Hormone Replacement Therapy Specialist

What are the benefits of hormone replacement therapy?

Before women reach menopause, their levels of estrogen fluctuate up and down as their ovaries produce less estrogen and the brain attempts to boost production. Eventually, estrogen reaches a permanently low level, and you enter menopause.

The loss of estrogen causes a variety of symptoms, which are mild and tolerable for some women and yet so severe in other women that they can’t sleep or enjoy daily life. They include:

• Hot flashes
• Night sweats
• Difficulty sleeping
• Mood changes
• Depression
• Fatigue
• Forgetfulness (“brain fog”)
• Thinning hair or hair loss
• Weight gain
• Dry skin
• Urinary urgency and leakage
• Vaginal dryness and painful intercourse
• Low sex drive

There’s only one way to relieve symptoms caused by low estrogen, and that’s to bring hormone levels back to normal with hormone replacement therapy (HRT).

What other health conditions improve with hormone replacement therapy?

The loss of estrogen does more than cause menopausal symptoms. Estrogen also helps regulate bone metabolism and prevents the loss of collagen in your skin. As a result, replacing estrogen with HRT improves the quality of your skin and prevents osteoporosis.

How is hormone replacement therapy prescribed?

Your HRT prescription may contain estrogen alone, combined estrogen and progesterone, or other hormones, depending on your individual needs. In many cases, you may be able to choose the form of HRT you prefer, as there are several types:

• Oral pills
• Transdermal patches
• Gels and creams applied to skin
• Implants (pellets)
• Vaginal rings

Each form has its benefits and disadvantages, so the providers at the Center for Women’s Health will explain the difference and help you decide which one is best for you. The severity of your symptoms often makes a difference. Women with significant symptoms may prefer injectable pellets that deliver a continuous supply of hormones for an extended length of time.

One of only three physicians working with hormone pellet therapy in Wichita, Dr. Breit uses pellets that contain bio-identical estradiol, derived from natural sources. This ensures that the chemical structure is the same as the hormones naturally produced in your body.

Studies have shown that bio-identical hormones have fewer side effects than synthetic hormones.  

Does hormone replacement therapy treat conditions other than menopause?

Hormone replacement therapy is beneficial for women who had their ovaries removed due to cancer or other health problems. It’s also used to treat irregular menstrual periods, which can develop due to gaining or losing a significant amount of weight, going through extreme stress, engaging in endurance exercise, or from an eating disorder.

Call or book an appointment online to learn more about hormone pellet therapy and other HRTs the Center for Women’s Health offers.