It often feels like we lose control of our health as we age.
We notice lower sleep, energy, and libido, and instead, we get burdened with weight gain, anxiety, and brain fog—to name a few.
While most medical facilities simply dismiss unexplained symptoms as a sign of getting older, our team at Iowa Wellness Center understands that it’s much deeper than that.
In most cases, it’s not about the number of years you’ve circled the sun, but it’s actually about your body’s internal workings. As you age, key hormones like estrogen and testosterone decline, leaving you with a range of symptoms that you can’t always explain, but can sum up as “feeling off.”
But with hormone replacement therapy near Cedar Rapids, we replenish low hormones and restore your body to its natural harmony. Aging is inevitable, but the symptoms are not. Learn more here.
Table of Contents
At Iowa Wellness Center, we don’t just want to provide you with treatments; we want to educate you along the way. That’s why we write blogs: to explain our services and how they work to improve your health.
In this blog, we cover the following topics:
- What Are Hormones?
- Hormonal Imbalance Symptoms
- Menopause and Andropause
- Restoring Balance With Hormone Replacement Therapy
- BHRT Administration
- The Process at Iowa Wellness Center
- Nutraceuticals and Peptides
You can also read about how we incorporate hormone replacement therapy near Cedar Rapids with GLP-1 medications like semaglutide for sustainable weight loss at our weight loss clinic.
→ Read about HRT and GLP-1 here!
What Are Hormones?
Let’s go back to some basic biology and refresh our understanding of what hormones are and do.
Hormones are chemical messengers that move throughout the bloodstream and regulate our bodily processes. While most people associate them first with sexual function and reproduction, they actually affect much more, including:
- Weight
- Body fat distribution
- Sleep and wake cycles
- Metabolism
- Blood sugar and blood pressure
- Mood
When your hormones affect so many things, it’s no wonder that you start feeling less and less like yourself as they drop with age. It’s often tough to identify every negative impact of declining hormones on your body, and that also means you can’t always find relief to these symptoms.
Fortunately, at Iowa Wellness Center, we understand the effects a hormonal imbalance can have on your overall health, and we are passionate about helping patients regain control with hormone replacement therapy near Cedar Rapids.
Hormonal Imbalances Symptoms
Your body has over 50 hormones that are constantly rising and falling. However, once women and men reach their 40s and 50s, key reproductive hormones like estrogen and testosterone start to decline without rebounding, leaving behind a host of unwelcome physical and emotional changes, including:
- Fatigue
- Low libido
- Weight gain
- Anxiety and irritability
The symptoms could vary or present differently depending on whether you are a woman going through menopause or a man dealing with andropause.
Menopause
Menopause marks the end of a woman’s menstrual cycle and a rapid decline in estrogen production.
During this transitional life stage, women experience the following symptoms:
- Hot flashes and night sweats
- Insomnia
- Vaginal dryness
- Urinary urgency
- Mood swings
- Discomfort during intercourse
These symptoms can even begin as early as your 30s or 40s during perimenopause—when your body starts producing fewer hormones, but you still have a menstrual cycle (though it can be irregular).
Andropause
Andropause, sometimes referred to as the “male menopause,” is the period of time when men’s levels of testosterone start to decline.
Unlike menopause, this is a gradual process that comes with the following symptoms:
- Fat redistribution
- Loss of muscle mass
- Insomnia
- Poor concentration
- Erectile dysfunction
Restoring Balance With Hormone Replacement Therapy
The best way to get back to feeling like yourself again is to restore balance with hormone replacement therapy near Cedar Rapids. This tailored treatment gets personalized to optimize your hormone levels and replenish your levels of estrogen, progesterone, and testosterone safely and effectively.
At Iowa Wellness Center, we use bio-identical hormone replacement therapy (BHRT) from Biote, which contains plant-based hormones chemically identical to the hormones our bodies naturally produce.
This means that you will experience fewer side effects and better improvements in health than with synthetic, non-bioidentical hormones.
With rebalanced hormones, you can experience:
- Enhanced sexual function and higher libido
- Increased cognitive function and focus
- Improved sleep quality and more energy
- Better mood regulation and less anxiety
- Improved bone and muscle mass
Overall, you can experience an improved quality of life to not only live longer—but live longer with more vitality. With hormone replacement therapy near Cedar Rapids, we help you regain control of your health and rediscover your zest for life.
