When to Consider Hormone Replacement Therapy for Menopausal Symptoms

Many women mistake fatigue, weight gain, brain fog, and other symptoms as signs of getting older. It’s easy to assume these changes are a normal part of aging. Many times, however, a hormonal imbalance is the root cause of these issues.

If you’ve noticed a change in how you feel or function, you should have your hormones evaluated. The providers at PharmXHealthOne want you to know that you don’t have to suffer from perimenopausal and menopausal symptoms in silence. Bioidentical hormone replacement therapy (BHRT) can help you reclaim your vitality, so you can feel like yourself again.

Bioidentical hormone replacement therapy replaces lost hormones to bring the body back into balance, making it a very effective treatment for symptoms associated with a hormonal imbalance. In this blog, Rolando Alvarez, MD, of PharmXHealthOne explains what causes perimenopausal and menopausal symptoms and how BHRT can help restore your sense of well-being.

Perimenopause and menopause symptoms

Hormones play a major role in many aspects of your health, so it may come as no surprise that a hormonal imbalance can have a profound impact on your physical, emotional, and psychological well-being.

Many women may be familiar with menopause and its related symptoms, such as hot flashes. However, symptoms of a hormone imbalance can arrive during perimenopause, the stage before menopause.

As mentioned earlier, perimenopause can strike women in their late 30s or early 40s, a decade earlier than menopause. For many women, perimenopause and menopause ushers in years of uncomfortable symptoms, such as:

• Hot flashes
• Night sweats
• Trouble falling asleep
• Weight gain
• Memory problems
• Changes in mood
• Hair loss or thinning
• Reduced libido
• Reduced stamina
• Loss of lean mass
• Joint pain

These are just some of the symptoms women often contend with. The underlying issue is an imbalance in key hormones.

The role of hormones

Each hormone plays an important role in your health. For example, progesterone plays a role in heart health, fluid balance, and cholesterol balance. It also eases anxiety and protects against certain cancers. 

Testosterone keeps bones strong, manages fat distribution, promotes a healthy libido, and helps maintain muscle mass. Women often experience an imbalance in progesterone and testosterone before estrogen levels take a dive.

Headaches, a loss of energy, trouble concentrating, and other menopausal symptoms can make you feel off-kilter in many areas of your life. Hormonal imbalance symptoms can affect your professional, personal, and family life.

Everything from missing out on restful sleep to minor aches and pains can diminish your quality of life. Whether your symptoms are mild, moderate, or severe, BHRT can provide relief so you can live life to the fullest.

Bioidentical hormone replacement therapy

Bioidentical hormone replacement therapy is designed to restore hormonal balance. The providers at PharmXHealthOne use BHRT to bring hormones — such as estrogen, testosterone, and progesterone — back into balance to relieve symptoms.

Bioidentical hormones — which are derived from plants — are chemically identical to the hormones your body produces naturally. Because their chemical structures are identical, your body uses bioidentical hormones as it would its own hormones. 

Bioidentical hormone replacement therapy involves a comprehensive evaluation of your current hormone levels, medical history, needs, and lifestyle. Based on this information, your provider develops a customized treatment plan to balance your hormone levels and address your symptoms.

Your provider uses your lab results to determine a starting dose and makes adjustments as necessary. We may repeat your labs and assess your symptoms after 2 to 3 months to keep you on track by ensuring the proper dosage.

Women typically notice an improvement within a few weeks of starting BHRT for menopausal symptoms. As your body receives vital lost hormones, you should start to feel better.

When is the right time to consider BHRT?

If you’re experiencing symptoms of perimenopause or menopause, or if you have noticed a change in the way you feel, you may want to explore BHRT. You may also want to consider BHRT if you have: 

• Thyroid disease
• Metabolic syndrome
• Sexual dysfunction
• Adrenal imbalance

While this blog has focused on hormonal imbalances in the context of menopausal symptoms, it’s important to know that men can benefit from BHRT as well. The bottom line is this: If you aren’t feeling your best, you should have your hormones evaluated. 

You don’t have to struggle with symptoms related to a hormone imbalance. To learn more about BHRT, book an appointment online or over the phone with PharmXhealthOne today.

Author

Dr. Rolando Alvarez, MD, MS Dr. Rolando Alvarez, MD, MS, is an experienced Age Management Medicine Physician. Also, Medical Director, Nuclear Medicine, Nuclear Medicine Physician, and Internal Medicine for premier wellness center PharmXhealthOne, located in Wellington, Boynton Beach and Port Saint Lucie, Florida. His passion for wellness and fitness has been a lifelong endeavor, with active involvement in various sports, martial arts, and weightlifting. At PharmXhealthOne, he thrives in helping patients regain their youthful vitality and health by addressing the root cause of their ailments, with the guiding belief that “the cause is the cure.”