Do you suffer from sleep disturbances, fatigue, depression, irritability, anxiety, mood swings, weight gain, high cholesterol, hair loss, dry skin, low libido, poor focus, memory lapses, loss of muscle tone, night sweats, hot flashes, achiness, osteoporosis, fibromyalgia, chronic fatigue syndrome, migraine headaches?

Hormone Pellet Therapy places small, time released pellets of bio-identical hormones in the fat under your skin to be absorbed. The hormones in the pellets are bio-identical, meaning it is the exact molecular match of the human hormone. The process is quick and painless, like having your blood drawn. A small amount of local anesthesia is used to numb the skin before a small tube pushes the pellet into place, and is easily performed in the office.

Bio-identical hormones are derived from natural plant compounds and have the same chemical structure as the ones made in your body. Preliminary testing can be done with either blood, saliva, or both, and may be repeated every 3-6 months depending upon physician recommendations. Dr. Cova only prescribes compounded hormones that are manufactured according to the highest industry standards. Some patients notice results within a week while others may need additional time.

Why Bio-Identical Hormone Pellet Therapy is a Good Choice: A 40-year-old woman has less than half of the testosterone she did at 21. This drop has enormous implications for her health, well-being and physical resilience. Most testosterone is made by the ovaries with the rest of it being made in the adrenal glands. Women are more sensitive to testosterone than men. In other words, they need a lower circulating level in their bodies to provide for their physical, emotional and neurological health. This increased sensitivity leads to a rapid development of problems when a comparatively small drop in available testosterone occurs.

The benefits of bio-identical hormones will be noticed as you restore your natural sense of well-being. You are supporting your immune system and reducing inflammation. This has tremendous positive benefits on your brain, heart muscle, bones, and your sleep. Bio-identical hormones have transformed the lives of many patients.

What is involved in starting on Bio-identical Hormone therapy? You will fill out a brief medical history and a symptoms questionnaire. We will discuss your symptoms and review the results from your blood test that you had drawn prior to your appointment. Known risk factors and side effects are minor and uncommon, though these will be discussed with you as well. If you decide to proceed, it takes less than five minutes to insert the pellets. You can resume normal activities (except swimming and strenuous exercise which require a 4-day wait). You can expect to feel some improvements within the first week.

Follow Up: 4 weeks after your first insertion, you will be asked to get another blood test and then come in to discuss what you have experienced in symptom relief. We will decide whether any adjustment needs to be done to your future dose based on your blood test and symptoms. We also encourage you to further enhance your own health by using the new found energy from restored to hormone levels to exercise regularly and eat well. In your first year of treatment, expect to have 3-4 insertions, typically women require insertion every three months. You can stop BHT treatment at any time, which will cause hormone levels to drift back to your pre-treatment levels and your pre-treatment symptoms to return. There is no age limit on treatments. Though uncommon, patients as young as 25 (such as those with PCOS or severe PMS) as well as women in their 70’s or older have had wonderful benefits from this therapy.

Misconceptions dispelled: Testosterone does not make one angry or violent. Quite the opposite! Testosterone has been shown to increase “friendliness” by decreasing irritability, anger, sadness, nervousness and tiredness. Nor is there any scientifically valid evidence showing testosterone increases the risk of heart disease or death. In fact, years of solid research has led many experts to believe that testosterone is protective of the cardiovascular system and breasts.

Are there side effects? Testosterone therapy side effects are uncommon, mild, and manageable. The most common side effects are increased facial or body hair, a mild acne breakout, or an overly increased libido. Should they occur, these side effects are temporary and resolve upon decreasing the dosage.

Bio-Identical Hormones

• Chemical structure is exact replica of human hormones
• Fits hormone receptor exactly
• Helps with all hormonal symptoms
• Individualized dosing
• Lab testing/monitoring available
• Must be obtained from compounding pharmacy

Conventional Hormone Therapy

• Chemical structure is different than human hormones
• Fits hormone receptor well
• Helps with hot flashes and vaginal dryness
• One-size-fits-all dosing
• No monitoring tests available
• Can be obtained at a regular pharmacy (e.g., CVS, Walgreens, Kroger)