Hormones Part V: Bioidentical Pellet Replacement Most Closely Relicates Nature

Sunday, January 25, 2009 by: Barbara L. Minton
Tags: hormones, health news, Natural News

(NewsTarget) More people are discovering bioidentical hormones. They have realized that just like our brains, hearts, arms and legs, hormones are part of the human body for a reason. It is not usually until hormone levels begin to sag and lose balance that we start to experience health problems. We live in a world of deteriorating food quality, increasing toxic chemical load, and high stress that is causing hormonal decline at an earlier age than ever. We are outliving our hormones. The choice now is not whether to use bioidenticals, but what form of bioidenticals to use. Pellet therapy is rapidly gaining acceptance as the form of hormone replacement that most closely replicates the natural action of the body.

What is pellet therapy?

Pellet therapy uses bioidentical hormones to create true hormone replacement, not the hormone substitution offered by synthetic patented hormone drug replacement. These hormones, estrogen and testosterone, are identical in molecular structure to the hormones produced by the human body. Pellets have been used with great success since the 1930`s in countries not in the grip of drug companies. There is more scientific data to support the use of pellets than any other method of hormone delivery.

Pellets are easily inserted in the fat pad directly under the skin

Pellets are made by compounding pharmacies from plant sources, and packaged in sterile glass viles. But don`t think that compounding pharmacies are something that just sprung up to make bioidenticals. Compounding pharmacies have been around for centuries, even in the U.S. They custom made all the medicines used by people until they were pushed out of the way by the giant drug companies that only offer one-size-fits-all products. Compounding pharmacies have always made medicines that were tailored to the needs of individual patients and reflected specifics ordered by doctors.

Each hormone pellet looks like a very tiny cylinder. It is inserted under the skin of the upper hip with a special device made for this purpose. The doctor or nurse numbs the area with a shot of lidocaine. Then she makes an incision about 1/8th inch long and inserts the pellets into the fat pad directly beneath the skin. She covers the insertion with a small piece of tape. After the area has been numbed, the actual insertion takes no more than a minute. The only restriction for the patient is to curtail exercise for the rest of the day.

Many women in their late twenties to their forties receive only testosterone pellets. This usually involves the insertion of one or two pellets. If a woman has declining or low estrogen levels, an estradiol pellet is also inserted. For men who are receiving testosterone, the insertion can involve as many as six pellets of testosterone only.

Pellet delivery most closely copies nature

Being implanted under the skin in this way provides hormonal delivery in a manner that most closely mimics what the body would do naturally if it could. There is a consistent release of small, physiologic doses of hormone to provide optimal therapy. Pellets provide a self-adjusting hormonal dose. If the person is quite active, there is an increase in blood flow around the pellets that provides for a greater amount of hormone release. When the person sits down to rest and blood flow decreases, the amount of hormone released also decreases. This is the way the body was made to function.

For women, the pellets last from 3 to 5 months depending on metabolic rate and level of activity. Women get to know how long their pellets will typically last and schedule their next appointment for insertion accordingly. Testosterone pellets in men tend to last for a slightly longer period, typically 4 to 6 months. When men receive testosterone replacement, they can throw away their viagra.

The affect of the pellets is almost immediate. Many women report symptom relief in a matter of an hour following insertion. Others report an incredible feeling of well being descending upon them shortly after they receive their pellets. For women who have been hormonally deprived for years, getting pellets is like coming out of the shadows into the sunlight again.

Pellets avoid the fluctuations or ups and downs of hormone levels seen with every other method of delivery. Pellet therapy frees the person from having to remember to administer the hormone each day or several times a day. And most importantly, pellets create psychological freedom. Instead of viewing herself as a patient in some ritual everyday when she administers her hormones, pellets really create the feeling of being carefree that was so symbolic of youth.

Pellets protect through proper hormonal balance

Estrogen delivered by subcutaneous pellets is the best way to maintain the normal ratio of estradiol to estrone that is important for optimal health and disease prevention. To assure optimal health, many women add progesterone cream to their hormonal regimen for two weeks out of every month, or three weeks out of the month if they are post menopausal. There are progesterone receptors in the bone, brain, heart, bladder, breast and uterus, and progesterone undoubtedly has a health promoting effect on each of these sites.

There is also evidence to support the conclusion that estradiol and testosterone when administered in pellet form offer breast protection even without the addition of progesterone. Testosterone administered by pellets has been shown to be protective of breast tissue and decrease breast cell proliferation.

When compared to conventional hormone replacement, pellets have been shown to be superior for the relief of menstrual symptoms, restoration of sleep patterns, and improvement of libido. Women report significantly improved sexual response, interest and performance. Many women who reported lack of success with other forms of hormone therapy have had success with pellets, at least in part because of the convenience and freedom they offer.

In younger women, hormone levels are checked with blood or saliva testing before hormones are administered to determine which hormones need to be supplemented and by how much. With women at the age of menopause or above, hormone therapy is begun immediately, as the need for hormones is a given. Testing is done after about 2 months to see how the body is responding and to make adjustments if needed. This testing usually includes follicle stimulating hormone (FSH), luteinizing hormone, estradiol, estrone, testosterone, free testosterone, DHT and thyroid function (T3, T4 and TSH) for women. Once levels and intervals are established testing is done yearly or even more infrequently unless signs of imbalance manifest.

The cost of pellet therapy beats the costs of hormonal decline

The cost for the pellets is about $35 for each one. The cost of the insertion is about $300 to $400. It seems expensive at first glance, but if you think of it in terms of being able to be a much more productive person throughout your life, it begins to seem like a bargain. Pellet therapy and hormonal balance have such a profound impact on health that other medical expenses are drastically cut. Drugs for insomnia, depression, sexual dysfunction, obesity, diabetes, hypertension, dry eyes, and migraines will no longer be needed. The increased energy level provided by pellets allows for cutting back on foods now used to stimulate energy. And maybe best of all, pellets free you from the need to save up for an old age spent in a nursing home.

It's too bad that insurance companies haven`t wised up yet and are unwilling to cover the cost of something that would end up saving them so much money in the long run. However, insurance will usually cover the cost of the lab work and the cost of your consultation.

How to find pellet therapy

Most large cities have a physician practicing anti-aging medicine or an obstetrician/gynecologist who is knowledgeable in hormone balancing. These people should at least be able to provide some type of bioidentical hormone replacement regimen. Pellets are rapidly gaining popularity and most states have at least one physician practicing pellet therapy. Once women have experienced the benefits of pellet therapy, they willingly make a trip every few months to get their inserts.

Some women report feeling better than they ever have in their lives

What can a woman look forward to with bioidentical pellets? Mental clarity, improved mood, increased bone density at up to four times the rate with oral therapies, diminished migraine headaches, enhanced energy and vitality, sound and consistent sleep, end of dry eyes, and renewed sex drive are the some of the usual rewards of pellet therapy. Women report feeling more in control of their bodies and their lives. Zest, enthusiasm for life and motivation return, and response to exercise is heightened. Physical performance, balance, and strength are also increased, as are concentration and memory. Skin tone and hair texture and thickness improve with pellets, and most women tend to look younger.

For many women, the ability to stop worrying about breast cancer is the biggest return from the pellets.

Sources:

Rebecca L. Glaser, M.D., Millennium Wellness Center.

Gino Tutera , M.D., Medical Director of Sotto Pelle Center. You Don`t Have To Live With It.

Kathy Maupin, M.D., O.B./GYN, Founder of BioBalance for Women.

About the author

Barbara is a school psychologist, a published author in the area of personal finance, a breast cancer survivor using "alternative" treatments, a born existentialist, and a student of nature and all things natural.