Menopause can bring scary thoughts to the minds of women as they enter their mid-forties and notice that their friends are going through some pretty miserable symptoms. Although it is a natural part of aging for women, it isn’t fun. Menopause is the time that marks the end of a woman’s menstrual cycle. The average age of menopause is 51, and it is diagnosed after a woman has gone 12 months without a period. There may be up to 10 years of a transition period when various menopausal related symptoms begin. The symptoms are uncomfortable and vary in intensity for each person. You may suffer from hot flashes, sleep disturbances, irritability and mood swings, and decreased sex drive. Your menstrual cycle eventually stops, but often only after several years of period irregularity.

Believe it or not, there is an upside to all of this: eventually no more periods and no more cramps! Also, the symptoms can be treated. For women experiencing symptoms that affect their overall quality of life, there is hope. Hormone replacement therapy provides many women relief. An evaluation requiring an exam and lab work will determine if you are a candidate for hormones. Estrogen therapy is the most effective treatment option for relieving menopausal hot flashes. Progesterone protects against endometrial cancer and may help with sleep disturbances. Testosterone can improve sex drive and energy level. There are a variety of different ways to receive hormones, but pellet hormone replacement therapy is an excellent bioidentical option.

Bioidentical hormones are identified as those that have the chemical structure of naturally occurring hormones. This allows the hormone to function at its optimum level. Bioidentical hormone replacement pellet therapy is the delivery of hormones encased in a pellet about the size of a grain of rice. Data supports this as the safest and most effective method of hormone replacement therapy. The procedure is a quick and painless office procedure where the pellets are inserted under the skin in the hip area. The pellets release small amounts of hormone directly into the bloodstream similar to the way the ovaries functioned during our younger adult years. The pellets last for several months and patients report that they prefer the pellets to daily use creams and pills.

Any Parkhill physician can answer all of your pellet related questions. Call the office to schedule an appointment to discuss your evaluation.