FAQ
Men
Q. What is testosterone/hormone replacement therapy for men?
A. Hormone Replacement Therapy is the optimization of your testosterone and other supporting hormones to enable men to feel like you did in your 20’s. The days of accepting low energy, lower mental clarity, decreased mood, reduced muscle strength, increased body fat, and other unwanted symptoms as a part of your life, are in the past. At Evolution, we specifically design your program based on your personal lab values so that you can feel and look your best.
Q. How do I know if I have low testosterone?
A. At Evolution, you will meet with a provider for a consult to discuss the symptoms that you have been experiencing. Then a quick, 20-minute blood test will reveal if you have low testosterone (hypogonadal). Two low morning testosterone levels, on different days, will be required to diagnose you and start your treatment.
Q. What are normal levels of testosterone?
A. Normal range for healthy men’s testosterone is between 350ng/dl to 1000ng/dl. But total testosterone values only give part of the picture. A large portion of testosterone is bound to specific proteins within your body and are unavailable for use by your tissues. It is more important to know how much testosterone is unbound and available for use by your body, than what is your total testosterone value. At Evolution, detailed labs will be drawn to determine these bioavailable or free testosterone levels.
Q. What does the treatment entail?
A. At Evolution, we treat men with testosterone cypionate injections weekly. The half-life, or when the medication drops below therapeutic levels, is around 8 days. Therefore, you will be getting injections on the 7th day to avoid feeling your symptoms returning.
The dose that is needed by each patient to relieve their symptoms is different. We will be monitoring your blood levels with scheduled labs to ensure the dose that you are receiving is optimal for you, as well as monitoring other lab values to ensure that you are receiving treatment in a safe manner.
Q. Is there anything else I may need during this treatment?
A. At Evolution we will get an extensive lab panel when you begin. During your visit to discuss these labs, we will identify any other deficiencies and address those as part of your treatment plan. During your treatment, your program may evolve to require estrogen blockers, vitamin deficiencies or other treatments to assist you in reaching your desired goals. This will be a closely monitored program to ensure that you know every option available at each point in your program.
Q. My friend does his HRT injections at home. Do you offer this?
A. Evolution does not offer hormone replacement therapy home injections under most circumstances. To do hormone therapy that will yield the best results, there should be close follow up, symptom management and frequent lab monitoring. If you want to feel your best, you owe yourself a few minutes each week to see your provider and ensure your program is on track.
Q. What are the side effects of hormone replacement therapy?
A. As with starting any medication, there are risks of side effects. The most common side effects are oily skin, acne, and other mild symptoms.
Women
Q. How do I know if hormone replacement therapy treatment is right for me?
A. For women, too often hormone imbalance is associated with menopause, and frequently that is not the case. Women can start experiencing symptoms long before they reach this point in their life. In fact, some start experiencing symptoms in their 20’s. Succumbing to that feeling of “getting older” is no longer necessary. Why not feel like you are in your 20’s right now? We have had women tell us that they feel better on hormone replacement therapy than they ever did in their 20’s.
If you have been experiencing any of the following symptoms, hormone balancing may be right for you:
- Fatigue
- Decreased memory
- Loss of drive
- Weight gain (especially in the abdomen, hips, and thighs)
- Mood swings
- Thinning hair
- Sleep disturbances
- Decreased libido
- Hot flashes
- Night sweats
- Breast discomfort
- Vaginal dryness
- Irregular or diminishing menstruation
- Sleep disturbances
Q. What does hormone balancing treatment entail?
A. Women’s treatments begin with a consultation with a provider. After your health history has been reviewed during this consultation, an extensive lab panel is done to evaluate your baseline hormone levels. A few days later, you will have an appointment to discuss your lab values and your treatment plan will be prescribed for you. Your plan could include estrogen, progesterone, testosterone, thyroid medications and any supportive treatment as determined by your labs and your desired results. At Evolution, we make sure your levels are within normal limits and that they are at optimal levels and you no longer have symptoms.
Q. What are the side effects of hormone replacement therapy?
A. When women start HRT, we are bringing their hormones from low levels, back to that of a healthy 20-year-old – and they come up quickly. This hormone boost can cause some side effects such as oily skin, acne and other mild symptoms. While these are not common, they are easily treated.
Q. What are the methods of hormone replacement treatment for women?
A. Treatment for women will be based on lab findings and is available through several delivery methods. The 4 methods are oral medications, transdermal creams, subcutaneous implantation or injection. At Evolution, we will not do injections of hormones for women due to the risk of side effects. What delivery method we use will be decided by you and your provider at your follow up appointment.
Q. When should I start to feel the effects of hormone replacement therapy?
A. Every woman’s body chemistry is a little different. We have seen women start to feel results as soon as three days after starting treatment. Some take a few weeks to start feeling a reduction in their symptoms. The biggest factors we have found that affects how quickly symptom management begins is choosing the appropriate delivery method and consistency with dosage. These will be discussed with your provider, and we will choose the program that is right for you.
Q. How long will I need to be on hormone replacement treatment?
A. Hormone therapy should be viewed as long term. If at any point you decide to stop treatment, your levels will return to where they were before therapy. But once your labs are optimal and you feel as though you were in your 20’s again, why would you want to? We have not experienced very many women that desire to stop treatment once they have started.
Q. Will hormone therapy help me lose this unwanted weight?
A. Yes, but not by itself. Your provider will do a body composition analysis and will provide you with valuable structure in nutrition and exercise to ensure that you reach all your personal goals. With over 25 years of experience with working with weight loss, you will leave with a clear understanding of what you need to do, but even more important, you will understand why.
Q. Can I be on hormone therapy and birth control together?
A. Yes and no. The hormone therapy that you will be receiving does not combine with most birth control regimens without unacceptable risks. However, a copper IUD provides a non-hormone secreting birth control option that can last over 10 years, and it does not interact with your hormone therapy.