Men’s Hormone Replacement Therapy FAQs & Answers
If you’re a man over the age of 40, you may have started to notice some changes in your body and mood that you can’t quite explain. Perhaps you’re feeling more fatigued than usual, or you’re having difficulty sleeping. Maybe your libido has decreased, or you’ve noticed a decline in your muscle mass. These symptoms, among others, can be indicative of a hormonal imbalance, which can be corrected through hormone replacement therapy (HRT). But if you’re new to HRT, you may have some questions. That’s where Renewed Vitality, Berks County’s premier HRT facility, comes in. We’ve compiled a list of FAQs to help you better understand how this life-changing treatment option can make you feel healthy and like yourself again.
What is HRT & How Does it Work?
At Renewed Vitality, HRT is a medical treatment that involves supplementing your body’s natural hormones with our bioidentical hormones. These hormones are engineered to be biologically identical to those your body produces. For men, the primary hormones that are targeted in HRT are testosterone and human growth hormone (HGH). You can also supplement your body’s natural hormones with synthetic hormones to restore hormonal balance and alleviate any symptoms of a hormonal imbalance.
Who is a Good Candidate for HRT?
Men who are experiencing symptoms of a hormonal imbalance, such as fatigue, decreased libido, difficulty sleeping, and muscle loss, may be good candidates for HRT. Additionally, men who have been diagnosed with low testosterone or growth hormone deficiency may also be good candidates for HRT. However, before undergoing HRT, it’s important to consult with your doctor to ensure that it’s an appropriate treatment option for you.
What are the Benefits of HRT?
HRT can provide quite a few benefits, including increased energy and stamina, improved sleep quality, increased libido and sexual function, increased muscle mass and strength, and decreased body fat. Additionally, HRT has been shown to have cognitive benefits, such as improved memory and concentration. HRT can also help to prevent age-related diseases, such as osteoporosis and heart disease.
What are the Risks Associated With HRT for Men?
Like any medical treatment, there are risks associated with HRT. However, when administered by a qualified medical professional at Renewed Vitality, the risks of HRT are minimal. The most common risks associated with HRT include acne and breast enlargement. However, these risks can be mitigated by monitoring hormone levels and adjusting dosages as needed.
How Long Does it Take to See the Effects of HRT?
The length of time it takes to see the effects of HRT will vary depending on the individual and the type of HRT being administered. Research shows that some men may start to feel the effects of HRT within a few weeks, while others may not notice any changes for several months. It’s important to be patient and to work closely with your medical provider to ensure that you’re getting the most out of your HRT treatment.
Hormone replacement therapy can be a restorative and healthy treatment option for men experiencing symptoms of a hormonal imbalance. With treatment at Renewed Vitality, men can restore hormonal balance in their lives and enjoy increased energy, improved sleep quality, increased libido, and more. If you’re interested in learning more about HRT or exploring whether it’s the right treatment option for you, don’t hesitate to contact us. Our team is committed to helping everyone improve their quality of life through personalized, effective, and safe HRT treatments.
Hormones are the chemical messengers of the body. They are in charge of sending the signals back and forth across your systems that make all of your natural bodily functions happen, and this means that having your hormones at the right levels is really important! Hormones that are out of balance can end up making life pretty miserable, but luckily, your hormone levels aren’t completely out of your control. There are plenty of lifestyle choices you can make to help get yourself back on track. Here are a few of them!
Get Your Protein
Aside from helping you build strong muscles and keeping you full for longer periods of time, protein is a vital nutrient for the body because it supplies amino acids that your body can’t make by itself. These building blocks are a crucial part of making your hormones in the first place, so make sure you get plenty of healthy protein at each meal– chicken, fish, eggs, and lentils are all good sources of this vital nutrient.
Exercise Regularly
The importance of getting your daily movement in cannot be overstated, especially in this day and age where so many people live sedentary lifestyles. Exercise not only improves your circulation and helps your hormones work more effectively, but it can increase how sensitive your body is to hormones, helping increase their efficacy even more. Regular exercise can also help improve your body’s response to insulin, which is very important for your health.
Improve Your Sleep Quality
With so many sources of stress and distraction, getting a good night’s sleep can seem like a tall order, but it’s worth prioritizing your eight hours every single night. Lack of sleep or poor quality sleep is linked to imbalances in many different hormones, and you can probably notice these effects in yourself whenever you have a stretch of time where you’re sleeping poorly. Practice stress reduction techniques and sleep hygiene to help you get plenty of uninterrupted sleep that will allow your body to go through all of the sleep cycles and restore itself. You’ll thank yourself in the morning, and so will your endocrine system!