BHRT Administration: The Benefits of Pellet Therapy
For your hormone replacement therapy, we use bioidentical pellets that contain precise doses of testosterone and estrogen. We insert these rice-sized pellets under the skin of your buttocks, where they slowly release a stream of hormones over the course of 4 to 6 months to supplement what your body needs.
Here are some benefits of pellet therapy.
Customizable
Everyone experiences a decline in hormones, but your levels of estrogen and testosterone fluctuate independently. With Biote pellet therapy, we can customize your dosage to your unique needs and body.
Low Maintenance
Pellet therapy releases hormones into your body for 4 to 6 months, removing the inconvenience of daily or weekly upkeep.
Consistent Results
Because you can never miss a daily or weekly administration, you experience consistent results. As the pellets steadily release hormones into your bloodstream, you’ll notice gradual improvements in your sleep, energy, libido, and mood.
The Process at Iowa Wellness Center
To personalize your hormone replacement therapy near Cedar Rapids to your needs, we need to learn a little bit about you. Our process starts with a consultation, so you get individual care at every step.
Consultation
During your consultation, you meet with a member of our team to discuss your concerns and health-related goals. We ask questions regarding the severity and onset timing of your symptoms before reviewing your medical history.
We arrange for necessary lab tests to determine if hormone replacement therapy fits your needs. During this initial meeting, we encourage you to ask questions regarding HRT treatment, our practice, and any other aspects of your health.
We want you to feel completely comfortable in our care and confident in the treatment plan that we have built together.
Pre-Care Instructions
Before your pellet insertion, please follow these instructions:
- Avoid blood-thinning medications like aspirin.
- Stay hydrated and drink plenty of water.
- Discontinue the use of alcohol and tobacco products.
Your provider may send you home with more personalized instructions based on your conversation during the consultation.
Treatment
Before we administer the pellets, we first numb the insertion site so that you remain comfortable throughout the process.
Once you feel ready, we make a small incision in the skin of the upper buttocks to insert the small pellets. After placing the pellets, we close the incision with a bandage. The entire process should take only 10 to 15 minutes.
Post-Care Instructions
After your pellet insertion, please follow these post-care instructions:
- Keep the bandage on for 3 to 7 days.
- Keep the treatment area clean and dry.
- Avoid hot tubs, baths, swimming pools, or other bodies of water while the bandage is on.
- Avoid strenuous activity, like heavy lifting, for 3 to 7 days.
Results Expectations
Results of hormone replacement therapy near Cedar Rapids do vary from patient to patient. However, most patients report initial improvements within 3 to 4 weeks after their insertion as their bodies adjust to the hormones.
It may take up to 6 months to experience maximum benefits.
Results Duration
The pellets last 3 to 6 months depending on the following factors:
- Gender
- Weight
- Absorption rates
- The amount of estrogen or testosterone already present in your body.
We can give you a better duration expectation when you come in for a consultation.
Nutraceuticals and Peptides
Hormone replacement therapy works safely and effectively to optimize your health and improve your sleep quality, energy, and cognitive function. For best results, we recommend pairing this treatment with nutraceuticals and peptides that we offer in our office to provide additional support for hormone optimization.
Nutraceuticals promote healthy aging by supporting vitamin and mineral absorption in your body. These active compounds blend nutrients like vitamin D and vitamin K and minerals like iodine to work synergistically with your hormone pellets.
Nutraceuticals can help prevent chronic health concerns and even increase energy levels.
Peptides are biological messengers, similar to hormones, that use the bloodstream to transmit information between your body’s systems. Peptides control or enhance biological processes like cardiovascular, liver, and brain performance, weight management, and hormone optimization.
Peptides support healthy aging, enhance your libido, improve cognitive function, and increase fat burning and lean muscle mass building.
Our team can help you find the best nutraceuticals and peptides to improve your overall health and support your hormone replacement therapy. We use nutraceutical and peptide formulas backed by years of scientific research and medical data to support overall wellness and healthy aging.
Restore Balance and Function With Our Team
At Iowa Wellness Center, our mission is simple: to help you live a long, healthy life. That starts when you optimize your hormones and improve your health from the inside out.
To learn more about our practice and how hormone replacement therapy near Cedar Rapids can support you, request a consultation or try our treatment planner tool.
