With many women spending nearly half of their lives in perimenopause or menopause, understanding your hormonal health is essential. While some women experience mild symptoms that resolve naturally, others face severe, life-changing changes. Because every experience is unique, it is important to find a management plan tailored specifically to your needs.
Types of Hormone Therapy
Hormone replacement therapy is available in several delivery methods, including pills, patches, lotions, gels, sprays, rings and vaginal inserts.
- Bioidentical Hormones: Most treatments utilize estradiol, the active form of estrogen produced naturally by the human body. "Bioidentical" simply means the molecular structure is identical to the hormones once produced by your ovaries. These can be obtained as FDA-regulated pharmacy generics or through specialized compounding.
- Progesterone: For patients with a uterus, bioidentical progesterone is typically prescribed as an oral pill taken before bed to protect the uterine lining.
- Synthetic Hormones: While less common, synthetic options are sometimes preferred if they offer a better side effect profile for a specific patient.
- Testosterone Therapy: Although not currently FDA-approved for women, testosterone is occasionally used "off-label" by some of our providers to treat symptoms associated with hormone deficiency.
Pharmacy vs. Compounded Options
- FDA-Regulated Formulations: These are pre-made, standardized for purity and typically available at your pharmacy for generic prices. Most are covered by insurance.
- Compounded Hormones: These are custom-mixed formulations. While they can be highly personalized, they are not subject to the same FDA purity regulations as mass-produced generics and are usually not covered by insurance.
A Personalized Approach
Hormone therapy is not a "one-size-fits-all" solution. Your provider will help you navigate these options based on your symptoms, lifestyle, budget and health history. We are committed to helping you find the safest and most effective balance to improve your quality of life.
