Hormone Therapy in Milwaukee & Riverwoods
When most men and women reach their 40s, the signs of natural aging may begin to appear. Unexplained weight gain, fatigue, insomnia, hair loss, low libido, inability to concentrate (brain fog), and mild anxiety/depression are some of the classic symptoms of hormone imbalance (andropause and perimenopause/menopause). Bioidentical hormone replacement therapy (BHRT) is an effective solution to restoring hormonal balance and a positive step in improving your overall health. BHRT is available in a variety of delivery methods, such as pills, patches, creams/gels, injections, and pellet therapy.
Dr. Kenneth Raskin provides hormone replacement (HRT) therapy for men and women at our wellness clinics in Milwaukee and Riverwoods. To schedule a consultation, please request an appointment through our secure online form under the “Getting Started Pull Down Menu” and one of our staff will contact you! Our offices are conveniently located for patients in the Milwaukee metro area and Chicagoland/Northern Illinois area.
Benefits of hormone replacement can be:
- Greater emotional stability
- Improved drive and stamina
- Improved bone density
- Improved energy levels
- Improved focus and concentration
- Improved lean body mass
- Increased sex drive (libido) and sexual function
- Decreased fat mass
- Improvement in hot flashes and night sweats
- Improvement in sleep
- Improvement in hair loss
- Improvement in depression and anxiety
Hormone changes can start occurring in women in the 30s and can rapidly alter during the perimenopause and menopause years. When the changes occur rapidly; women can feel like they woke up in someone else’s body. All three major female sex hormones (progesterone, estrogen, testosterone) can alter at different rates leading to major changes in how you feel and how your body is acting. Through alteration of these hormones, we are able to improve how you feel and lessen the symptoms you are experiencing.
Progesterone can be used as an oral agent or cream. Cream can be calming and help with many of the symptoms of progesterone deficiency. Occasionally someone will rapidly convert their progesterone to cortisol leading to difficulty sleeping and feeling more edgy. Oral progesterone has more literature supporting the protection of the lining of the uterus compared to the creams. Dr. Raskin prefers oral progesterone as it gives the same benefits of the cream, and it breaks down in the liver to create a hormone metabolite that helps with sleep.
Estrogen can be used as an oral agent, topical patch, cream, or pellet form. The oral form may increase the risk of blood clots, heart disease and stroke compared to the other forms, so Dr. Raskin generally does not use this form. Creams can be used on the skin or vaginally depending on what symptoms we are treating. Patches are convenient and come from your local pharmacy; however, they only come in a few dosing options. Estrogen pellets are convenient as they are only dosed once every 3 months and are best used in women who have had a hysterectomy or endometrial ablation due to the risk of abnormal bleeding.
Testosterone is the often-neglected hormone in women. There is ten times more testosterone in the female body than estrogen. It is responsible for many of the benefits we see with estrogen without the side effects such as weight gain and bloating. Testosterone can be used as an oral agent, cream, injectable or pellet form. Dr. Raskin does not recommend the oral form as there is an increased risk of damage to the liver. The cream/gel formulation can convert to estrogen more readily than the forms that go under the skin. Both self-administered subcutaneous injections and pellet forms give excellent results.
Men can notice alterations in their hormones in their late 20s through their 80s. The change in males tends to be more gradual compared to females and therefore they are written off to too much stress or just getting older. High stress can dramatically alter testosterone levels and lead to higher estrogen levels making a guy not feel like themselves. The major symptoms guys notice is less drive, less energy, changes in libido, erectile dysfunction (ED), more body fat, less muscle and becoming crankier.
Testosterone can be used as a cream, self-administered subcutaneous injection and pellets. The creams can lead to more estrogen production which is often not ideal as it can worsen the symptoms we are trying to correct. Both self-administered subcutaneous injections and pellet forms give excellent results. Some men (or their significant others) will notice the ups and downs of the hormone level with testosterone injections which is why many choose to use testosterone pellets.
Estrogen is the hardest hormone to get dialed in for a man. Unlike testosterone where being in the upper part of the reference range is generally ideal; estrogen must be more tailored for the man as some do better at the lower range and some at the upper range. If estrogen is not properly balanced, the benefits of testosterone may not be realized.
