Hormone Replacement Therapy

Menopause

There are many symptoms of menopause, including hot flashes, night sweats, vaginal dryness, insomnia, headaches, difficulty losing weight, loss of muscle mass, and low libido.

Hormone replacement therapy (HRT) can help relieve these symptoms. There are several forms of HRT available, such as tablets, sprays, gels, patches, and pellets. Before starting treatment, a physical exam and blood work are needed to rule out other possible causes of your symptoms.

Hormone pellets were first developed in 1939 for women who had undergone hysterectomy. Each pellet is about the size of a grain of rice and is inserted under the skin of the gluteal area using local anesthesia.

For women, the effects typically last 4 to 5 months (about 3 insertions per year).

For men, the effects last around 5 to 6 months (about 2 insertions per year).

Pellets can help:

• Increase lean muscle mass
• Decrease fat mass
• Improve exercise capacity and bone mineral density
• Enhance libido and sexual function
• Reduce hot flashes
• Improve sleep quality

Possible side effects include mild acne or facial hair growth (2–10%) and hair thinning (1%). These effects are temporary and usually resolve once the next dose is adjusted.

Pellets are bioidentical hormones, meaning they have the same molecular structure as the hormones naturally produced by your body. Because of this, they do not increase the risk of breast cancer, blood clots, or cardiovascular disease.