Natural Hormone Therapy In Vermont Makes Aging Gracefully Safe And Effective

Around midlife, most of us are at the point when we begin to discuss hormone replacement therapy to help us age more gracefully, and to maintain a happy, healthy, and energetic mature season of life. If you’re experiencing hormonal fluctuation symptoms, bioidentical hormone replacement therapy can help rebalance your hormone levels, and provide lasting benefits to your health.

When speaking with your doctor about the safety of natural bioidentical hormone replacement or conventional hormone replacement therapy, it’s helpful to have a basic understanding of how our natural hormone balance works, what happens when we age, and how adding a hormone therapy to your health program could help alleviate unwanted symptoms.

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At some point, in the lives of both women and men, the endocrine glands stop producing adequate hormone levels to maintain the energy, muscle recovery, and vibrant health that we’re accustomed to. 

Hormones are used in the body to communicate between different systems and organs to trigger certain responses…they are an important part of our body’s physiology, and we can not function properly without them. When hormone levels drop we begin to notice the “signs of aging” and certain symptoms we experience can make our day-to-day life uncomfortable or even debilitating. 

Fortunately, thanks to science and nature, we’re able to take supplemental hormones known as hormone replacement therapy. For a time, there was only one option that was widely available, but now a compounded bioidentical hormone replacement therapy is available to help women and men navigate transitional years more easily.

People who take bioidentical hormone therapy report experiencing:

• Stronger sex drive

• Better mental clarity

• Decreased symptoms of anxiety and depression

• Increased sense of wellbeing

• Improved ability to lose fat and build muscle

• Thicker hair growth

• Healthier skin

• Reduced bloating

While it is true that aging is an inevitable part of being alive, hormonal fluctuations (and the symptoms that arise because of it) can last up to ten years, and women are hit particularly hard through the perimenopause and menopause years.

Increasing or rebalancing hormone levels, including estrogen, progesterone, and testosterone, can often reduce or eliminate debilitating symptoms.



BioIdentical or Traditional?

There are two types of hormone replacement therapies: bioidentical hormone replacement therapy (BHRT) and traditional hormone replacement therapy (HRT). 

Both hormone replacement therapies come in different forms, including pills, creams, gels, and patches, and are made up of different doses and combinations of hormones. BHRT also comes in pellet form, which we inject beneath your skin. 

The major difference between BHRT and HRT is what they are created from.

BHRT is derived from plant sources that are chemically similar to the hormone structure your body naturally produces. Traditional HRT products are made from the urine of pregnant horses and other synthetic hormones.

Some women prefer BHRT because of its natural quality and because we can adjust the doses to suit your needs. HRT only comes in standardized doses. In either case, it’s important to discuss what’s best for you with your doctor and you’ll likely have to experiment to find the best product and dosage for your needs.

Other Indications for Hormone Replacement Therapy

One of the most common uses of hormone replacement is to ease the symptoms in menopausal women. But, men can also experience hormonal fluctuations. They go through a period called andropause which can bring on similar symptoms, most notably a lowered libido, weight gain, depression, and fatigue. But it isn’t just the symptoms that women and men are looking to alleviate. Once our hormonal balance begins to decline, the risk of cardiovascular disease, type II diabetes, osteoporosis, and dementia all increase. So, slowing the aging process can also help to maintain a reduced risk of preventable disease.

How do I know what’s right for me?

Testing is the best indicator of what’s happening inside your body, so it’s important to work with an experienced doctor who will provide you with thorough testing protocols to get an accurate account of your monthly fluctuations. When you start to work with your doctor, you will be asked to provide your medical history, discuss your symptoms, and will then have extensive lab tests to measure your hormone levels. You and your doctor will also discuss your health goals, and your hormone treatment options. 

Once your test results are in, you should work with your doctor to design a treatment plan tailored to your specific needs. You will be prescribed a personalized bioidentical hormone formula or standardized HRT products based on your lab results and symptoms. It’s helpful to keep a detailed daily journal of your symptoms and how you feel in general so that you can reassess dosage with your doctor once you begin. It is expected that you’ll want to make some adjustments.

Hormone treatment is designed to work over a long period of time….to ease your symptoms, and provide a new normal of balance for a more gentle aging process.

Will my insurance cover the cost of hormone replacement therapy?

As with all things in the health insurance domain, you’ll need to speak with your specific provider. It helps to discuss with your doctor ahead of time what they know about coverage and what out of pocket costs might be. It’s not uncommon for your insurance to cover the cost of your visit and for some basic lab work (though, some more extensive or detailed lab work may not be covered by most insurance companies. These more in-depth tests, however, can be what makes your experience with hormone replacement therapy successful or not. The more you know the more targeted and accurate the therapy can be. More detailed tests can also discover other underlying conditions that may be contributing to your symptom load.)

All in all, whether you’re insured or paying out of pocket, there seems to be a national average range of spending anywhere from $300 (insured) - $3,000 (uninsured) annually.

Here at Preventive Medicine, we specialize in bioidentical hormone therapy and the in-house blood work and detailed analysis to optimize the balance of these anti-aging hormones, and to help you feel younger and stronger. 

We’re also able to offer telehealth visits for clients who are unable to come to the clinic in person. Call us today to learn more about getting started"