Hormone therapy
What is the history of hormone therapy?
Hormone therapy started with us learning that we had hormones. This sounds very simple but we didn't know what we didn't know. Ernest Starling was the first one to use the term coined "hormone" in 1905. Around 1925 (1) "Edward Calvin Kendall of the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, NY, USA, purified and determined the structures of cortisone (a steroid) and thyroxine (an iodoamino acid). In 1926, Sir Charles R. Harington in London performed the first chemical synthesis of a hormone, thyroxine. His breakthrough work was soon followed by the characterization of the nature and activity of the pancreatic hormone insulin—a protein—by Sir Frederick Grant Banting and Charles Herberg Best." Credit for the discovery of Estrogen goes to Edward Adelbert Doisy a scientist at St. Louis University Medical School . This is a small piece of the history of hormones but shows you how relatively "new" it is in the medical field. There is tons of history and more information you can get from the link below.
1. Jamshed R. Tata, 2005 https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1369102/
What type of hormone therapy do you practice?
The term hormone therapy has been getting thrown around quite frequently in todays world. There are various hormone therapies available that address many different issues that are good and some that are very controversial. We currently only will address issues that impact males and females who either no longer produce the hormone levels that they once did or who are need a boost to help alleviate some of their symptoms such as menopause or low energy due to testosterone.
What does hormone therapy address?
- Acne
- Anxiety
- Brain Fog
- Cycle Irregularities
- Heavy Bleeding
- Low Sex Drive
- Menopause symptoms: hot flashes, night sweats, vaginal dryness/discomfort during sex, insomnia, mood swings, dry skin, dry eyes, dry mouth, etc.
- Thyroid Optimization: T3 and T4 levels
- Pelvic Pain
- PMDD (Premenstrual Syndrome)
- Weight Gain
- Many other issues
I have tried everything will this work for me?
We understand that health care in general does not offer any guarantees, hormone therapy is best for those who understand that the state of disease occurs over a very long time and healing is an investment of your time. The body in and of its self is a very complicated system that God has created. We will use the tools and experience we have to address what we understand today. In the end we understand all efforts must be blessed by God.
Do you currently take any hormones?
Yes I do!! I struggle with stress which causes my T4 to convert to reverse T3 (essentially storage) instead of the T3 that my cells need. I am currently taking a T3/T4 compounded bioidentical thyroid hormone. I have been taking this hormone for four plus years. This compound that I take gives my body the T3 that I need and bypasses the conversion process my body would naturally try to do.
What if I don't feel comfortable taking a hormone?
We understand with all of the different treatment options available or at least known about that it can be very difficult to determine your best path forward. We honor your beliefs and will work with you to align with these beliefs. There are ways to support the thyroid "naturally" such as selenium, zinc, and iodine. We would do testing to establish baseline then we would give recommendations based on the severity of the tests. Not all people are good candidates to go the "natural" route and would benefit significantly from a compounded hormone.
What are the costs?
We understand anything medical can be scary and expensive not to mention confusing and borderline insane. We understand this and are here for you. We have taken the liberty to break down what some of these costs are and what you can expect (prices subject to change):
Initial visit
-Costs for your first appointment are $175.
-During this visit we will review your health history and your health concerns. We will then work together to find the right path to address your concerns and get you back on the path to wellness.
-After this initial visit, we will take time to research your options, then collaborate with you on the best tests recommendations (if any) and changes to your lifestyle that should be implemented.
Tests
-Costs for the various tests required are between $180-$950.
-There are numerous tests available and the price ranges vary widely, each case is unique.
-Please ask and we will give you an estimate on what costs you can expect to pay for these tests.
-In order to test your current health state, we will need to draw your blood. This is a minimally pain free process.
Follow Up Visit
-Costs for your follow up visit are $100.
-At the follow up visit, if any tests were performed we will discuss the results with you. We will also give you recommendations on life style changes, supplements, medications, etc.
-Additional follow ups usually are required to keep tabs on how you are responding treatment. You can expect to have at least 1-3 follow up visits based on the complexity of your case.
What do the test results look like?
See the photo gallery below for a test sample with a short description of each area of the test. We will go over the areas of your test that need improvement as well as point out the areas you are doing good in.
***THE TESTS SHOWN BELOW ARE NOT REPRESENTATIVE OF ALL THE TESTS WE WILL ORDER FOR EACH FUNCTIONAL MEDICINE VISIT, EACH CASE IS UNIQUE. THE TESTS BELOW ARE TO GIVE THE PATIENT SOME GENERAL KNOWLEDGE ON WHAT THE TESTS MEASURE OR LOOK FOR.***