Consider HRT
One of the most powerful ways to address hormone imbalances that are disrupting your life is to consider hormone replacement therapy, like the kind offered at Renewed Vitality. Our bioidentical hormones are a safe and effective treatment for many different kinds of imbalances, and can help you to start feeling better. If you’re interested in learning more about HRT as an option, make sure to contact us today and one of our friendly and helpful team members will be happy to assist you.
It’s a fact of life that things start to change drastically in your body as you age. Your joints get stiffer, your eyesight gets worse, and your hair turns gray. Some of the biggest changes, however, can come from changes in your hormonal levels as you age. These hormonal changes are called menopause for women and andropause for men. They can cause major effects in the body, not all of which are very pleasant, and occasionally these symptoms can get in the way of you living a full and healthy life as you get older. However, you don’t just have to suffer through it! Hormone replacement therapy, or HRT, can be an effective treatment for the symptoms of menopause and andropause.
What is Menopause?
Menopause is the natural decline of reproductive hormone levels as a woman reaches her 40s and 50s, eventually leading to the complete stop of her menstrual cycle. Symptoms of a woman entering menopause can be things like hot flashes, chills, night sweats, mood changes, thinning hair, dry skin, vaginal dryness, and more. This is a natural occurrence in a woman’s life, but the symptoms can be difficult to cope with.
What is Andropause?
Andropause is the male counterpart to menopause– natural decline of reproductive hormone levels as a man ages. Its most common symptoms are fatigue and decreased libido, but other symptoms can include decreased muscle mass, mood changes, erectile dysfunction, depression, and other problems that can get in the way of you enjoying your life in and after middle age.
Replacement Hormones
To counteract the effects of menopause, a woman needs to increase her estrogen and progesterone levels. Estrogen does many things, including maintaining healthy blood cholesterol levels, influencing how the body uses calcium and preventing osteoporosis, and maintaining a healthy vaginal environment. Progesterone regulates blood pressure and helps to improve mood and sleep.
Treating andropause with HRT requires testosterone. Among its many jobs, testosterone regulates sex drive, bone mass, fat distribution, muscle mass and strength, and the production of red blood cells.
How Can HRT Help?
Hormone replacement therapy seeks to add hormones back into your system to help boost your levels and alleviate your system. Replacement hormones can come in pill, patch, cream, gel, or spray form, or they can be given in suppository form or by subcutaneous delivery. By using natural, bioidentical hormones like the ones at Renewed Vitality, you can help to counteract the symptoms of menopause or andropause that you experience.
Hormone changes as you age can leave you uncomfortable, unhappy, and feeling like you’ve lost control of your body and your life. With hormone replacement therapy, you can have your life back again! If you’re interested in this form of treatment, be sure to contact Renewed Vitality today to get started.
While everyone’s body produces the natural hormone testosterone, it’s often associated and more highly concentrated in men. Essentially, testosterone is a hormone created predominately in the testicles and helps maintain your body’s healthy bone density, fat distribution, muscular strength and mass, facial and body hair, red blood cell production, sex drive, and sperm production.
As men age, testosterone levels naturally and slowly decline, which can worsen physiological conditions, general health levels, and quality of life. To help reduce the effects of decreased testosterone levels and negatively-correlated symptoms, Testosterone Replacement Therapy (TRT) can be a promising option. However, it’s important to note that there are a lot of misconceptions about what the treatment can and can’t do for individuals.
Let’s take a closer look at what TRT is, its potential benefits, financial costs, and the types of TRT treatments that are commonly available.
What is Testosterone Replacement Therapy?
TRT is a treatment that medical professionals often prescribe to men who have testosterone deficiency and are showing symptoms of hypogonadism. Getting prescription testosterone has been proven to help restore the levels of this hormone in the blood, reversing the symptoms of low testosterone. Many men who take it can notice improvements in alertness, sexual function, energy levels, mood, and more.
Medical professionals typically prescribe TRT to males who have hypogonadism. To get a definitive evaluation, blood tests must show that an individual has low testosterone levels, which the American Urological Association defines as being below 300 nanograms per deciliter (ng/dl). Individuals usually have to also be experiencing other symptoms, including fatigue, breast growth, and sexual dysfunction.
If you are experiencing symptoms of low testosterone, you likely don’t feel as good as you should. Beyond day-to-day symptoms, low levels of testosterone can also impact your body’s ability to carry out critical functions, which can increase your risk for other serious health concerns, such as type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular disease.
Symptoms do vary for each person, but if you experience several or all of the symptoms below, it’s worth getting your T levels checked:
- Decreased muscular strength and stamina
- Low sex drive
- Erectile difficulties
- Diminished sperm volume
- Unusual weight gain or body fat redistribution
- Changes in Mood
How Much Does TRT Cost?
