When the labs come back normal
but the symptoms don't go away.

Optimal hormone levels are typically achieved about two weeks after insertion. How quickly you notice a change in symptoms varies between people, and the first round is usually a starting point that gets adjusted at follow-up rather than a final dose.

A pellet releases hormones steadily rather than peaking and dropping between doses, which means more consistent blood hormone levels, no roller-coaster effect, fewer appointments, no injection-site side effects, nothing to self-administer, and no transfer risk to a partner or child, which is a real consideration with topical products.

Women typically receive a bioidentical hormone pellet insertion every three months, four times a year. Men typically receive them every five to six months, depending on their body's needs.

Bioidentical hormones are compounded from naturally occurring sources and are designed to be structurally indistinguishable from endogenous human hormones. That is, the same molecular structure as the hormones your body produces itself.

That's the most common reason people wait. Pre-menopausal symptoms can begin up to fifteen years before the onset of menopause, and men as young as thirty may experience hormone issues. Younger women with sedentary work and high-stress jobs can also experience imbalance. Age isn't the qualifier. Your labs are.

It's a brief in-clinic procedure. One published patient review describes it as surprisingly quick and virtually painless. There's nothing to self-administer afterwards.

Test first. Hormone levels are measured with lab work rather than inferred from a symptom list, and follow-up appointments are scheduled to monitor your results and adjust dosing. Anyone offering hormones without labs is skipping the step that makes it medicine.

The consultation is a paid visit: $100. There is no deposit. Hormone optimisation is generally not covered by insurance. We'll give you clear pricing at the consultation, once we know what your labs show and which protocol fits.

Hormone therapy carries real risks and is not appropriate for everyone, which is why it begins with lab work and a clinical evaluation. Compounded bioidentical hormones are not FDA-approved in their compounded form, and the comparative benefits described on this page reflect our own clinical experience rather than settled clinical consensus. Bring your full history, including any personal or family history of hormone-sensitive cancer, clotting or cardiovascular disease, and it will be weighed before anything is started.

You are seen by a team. Hormone therapy here is delivered by a physician, a physician assistant or a nurse practitioner, and most appointments are with our physician assistant. The programme is overseen by Dr. Lucy Hostetter, MD, our medical director, who earned her medical degree at the UCLA School of Medicine, completed her anesthesiology residency at Virginia Mason Medical Center, and is board-certified.

Yes, separate protocols for each, because the symptom pattern, the dosing and the insertion interval all differ. Men's symptoms commonly include loss of libido, reduced mental focus and energy, diminished muscle mass, joint pain, irritability and reduced sexual performance.

Then we tell you that, and hormone therapy isn't the answer for you. Fatigue, low mood and poor sleep have plenty of other causes, and starting hormones for a problem they can't fix helps nobody.