginal dryness, decreased sex drive, bloating, hot flashes, night sweats, problems sleeping, loss of muscle and bone mass and collagen loss and other skin related issues. Women using bioidentical pellet therapy feel more youthful and rejuvenated. For men, it can make them feel 10 to 20 years younger by improving their energy level, increasing sex drive, improving moods, elevating cognitive function and memory, help with sleep, aiding in increasing muscle mass as well as decreasing joint pain, minimize sweating and help decrease excessive abdominal fat.
The pellet insertion procedure itself takes less than 10 minutes. We numb the area with a local anesthetic, then a tiny incision is made and the pellets are inserted with a small insertion device. After the pellets are inserted, a small piece of tape is placed to close the incision; no stitches are needed.
Many women have tried various kinds of hormone replacement therapy (HRT) and have simply been dissatisfied with the way they have felt. As men age, they can become more easily irritable, tired and less active because of decreased testosterone. Now, both men and women can do something about the negative effects of hormone imbalance by using bioidentical pellet therapy to make them feel younger and enjoy life to its fullest. Make an appointment with either Robin McClain ARNP-C or Dr. Hermann, at Hermann Aesthetics & Wellness in Tampa or St. Pete by calling: (813) 902-9559.