For most patients, TRT doesn’t have to be very costly. Additionally, the majority of health insurance companies cover a wide range of testosterone replacement therapy forms, which means you’ll. Co-pays can range anywhere from $30-$100 per month, depending on your location, treatment schedule, and insurance plan. Generic options also help reduce out-of-pocket expenses for TRT.
Without insurance, TRT injections are usually the least costly type and can range from $50 to $100 per month. Solutions in the form of gels, creams, and patches usually range between $200 and $500 per month.
TRT is a great option for restoring and bolstering your overall health, wellness, and sense of well being. But remember that costs and types of treatment may vary depending on your needs. Be sure to consult with your primary doctor to figure out the best methods for TRT for you.
Is TRT Right for You?
If you or a loved one are experiencing symptoms of low testosterone, be sure to consult with your primary care physician. A healthcare professional can detail the benefits of testosterone replacement therapy, any potential risks, and work with you to formulate a treatment plan.
The official U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) does warn about the potential risk of heart attacks and strokes for some individuals receiving TRT (FDA, 2018). Testosterone treatment can also have side effects like infertility. Additionally, it may not be a good solution for you if you have certain medical conditions, such as prostate cancer.
At Renewed Vitality, we always strive to give patients the most natural results possible with the least amount of side effects. That’s why every hormone replacement treatment option we offer, including those for testosterone replacement therapy, uses bioidentical hormones. To better consider your potential TRT treatment options, contact us today to get started!
Hormone replacement therapy (HRT) has become a widely-debated topic and technique, usually used for treating symptoms of menopause. With ongoing medical research, it’s become clear that HRT can help many women and men with safe, effective hormone imbalance treatment options across all stages of life.
While HRT can reduce or eliminate hormonal imbalance issues, many people don’t take advantage of HRT due to a decades-old study that warned of serious health risks. Although the medical research and opinions on hormones have changed for the better, many men and women are understandably still cautious and hesitant. Let’s take a closer look at what HRT is and the benefits it can provide toward bolstering your or a loved one’s quality of life.
What Is HRT?
Hormone replacement therapy is often used to relieve the common symptoms of menopause, but more generally can treat hormone imbalances for both men and women. HRT treatments provide hormones that replace those your body either doesn’t produce or only does so in more limited quantities.
HRT is often a good treatment option for hot flashes, bone loss, vaginal dryness, and low estrogen levels. Importantly, the kind of hormone therapy a given person needs, the right dosage, and the risks will vary. Be sure to talk to your doctor before choosing hormone therapy to consider if the benefits outweigh any potential risks for you.
For women, HRT is used to provide the estrogen your body no longer makes after menopause. There are two primary types of estrogen therapy:
- Systemic HRT: Systemic estrogen — which arrives in the form of a pill, skin patch, ring, gel, cream, or spray form — usually offers a higher dose of estrogen that gets absorbed throughout the body.
- Low-dose products: Products with low-dose vaginal estrogen benefits usually come in tablet, ring, or cream form. They minimize how much of the hormone gets absorbed by the body. As a result, these low-dose vaginal preparations are usually used only to treat the vaginal and urinary symptoms of menopause.
HRT Benefits & Options
The last few decades have provided hundreds of clinical studies with outcomes that support using HRT to effectively help conditions like hot flashes, vaginal dryness, night sweats, and bone loss. These benefits can lead to improved sleep, and sexual relations, and quality of life.
Authors of Estrogen Matters, Oncologist Avrum Bluming and social psychologist Carol Tavris have helped clarify some of the misunderstandings surrounding hormone therapy and the important advantages it can provide men and women. “Our goal in writing the book and subsequently answering the dozens of emails we receive from around the world is to [educate about] the role of estrogen in ameliorating symptoms and prolonging women’s lives,” Bluming says.
At Renewed Vitality, we strive to give HRT patients the most natural results possible with the least amount of side effects. That’s why every hormone replacement treatment technique we offer uses bioidentical hormones.
Different from lab-produced synthetic hormones, bioidentical hormones are created from plant-based sources that are biologically identical to what our human bodies produce. This makes them easier for your body to use, providing fewer and less severe side effects than the synthetic versions. If you do decide that HRT may be a good treatment for you, be sure to call your doctor first to make sure you’re a good candidate.
We offer a wide range of methods for replacing your body’s previous hormone production with bioidentical hormone options. A hormone replacement therapy center like Renewed Vitality can help you feel better with bioidentical hormone treatments to get your body producing the levels it needs. Don’t hesitate to discover your options by contacting us to get started! To stay up to date with the latest HRT research and treatments, keep reading out blog here at Renewed Vitality!
