Bioidentical Hormones

Studies have shown optimized hormones significantly reduce the risk of serious health problems such as osteoporosis, Alzheimer’s disease, heart disease, and diabetes. Pellet therapy uses hormones that replicate the body’s normal hormonal levels. Oral and transdermal forms of hormone therapy can produce turbulent hormone levels, resulting in mood and energy fluctuations. The BHRT uses pellet therapy that provides sustained hormone levels throughout the day for up to three to five months without any “roller coaster” effects.

To create hormone pellets, a compounding pharmacist fuses estrogen or testosterone into small cylinders. These pellets, some of which are smaller than a grain of rice, are placed in the fatty tissue beneath the skin and mimic the actions of healthy ovaries and testicles in regards to hormone release into the bloodstream. The hormone pellet implantation is a quick and easy procedure easily performed in the office.

Pellet dosing is customized for each individual’s needs. Pellets have the capability to deliver bio-identical hormones directly into the bloodstream 24 hours a day, 7 days a week for up to five months. Other methods of hormone therapy cannot provide a steady delivery of hormones 24/7.

The bioidentical hormone pellets that we use at Utah Stem Cells are derived from natural plant-based sources. This means the molecular structure of the hormone supplement is exactly the same as the hormones produced by your body. Thus, your body recognizes these hormones as if they produced them themselves, and do not carry the inherent risks that possibly could be present with synthetic hormones.

The desired physiologic effects attained with pellet insertions are far superior to oral, gel, and intramuscular modes of delivery.

The pellets are able to supply a smooth and steady supply of the desired hormone and avoid the erratic absorption and wild fluctuations of circulating levels in your bloodstream that accompany the aforementioned methods. Your body also recognizes the location of this “depot” of hormones that are slowly released and can self adjust to draw more of the hormones during times of stress or exercise when needed.

With the painless placement of the pellets in the upper buttocks region, you avoid having to remember to rub on messy creams, swallow pills, or take weekly painful injections. Once the pellets are placed you can forget about them, and they last for about 3 months for women and 6 months for men.

The cost of our BHRT pellets is significantly less expensive than the other possible delivery methods described above.

The appropriate dose of hormone pellets will be individually selected for you to take several different factors into consideration. These include your age, body type, pre-treatment hormone levels, and the degree/types of symptoms present.

The bioidentical hormone pellets are inserted with very little discomfort under the skin in the upper buttocks region just below the pants line. We use a local anesthetic (usually lidocaine) to numb the skin and surrounding tissue, and then a needle is inserted. The very small hormone pellets (about the size of a grain of rice or Tic Tac) are then placed in the hollow needle and slid into the proper place under the skin, in the fatty tissue. You will barely feel the local anesthetic as it numbs the skin and tissue. Most people describe it as hurting less than a flu shot or drawing blood from a vein for routine labs. You will usually feel no pain at all after the skin and tissue have been numbed, and while placing the pellets through the hollow needle. For a couple of days after the procedure, the only discomfort you will experience is similar to that of a mild bruise. You will be able to resume all of your normal activities immediately
following the procedure. We only ask that you avoid any strenuous
activities that specifically target the buttocks muscles for a few days.

We would then have you return to the clinic in 5 weeks for a re-evaluation with the labs repeated. We would review your new hormone levels to see if they are now in the target range and correlate this with the degree of improvement in your symptoms. This helps us determine your correct hormone dosage and adjustments can be made.