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Hormone Replacement Therapy Options in Southeast Missouri

The goals of hormone replacement therapy include alleviating the symptoms of hormone depletion caused by aging, stress and/or environmental factors; giving back the protective benefits that were originally provided with balanced hormone levels in your 20s and 30s; eliminating imbalanced hormones and re-establishing proper hormone balance; and maintaining the quality of your life, not just the quantity. At EBO MD, we offer hormone replacement therapies that can help alleviate symptoms of hormone depletion and maintain or improve the quality of life for men and women in Southeast Missouri. 

Testosterone Replacement Therapy

Testosterone is a hormone produced primarily in the testicles in men and ovaries in women. It helps to maintain the body’s musculoskeletal system but also has effects on mood, metabolism, libido and overall sense of well-being. As you age, testosterone levels gradually decline, typically about 5% a year after age 35. 

Symptoms of low testosterone include: 

  • Low sex drive 
  • Erectile dysfunction in men
  • Fatigue and low energy levels
  • Loss of muscle mass
  • Weight gain
  • Loss of bone mass
  • Joint pain
  • Difficulty concentrating
  • Depression
  • Mood swings
  • Insomnia
  • Low sense of well-being 

Supplementing testosterone in the form of injections, topical creams or gels, patches and pellets can improve these symptoms and improve quality of life. 

Estrogen Replacement Therapy

Estrogen is a hormone naturally produced by your body, both in men and women. It plays an important role in managing your reproductive system, but it also protects your bones and helps your skin from bruising and injury.

Sometimes, your body doesn’t make enough estrogen. This can happen for a number of reasons like age or some medical conditions. If your estrogen levels are low, your doctor may prescribe hormone therapy to help replace your estrogen levels and ease symptoms.

Estrogen hormone therapy has a number of benefits, including the following:

  • Relieve menopause symptoms such as hot flashes, vaginal dryness, chills, difficulty sleeping and excessive sweating
  • Improve vaginal issues such as vaginal dryness, vulvar atrophy and atrophic vaginitis
  • Help ovary issues such as decreased function of the ovaries, failure of both ovaries or removal of both ovaries
  • Protect your bones after menopause

Progesterone Replacement Therapy

Progesterone is a hormone that is produced in your ovaries, along with estrogen. Progesterone is often called the pregnancy hormone. During the reproductive years, it influences the preparation of the uterus for a possible pregnancy. It also plays a role in forming a mucus barrier around the cervix and the availability of breast milk. 

This hormone also affects a wide range of other body functions, so when the ovaries don’t make enough progesterone, you may experience other symptoms including:

  • Urinary tract infection
  • Vaginal infections
  • Hot flashes
  • Breast tenderness
  • Anxiety
  • Loss of memory
  • Mood swings
  • Depression
  • Migraines
  • Changes in bone density

Thyroid Hormone Replacement Therapy

The thyroid gland located at the base of the neck produces thyroid hormone, which is the body’s primary metabolic hormone. Thyroid hormone regulates how the cells and organs in the body use energy. Abnormal thyroid levels can be caused by normal aging or surgical removal of the gland or can be due to abnormal enlargement or tumors of the thyroid gland. 

Low thyroid levels can cause fatigue, dry skin, weight gain and cold intolerance. High levels can cause heat intolerance, nervousness, tremors, weight loss, excessive sweating, muscle weakness and heart arrhythmias. 

When testing for thyroid abnormalities, it is important to measure both TSH (thyroid-stimulating hormone produced in the pituitary gland) and the actual thyroid hormones in order to properly diagnose the cause of the severity of thyroid issues. In some cases, it is also important to do imaging tests to determine the cause of the problem. 

Hypothyroidism caused by low thyroid hormone levels is treated with supplementation with either synthetic or natural forms of thyroid hormone. Hyperthyroidism caused by excess thyroid levels can be treated with medications to block thyroid production, radioactive iodine, or by removing a portion of or the entire thyroid gland. 

DHEA Therapy

Dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA) is a hormone that your body naturally produces in the adrenal gland. It helps produce other hormones such as testosterone and estrogen. Natural DHEA levels peak early in adulthood and then slowly fall as you age. 

People use DHEA as an anti-aging therapy and to improve physical performance. It can also be used to treat depression and symptoms of menopause. Some researchers have suggested that DHEA might be used to treat:

  • Lupus
  • Obesity
  • Alzheimer’s disease
  • Depression
  • Osteoporosis
  • Vaginal atrophy in post-menopausal women
  • Crohn’s disease
  • Infertility
  • Addison’s disease

Each of these hormone replacement therapies has an additional cost and most require lab work prior to treatment. Costs vary, but we have negotiated the very best wholesale lab prices for all labs that we must send outside our office. Those savings are passed directly on to our members in Southeast Missouri. Our patients also benefit from savings on negotiated wholesale generic prescriptions and supplements. Contact us to learn more about any of these therapy programs and pricing.

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