Your hormones play a role in almost every function in your body, and if your levels are out of whack, it can have major impacts on your health. Hormones are the chemical messengers in the ecosystem of your body, so imagine if the messengers in our lives, like the news or the mail service, weren’t working like they were supposed to. It would cause chaos!
A hormone imbalance can affect your physical, mental, and emotional health, it’s common to find hormone imbalances in men and hormone imbalances in women. You might have trouble controlling your appetite or sleep if your hormones are out of balance, for example, or can leave you feeling lethargic or more depressed than usual. If you suspect you have a hormone imbalance, there are some simple lifestyle changes that you can consider making that will help you to get things back on track and feel better! Here are some natural remedies to help a hormone imbalance.
Magnesium
Magnesium is an essential mineral, meaning that humans need it to be healthy. It’s found in foods like whole grains, dark, leafy vegetables such as kale or spinach, and legumes like beans or chickpeas. It’s also found in dark chocolate! Adding more of these foods to your diet can be a good way to help with magnesium levels, but many people take a supplement or use a magnesium spray or soak to absorb the mineral through their skin.
Upping your magnesium intake can help you balance your hormone levels, and it can also help you sleep better and reduce any muscle cramps you might be having.
Healthy Fats
Fat is a necessary part of any human diet, and consistently eating foods that are low in fat can be detrimental to your hormone levels. A hormone-healthy diet will contain plenty of healthy, nutritious fats like fish, avocados, nuts, and olive and coconut oils. Fats like these are called MCTs (medium-chain triglycerides) and omega-3s, and they’re also good for your brain health!
B Vitamins
There are eight different B vitamins in total, and they all have different jobs they do in the body. Making sure you take in your B vitamins can help you to deal with hormonal imbalances. You can take a B-complex supplement to help with this, but you can also get the B vitamins from your diet.
A lot of the usual vitamin-rich suspects show up here, like salmon and dark leafy greens. Eggs and nutritional yeast are also good choices, as well as sunflower seeds, beef, trout, shellfish, poultry, beans, and organ meats like liver.
Protein
Protein provides the body with amino acids, which are essential nutritional molecules that the body can’t make on its own. Some of your hormones are actually made of these amino acids, called the peptide hormones, and they help control things like growth, energy metabolism, appetite, stress, and reproduction.
High protein foods like eggs, chicken breast, lentils, or fish are important to include throughout the day. Not only will they help you feel fuller longer, they will help give your body the building blocks it needs to create other essential hormones that control your health and how you feel.
Making simple lifestyle changes like these that help balance your hormone levels can really improve how you feel and function throughout your day, but if you feel that the results you’re getting from these healthy choices are still not enough, it’s time to turn to the experts. A hormone replacement therapy center like Renewed Vitality can get you feeling better with bioidentical hormone treatments to help your body achieve the levels it needs. Contact us if you’re interested in learning more!
Most people are familiar with the concept of hot flashes. They’re a very common symptom of menopause, and so many women will experience them at least a few times in their later years. You may be wondering, however, if men can ever experience hot flashes. The answer is yes, they can, but the underlying causes of hot flashes are of course different from the causes of hot flashes in women. Let’s take a look at why a man might be suffering from hot flashes, and what can be done to relieve them.
What is a Hot Flash?
A hot flash is a sudden and unexpected warm feeling that doesn’t correspond to the temperature of the environment. The sensation of heat is often felt in the face, neck, chest, and upper body, and can often cause sweating and redenning of the skin. Loss of heat during a hot flash can lead to chills after it ends, and they can often occur during the night and are then referred to as night sweats.
Hot flashes are not a condition on their own and are a symptom of some other issue that might be happening. They can be bothersome and uncomfortable, and when they occur at night, can lead to lost sleep.
What Causes Hot Flashes in Men?
While hot flashes in women are usually a sign of changing hormone levels, like those seen in menopause, in men they have a few different causes.
Androgen Deprivation Therapy
A treatment for prostate cancer called androgen deprivation therapy works by restricting the production of testosterone in the body. This helps to stop the cancer cells from growing or spreading, because testosterone stimulates their growth. However, the lowered levels of testosterone cause hot flashes for the majority of the men who undergo this treatment.
Lifestyle Stress
Hot flashes can sometimes occur alongside other symptoms in a man such as erectile dysfunction, lowered libido, or mood changes. For these symptoms together, it’s common that some kind of stress, depression, anxiety, or other mental health issue is aggravating them.
