Hormones protect and prevent risks of age related diseases. Optimizing your hormones has proven to lessen the likelihood of Osteoporosis, Alzheimer's, Diabetes, Heart Disease, Impaired Vision and Many Cancers.
Additionally, hormone therapy treats symptoms of:
- Fatigue, Low Energy and Brain Fog
- Sleeplessness
- Reduced Libido
- Aches and Pains, Loss of Muscle
- Weight Gain
- Depression, Anxiety or Changes in mood
Hormone Replacement Therapy San Antonio
Research shows that balancing and optimizing your hormones makes you feel happier and younger. At The Urology Place we have Board Certified physicians that can assess your health and after one simple blood test, can restore your vitality!
We offer different modalities of treatment all based on your unique needs and goals. Most commonly we recommend Hormone Pellets as they ensure the most effective optimization, assist with symptom relief and give patients the greatest freedom without having to remember to take a medication, cream or injection.
Methods of Hormone Replacement Therapy
Injections
52–156 Injections Per Year
1–3 Times per Week
Usually inexpensive but also the most painful. Shots are usually given once a week or every two weeks. The levels sharply spike after injection. Levels of testosterone rise above the normal range within the first 48 hours and fall below the normal range in the days prior to the next dose. This supra-physiologic rise and fall can be a matter of concern.
Cream
365 Applications Per Year
Once Daily
This is a painless way of applying testosterone. Transdermal testosterone formulations (patches, gels) can have limitations, such as local reactions, poor adhesion, fear of transmission to others, unpleasant odor, and high discontinuation rates.
Bio-Identical Pellets
2–4 Times per year!
Testosterone pellets are bio-identical. In other words, it is the same type of testosterone as your body makes. Pellets can last for months at a time and have the benefit of holding steady levels. As a result, the erratic swings with other modes of therapy are avoided. The pellets are placed in the physician's office in a 5–10 minute procedure. The pellets are shaped like large grains of rice and are placed in the upper hips or buttocks. Patients may experience soreness for a couple of days. It is a procedure, so there is a small risk of infection. The procedure itself is usually painless. Pellets are sourced from FDA registered 503B facilities. The sterile pellets are derived from yams, irradiated with E-beams to sterilize, and are in compliance with CGMP, which is the same as large commercial drug manufacturers.
Pricing
At the Urology Place we offer competitive pricing for Hormone Replacement Therapy. Our providers are experts in Hormone Optimization and offer treatment significantly cheaper than our competitors.
Benefits of Pellet Therapy
Physician's assistant, Sho Grant, shares information about the benefits behind Bioidentical Pellets. This is a quick treatment that is done in our office that provides long-lasting effects compared to other hormone optimization therapy options.
Initial Lab Work
Call for pricing!
Usually covered by insurance*
Female Pelleting
$375.00
Per Treatment (Every 3–4 Months)
Male Pelleting
$575.00
Per Treatment (Every 4–6 Months)
Frequently asked Questions about Hormone Pellet Therapy
Pellets are made under strict guidelines by a compounding pharmacy. These pellets are the size of a grain of rice. 3-4 mm in diameter. The pellets are placed in the fatty layer under the skin of the buttock. Pellets release steady amounts of hormones. This avoids the up and down problems associated with injection treatment. Pellets can last anywhere from 4-6 months, usually.
Bioidentical hormone replacement therapy (BHRT) or natural hormone therapy basically means that hormones are molecularly identical to your own natural hormones. The pellets are made from wild yams and soy. There are no known allergens associated with wild yams and soy. (Once the hormone is made, it is no longer yam or soy.) Bioidentical hormones have similar risks to conventional hormones. We use a national compounding pharmacy to provide the safest hormones possible. The pharmacy's quality standards already surpassed what was required by USP 797. They meet the gold standard in the industry for pellets: compliance with the FDA's standards for CGMP (current good manufacturing practices), the same as large commercial drug manufacturers.
Hormone pellets have advantages compared to other means of replacement. There is no risk of transference, which can happen with gels and creams. Unlike shots, pellets maintain a steady level of hormone levels in the body. Having peaks and valleys with shots create some risk for side-effects.
Peaks can cause the red blood cell counts to go up. Increased blood counts can increase your blood thickness and lead to more cardiac risk. The increase in blood count may require blood donations. Without the high spikes, pellets may reduce the risk of this problem.
Valleys can cause people to feel the problems that led them to hormones in the first place. We do not want your testosterone levels to look like a roller coaster ride.
Finally, with injections, there is need to repeatedly inject. A big advantage of pellets is that they can last for months, which means less trips to the doctor's office.
The pellets are placed in the fat under the skin of the hip. A tiny opening is made in the skin and the pellets are inserted. No stitch is required. The procedure can be done in the office. We use numbing medication to make the procedure as comfortable as possible.
Pellets can:
- Increase energy
- Improve sexual drive
- Reduce depression or stabilize your mood
- Help you exercise
- Improve mental fog
- Reduce body fat
This depends. We estimate every 4 to 6 months. We check labs and your symptoms quarterly.
Pellets must be implanted. There is a very low risk of infection. Dosing cannot be decreased once the pellets are implanted. We usually start with a lower dose to avoid issues and calculate future dosing.
For men, testosterone pellets have some of the same risks as other means of testosterone supplementation. External testosterone reduces your own body's ability to make testosterone. Men who are considering children should not take external testosterone. The risk of increasing your red blood cell count should be decreased.
For women, hormone pellets are not yet FDA-approved. Women have been treated with hormones for years. Reports have shown improvements in sexual desire and satisfaction. There is improvement in bone density, mental sharpness and performance. Risks include lack of longterm studies. There can be some unwanted hair growth and acne with hormone replacement.
Pellets have been shown to be effective for relief of menopause symptoms. They can help decrease loss of bone density. Sexual desire and satisfaction can improve in women with hormone pellets. Similar to men, women can have decreased depression, increased energy and performance with pellet hormone therapy. Vaginal dryness, urinary urgency and frequency can improve with pellet hormone therapy. Studies with cancer risk are ongoing and encouraging. Pellets for women are not FDA approved. However, we can help you understand if your clinical symptoms may benefit from hormonal pellet therapy. Call us or fill in the form for a consultation.
Yes. Dr. Hlavinka has dedicated experience in women's hormonal health. We're happy to discuss your goals and whether pellet therapy is a fit—call us or use the contact form to schedule a consultation.
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