Low Testosterone
Low testosterone can occur for many different reasons, and can cause hot flashes. Some of the underlying causes of low testosterone (also called hypogonadism or low T) include undescended testicles, physical testicular injury, Klinefelter’s syndrome, hemochromatosis, pituitary disorders, HIV or AIDS, and many other conditions. Other symptoms of low T include infertility, low energy levels, low muscle mass, decreased sex drive, hair loss, and more. If these symptoms occur along with hot flashes, speak to your doctor about your testosterone levels and what might be causing them to be low.
What Can You Do to Relieve Male Hot Flashes?
Hot flashes can be difficult to manage, and even more challenging to avoid, but there are some steps you can take to make them easier to deal with.
Avoiding Triggers
Spend a week or so being observant about what you’re doing right before and during a hot flash. You might be able to identify some things that trigger them, including warm rooms or tight, hot clothing, alcohol, smoking, caffeine, or spicy food. Avoiding these things can help you to avoid hot flashes.
Healthy Lifestyle Changes
Building in more exercise, nutritious foods, and plenty of sleep will help to improve many things about your physical health, including hot flashes. Prioritizing fitness and health and taking care of your body can help to make these episodes easier to deal with.
Treat the Cause
If you can identify the underlying cause of your hot flashes with your doctor’s help, such as environmental stress or low testosterone, you can begin treating the underlying cause of your hot flashes and stopping them altogether.
Hormone Replacement Therapy
Hormone replacement therapy can often be a great treatment for men looking to deal with their hot flashes, although with some exceptions. Men with a history of prostate cancer are advised not to undergo any testosterone replacement therapy since testosterone stimulates prostate cancer cells. However, if you and your healthcare provider think this might be a good option for you, contact Renewed Vitality today! We are the Reading area’s hormone replacement therapy resource and can help you start to feel like yourself again.
Eventually every woman begins to experience some of the symptoms of menopause, and even when you know it’s coming, it can still be a challenging time! As the partner of someone who is going through menopause, it can be difficult for you to know what the right course of action is. You want to help the person that you love, but oftentimes it doesn’t seem like there’s much you can do at all, and you end up feeling powerless to make this transition easier for them.
While you certainly can’t stop the natural process of you and your partner aging, there are some ways that you can show support and help your partner as they go through menopause. Here are some good things to keep in mind.
Learn What to Expect
One of the best ways for you to support your partner is to do your homework. If you’re not familiar with what the effects of menopause actually look like and what your partner is and will soon be experiencing, now is the time find out!
Educate yourself on things like mood swings, hot flashes and night sweats, sleep problems, weight gain, hair thinning, and the many other physical effects that menopause can have. Not only will this help you to be more understanding of what your partner is going through, it can keep you from blundering into awkward situations where you make hurtful comments about something that they can’t control.
Be Understanding of Mood Swings
While not everyone experiences mood swings during menopause, it is a common symptom. The occasional bad mood is normal, but sudden and intense changes of mood that disrupt a person’s daily life and relationships are most likely a result of changing hormone levels during menopause.
Even when you know that your partner’s crankiness is caused by menopausal mood swings, pointing this out to them is probably not the best idea. No one likes to be told they’re being irrational and hormonal when they really feel upset! Instead, try not to take them personally and if needed, discuss the situation with your partner later when they’re in a better headspace.
Communicate
You’re never going to be able to get through this next phase in your relationship together if you and your partner simply rely on assumptions about each other to understand what’s going on between you. Now is the time to focus on open and honest communication more than ever.
Discuss with your partner what the best ways are that you can offer support, and what you need from them in order to feel content and fulfilled in your relationship. Build a plan for how to handle fights and other disagreements. Practice active listening and being mutually patient with each other. All of these things can help your relationship to become stronger through this transitional phase.
Stay Healthy Together
Focusing on physical health like diet and exercise can help to make the symptoms of menopause easier to manage, so make forming healthy habits a part of your relationship that you do together!
Evening walks, weekend yoga sessions, or healthy cooking classes can be a great way for you and your partner to spend time with each other, and building in these healthy practices will help to make menopause a less challenging time for them. Plus, you get to reap the benefits of a healthier lifestyle as well!
Look Into Treatments
Sometimes, the symptoms of menopause are unpleasant enough that treatment is required. If this is something that your partner is open to, you can help them by assisting in researching possible treatments and therapies that can alleviate their symptoms and make their life easier as they continue to age.
Hormone replacement therapy (or HRT) has been shown to be extremely helpful in alleviating the symptoms of menopause, and at Renewd Vitality in Wyomissing, PA is the premier facility for HRT in the Berks County area. If your partner is interested in hormone replacement therapy for menopause, contact us today!
